Thinking about Power Yoga may conjure up vivid images of Yoga teachers like Beryl Bender Birch, Bryan Kest, or Baron Baptiste. This is a vigorous form of Ashtanga Yoga with a Western "twist." Classes are usually filled with younger adult Yoga students and active athletes.
These are not classes for Yoga students with ailments, or for beginners who just "jumped off the couch." Power Yoga is a fantastic system of Yoga exercises, but if you are going to teach any form of Power Yoga classes, you have to be completely honest with prospective students. The physical challenge of a Power Yoga class is not for everyone who wants to learn a form of Hatha Yoga.
For example: A middle-aged, inactive, beginner Yoga student should be guided to a gentle Yoga style, if he or she wants to pursue the study of Hatha Yoga. This student will learn the basics, safety guidelines, and contraindications that apply to his or her body. After a few months of regular practice, this Yoga student will see the path of infinite possibilities open, and then make an educated choice from what he or she has learned.
The injury of a student, due to the desire for a Yoga teacher's desire to "fill up classes," is morally and ethically wrong. Complete honesty with students is not often taught when we are trained to become a Yoga teacher. Yoga teachers are often trained to be gentle guides along the path toward total health.
Being completely blunt about a prospective Yoga student's limitations - might be bad for business. However, whenever a student is injured, the Yoga instructor will often feel remorse, even if the situation was completely unforeseen. The above-mentioned scenario, of an unfit student going into a vigorous Yoga class, can easily be seen. If you do not have a questionnaire for new Yoga students, you should design one now, even if you have never had a single problem.
This is not meant to "steer you away" from teaching Power Yoga classes or to prevent you from learning to become a Power Yoga instructor. Power Yoga classes are very rewarding to participate in and to teach.
When considering the needs of new Yoga students, always be diplomatic, and guide potential Yoga students toward their best choice. Unfortunately, this sometimes means we must guide them to the Yoga teacher down the street.
Yoga provides great stress relief and other health benefits. The Mayo Clinic recommends yoga for stress management and relaxation, and medical journal articles have proven yoga's effectiveness in treating serious medical conditions such as arthritis, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, depression and multiple sclerosis.
How do you make sure that you get the great stress relief and other benefits of yoga? Easy! Ask any yoga teacher the questions listed below. If the teacher's answers closely match the ideal answers, you have found a great teacher.
QUESTION 1: DO YOU PRACTICE YOGA NOW?
IDEAL ANSWER 1: YES, I PRACTICE YOGA EVERY DAY.
If you wanted to learn to ride a bicycle, would you take lessons from someone who wrote a book about bicycles but had never actually ridden a bike? Only if you wanted to find the quickest way to fall off the bicycle! No amount of reading or theoretical knowledge will enable you to understand how to ride a bicycle. Sooner or later you have to get on the bike. The same is true of yoga. Only someone who is currently practicing yoga can safely and effectively teach you how to do yoga.
QUESTION 2: ARE YOU CURRENTLY TAKING LESSONS WITH A YOGA TEACHER?
IDEAL ANSWER: YES, I STUDY WITH A QUALIFIED TEACHER IN A RECOGNIZED YOGA TEACHING STYLE.
Even your yoga teacher needs a yoga teacher. Why? Yoga is a process, and there is always more to learn. Everyone learns more about yoga by getting feedback from a great teacher. You want your yoga teacher to be aware of the latest discoveries on how to teach yoga. The best way for your teacher to do this is to take lessons with another yoga teacher.
QUESTION 3: WHAT TYPE OF YOGA DO YOU TEACH, AND HOW DID THAT STYLE OF TEACHING YOGA DEVELOP?
IDEAL ANSWER: I TEACH "Y" STYLE OF YOGA WHICH HAS EXISTED FOR AT LEAST 10 YEARS.
If a yoga teaching style has existed for at least 10 years, the teachers in that system know the best ways to teach and the pitfalls to be avoided. In addition, if a situation comes up that your teacher does not know how to handle, your teacher will be able to ask a more experienced teacher in that teaching style for advice.
QUESTION 4: WHAT TYPE OF YOGA TEACHER TRAINING HAVE YOU HAD?
IDEAL ANSWER: I HAVE COMPLETED (OR AM CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN) A 500 HOUR TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH INCLUDES CLASSES, EXAMS, AND APPRENTICE TEACHING.
Suppose a pipe burst in your house and sent a fountain of water gushing through your kitchen. Uh-oh, you need a plumber! There are two plumbers in your neighborhood: Plumber Smith and Plumber Jones. Plumber Smith used to be an electrician but took a one weekend plumber certification course and is now a plumber. Plumber Jones enrolled in a year long plumbing certification course at a special plumber training school, passed the plumbing certification exam, and apprenticed for one year under a master plumber. Which plumber would you choose?
Since yoga can have an enormous impact on your health, shouldn't you take as much care in choosing a yoga teacher as you would in choosing a plumber? Your yoga teacher should be enrolled in or have completed a yoga teacher training course that lasts at least one year, and includes classes on how to do yoga, classes on how to teach yoga, apprentice teaching under a certified and experienced teacher, and certification exams.
One of the most comprehensive yoga teacher training programs in existence is the Iyengar Yoga Teacher Certification Program. If you are new to yoga, or suffer from a disease or injury, I strongly recommend that you seek out a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher.
QUESTION 5: DOES YOUR YOGA TEACHER HAVE A KIND AND EMPATHETIC HEART?
IDEAL ANSWER: YES.
Only you can determine if the answer to this question is yes.
A kind yoga teacher really cares about his or her students.
This doesn't necessarily mean that a teacher is quiet or a pushover. A teacher may speak loudly because your attention has wandered off and he or she is trying to get your attention back. A kind yoga teacher will carefully watch what you are doing, and guide you into doing yoga more correctly. Find a great yoga teacher, follow his or her instructions, and the health and stress relief benefits of yoga will be yours!
Both Paul M. Jerard Jr. & Deborah Rummelhart are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Paul M. Jerard Jr. has sinced written about articles on various topics from . Paul Jerard is director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He's a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches that along with fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students who want to be a teacher.. Paul M. Jerard Jr.'s top article . Bookmark Paul M. Jerard Jr. to your Favourites.
Deborah Rummelhart has sinced written about articles on various topics from Yoga Practice, Interview Questions. Get a coupon for a free yoga class or find a qualified Iyengar Yoga teacher at http://www.funnypath.com. Deborah Rummelhart is author of "Where Are My Ankles?. Deborah Rummelhart's top article generates over 1000 views. Bookmark Deborah Rummelhart to your Favourites.
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