Yoga and the Christmas Spirit: Wonder

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

As I was watching a documentary about the Christmas Star last night, I began to contemplate the Christmas virtue of wonder. While I was viewing the film, it struck me how great the wonder must have been that filled the hearts of the three wise men as they witnessed such an immeasurably profound celestial event, known as the Christmas Star. According to some scientists, the Christmas Star may have been comprised of a comet. Other astronomers believe that the Christmas Star was actually a triple conjunction of three planets, which is a very rare occurrence. According to many people's beliefs, such awe-inspiring celestial events usually indicate the birth or the passing of a great ruler or king. 

Although the exact date of the celestial event marking the birth of Jesus of Nazareth is still of some debate, the fact that an such a incredible astronomical event occurred within a handful of years of the generally accepted birth date of Jesus, is without question. The sense of wonder that such an event must have generated in the hearts of those witnessing it is quite profound. Some astronomers postulate that the comet or conjunction was so illuminating that it filled up half of the night sky for several days. The appearance of the Christmas Star was documented by several different cultures, including ancient Chinese astrologers who kept meticulous records of such heavenly events. 

In terms of practicing and teaching Yoga, nurturing the sense of wonder is an important element in keeping your relationship with Yoga fresh and inspirational. This sense of wonder is defined in the dictionary as an emotional state filled with admiration, marvel, amazement, and awe. The same sense of wonder that filled the hearts of the three wise men, which found the baby Jesus as they followed the Christmas Star across the desert, can also fill your body and mind with the inherent wisdom of how to construct an optimal Yoga practice for you and for your Yoga students. The practice of Yoga includes many different tools and techniques for facilitating health, wisdom and well being. 

For those of us who practice or teach Yoga regularly, the sequence of postures and the way that we approach the practice itself may have become quite staid over time. For instance, you may find that you are falling into a predictable routine in the way that you sequence your Yoga classes, or in the array of postures that you offer to your Yoga students. By reconnecting with the inherent wisdom of your own body and mind through an intuitively-based practice of Yoga, you will be more able to address your own individual needs through your Yoga practice and to tailor your Yoga classes to the needs of each unique group of students. In doing so, you will be honoring one of the quintessential virtues of the Christmas spirit, wonder. 

One of the key elements to engaging in an intuitive, free form Yoga practice is to allow an open sense of wonder to arise from within your own heart. This is very similar to the Buddhist notion of the beginner’s’ mind. It is not uncommon for many of us, who have been practicing Yoga for some time, to repeat the same sequence of postures and pranayama exercises over and over again. The same may also be true for you in your own personal practice, or on a professional level, if you are working as a Yoga teacher. 

By occasionally spending an unstructured hour on your Yoga mat following the intimations of your own breath and body, you will be able to connect with the deeper intuition of what your body and mind truly need today in terms of your personal practice. In the same way, if you are teaching a Yoga class, allowing yourself the flexibility to modify the sequence of poses you have chosen, according to the needs of your students on any particular day, is one of the most important aspects of teaching a safe, challenging and inspiring Yoga class. 

Virginia Iversen, M.Ed, has been practicing and studying the art of Yoga for over twenty years. She lives in Woodstock, New York, where she works as a writer and an academic support specialist. She is currently accepting Yoga and health-related writing assignments and may be contacted at:enchantress108@gmail.com.

Yoga as a Metaphor: Activity to Equanimity

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

One of the definitions of a metaphor is a figure of speech or object that is symbolic of something else. In metaphorical language one event, place or thing is compared to a similar event, situation, or even a person. In terms of a Yoga practice, the way a Yoga practitioner approaches his or her own practice often matches how the individual approaches his or her own life in many different ways. By mindfully witnessing how we engage or do not engage fully in our own Yoga practice, this awareness can give us reams of information about how we approach our own lives “off the mat.”

For instance, lately I have been seeing car insurance ads on television that are filmed during a mock Yoga class. During the class, while in an inversion (of course!), the Yoga student checks her phone to see if her car insurance bill has been paid. Ok, while you may be thinking to yourself that you wouldn't actually check to see if your car insurance company has received your premium check while doing Yoga, how many of us sneak a quick peak at our cell phones during class in order to check our text messages, while we tell ourselves “just this one time.” 

This constant urge to multi-task may be found in all corners of our lives. For instance, we may be answering our emails while talking on the phone, or even attempting to text while we are driving. Some of these activities can put us in danger, such as texting while driving. Other multi-tasking activities may be efficient at first, but often doing multiple tasks at one time drains our energy and diminishes our performance on these tasks. By noticing the urge to multi-task while doing Yoga, your own awareness about your propensity to split your attention and focus in other areas of your life will become quite evident. 

Of course, different people have different levels of ability to concentrate and accomplish multiple tasks at one time. However, the practice of Yoga gives us an opportunity to truly relax and focus on simply breathing and moving our bodies for a set amount of time. As you begin to ground and relax into your practice, you will find yourself more easily moving from activity to equanimity. This occurs naturally as you move through the more active part of a Yoga practice, which includes flowing Sun Salutations, standing postures and balancing poses, into the more restorative Yoga poses such as seated forward folds, hip openers and Shavasana. 

If you find that you are having difficulty allowing yourself to move from a state of doing to a state of being, practicing mindful awareness and progressive relaxation in Shavasana is a first step to giving your body and mind the green light to simply rest. By allowing yourself ample time to rest in Shavasana at the end of your practice, you also give your body and mind the message that a period of rest is a priority for you during your Yoga practice. It is recommended to rest in Shavasana for at least ten full minutes. This is generally the amount of time that it takes for the body to cool down and for the muscles, ligaments and skeletal system to reset into the more optimal alignment created by your Yoga practice. 

If you find that you feel anxious or impatient with practicing Shavasana for ten minutes, this is a wonderful opportunity to deepen your breath and witness the incessant urge to always being in a state of constant activity. In order to shift from doing to being, you may wish to practice progressive muscle relaxation while resting in Shavasana. This is quite simple to do. You simple tense and relax each large muscle group as you move around your body in a clock-wise fashion. As you begin to be able to move more fluidly into the relaxation portion of your Yoga practice, you will notice that it is easier to move into a peaceful state of relaxation at the end of the active part of your day. 

Virginia Iversen, M.Ed, has been practicing and studying the art of Yoga for over twenty years. She lives in Woodstock, New York, where she works as a Yoga and health-related freelance writer and academic support specialist. She may be contacted at: enchantress108@gmail.com.

How To Use Yoga Therapy For Osteoporosis Relief

By Faye Martins

As individuals who suffer from osteoporosis know, the condition can be a very difficult one to grapple with. However, there are a plethora of healthy solutions that osteoporosis sufferers can integrate into their daily lives in order to look and feel better. While many such solutions can help, it's a good idea to use yoga therapy for osteoporosis relief. To learn more about how this form of therapy can alleviate the symptoms of osteoporosis, read the brief outline found below.

How Yoga Can Alleviate Osteoporosis 

The reason that yoga is so effective in alleviating osteoporosis is because it involves performing movements that rely on the participant's body weight. Specifically, performing the yoga movements adds additional stress to the participant's muscles and bones. This activity improves bone density while also encouraging bone growth. As the body's bones strengthen, the participant also experiences greater mobility and flexibility.

Which Yoga Poses Are Most Effective? 

While any form of yoga can be effective therapy for osteoporosis, there are several poses that are particularly helpful. For example, the extended triangle pose places substantive stress on the participant's lower body. This activity results in an increase in strength while simultaneously stretching the body. Additionally, the bridge pose is helpful for the spine because it stretches and strengthens this region of the body. Finally, the twisted triangle pose is effective in building the strength of joints and bones while also reducing the participant's susceptibility to fractures.

Getting Started

Once people who suffer from osteoporosis become aware that yoga therapy can function as a viable solution for the condition's symptoms, the next step is to get started. There are several ways to get going, and some of them include:

1. Participate In Local Gym Sessions.

Oftentimes, this is the most effective strategy for individuals who are new to the world of yoga. This is the case for several reasons, including the fact that yoga sessions which take place in public gyms are led and supervised by trained instructors. Typically, these yoga instructors have extensive education and experience in the field. This means that they will generally be able to provide the specific instruction and correction that will yield maximum results, thereby facilitating optimal health. 

2. Hire A Yoga Instructor.

This is another excellent strategy that can be employed in order to attain relief from the symptoms of osteoporosis. In many cases, people find the private instruction attained through one-on-one sessions with a yoga instructor to be more effective because they obtain more personal attention.

3. Yoga DVDs.

Yoga DVDs are an excellent option for individuals who want relief from osteoporosis yet do not want to perform the exercises in front of other people. Yoga DVDs can typically be purchased from supermarkets or the internet. You can also rent them from various places. Individuals who wish to practice yoga through the use of DVDs should be sure to select a difficulty level that is comparable with their own abilities. For example, individuals who have little to no experience with yoga should most likely select beginner level DVDs rather than intermediate or advanced. 

Conclusion 

Although osteoporosis can be a very challenging condition to live with, individuals who are determined to overcome its symptoms can do so through yoga therapy. By beginning yoga classes or practicing from the privacy of one's home, individuals who struggle with the condition will likely witness a decrease in the experience of their symptoms. Once this happens, they will be able to lead the productive, positive lives they deserve to have.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA.

How To Teach Yoga Classes For Everybody

By Faye Martins

When you want to learn how to teach yoga classes, you need to make sure that you are teaching them in a way that helps everybody. There are many teachers that teach classes directed at a certain student, but your classes must be directed at all your students. When you begin to plan your yoga classes, you must consider what will happen when people who are new to your class come through the door.

Consistency

You want to use a fairly consistent routine when you are teaching your class. You have every right to change the routine here and there, but you should not do radically different classes every week. You will confuse your new students, and you will likely discourage newer students who are having a hard time keeping up.

Instruction and Correction

You want to give each student enough time in each pose to learn how to do the pose. Also, you want to make sure that you are checking each student to make sure that they are able to do each pose correctly. You can instruct students on how to complete the poses, and you want to make sure that they are able to understand the pose before you move on. When you move too quickly, you are going to confuse of discourage people who do not understand what is going on.

Encouragement

You want to encourage your students when you see that they are putting forth a good effort. Each student wants to know that they are making progress, and it means a lot to them when they are told that they are doing well. Every student who wants to learn how to do yoga should have a teacher who is pushing them to do better. Students will naturally improve when they are being praised.

Pace

Your classes must be paced consistently. People will choose to return to your class because the class is moving at a pace that they prefer. When you are moving at a pace that people cannot keep up with, they are going to find a class that moves slower. More advanced students will get bored with a pace that is too slow, and you need to find a pace that is moderate in every respect.

Do The Poses

There are many people who teach their classes by doing the poses that they have chosen for the class. When you give the class a living model for the poses they should do, they will be able to emulate you more easily. You can show your students that these poses are possible, you can also show students how to use props, and you can show your students that with props almost everything is possible.

When you teach yoga classes, you must remember that it is hard for people to pick up yoga at first, and you want to give them a reason to come back and try again in the future. Your pace, encouragement and consistency will make your classes enjoyable for everyone.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro

Teaching Kids Yoga to Reduce Violence

By Eleanor Bartel 

Unfortunately, violence is all too prevalent in our society. It seems like no matter where you go, you can't avoid it. It is everywhere in the media, entertainment, and everyday life. Even children are exposed to violence from an early age, whether it's through television shows, school, or learned behavior. Luckily, there are ways to combat the violent images shown so often in society. For children, yoga can be a great way to learn how to appropriately manage emotions and deal with them in a way that doesn't harm anyone or anything. Yoga teachers can offer specific classes for children to help them learn how to acknowledge their feelings and emotions in a positive way.

Keep it Simple

You might go into your regular adult vinyasa class prepared with a list of poses and sequences you want to teach. Don't try to do this for a class with children. While having an outline can be a good idea, with children, you never know which way the class is going to turn! In an adult class, the students will follow your lead. In a children's class, it can be much harder for you to direct the flow of things. Instead of going in with a detailed plan, keep it simple with a few poses or breathing exercises to explore. Follow the lead of your students – if they seem particularly interested in one pose, stay with it for a while! Use this time to focus on what the children want to explore. Allow them to explore at their own pace, and you'll find the class will be more fun for the kids and it will transition more smoothly for you.

Make it a Game

It's important to remember that you are teaching to a different age group in a children's class. Kids are not going to be able to have the focus or attention span of an adult group. Their minds will wander and they will get bored easily. To keep the class fun and relevant for kids, make games out of certain poses! Try a game of Simon Says, where the actions they have to perform are certain yoga poses. Or, try a game of telephone, but with a yoga pose everyone has to copy instead. Encourage teamwork as you go through these games to foster kindness, respect, and friendship.

Relaxation and Soothing

Like adults, children can have issues with stress andanxiety. However, it can be harder for them to find a space to relax between school, extra-curricular activities, and home life. Your yoga class can be not just a place to have fun, but also a place to let go and unwind. After having an active and engaging class, your students can benefit from a small meditation or relaxation session, just like in an adult class. To help the kids prepare, try having fun pillows and blankets available. Your students can try savasana or even a seated position for some quiet reflection. Dim the lights to set the mood. You can even try out some simple chants with your class. Some children love to make noise, and chanting is a way to let them be heard while also relaxing!

You can't go from teaching adults right into a teaching a class for children. Take the time to mentally and physically prepare yourself for a different teaching experience. To help your students let go, you must first let go yourself. Getting to the mindset for a younger audience will help you create a yoga class that is fun, relaxing, and inspiring for your little students. Your yoga class can help young students find peace and strength in their physical and mental selves, and you can inspire fledging minds to make better choices when it comes to dealing with anger and violence.

© Copyright 2014 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

Can Kids Yoga Create World Peace?

By Azahar Aguilar 

As yoga instructors, we know yoga improves the lives of adults all over the world. Stress and body aches derived from everyday life make the practice a necessity to adults. But can it do the same for children, and in turn build a more peaceful future when they lead the next generation?

Most kids are under similar pressure as adults today, just with different titles.  To get good grades, do well at sports, and to fit in with friends.  All while under the spotlight of social media - could you imagine dealing with Facebook in middle school?. Change of life transitions such as divorce often hit them harder than adults, due to the powerlessness and position outside to the situation. The same goes for poverty, family violence and even war.

Yoga is a necessary tool to combat these issues and more.  Every child, regardless of ability can do some type of yoga. -To have fun and enjoy, to let go and relax, and to recognize and ignore the ego. While not all of this is grasped immediately (is it immediate with most adults though?), the practice matures with the children over time, and with that, more mature yogis and yoginis blossom open in the future.

Benefits of yoga for children specifically include improved coordination, body image, stability, self-esteem, concentration, awareness of the present moment, social interaction, responsibility, and increased creativity in already creative minds.

When we give our children the gift of learning these lessons early - how to reduce anxiety, connect with the inner mind and body, to slow down, to turn inward, to connect with others, we ultimately give this gift to our future. What world could we create when those kids grow up?  How would future world leaders and CEO’s make decisions if they recognized we are all the same in breath, prana, and energy?

Negative life cycles are perpetuated every day, and in every type of community around the world.  There is no unique situation - tiny humans tend to be the byproduct of adult decisions. If a good mentor is absent in a child's developmental years, it creates the possibility to begin the cycle for teen pregnancy, school dropouts, anger issues, or crime.  Society bears these costs, when really we could prevent this cycle from starting by giving children tools to deal with their emotions and the world around them.

Yoga builds an outlet for children with traumatic home or life events - Everything from poverty, hunger, sexual violence, domestic violence, or gang violence. Yoga acts as physical and mental therapy for children with limited resources.  It arms them with better sleep at night and tools to deal with these daunting life events. Children learn to value themselves, deal with their temper, recognize their own value to contribute tothe world, correct anti-social behavior, and contribute to their community at large. It breaks the cycle with positive impact from adults as mentors and good examples.

Yoga for children is slowly popping up in other war torn and violence disrupted countries and regions.  Yoga as therapy gives children a chance to heal and address inner conflict head on, and to trust other peers and mentors as time goes on. Along with positive mental and emotional help for individual children, it connects the community at large and provides them knowledge to better handle individual anger, education, mentorship, and leadership. It creates jobs and initiates positive action within the populace at large - All tools to give the community a brighter future.

           

Yoga for kids in diverse communities acts as a means to relate to one another on a human level.  So in any community, it is a keystone to connect children to other children different from them, adult mentors from many varying communities and a lifetime understanding of how the world links together.  It's a light bulb moment for any child (or adult) to realize we are all human, and really, not so different.

Children's yoga programs are life changing for the adult volunteers as well.  Those that tune into the lessons from the children learn the most. Most volunteers explain what an honor it is for the adults to serve these groups of tiny humans.  The volunteering itself acts as an addition of positive energy to the community, as the act of giving always does.

Yoga for children absolutely has the power to create world peace - it breaks down old toxic cycles, creates tools for kids to build a successful future and relate to their peers on a deeper level.  In their adult mentors it initiates a connection to the present moment as volunteer adults pass down knowledge and positive energy for these tiny humans and the community at large.  

Good energy creates more good energy.  So what are you waiting for?  Go create some world peace. Volunteer in your community with children today.

© Copyright 2014 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division