..., many students get quite warm in a Vinyasa class.

If your alignment is not perfect, why bother to practice Yoga?

Without a doubt, alignment is very important, but some of us really need to use props to find the best alignment for our bodies. Yoga teachers need to encourage all of their students to practice more often and accept some limitations that come with each body.

Yoga teachers should be careful not to discourage those students who have limited range of motion. Again, props can be used by any Yoga practitioners, and with the careful guidance of a compassionate Yoga teacher, progress is made.

One last note on this point: No two bodies are alike, so lets be more understanding of ourselves and those around us. This applies to Yoga and life.

Copyright 2006 Paul Jerard / Aura Publicationsmore

Understanding Yoga and Pranayama

..., Swami Niranjananda of Bihar school of Yoga has classified Pranayama as hyperventilation and hypoventilation.

Pranayama can be called the singular most important aspect of yoga as they are means to purify the subtle energies flowing through the body. Pranayama is an important, yet little known part of Yoga. Pranayama establishes regular breathing patterns, breaking this negative cycle, and reversing the process.

Any Yoga classes should normally include practice of pranayama (breathing techniques, Dhyana (meditation), yoga nidra (psychic sleep or deep relaxation), and philosophy and practice of yoga. Pranayama will focus on various forms and practices of nadi shodana pranayama t...more

What Should a hatha Yoga teacher Know? - Part 3

...htened person would make a statement such as: "Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you." This statement was made by Mohammed.

Therefore, reading and studying Holy Scriptures, mean nothing if you do not take positive action from what you learn. All of the scriptures tell us to live in peace. The worst crime against humanity is when a political or religious leader preaches hate and incites war or killing.

Ishwara Pranidhana: Acknowledge God as a supreme being by whatever name you are familiar with. Pray daily and actively participate in your religion.

Copyright 2006 Paul Jerard / Aura Publications<...more

What is Chair Yoga?

...Chair Yoga is a gentle form of Yoga. With so many types of Yoga available, here is one that most of us can practice. Inversions and complicated maneuvers are not necessary in a Chair Yoga class.

All it takes is the motivation to get started. Most Chair Yoga classes dont use a Yoga mat, but the main prop used is a chair. This helps with balancing poses, and most common Yoga postures can be modified for the chair.

We have one particular Chair Yoga class, in Pawtucket, RI, that uses both chairs and Yoga mats. Within this type of Yoga class, you can cover standing, seated, supine, and prone postur...more

Cleaning Yoga Sticky Mats