...r stomach flattens as your diaphragm empties itself of air. When you breathe, be sure that your stomach is moving, that you arent restricting this movement in any way.

* Its important to relax every muscle in your chest, your face, your neck, your shoulders even your jaw in order to benefit from a relaxing breath in yoga. One way to do this is to clench the body part in question and then let go entirely. You may not even realize that your muscles are locked until you try to contract them.

* Keep your breaths smooth and easy during your yoga practice. Everyone breathes at their own natural rate, but becoming conscious of your breath does not mean controlling it in any way. Notice your breath and relax into your own natural rhythm.

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Teaching Peace in Yoga Class

... cultivated in the body.

Consider the types of poses that you are teaching. Restorative poses such as legs up the wall can be fantastic for calming the central nervous system and bringing peace to the body. Balancing postures such as tree pose help the students to center themselves and come into the present moment.

Teaching peace in yoga class may simply mean adjusting the way you instruct your students. Move slowly, speak in a calm manner, create limitless space and time. Slow down your sun salutations taking extra time and breath. Remember in yoga we have infinite time and no ambition.

Teaching peace in yoga class may seem elusive or even unfeasible. However, if we return to the core premise of yoga described by Patanjali as a means to chitta-vrtti-nirohdah or cease the turnings of the mind we are reminded that we are teaching peace every time we teach a yoga class. As yoga teachers we simply must return our intention and single pointed focus to this goal.

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Understanding the Yoga Sutras

...In the West, there are many who practice Yoga for the physical benefits only. I'll never forget the first-time experience of teaching Yoga in a commercial health club setting.

After practicing asanas and pranayama, I mentioned that we would start a meditation session. To my surprise, two of the students stood up and left. This natural event in a health club is almost never seen in an Ashram.

What am I getting at here? Teaching all aspects of Yoga to everyone is sometimes like force-feeding a child. As teachers and interns, you should know all the benefits of Yoga. Unfortunately, your students may not want to know anything except how to "shape that body."

The philosophy and "big picture" of Yoga will have to be carried on by you and your most dedicated students. Keep in mind that each person will interpret the Yoga Sutras, written by Patanjali, differently. Just like reading the Magna Carta, the Bible, and the U.S. Const...more

Benefits of Chair Yoga - Part 1

...hink of cardiovascular heath first, and this is right fully so, but Chair Yoga helps many other forms of circulation, within the body, as well.

To sit still for days on end, we invite diseases of many kinds. Diabetics need movement to keep sugar levels in tolerance zones. Chair Yoga also has routines for the feet, toes, hands, and fingers, so there is no part of the body left out. Due to this whole body approach, the immune system is also stimulated by regularly attending Chair Yoga classes.

The many movements, bending, and twisting, in a regular Chair Yoga session, stimulate the elimination of toxins, within the body. E...more

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