Yoga Teacher Guidelines for Assisting, Part 2

The best action Yoga teachers can take is to have good liability insurance, know the law, have written and documented guidelines, enforce guidelines for safety?s sake, ?cover your back,? and continue to learn about the laws as they change.

Even if your Yoga teaching career is limited to teaching a few Yoga classes per week, as an independent contractor for a Yoga studio, or the local health club, you still need to establish guidelines. These guidelines become your ?company policy,? and need to be enforced for student protection and for your livelihood.

Here is a little additional ?food for thought.? Imagine a new student - arriving late, skipping the warm-up, who didn?t sign a release form, and no one had time to explain any precautions to him or her. This student could possibly be pregnant or have a serious medical condition.

Are you just a nice person, giving by nature, or just plain foolish, when it comes to protecting your own interests? The law does not care, and negligence is dealt with quite harshly. One lawsuit is all it will take for most Yoga businesses to permanently close. It does not matter if you win, or lose, if you have to pay an attorney to defend you. The cost of a legal defense is ?staggering.?

Now let?s get back to assisting. As a Yoga teacher, you should also get verbal permission each time you touch a student for a physical assist. So, it is always wise to ask before making an adjustment to an alignment.

Have you ever had an assist that didn?t really help much? Assisting Yoga students, into proper alignment, is an art form, and some Yoga teachers are much better at it than others. However, after what you just read, you may also be more cautious with your Yoga students, as well.

Have you ever had a physical assist that hurt you physically or in any way? Some Yoga students have, and this is why Yoga instructors should ask for feedback. Most Yoga teachers do not want to push their students beyond the comfort zone, but may not have the skill for feeling skeletal compression or muscular tightness. On top of this, some Yoga teachers don?t know the difference. This is why establishing a track record of continuing education is so important for Yoga teachers.

? Copyright 2006 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

Yoga Mat Bags

Yoga is a traditional Indian exercise that aims to strengthen the body, mind and spirit through certain asanas (postures) and breathing techniques. Yoga is an art form that requires just a yoga mat, and no other equipment. The kind of mat used is a very important aspect, since it determines the level of comfort and relaxation.

Yoga mat bags are used for carrying the yoga mats around. The yoga mat can be folded or rolled up and put into the bag for easy carrying as well as storing. These bags are very stylish-looking and are very easy to carry. They can accommodate even a 100? mat. They are also perfect for traveling and keeping the mat clean and protected.

Yoga mats come in many styles, depending upon the size, the cloth, the color, pattern and the model. There are cotton, silk, jute, as well as velvet yoga mat bags. Cotton bags are very durable, sturdy and waterproof. Silk and velvet bags are also lined with thick cotton cloth to make them durable and strong. They are also available in different and interesting patterns, colors and textures. Some bags also have provisions for holding other things apart from the mat, like a towel, water bottle, clothing and other yoga props. Yoga mat bags generally have either a zipper closure or drawstring closure. They are also available in different sizes, like regular, large and XL.

Yoga mat bags do not require any particular maintenance apart from some regular washing. Cotton, canvas, jacquard and hemp yoga mat bags can be hand or machine-washed with cold water. They can also be dry-cleaned for retaining the colors. They should be hung for drying. Velvet yoga mat bags should be only hand washed or dry-cleaned.

The prices of yoga mat bags range from $25 to $45 or even more, depending on the fabric and the design. Regular cotton canvas bags with patterns are available from $20 onwards. The standard sizes are: 29 1/2″ length x 7 1/2″ diameter or 31 1/2″ length x 9 1/2″ diameter. Yoga mat bags are available at exclusive yoga-related stores. They can also be ordered online. There are many websites that provide information about yoga mats, where the mats can be compared and even ordered online.

Yoga Mats provides detailed information on Yoga Mats, Yoga Mat Bags, Cheap Yoga Mats, Patterned Yoga Mats and more. Yoga Mats is affiliated with Hatha Yoga.