The form of Yoga most people are familiar with is Hatha Yoga or Hatha Vidya. Hatha Yoga is the Yoga of postures. The picture that comes to mind whenever you see the word Yoga is of someone sitting or standing in some form of Yoga posture.
Hatha Yoga uses physical poses called Asana and breathing techniques called Pranayama. Hatha Yoga teaches that the body is the vehicle for your soul. It also teaches that meditation can bring the body into perfect health and allow the spiritual part of your brain to come forward freely.
Many believe that your mind typically ignores or suppresses the part of the brain that is spiritual and that our focus is on earthly things. In order to release this spirituality you need meditation and Yoga exercise.
Hatha Yoga utilizes all of these techniques to bind the body and soul as one. To create a union between the body and the mind takes practice. The purpose of Hatha Yoga is to perfect the body so it can be filled with your life?s force or soul.
The way it works is to use opposing energies somewhat similar to Yin and Yang to achieve the binding of body, mind, and soul. Opposing energy examples are hot and cold, positive and negative, and male and female.
The Asanas in Hatha Yoga tech you poise, strength, and most of all, balance. This improves your physical health and helps you clear your mind. Without this preparation, meditation is not as effective. The exercise portion of Hatha Yoga is all part of preparing yourself so you can meditate and become enlightened, allowing your spiritual thoughts to flow freely.
Although most people in Europe or the US use Yoga as a physical exercise primarily, the intent of Yoga is to combine all of your life forces to achieve spirituality and happiness. The following are the different aspects to Hatha Yoga;
Yama: Yama is social ethics. It teaches you nonviolence, compassion, non-deception or truthfulness, honesty, conscious and non-abusive sexuality, security, and how to eliminate greed.
Niyama: Niyama is about personal practices. It teaches purity, discipline, contentment, self-examination, and spiritual attunement with GOD.
Asana: Asanas are the physical exercises in Hatha Yoga. There are many asanas and are of varying difficulty. There are some that are less difficult for beginners that can help you work up to the more difficult asanas. This not only helps you perfect your body, but helps you clear your mind for the more meditative aspects of Hatha Yoga.
Pranayama: Pranayama are breathing practices. Deep breathing exercises help clear your mind in preparation for meditation to free your spirit.
Pratyahara: Pratyahara is withdrawing the senses to facilitate Dharana (concentration or focus)
Dharana: Dharana is meant to help you focus or concentrate better also allowing you to use chants to free your spiritual mind.
Dhyana: Dhyana is an enhanced form of meditation where the concentration is focused on a single point.
Samadhi: Samadhi teaches you how to attain the essential state of joy. The definition of Samadhi literally means transcendental bliss. The exercises in Samadhi Yoga are more vigorous than with other forms.
?Trancendental Bliss or Samadhi is a state in which the individual mind, freed for a time from all material limits takes the form of supreme, omnipotent and omnipresent mind and gains enlightenment.”
?Shri Brahmananda Saraswati (A great yogi, doctor and founder of the Ananda Ashram)
When unaffected by culture, place, time, or circumstance, these principles are universal. They constitute the Great Vow.” -Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, 2.31
The Self cannot be gained by one devoid of strength. Mundaka Upanishad iii :2:3
Robin Darch, of PRT Specialised Services Limited has a website, Yoga Tips to help you find all the information you need about Yoga and the benefits of Yoga.
Yoga Tips
Showing posts with label Greed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greed. Show all posts
March 4, 2009
February 26, 2009
Secrets of Exceptional Yoga Teachers, Part 1
Would you like to know a formula for becoming an exceptional Yoga teacher? What separates the exceptional yoga teacher from the ?pack?? Here is an itemized formula to become an exceptional and successful Yoga instructor.
Continuing education is part of a Yoga instructor?s job description. Although you may teach Yoga, you must accept being a student of Yoga for life. Learn what you can, to benefit your Yoga student?s ailments, and when you have time, learn a little bit more. With 5,000 years of documentation behind it, Yoga is like a great mountain where one lifetime will just not be enough to discover everything.
Patience is the next ingredient within an exceptional Yoga teacher. Be patient with yourself, your family, your friends, and your Yoga students. Do not put pressure on anyone unnecessarily. Some Yoga students have to grow into the practice. You might be unknowingly doing the same to yourself or your loved ones. The key is to become aware of it and always be mindful of others.
Take action and understand the laws of cause and effect (Karma). Most of the world takes no action at all, but exceptional Yoga teachers do not ?sit on their hands.? Just by taking action, you will be a success in life. Great ideas mean nothing without action, but your actions should always help others. It is fine to help yourself, just make sure you are not harming anything in the process.
Compassion is needed to become an exceptional Yoga teacher. You must show compassion for Yoga students and for mankind. Treat everyone possible with loving kindness. When this is impossible avoid negative people who seek pleasure through spreading pessimism, bigotry, hatred, greed, and envy.
Passion for Yoga and for helping other people can be found in most Yoga teachers. The Yoga teacher who just ?does it for the money,? will not last. If you feel like that, you should find your ?real calling,? passion, and true desires. Life is too short to waste time doing a job that you dread. Strangely, I have never met a Yoga teacher who regretted teaching Yoga. If I ever find one, I will let you know.
Courage is required to be your own boss. To wake up each morning and go it alone, without someone over your shoulder is a Yoga teacher?s life reward. Most of the masses like to be told what to do, but the Yoga teacher makes his or her own hours. There is some responsibility that goes with any business, but every Yoga teacher knows the responsibility is worth it.
? 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
Continuing education is part of a Yoga instructor?s job description. Although you may teach Yoga, you must accept being a student of Yoga for life. Learn what you can, to benefit your Yoga student?s ailments, and when you have time, learn a little bit more. With 5,000 years of documentation behind it, Yoga is like a great mountain where one lifetime will just not be enough to discover everything.
Patience is the next ingredient within an exceptional Yoga teacher. Be patient with yourself, your family, your friends, and your Yoga students. Do not put pressure on anyone unnecessarily. Some Yoga students have to grow into the practice. You might be unknowingly doing the same to yourself or your loved ones. The key is to become aware of it and always be mindful of others.
Take action and understand the laws of cause and effect (Karma). Most of the world takes no action at all, but exceptional Yoga teachers do not ?sit on their hands.? Just by taking action, you will be a success in life. Great ideas mean nothing without action, but your actions should always help others. It is fine to help yourself, just make sure you are not harming anything in the process.
Compassion is needed to become an exceptional Yoga teacher. You must show compassion for Yoga students and for mankind. Treat everyone possible with loving kindness. When this is impossible avoid negative people who seek pleasure through spreading pessimism, bigotry, hatred, greed, and envy.
Passion for Yoga and for helping other people can be found in most Yoga teachers. The Yoga teacher who just ?does it for the money,? will not last. If you feel like that, you should find your ?real calling,? passion, and true desires. Life is too short to waste time doing a job that you dread. Strangely, I have never met a Yoga teacher who regretted teaching Yoga. If I ever find one, I will let you know.
Courage is required to be your own boss. To wake up each morning and go it alone, without someone over your shoulder is a Yoga teacher?s life reward. Most of the masses like to be told what to do, but the Yoga teacher makes his or her own hours. There is some responsibility that goes with any business, but every Yoga teacher knows the responsibility is worth it.
? 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
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