Let's summarize and ?recycle? a few points in the previous pages about options for Yoga teachers, who may be considering specialization. These are not all of the options for Yoga teacher?s, to consider, when thinking about how to find employment ?outside of the box.? You will need to work on your intuitive feelings to get an idea for the next popular Yoga trend, if that is what you are after.
As any experienced Yoga teacher will tell you; there are many more employment opportunities for Yoga instructors outside the Yoga studios and health clubs. Over the years, I have coached and trained many Yoga teachers who were certified by other programs, but needed to see that employment opportunities for Yoga teachers are everywhere.
One of the most lucrative salaries I have ever been paid, as a Yoga teacher, was for teaching Yoga to teen students within a juvenile correctional facility. Now, this would not be for everyone, but this is a good example of opportunities for employment, when you decide to become a Yoga teacher.
Some Yoga teachers do very well teaching private or semi-private lessons to their Yoga students. Teaching Yoga privately is really a matter of demographics. You have to solicit neighborhoods with residents who have disposable income.
Therefore, to be effective, you must gear Yoga private lesson offers toward ?upscale? neighborhoods. As a Yoga instructor, you have to pay your overhead too. If you charge $80 per hour for a private lesson, you will work half as hard as the Yoga teacher who charges $40 per hour.
To find out what price your local market will bear, inquire about the private rates of local Yoga teachers and personal trainers. Then, work your marketing efforts toward those clients who will actually pay for private Yoga sessions. If you have to travel to teach private Yoga lessons, your rate should reflect your travel time.
About your own students: One way to find out what your current students want is by creating survey forms. This will give you feedback as to what kind of Yoga specialization is in demand, in your local area.
Yoga student feedback is essential, but some Yoga students will walk by your survey forms for months, or years, without giving you any information. How can you create an incentive for honest feedback from your current Yoga students? Offer them a free Yoga class in return for the time it takes to fill out your survey.
Continuing education is the most important part of your Yoga teaching career. All Yoga teachers must establish a steady routine of learning more information that applies to their students. The purpose of all this Yogic education is for student safety, liability protection, and to be the best Yoga teacher you can possibly be.
? 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
Showing posts with label Health Clubs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health Clubs. Show all posts
February 26, 2009
February 23, 2009
What Is Yoga? Asana In the Context of the Six Yogas System
What Is Yoga?
Yoga is freedom. It is love. It is pure, radiant, unobstructed joy. It
is pure awareness, wide-awake and clear.
~ Richard Freeman, director of The Yoga Workshop, in Boulder, CO
Here in the United States, on the cusp of 2006, just about everyone has heard the word ?yoga.? For many if not most, the word conjures images of scantily-clad beings with expanding and twisting limbs: a well-worn ?scene? in health clubs, retreat centers, and yoga spaces throughout the country. In other words, it brings to mind the practice of asana ~ sequences of physical movements and postures ~ which, as it turns out, represent just a tiny slice of the entire ?pie? that is the Yoga Tradition(s) of the larger world (universe, cosmos). Now there?s nothing wrong with the practice of asana (I do it myself, and find it quite wonderful!), but it might be useful to be able to place this particular aspect of yoga onto its larger ?map? ~ to have a sense of the tradition(s) from which it arises and to which it returns, and to understand asana to be just one of many possible entry-points into this vast and beautiful territory. So let?s explore ?
The word Yoga originates from the Sanskrit word Yuj (literally, “to yoke”) and is generally translated as “union” or “integration” — to yoke, attach, join, or unite. The ?union? referred to here is that of the individual soul with the cosmos, the Supreme; of the small ?self? of ego/individual identity with the larger ?Self? or ?Spirit? of which we?ll all a part. But what does this mean? And how to we get there?! It is in the quest to answer these questions that the various Yoga traditions have arisen.
Perhaps the broadest categorization within the world of Yoga is along the lines of the great spiritual traditions of the world, and in particular, their mystical wings/branches: Those within these traditions who identify as ?mystics? are seeking yoga, or direct (unmediated) union, with the Divine. Examples of Yoga at this level include: Buddhist Yoga (e.g. the ?six Yogas of Naropa?); Taoist Yoga (commonly known as Qigong ~ the basis for all of the martial & healing arts with origins in China); and the Yogas associated with the so-called ?Hindu? traditions of India.
The practice of asana, as it?s best known in this country, falls into the last of these categories: the Hindu Yoga traditions. But this tradition itself has numerous aspects. One way of looking at it is through the lens of ?The Six Yoga Systems,? which can be understood as six different doorways, entry-points, portals, or vehicles through which a practitioner might approach, engage with, and enter the territory of Yoga.
The Six Yoga Systems
1.Hatha Yoga is the category under which asana falls. One way of translating the word ?Hatha? is to break it into two parts: ?ha?=sun and ?tha?=moon. Sun and moon, in this context, refer to the two opposite currents that regulate all processes in our body: the ?masculine? and the ?feminine,? or ~ in terms of subtle anatomy, the pingala and the , the two nadis, or channels of energy, whose union within the central channel of the shushumna nadi is ~ for those practicing in this tradition, the very definition of Yoga. Aside from being, in the way described above, a vehicle for mystical union, the asanas ~ on a more mundane level ~ are great for improving health & strengthening the nervous system ? and this is understood to be the first and a necessary step along this path. Forms of Hatha Yoga being practiced in the United States today include: Ashtanga Vinyasa, Iyengar, Kripalu, Bikrams, and Anusara (to name just a few!).
2.Raja (royal) Yoga is often referred to as the ?crown of Hatha Yoga.? What makes it the ?crown? is its addition ~ to the physical practices of Hatha Yoga ~ of a kind of mental training intended to improve concentration to the point at which it flows into meditation and, finally, samadhi (which is, for this tradition, the ultimate definition of Yoga). Raja Yoga is known also as Ashtanga (eight-limbed) Yoga. These eight limbs include:
1. Yamas, or Restraints (harmlessness, truthfulness, non-stealing, control of senses)
2. Niyamas, or Disciplines (cleanliness, purification of body, mind and nervous system, study of metaphysical principles, contemplation on God)
3. Asanas or Postures
4. Pranayama, or Un-binding of breath and life-currents
5. Pratyahara, or Turning the attention within, by reversing the flow of the energy of the sense organs
6. Dharana, or Concentration
7. Dhyana, or Meditation, i.e. prolonged periods of perfect concentration and contemplation
8. Samadhi, or Mystical Union
The exposition of Raja Yoga is contained, most famously, in the sage Patanjali?s Yoga Sutras.
3. Bhakti Yoga is the Yoga of Devotion, of love for the Divine in its embodied forms. Radha and the other Gopis are ~ in their relationship to Krishna ~ the archetypal, quintessential Bhaktas, for it is through their love and devotion and delight in the presence of Krishna that they come to know themselves as Divine. Selfless love, compassion, humility, and purity, along with this desire and serious intention to merge with God, are qualities which are cultivated along this path. (Amachi, Shree Ma, and Karunamayi are three contemporary Teachers of this path.)
4.Jnana Yoga (the Yoga of Knowledge) is a Yoga that uses the intellect as a tool to understand that our true Self is behind and beyond our mind. It is, in other words, a path which uses the power of the intellect to ~ ultimately ~ free us from conceptual elaboration of all sorts, and allow us to relax within the space beyond all concepts of mind. For the purpose of this sort of Self-discovery, Jnana Yoga probes the nature of the Self through the question “Who am I?” Thus Jnana Yoga is sometimes called the Quest for the Self or the Inquiry into “who we are.” (Shankara ~ a yogi ?claimed? by the Buddhist as well as the Hindu traditions ~ and, more recently, Ramana Maharshi are two well-known practitioners of Jnana Yoga.)
5.Kriya Yoga is a yogic system covering a wide range of techniques, including mantras and techniques of meditation for control of the life-force (prana). The term ?Kriya? is often used in reference to (intended or spontaneous) actions which free the body and/or mind of obstructions. The goal ~ as in all forms of Yoga ~ is to unite with pure Awareness (God). Since pure Awareness is our original condition, it is also, within this system, referred to as Self-awareness. (Yogananda?s Self-Realization Fellowship is one example of a modern organization devoted to this form of practice.)
6.Karma Yoga is the Yoga of work/action, of selfless service. Practitioners of Karma Yoga engage whole-heartedly in the ?mundane? work of the world, for the benefit of all fellow human (and non-human) beings, and devote the fruits of their labors to the Divine. In this action of letting go of hope/fear around future outcomes, attention is brought more and more completely into the present moment, which is the Heart of the Divine. And so in giving away all fruits of labor, the practitioner ~ paradoxically ~ receives, continuously, the greatest of gifts, the greatest wealth: the treasure-house called Yoga, the radiant ?aliveness? of the Present Moment.
Yet another way of dividing the Yogic pie (so delicious!) is into the two categories of (1) Yoga as path, which including all the various sadhanas (techniques & practices), schools & historical traditions; and (2) Yoga as fruition, which includes the various siddhis, accomplishments or fruits, of practice, as well as the ultimate ?fruit? of Mystical Union itself ~ the final goal ~ which, once received, transcends even the path/fruition polarity. At that point ~ the realized Masters tell us ~ one finds oneself in a place both new and quite familiar ? a place eluded to, perhaps, by the Sufi mystic/poet, Jelaluddin Rumi, in this poem of his:
Out beyond ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing,
there is a field. I?ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase each other
doesn?t make any sense.
Hope this overview (my Karma Yoga for the day!) is useful and/or interesting to you ? And if you?d like to learn more about these and other Yoga Traditions, one great resource is Georg Feuerstein?s book The Yoga Tradition.
Namaste! (the spark of Divinity in me bows to the spark of Divinity in you!)
Elizabeth Reninger holds a Masters degree in Chinese Medicine, is a published poet, and has been exploring Yoga ~ in its Taoist, Hindu & Buddhist varieties ~ for more than twenty years. Her teachers include Richard Freeman and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. To read more of her yoga-related essays, please visit her website: http://www.writingup.com/blog/elizabeth_reninger
Yoga is freedom. It is love. It is pure, radiant, unobstructed joy. It
is pure awareness, wide-awake and clear.
~ Richard Freeman, director of The Yoga Workshop, in Boulder, CO
Here in the United States, on the cusp of 2006, just about everyone has heard the word ?yoga.? For many if not most, the word conjures images of scantily-clad beings with expanding and twisting limbs: a well-worn ?scene? in health clubs, retreat centers, and yoga spaces throughout the country. In other words, it brings to mind the practice of asana ~ sequences of physical movements and postures ~ which, as it turns out, represent just a tiny slice of the entire ?pie? that is the Yoga Tradition(s) of the larger world (universe, cosmos). Now there?s nothing wrong with the practice of asana (I do it myself, and find it quite wonderful!), but it might be useful to be able to place this particular aspect of yoga onto its larger ?map? ~ to have a sense of the tradition(s) from which it arises and to which it returns, and to understand asana to be just one of many possible entry-points into this vast and beautiful territory. So let?s explore ?
The word Yoga originates from the Sanskrit word Yuj (literally, “to yoke”) and is generally translated as “union” or “integration” — to yoke, attach, join, or unite. The ?union? referred to here is that of the individual soul with the cosmos, the Supreme; of the small ?self? of ego/individual identity with the larger ?Self? or ?Spirit? of which we?ll all a part. But what does this mean? And how to we get there?! It is in the quest to answer these questions that the various Yoga traditions have arisen.
Perhaps the broadest categorization within the world of Yoga is along the lines of the great spiritual traditions of the world, and in particular, their mystical wings/branches: Those within these traditions who identify as ?mystics? are seeking yoga, or direct (unmediated) union, with the Divine. Examples of Yoga at this level include: Buddhist Yoga (e.g. the ?six Yogas of Naropa?); Taoist Yoga (commonly known as Qigong ~ the basis for all of the martial & healing arts with origins in China); and the Yogas associated with the so-called ?Hindu? traditions of India.
The practice of asana, as it?s best known in this country, falls into the last of these categories: the Hindu Yoga traditions. But this tradition itself has numerous aspects. One way of looking at it is through the lens of ?The Six Yoga Systems,? which can be understood as six different doorways, entry-points, portals, or vehicles through which a practitioner might approach, engage with, and enter the territory of Yoga.
The Six Yoga Systems
1.Hatha Yoga is the category under which asana falls. One way of translating the word ?Hatha? is to break it into two parts: ?ha?=sun and ?tha?=moon. Sun and moon, in this context, refer to the two opposite currents that regulate all processes in our body: the ?masculine? and the ?feminine,? or ~ in terms of subtle anatomy, the pingala and the , the two nadis, or channels of energy, whose union within the central channel of the shushumna nadi is ~ for those practicing in this tradition, the very definition of Yoga. Aside from being, in the way described above, a vehicle for mystical union, the asanas ~ on a more mundane level ~ are great for improving health & strengthening the nervous system ? and this is understood to be the first and a necessary step along this path. Forms of Hatha Yoga being practiced in the United States today include: Ashtanga Vinyasa, Iyengar, Kripalu, Bikrams, and Anusara (to name just a few!).
2.Raja (royal) Yoga is often referred to as the ?crown of Hatha Yoga.? What makes it the ?crown? is its addition ~ to the physical practices of Hatha Yoga ~ of a kind of mental training intended to improve concentration to the point at which it flows into meditation and, finally, samadhi (which is, for this tradition, the ultimate definition of Yoga). Raja Yoga is known also as Ashtanga (eight-limbed) Yoga. These eight limbs include:
1. Yamas, or Restraints (harmlessness, truthfulness, non-stealing, control of senses)
2. Niyamas, or Disciplines (cleanliness, purification of body, mind and nervous system, study of metaphysical principles, contemplation on God)
3. Asanas or Postures
4. Pranayama, or Un-binding of breath and life-currents
5. Pratyahara, or Turning the attention within, by reversing the flow of the energy of the sense organs
6. Dharana, or Concentration
7. Dhyana, or Meditation, i.e. prolonged periods of perfect concentration and contemplation
8. Samadhi, or Mystical Union
The exposition of Raja Yoga is contained, most famously, in the sage Patanjali?s Yoga Sutras.
3. Bhakti Yoga is the Yoga of Devotion, of love for the Divine in its embodied forms. Radha and the other Gopis are ~ in their relationship to Krishna ~ the archetypal, quintessential Bhaktas, for it is through their love and devotion and delight in the presence of Krishna that they come to know themselves as Divine. Selfless love, compassion, humility, and purity, along with this desire and serious intention to merge with God, are qualities which are cultivated along this path. (Amachi, Shree Ma, and Karunamayi are three contemporary Teachers of this path.)
4.Jnana Yoga (the Yoga of Knowledge) is a Yoga that uses the intellect as a tool to understand that our true Self is behind and beyond our mind. It is, in other words, a path which uses the power of the intellect to ~ ultimately ~ free us from conceptual elaboration of all sorts, and allow us to relax within the space beyond all concepts of mind. For the purpose of this sort of Self-discovery, Jnana Yoga probes the nature of the Self through the question “Who am I?” Thus Jnana Yoga is sometimes called the Quest for the Self or the Inquiry into “who we are.” (Shankara ~ a yogi ?claimed? by the Buddhist as well as the Hindu traditions ~ and, more recently, Ramana Maharshi are two well-known practitioners of Jnana Yoga.)
5.Kriya Yoga is a yogic system covering a wide range of techniques, including mantras and techniques of meditation for control of the life-force (prana). The term ?Kriya? is often used in reference to (intended or spontaneous) actions which free the body and/or mind of obstructions. The goal ~ as in all forms of Yoga ~ is to unite with pure Awareness (God). Since pure Awareness is our original condition, it is also, within this system, referred to as Self-awareness. (Yogananda?s Self-Realization Fellowship is one example of a modern organization devoted to this form of practice.)
6.Karma Yoga is the Yoga of work/action, of selfless service. Practitioners of Karma Yoga engage whole-heartedly in the ?mundane? work of the world, for the benefit of all fellow human (and non-human) beings, and devote the fruits of their labors to the Divine. In this action of letting go of hope/fear around future outcomes, attention is brought more and more completely into the present moment, which is the Heart of the Divine. And so in giving away all fruits of labor, the practitioner ~ paradoxically ~ receives, continuously, the greatest of gifts, the greatest wealth: the treasure-house called Yoga, the radiant ?aliveness? of the Present Moment.
Yet another way of dividing the Yogic pie (so delicious!) is into the two categories of (1) Yoga as path, which including all the various sadhanas (techniques & practices), schools & historical traditions; and (2) Yoga as fruition, which includes the various siddhis, accomplishments or fruits, of practice, as well as the ultimate ?fruit? of Mystical Union itself ~ the final goal ~ which, once received, transcends even the path/fruition polarity. At that point ~ the realized Masters tell us ~ one finds oneself in a place both new and quite familiar ? a place eluded to, perhaps, by the Sufi mystic/poet, Jelaluddin Rumi, in this poem of his:
Out beyond ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing,
there is a field. I?ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase each other
doesn?t make any sense.
Hope this overview (my Karma Yoga for the day!) is useful and/or interesting to you ? And if you?d like to learn more about these and other Yoga Traditions, one great resource is Georg Feuerstein?s book The Yoga Tradition.
Namaste! (the spark of Divinity in me bows to the spark of Divinity in you!)
Elizabeth Reninger holds a Masters degree in Chinese Medicine, is a published poet, and has been exploring Yoga ~ in its Taoist, Hindu & Buddhist varieties ~ for more than twenty years. Her teachers include Richard Freeman and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. To read more of her yoga-related essays, please visit her website: http://www.writingup.com/blog/elizabeth_reninger
February 22, 2009
A World of Infinite Opportunities
Many people feel that there is a limited amount of abundance, wealth, or chances to succeed in life. Furthermore, there is a solid belief that if one person succeeds, another must fail.
This might be true, in some cases, such as in a small company or school, where opportunity is limited by management. However, the world is a big place, and there are opportunities created from ideas that help people, and no one gets hurt in the process.
Below are two examples of success that have not taken anything away from anyone:
Danny Thomas: With his promise, prayers, and vision, for St. Jude?s Hospital, he received the help of friends in the Arab-American community to build a fantastic charity. Some of us also believe he received divine help ? I know, I do.
There is much more to this story, but what did this hospital or charity take away from anyone? Aren?t the children who recover from cancer living proof that this idea, and prosperity, is for the pure benefit of mankind? There is no one who is hurt by this, and Marlo Thomas has picked up where her father left off.
Yoga teachers: Many unfulfilled members of the workforce have left their jobs to teach the benefits of Yoga to the masses. They teach their students to enjoy life, deal with stress, breathe properly, improve their posture, become aware of their bodies, and many more benefits.
Most Yoga teachers believe that all of the great Yoga jobs are in health clubs, ashrams, and Yoga studios. Not so, in my book ?How to Grow Your Own Successful Yoga Business,? I mention 16 ways to start up with little or no overhead.
Within the first chapter, there are Yoga teaching opportunities that currently exist with little, or no, competition. Yoga teachers who have taken this advice have become successful and prosperous.
Do these jobs take food away from anyone? When someone starts a business, do they take food away from another competitor? If you believe your competition is your problem, it will be. This is limited thinking, and you have to learn to think ?outside the box,? in order to be successful in life.
Don?t waste time on bad thoughts. You can easily co-exist in harmony with them, become friends, and learn from them. There is enough opportunity for everyone. This should be your mantra: Observe your competition, learn from their mistakes, and when possible, copy their success.
This is why you need to take a mandatory vacation and get fresh ideas. This is why you should take a notebook with you. I still prefer the ?old fashioned,? spiral bound notebook, with a pen in hand.
Everyone has a niche, make sure you cultivate yours, and develop your own identity, in life. Always remember, the sky is the limit, and you are only restrained by your own thoughts.
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
This might be true, in some cases, such as in a small company or school, where opportunity is limited by management. However, the world is a big place, and there are opportunities created from ideas that help people, and no one gets hurt in the process.
Below are two examples of success that have not taken anything away from anyone:
Danny Thomas: With his promise, prayers, and vision, for St. Jude?s Hospital, he received the help of friends in the Arab-American community to build a fantastic charity. Some of us also believe he received divine help ? I know, I do.
There is much more to this story, but what did this hospital or charity take away from anyone? Aren?t the children who recover from cancer living proof that this idea, and prosperity, is for the pure benefit of mankind? There is no one who is hurt by this, and Marlo Thomas has picked up where her father left off.
Yoga teachers: Many unfulfilled members of the workforce have left their jobs to teach the benefits of Yoga to the masses. They teach their students to enjoy life, deal with stress, breathe properly, improve their posture, become aware of their bodies, and many more benefits.
Most Yoga teachers believe that all of the great Yoga jobs are in health clubs, ashrams, and Yoga studios. Not so, in my book ?How to Grow Your Own Successful Yoga Business,? I mention 16 ways to start up with little or no overhead.
Within the first chapter, there are Yoga teaching opportunities that currently exist with little, or no, competition. Yoga teachers who have taken this advice have become successful and prosperous.
Do these jobs take food away from anyone? When someone starts a business, do they take food away from another competitor? If you believe your competition is your problem, it will be. This is limited thinking, and you have to learn to think ?outside the box,? in order to be successful in life.
Don?t waste time on bad thoughts. You can easily co-exist in harmony with them, become friends, and learn from them. There is enough opportunity for everyone. This should be your mantra: Observe your competition, learn from their mistakes, and when possible, copy their success.
This is why you need to take a mandatory vacation and get fresh ideas. This is why you should take a notebook with you. I still prefer the ?old fashioned,? spiral bound notebook, with a pen in hand.
Everyone has a niche, make sure you cultivate yours, and develop your own identity, in life. Always remember, the sky is the limit, and you are only restrained by your own thoughts.
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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