Yoga

How can Yoga help children deal with anger issues? What solutions can Kids Yoga offer to parents and emotional children? Let’s take a look at some solutions that your local Yoga teacher will have to offer in a Kids Yoga class.

Children learn, at a very young age, that anger and tantrums can help them get their way. Parents naturally want to give a child the best of everything, but what was “cute” at two years of age, may no longer be acceptable behavior for a child who is five years of age.

The foundation of a child’s personality is created in the first seven years. Parents are looking for constructive activities for children, but where do they start? Kids Yoga offers children a chance to develop strength, flexibility, endurance, and to enjoy the companionship of other children, without a competitive mind-set that can cause aggression.

Controlling aggression, by attending Yoga classes for kids, carries over into the competitive aspects of life. We know that our children are going to face athletic and academic competition. Children are naturally competitive, and they want to win every time. This is a basic component of human nature, but we also know that our children will not always win every contest.

Yoga is the perfect outlet for children. For those who consider Yoga a “feminine activity,” consider this: The National Football League teams have Yoga teachers train their players, and they teach “Yoga.”

Why? Have you ever noticed that football players are faster, bigger, more flexible, and more coordinated than they used to be? I can remember when a guy, over 300 pounds of body weight, was slow. It’s all about the cross-training and professional teams in all sports, incorporate Yoga to avoid injuring their multi-million dollar athletes.

In the West, it is often forgotten that Indian males practiced Yoga for thousands of years. Many were from the Kshatriya caste. This was the Indian warrior caste and the people who turned back Alexander the Great. The Indians are a deeply spiritual people, but they have a proud history of military prowess. Do not forget about the Gurkas.

Lastly, most of the Asian martial arts can trace their ancestry back to the Shaolin temple. The Shaolin monks credited an Indian sage by the name of Bodhidharma for passing on his knowledge of health maintenance.

We do not know the exact specifics of what Bodhidharma taught, but you can be guaranteed a good part of it was Yoga. It is said Bodhidharma was from royalty, a Brahman at birth, studied under Buddha, and became a member of the Kshatriya caste.

History has many “twists and turns,” but the fact is – Yoga can make the weak strong and flexible. Kids Yoga enhances athletic performance, and it takes fortitude to be consistent in Yoga practice.

Yoga for children is an activity with many rewards, including anger management.

Copyright 2007 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Yoga has been around for a long time but today we are seeing yoga made into a popular yoga regime. Yoga was originally formed to provide a healthy nurturing way to exercise the body but the other piece to it is that is the spiritual aspect to it. As I watch people running in to yoga, noisily running around the studio, and not taking time for asana, it is clear to me that they are missing this very important aspect to one’s practice.

I started taking yoga thirty years ago when I decided to stop drinking. During that time I found my mind was a constant sea of activity that would not leave me alone. When I woke in the morning I could not stop the obsessive thinking taking place in my mind. I decided to try yoga.

I started my yoga practice in Manhattan, one of the busiest cities in the world. However, when I walked into that yoga studio I immediately felt a sense of peace, quiet and calm. I found the positions quieting to the soul. Each movement seemed to be done with thoughtfulness. Over the years I have studied in various locations from New York City to a beach in the Caribbean. There is nothing like doing a sun salutation while on a beach and looking at the beautiful blue sea.

It has been later in life that my practice took on a deeper meaning. This probably had something to do with the fact that I had started spiritual direction and study in my life. I also found that as I became older, approaching fifty, the blaring music and crazy movements of my health club were not working for me anymore.

I started taking hot yoga. The benefit of this helped the body to relax and move deeper into the positions. This is good but can be dangerous if you are overly limber to begin with. I noticed many people coming to the classes but not aware of the mindfulness and respect one should have while in the studio. It was more like a gym workout to some. And that is okay if that is what you are using it for.

I found the twisting of the yoga exercises wonderful for massaging the inner organs. The stretching was mindful of the body and provided stretches that honor the muscles. You can injure yourself and I have experienced lower back aggravation, pulled ligaments and hip misalignment. Particularly with hot yoga you have to be careful of not overdoing it.

There is no doubt that physically yoga has brought spectacular tone to my body but the piece that I crave the most is the spiritual aspect. Yoga is not about sweating and lying in savasana at the end of the practice. It is so much more. With ta mindful instructor one can evolve through feelings, difficulties and roadblocks in one’s life.

You might have a session where you arrive for class and start off feeling fine. During the session you start to have feelings of anger about someone or something in your life. Your instructor talks you through letting go and being open to the pose and to your life. Through deep ujjayi breathing with the mouth closed and pushing the breath through the back of your throat you push through the challenge you are experiencing. For me, I may focus on my higher power and imagine him or her reaching out to me and providing me strength. I have had moments of feeling such intense feelings that I am brought to tears in my practice. Through working through my practice I learn to work through my life.

One can practice yoga for the their physical health or they can take it a step further and go for their mental or spiritual health. The joy of yoga is you can always learn something and you can always go deeper whether that be in your mine, your heart or in your body.

Namaste.

You have heard all the benefits of practicing yoga. You know that anyone can do it. It doesnt matter how old or young you are, how fit you are or how flexible you are. Any yoga position can be altered for your fitness and flexibility level. You want to enjoy the benefits of yoga starting today. Now you need to know how to learn yoga. There are a couple options that you have, the one you choose will really depend on your learning style and comfort level.Deciding on how to learn yoga is as important as figuring out which type of yoga you would like to learn. Here is a small list of the types of yoga: Kundalini Yoga this is the potential form of life force that is lying dormant in our bodies. It is seen as a coiled up serpent that lays in the base of our spine and it can spring awake when it is activated by spiritual disciplines. The practice of kundalini yoga focus on the psyhic centers in the body to generate a spiritual power. TantraYoga with its roots in the ancient fertility practices of India, tantra yoga is the merging of the Ultimate by arousing and channeling sexual energy.Once you have decided on your learning style and the type of yoga you would like to learn you need to get prepared. You will need a mat or some sort so that you are not just on the hard floor and you will need to be dressed in comfortable clothes. You dont need to run out and by special yoga clothes just wear clothes that are not restrictive and are comfortable.

Make sure that you have a quiet place set up at home where you can practice your yoga poses. It is advisable that you do not begin to practice yoga if you have any physical injuries, talk to your doctor first. Yoga is meant to help you, not cause you more pain. Also do not underestimate the energy that is required to perform the yoga poses. They may look simple, but practicing yoga will require strength and stamina.

Yoga has become an interesting fitness trend in America. Incidentally, Yoga can be an excellent way to get in shape, lose weight, etc. If this is all you do with Yoga, though, you are missing quite a bit.

Yoga is another method of contacting and expressing the self through the body. If you pay attention, going through these exercises will give you a chance to become more familiar with your body. When you learn to maintain a state of deep focus (through Yoga or any other exercise), you will begin to gain deeper and deeper insights. Properly focused Yoga practice will not only make your body more limber, it will also create greater flexibility of perception. Increasing flexibility of perception is how we start to open the doors to true freedom!

So how do we use our focus to deepen our Yoga practice? There are a variety of methods, but I will give you three to start with. To have a deeper experience while practicing Yoga, you can focus on the muscles being stretched, the breath, or the feet.

Focusing on the muscles being stretched is very powerful. As you relax into the posture, you can smile into these muscles, and deepen the stretch. Sometimes (particularly for beginners) focusing on the active muscles seems to amplify discomfort. If this is the case, then you can loosen your focus to the general area of the stretch, or choose one of the other objects of focus.

Focusing on the breath is a classic meditation as well as an excellent method of deepening your practice of Yoga. Breath-work in Yoga is typically referred to as Pranayama. If you are doing a Yoga workout, switching asanas (positions) to work up a sweat, the best thing to do is mindful diaphragmatic breathing. Breathe deep into the belly and pay attention to the sensations that arise in conjunction with the breath. If you are holding a single asana for an extended period of time, you can use the same breathing method, or you can play with the breath of fire. The breath of fire is rapid diaphragmatic breathing; see if you can use your abdominal muscles to draw in a deep (not long) breath and exhale the breath quickly. Start slowly with the breath of fire, and add speed as you grow more comfortable.

The final point of focus that we will cover for Yoga practice is the feet. Focusing on the feet has a very grounding effect; it reminds you of your connection to the Earth. If any of the other methods are too uncomfortable, or if you find yourself getting distracted, you can always bring your focus back to your feet. Pay attention to your feet, and how you connect with the Earth as you transition through asanas.

Regardless of which point of focus you choose, you will gradually develop more and more mindfulness. This can transform your experience of Yoga. One of the many benefits of having an active meditation (Yoga, a martial art, walking meditation, etc.), is how easy it is to bring it into the rest of your life. Still meditation (sitting or standing) is also very useful, but the state of insight gained there is a bit more difficult to carry into your day-to-day routine.

Yoga is a powerful method for health and growth. As you develop your focus and insight in your Yoga practice, you will be able to enjoy more insight and awareness in every moment of every day!

Do you think the high cost of becoming a Yoga Teacher is too far out of reach? Will you have to sacrifice your family’s life savings to become a Yoga instructor? How will you be able to justify the time off from work needed to gain your Yoga certification?

There are cost-effective, and less expensive solutions, to learn to teach Yoga by becoming a certified Yoga instructor, without the cost of an “arm and a leg.”

Recently, I was talking to an intern from an outside Yoga Teacher Training program, which had paid nearly $10,000.00 for on-site training, on an exclusive tropical island. He was upset, since he had borrowed tuition costs from his parents, and possibly sacrificed his job, in order to become a certified Hatha Yoga Teacher.

He visited my web site for a Yoga teacher correspondence course and discovered my course was a fraction of the cost he and his family paid. He asked me how this is possible. I explained that we do not need to feed, house, or supply hundreds of Yoga interns. On top of that, there are no transportation costs to be concerned with, when using a Yoga home study course. The only cost is for materials, tutoring, and Yoga teacher certification.

Further, I explained that to be trained in a face-to-face setting, by a Master Yoga Teacher, is more expensive due to the “hands on” time spent with his teacher. After all, we have an onsite Yoga Teacher program that is more expensive than our correspondence course.

Time spent learning Yoga from a Master Teacher, or a Guru, is a valuable service. Our course is designed for an experienced Yoga practitioner who doesn’t need as much hands on help or who has a local Yoga teacher for guidance.

He continued the conversation to ask me about technical support, and I explained that we handle it by Email, over the phone, and some interns stop by for our Yoga teacher workshops. We have had Yoga teacher trainees visit us from California and Great Britain to attend a workshop. By the sound of his voice, he seemed depressed, and I asked him, “What is wrong?”

He told me that he hadn’t been taught anything about the marketing involved in the Yoga business or about business in general. He felt it would take a long time to pay his parents back and didn’t know if his job would still be available to him when he gets back home.

Then, I explained that we have Yoga marketing and business tools in our standard course and as a separate course for experienced Yoga teachers. I invited him to come to a Yoga marketing workshop when he gets back to the States, and, we both, made a new friend.

We all feel a “calling” to do work that gives us
satisfaction. It helps to have a passion about our work and to know that you are helping others along the way. This is one of the many benefits of teaching Yoga, but I advise you to research the cost of Yoga instructor education, and to be careful not to put yourself too far in debt. Otherwise, your passion for Yoga could turn into a financial worry – well into the future. This would make it difficult to teach the benefits of Yoga to your students, while you are stressed out over your bills.

© Copyright 2005 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

The Fourfold Yoga – Part IV

Union via Universal Love ( Bhakthi Yoga )

The noblest Union is Union via Love. Love is an outpouring of the heart and Love is Love’s reward.

Love is a glory from Eternity’s spheres
He is still the Godhead that can make all change

Love should never cease to be upon the earth
Love is the bright link betwixt earth and heaven
Love is the far Transcendent’s angel here
Love is man’s lien on the Absolute ( Aurobindo )

All other yogas are difficult to practice. Raja Yoga ( Union via psychic control ) is difficult because we have to keep up Brahmacharya ( continence ), Jnana Yoga is difficult because of the philosophic subtlety of the concepts & Karma Yoga is difficult because its end is far, far away. On the other hand Bhakti Yoga or Union via Love is simple to practise because there are no restrictions in this noblest and blest Union via Love.

Having a Tutelary Deity is the first step. This Deity should be worshipped in thought, word and deed.

” By giving thyself up in heart and soul to Me, thou shalt overcome all difficulties by My Grace ” says He in the Geetha.

Only Universal Love can redeem the world. The salvation of the world is in love and through love.

“Take away Love and the whole world becomes a tomb” said Byron

Man is endowed with many positive qualities. Truth, Ethics, Peace, the Discriminative intellect & Love are the major five positive qualities in man. Of these, Love is the greatest positive quality.

If we incorporate love, we can see that our lives become peaceful & spiritually resplendent. We are asked to incorporate this supreme quality, which is a prerequisite for Liberation or Self-Realisation.

Freud identified Thanatos ( Death Instinct ) as the destructive element in Man. Contray to Thanatos is Eros or the Life Instinct. It is true that Thanatos ( Death Instinct ) or the Vedantic Thamas is the villain of the piece as far as this sin-sick world is concerned. The Mr Hyde in man is very powerful. In Man there is an eternal fight going on between Conscience and Expedience. between Eros and Thanatos! We have not yet defined the Life instinct. This anti-Thanatos principle is Love !

So the preserving quality is Love. Love alone is the Saviour, Love alone is the Redeemer. He who embraces Love is blessed and he alone can save the world.

His light and life is given to balance here
The dark account of mortal ignorance!

It is this quality which is highly favoured by Heaven !

Love rules the court, the camp and the grove,
All men below and saints above
For Love is Heaven and Heaven is Love !

As one Great One said

Love all beings
That is enough !

Or Alexander Pope

He prayeth best who loveth best
Both bird and man and beast

When it comes to Jnana & Bhakti Yogas, it is said that He, before whom even the Vedas remain mute, prefers Union via Love to Union via Wisdom.

It is like the wife and lady love. Jnana Yoga is the wife and Bhakthi Yoga is the lady love.

Jnana Yoga is like the wife. It asks ” Why didnt you actualise the Self ?”

Bhakti Yoga is like the lady love. It asks ” No problem ; there is still time for you to actualise”

More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can be
had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yogamain.htm

In the Divina Commedia, Beatrice criticises Dante for following Philosophy and not Religion. Under Beatrice’s compulsion Dante changes over to Bhakti Yoga, away from Being and Becoming !

I wake amaze and in the windows blaze
The forms of saints & holy men who died
Hereafter martyred and hereafter crucified
And the Great Rose upon its leaves displays
Love’s triumph and the angelic roundelays
With splendour upon splendour multiplied
And Beatrice again at Dante’s side!
No more rebuking but smiling her words of praise ( Longfellow )

The strict restrictions in other Yogas make it difficult to practise them. On the other hand, there are no restrictions in Bhakthi Yoga. The process of spiritual evolution is automatic and all blocks will be removed by Divine Grace.

In the Geetha, He hath declared that Bhakthi is the greatest of all yogas. The bliss that accrues from sheer devotion is ineffable !

The basic dictums of Bhakthi Yoga are simple. They are

Love All
Serve All
Help Ever
Hurt Never
Hate None
Nurture All
Educate All

If we can do this spontaneously, we have reached Universal Love.

“I shall deliver thee from all sin and evil” says He in the Geetha. The debit in our Karmic balance sheet will be exhausted & we become eligible for Self-Actualisation.

As Robert Bach said ” At the end of our terrestrial journey, one question will be asked. How much did we love and what is the quality of our love ? “

Love your neighbour because he is like you; and love your enemy because enmity is a misunderstanding.

Start the day with Love
End the day with Love
Spend the day with Love
Fill the day with Love
That is the way to the Divine ( Sai )

The simple wisdom which is Love can redeem us & this world!

Economists say that Money makes the world go around. While this statement is true superficially, when we go deeply, we find that some other emotion makes the world go around. It is Love that makes the world go around!

When we ask one thing, God gives that one thing but when we ask nothing, He gives everything, He gives Himself & also the spontaneous boons of His love! Our prayer should be like the prayer of the poet who prayed ” I desire nothing
from Thee, I desire only Thee ! “.

The Fourfold Dharma & the Fifth Dharma

The Law asks us to practice the Fourfold Dharma

They are

1) Brahmacharya – During pre-marriage days one should steadfastly follow Dharma

2) Garhastya – Once married, should do both duties – worldly & divine
.
3) Vanaprastha – Once responsibilities are over, one should seek the Divine

4) Sanyasa – To walk in the Self; to embrace none but Him.

There is a fifth Dharma. It is called Prajna Dharma, the Highest Wisdom is Love!

The Four Purusharthas ( objectives ) & the Fifth Purushartha

There are four purusharthas. They are Artha ( Wealth ), Dharma ( Ethics & Morality), Kama ( Desires ) & Moksha ( Self-Realisation ).

There is a fifth Purushartha. It is Prema, Love !

Premam Brahma – Love is He ! The highest knowledge is Love !

The equation of Jnana Yoga – Prajnanam Anandam Brahma (The Self is Consciousness & Bliss ) is replaced by the more powerful equation of Bhakthi Yoga – Premam Anandam Brahma ( Self is Love and Bliss ) ! Love alone can confer Bliss!

Love is a manna sent from Heaven, a spark of the Immortal Fire, sent by the Lord to elevate our low desire!

The heart is 60 times more powerful than the brain. There is only one language and it is the language of the heart!

” Only via Love can anybody reach me ” says Lord Krishna in the Gita. Same statement is attributed to Jesus ” No one cometh to the Father, but via Me “. All these smack of the high importance the Yogis have given to this supreme quality, Bhakthi or Universal Love !

All wisdom is contained in Love and love alone can heal this sin-sick world, as love is divine medicine!

It is said that the Lord is playing hide and seek! Himself the play, Himself the player, Himself the playground!

The Universal Governor of life lies in us
He is playing hide and seek with his own force
Eternal, He assents to Fate and chance
Immortal, He dallies with mortality
Divine, he wears the form of animal and man
He whose transcendence rules the pregnant vasts
Prescient lay in our subliminal depths
A luminous individual power, alone – ( Aurobindo )

And His mantra is LOVE !

Article by G Kumar, astrologer, writer and programmer of http://www.eastrovedica.com. . Highly experienced with many correct predictions to his credit, he does professional natal charts http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/vedichoroscope.htm To subscribe to his Free highly informative ezine, Z Files,click here.mailto:info@eastrovedica.com?subject=subscribeZF An integrator of East & West, his Astro blog is up at http://zodiacastrology.blogspot.com & his Philosophy blog at http://transcendentalphilosophy.blogspot.com

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

If you are interesting in taking up yoga, Ashtanga yoga may be the kind of yoga for you. This popular form of yoga has an interesting history.

Sri Krishnamacharya at Mysore Palace originally established Ashtanga yoga. Krishnamacharya is responsible for influencing many modern forms of yoga practiced today. The Ashtanga Yoga taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India, is the most faithful to Krishnamacharya’s teachings. It was originally developed for teenage boys, but is now popular with people of all ages. It is an aerobic type yoga, which is physically demanding. The main focus is on vinyasa, which are a series of movements combined with specific breathing patterns. There should be one breath for each movement. This breathing and movement seeks to make the blood hot. Hot blood will be thin and aid in purifying the body with better blood flow. It will also produce sweat, which will rid the body of harmful toxins, leaving the body in a disease free state.

Ashtanga Yoga seeks to purify the mind and body through the eight limbs or steps of yoga. The first two steps are Yama (control) and Niyana (rules of conduct) and are the ways in which we deal with how we interact with the world and ourselves. These steps cannot be practiced but are ethical issues. They are meant to create an environment that promotes positive growth.

The third and fourth steps deal with asanas (poses/postures) and pranayama (breath control). Ashtanga yoga holds the belief that breathing is basic to life. Breathing should be even, smooth and possess a natural rhythm. Most people do not breathe correctly and thereby use only one half their total lung capacity. Correct breathing will bring our mind to our heart’s center and lead to inner peace. Asanas or poses are meant to help us acquire a comfortable sitting position to help with meditation. Physically asanas help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, maintain a healthy heart and keep us fit. Mentally, they help lower stress and tensions in our lives.

The next four steps cannot be practiced. They are about creating the perfect conditions for true meditation. The fifth step is pratyahara or a withdrawal of senses. This step is about maintaining attention and avoiding distractions from our senses. The next three steps deal with the meditative aspect of yoga. Dhara is concentrating in one direction. Dhyana is uninterrupted meditation and Samadhi is being one with self or total absorption.

There are three sequence groups involved in Ashtanga yoga. The first is the Primary Series, which focuses on aligning the body and ridding it of toxins. The next step is the Intermediate Series. This involves opening and clearing channels and purifying our nervous system. The last step is the Advanced Series. This step includes higher levels of flexibility and combines strength and grace. Advancement through each step is only attained after mastering the previous step.

Ashtanga yoga is practiced at an individual’s own pace. An Ashtanga yoga class could consist of the entire class being at different levels. It is an independent yoga. The classes will be quiet with no socialization.

Ashtanga yoga will differ from other types of yoga due to its focus on vinyasas. It strives to establish correct breathing, postures, a control of senses and an awareness of our selves. It is a physically demanding exercise, which will result in a light, strong body and a calm mind.

When you first hear the words surf and yoga together, you may conjure images of a swami sitting cross-legged on a paisley longboard, coasting effortlessly through the clouds to a soundtrack of “Ohmmmm…” Not quite. Surf Yoga is a growing phenomenon amongst surfers with an interest in yoga, and yoga practitioners with a taste for the extreme.

These two disciplines go together like chocolate and peanut butter. First – the chocolate; As 9-time World Surfing Champion Kelly Slater has proved again and again, yoga is an invaluable part of any surfer’s fitness training routine. Surfers yoga takes an age old system of stretching, poses, and meditation in a new direction; targeting the motions that surfers use to balance, with a focus on strengthening the muscle groups that are used for the “take off, ” the ”pop up,” and turning manouevers like “cut backs,” “hitting the lip” and “tube-riding.” The mental discipline and physical benefits, combined with a heightened consciousness of body, mind and spirit, have been a key part of Kelly’s success, and many other competitive surfers.

For those who have already been practicing yoga – the peanut butter to our chocolate – surfing is a new and exciting way to get a full body workout, and embodies some of the same philosophies that yoga does; oneness and harmony with natural surroundings with an emphasis on awareness through practice and personal betterment.

Surfing has two faces – the bleached blonde, pimple faced California teenager who dreams of competing in the ASP World Tour, but smokes to much weed to ever get it together to register for a contest; and everyone else. That’s right! Surfing is for everyone, regardless of age, sex, race, demographic, or any other qualifiers you can attach to the sport. The truth is: surfing is a deeply personal pursuit, and not everyone gets into it for the same reason. But one thing does remain consistent for just about anyone who has been at it for a while, a deep emotional connection with the ocean, and a respect for her power, which is both awesome and humbling. With surfing, the rewards are huge; your first wave, your deepest tube ride, your longest ride. In yoga, the rewards are also huge; physical fitness and mental focus which benefits you in every aspect of your daily life. Chocolate and peanut butter.

I know what you’re thinking… “Where can I find this delicious chocolate and peanut butter surfing yoga cupcake? And how soon can I gobble it up!” The answer is one you are simply going to love: Costa Rica Surf Yoga Retreats. Costa Rica has been a Mecca for surfers for years, and over the last 10 or so, several excellent yoga teachers have established themselves as surf yoga masters. It gets even better, your surf and yoga retreats are located in some of the country’s most exotic destinations, nestled in tropical rainforest beach towns, where the jungle spills into the ocean and perfect waves beckon. Your packaged surf yoga retreat can be customized to include a host of other activities, like nature hikes to waterfalls, snorkeling, horseback rides on the beach, luxury spa treatments, and surfing excursions to Costa Rica’s best beaches. Seven days of unspoiled natural beauty in one of the worlds most accessible and tourist friendly countries sets the stage for you to indulge in your new passion: surf yoga.

Don’t worry – I’m not going to leave you hanging! I’m going to make this whole painful process easy for you. Not only am I going to drop this mouth watering chocolate and peanut butter travel nugget right into your mouth, I’m going to show you where you can get your own, so you can keep eating and eating and eating; until you explode. But first, you will need to get yourself to the sleepy fishing town of Montezuma, located on the southern tip of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula. Montezuma is a quiet town, a blend of locals (Tico’s), Europeans, and Eco-Tourists on a budget. Amenities like the bank and the post office are forty minutes away in the town of Cobano, and Cabo Blanco National Park is adjacent, where you can find all the howler monkeys, iguanas, exotic birds and Tarzan swinging vines you will ever need.

Contact one of these Surf Yoga Retreats and customize a package for your next vacation. Awaken your mind, rejuvenate your spirit, and nurture your body with a surf and yoga vacation. Find out for yourself why Costa Rica’s mantra “Pura Vida” or “Pure Life” can be heard echoing throughout the country every day.

Yogic Methodology: When thinking about Yogic Methodology, there are two kinds that come to mind. One is the application of Yoga techniques to daily life, and the other is Yoga teaching methodology. Competent Yoga teachers should thoroughly know both.

When considering the application of Hatha Yoga techniques to daily life, we know that Yoga will change a student’s health for the best and improve his or her lifestyle, but it must be gradual. The mind, body, and spirit will not change much in a month, but a year of regular Hatha Yoga practice will yield some significant health changes.

How many Yoga students want an instant life change? Too many – and this is why we should not make unrealistic promises. It is up to the Yoga student to take action, come to classes regularly, and practice what you have taught in your Hatha Yoga classes. It is up to the Hatha Yoga teacher to fill the student’s mind with knowledge and encouragement.

If it took decades of neglect for a new student to achieve poor health, how can he or she expect a little bit of Hatha Yoga practice to perform miracles? Every aspect of a student’s health will be changed for the better by regular Yoga practice; but this is an “on demand” world, where some people are willing to risk the side-effects of a pill rather than take positive action toward better health.

The natural effects of regular exercise, proper breathing, better posture, improved diet, and self-discipline will result in a Yoga student who is less stressed, has fewer ailments, lives longer, and sleeps better.

When a Yoga student continues to make Hatha Yoga classes a part of his or her life for years – the true value of good health will be felt and seen. This same student will most likely practice Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga or other forms of Yoga “down the road.” The benefits of Yoga, in any form, will cause a student to go deeper into his or her personal Yoga practice.

Yoga teaching methodology is how a teacher reaches out to the audience – through the use of teaching, communication, or observation methods.

Student corrections, in regard to Yoga techniques, should be straight to the point; but every Yoga teacher should take care to be tactful in the process. Yoga students come to you for guidance, so keep your ego “in check.” A few “rogue” Yoga teachers, who are gruff and condescending, can ruin any student’s desire to continue practicing Yoga.

What are the qualities of a good Yoga teacher? There are many, but being able to spot students in need, and still show compassion, is very important. Being able to teach any student is another strong trait. The realization that each Yoga student is uniquely different from each other, and cannot be “cloned,” is a milestone in teaching.

Demonstrating and correcting Yoga techniques is only part of the job when teaching Yoga classes. A successful Yoga teacher must communicate with all students throughout the class, and keep the passion for Yoga going.

Copyright 2007 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications