Yoga Alliance Online Journal

11/09/2022

Believe it or not, you can change your diet to increase your flexibility by incorporating or eliminating different food groups. While exercise like yoga and stretches are essential to increase flexibility, your diet is just as important – if not more.

Believe it or not, you can change your diet to increase your flexibility by incorporating or eliminating different food groups.

09/04/2021

When looking for wise words, the best ones often come from our elders

06/04/2021

From pranayama, lightness arises and from dhyana, realization of the self. Through samadhi arises abstraction and liberation itself; in this there is no doubt

05/04/2021

You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul. Swami Vivekananda

02/04/2021

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter

31/03/2021

Handstands are an extremely underrated exercise, for one main reason: most people think they just can't do them.

In order to stay upside down for any length of time, you'll need a massive amount of shoulder, arm, and upper back strength. In fact, it's not uncommon for beginners to start shaking after just a few seconds of holding a handstand.

To build up strength, start by holding a handstand against a wall for three sets of 5 to 10 seconds. Work up to holding them for a minute or two at a time. Practice often, and watch as your upper body strength skyrockets.

30/03/2021

“Self-love, self-respect, self-worth: There’s a reason they all start with ‘self.’ You can’t find them in anyone else.” ~Unknown

27/03/2021

Yoga Can help Overcoming Fear: Whether we realise it or not, fear is often a large part of life. The fear of disappointing others, fear of taking career risks, or fear of not accomplishing goals can affect our mental and physical states of health over time.

Someone who constantly lives with feelings of fear and anxiety can develop high blood pressure, sleeplessness, depression or even a heart condition.

A complete yoga session that includes pranayama, meditation and stretching can help release fears and teach people to live a more mindful, grateful life.

26/03/2021

The Philosophy of Yoga: To convey its spiritual message and guide sessions, yoga often uses the imagery of a tree with roots, a trunk, branches, blossoms, and fruits. Each “branch” of yoga represents a different focus and set of characteristics.

The six branches are:

Hatha yoga: This is the physical and mental branch designed to prime the body and mind.

Raja yoga: This branch involves meditation and strict adherence to a series of disciplinary steps known as the “eight limbs” of yoga.

Karma yoga: This is a path of service that aims to create a future free from negativity and selfishness.

Bhakti yoga: This aims to establish the path of devotion, a positive way to channel emotions and cultivate acceptance and tolerance.

Jnana yoga: This branch of yoga is about wisdom, the path of the scholar, and developing the intellect through study.

Ta**ra yoga: This is the pathway of ritual, ceremony, or consummation of a relationship.

25/03/2021

Gandhi and other great men like him spoke and did show us the right way to live and enjoy life. If they could live this way so can we....

23/03/2021

Aqua Yoga or Water Yoga 💦 Although the exact origins of water yoga are uncertain, it is clear that many yoga instructors have experimented with aquatic asana over the last few decades.

Water yoga, or aqua yoga, is a thermal, aquatic activity, which utilizes modified movements and principles of yoga to accommodate people of all fitness levels. This practice typically takes place in a pool, wherein the pressure and buoyancy of water provide practitioners with support, simplifying yoga postures for physically-challenged individuals.

Health Benefits

Due to its low-impact nature, water yoga is particularly beneficial for people with physical impairments, such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS) and obesity.

22/03/2021

The Power of Arm Balance: There are a variety of yoga poses that can contribute to overall physical gains, and definitely, the power of arm balances cannot be discounted.

Arm balances are considered by many as one of the more challenging poses because of the certain skill level required to accomplish the various poses. It requires a combination of body characteristics to successfully pull them off and be able to benefit from it.

Obviously, it requires considerable upper body and torso strengths to be able to do majority of the poses.

21/03/2021

The First Book of Yoga: The Enduring Influence of the Bhagavad Gita: The Gita is the sixth book of the Mahabharata, one of India’s most famous epic poems. It’s unclear exactly when the Gita was composed—estimates vary widely, but a number of scholars suggest it was completed around 200 CE and then inserted into the larger work; many see it as the first fully realized yogic scripture. Curious though it may seem that such an ancient text from a foreign culture has been so enthusiastically received by Westerners, the Gita, like all truly great works of literature, can be read on many levels: metaphysical, moral, spiritual, and practical; hence its appeal

19/03/2021

The Power of Yoga: Yoga can be a powerful tool to deal with the lockdown’s uncertainty and isolation, as well as to maintain physical well-being. During lockdown and in its aftermath, an increasing number of practitioners have turned to online yoga classes to regain balance and strength. It shows the growing importance of yoga to post-COVID-19 wellbeing

13/03/2021

HOW YOGA HEALS: Not only does yoga's ability to activate the parasympathetic nervous system reduce stress and allow the body to heal itself, but the practice of yoga also improves the body's inherent healing abilities.

Yoga is a holistic approach which heals the body by making us whole. In fact, every aspect of the Yoga plays a key role in the healing process be it nurturing body movement, meditation, breathing exercise or relaxation. Yoga stimulates mental, physical and spiritual health to flourish.

With regular Yoga and relaxation practice one can calm the sympathetic nervous system and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Deep relaxation is observed to regulate the breathing, lower the heart rate, normalize blood pressure and release muscular tension. By getting rid of anxiety one can strengthen their immune system as well.

12/03/2021

OVERCOMING FEAR THROUGH YOG article by Yoga by Master Yoga Teacher Felice Vernillo founder and owner at Centro Shakti Yoga https://www.yogaallianceinternationaljournal.com/blog/overcoming-fear-through-yoga/

A peaceful mind is a happy mind!  by Yoga Master Teacher Felice Vernillo Member of Yoga Alliance (Italia Division) Yoga Alliance European Registry Before dealing …

11/03/2021

A lot of us get stuck because we focus on things that are outside of our control. The more we do this, the more disempowered we are, and the more frustrated or disappointed or angry or anxious we feel.

In contrast, the more we focus on what’s in our control, the more empowered we are; we can actually do something useful

08/03/2021

Monkey Pose
Take a leap of faith into Hanumanasana or Monkey Pose, named for a figure in Hindu mythology who did just that. And when faith doesn't get you all the way there, practice will.

This pose then, in which the legs are split forward and back, mimics Hanuman’s famous leap from the southern tip of India to the island of Sri Lanka.

Physically, hips and hamstrings are the areas we want to really warm up in order to dive into the splits. Mentally, we need to cultivate a calm mind so we can soften into the pose. In yoga, we practice active stretching utilizing micro engagements in key muscles, so that sister muscles can soften.

It seems a little counterintuitive to engage our muscles when we stretch. However, when we engage certain muscles it’s counterparts will lengthen. For example, when we engage our quadriceps, our hamstrings will start to soften.

05/03/2021

History of Yoga Teacher Certifications: As the practice of yoga became trendy and a worldwide phenomenon, many of the basic tenants of yoga were lost. Small yoga studios and large gyms all started offering exercise classes marketed as “Yoga” or “Yoga-Based.” Yet, they did not adhere to any of the actual yoga teaching standards.

To address this, in 1987 Yogis of the International Yoga Federation, under the honorary presidency of Indra Devi, decided that there needed to be standards set for any aspiring yoga teacher wanting to qualify and teach classes to others.

As this idea grew in support it led to the formation of the Yoga Alliance (USA) and other Yoga Alliances who then replicated the standards system from the International Yoga Federation. These organisations now oversees the standards which must be met and upheld by anyone who wants to be an RYT (registered yoga teacher).

The Yoga Alliances recognise certification programs for teachers who learn the craft by attending Registered Yoga Schools (RYS). The teachings of these schools follow the standards set by the Yoga Alliances and graduates of these programs then earn the certification that corresponds to the level of teacher training they have completed.

It is important to note that there is no law prohibiting a person from calling themselves a yoga teacher when they have not met the standards set by the Yoga Alliances.

01/03/2021

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity...it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

28/02/2021

Yoga and Psychology: The benefits of yoga to health and wellbeing are of increasing interest to psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors and practitioners of talking therapy as they expand their continuum of care.

Practitioners are increasingly moving towards a person-centred approach to the therapeutic relationship. With this, they are growing in confidence integrating techniques from multiple complementary therapies to their practice, and tailoring therapy to the unique needs and nature of their individual clients.

One such complementary therapy is yoga. The practical and safe teaching of yoga skills within the therapeutic setting (such as breath work and planned movement) can lead to improvement in many psychological and physiological symptoms.

Although the body of evidence supporting the therapeutic implementation of yoga techniques in clinical practice is still growing, more and more literature is emerging focusing on the associated symptomatic and general wellbeing benefits

25/02/2021

Prasarita Padottanasana: Wide-Legged Forward Bend — is an energizing inversion that increases circulation to the brain while providing a deep stretch for the legs, back, and arms. The pose gets its name from the Sanskrit words, Prasarita, meaning outstretched, pada, meaning foot, ut, meaning intense, tan, meaning to stretch or extend, and asana, meaning pose.

Benefits
Strengthens the legs and feet
Lengthens the spine
Stretches the hamstrings
Strengthens the abdomen
Increases blood flow to the brain
Precautions
Low back pain
Hyperextended knees

Level of Difficulty: Beginner/Intermediate

24/02/2021

Friendship depends on trust and trust depends on having a strong sense of concern for the welfare of others. Be honest, truthful and warm-hearted. Make compassion the basis of your determination. Think of what the future can be, not what happened in the past.

19/02/2021

Yoga on the Road: During travel, we are pushed outside our comfort zone, forced to think on our feet and find calm amidst the chaos. The challenges of travel can generate a never-ending supply of obstacles and problems that can be opportunities to grow and find strength.

While traveling, we are exposed to mixed emotions: excitement, stress, worry and nervousness. The practice of yoga trains your focus and attention on your body and breath thus helping to temper anxiety and refresh the thought process.

Combining Yoga With Travel

This is where yoga can be of help. It can be a way to manage of some of these undesirable issues. Yoga enables us to breathe in the middle of the bustle, enables quiet reflection amidst all the noise and improves focus. Practicing asanas and meditation while traveling enables you to connect with your inner self, as also to grow and find strength.
By encouraging relaxation, the cortisol (stress hormone) levels go down which further reduces one’s overall stress levels. Studies have found that consistent yoga practice leads to a significant increase in serotonin levels, and decrease in the levels of monoamine oxidase (an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters) leading to decreased depression.

18/02/2021

'Allow your Passion to become Your Profession'...

During lockdown we have poured our hearts and souls into creating a new ‘Credentialing System’ designed to measure quality in a way the old traditional credentialing could not, and a new ‘Educational Structure’ for the definition and classification of yoga teacher educational programs. The new system is designed to benefit existing and prospective yoga teachers to ‘stand out from the crowd’ and distinguish themselves from the thousands of yoga professionals around the world.. yogaallianceeuropeanregistry

16/02/2021

Yoga Alliance International on Raising the Bar for Yoga Trainings:

As the popularity of yoga in the world grows each year, so does the need for increased rigor of yoga teacher trainings.

To meet the increasing demand for quality yoga training, in January 2017, Yoga Alliance International made the decision to revise and update its old Standards scheme based on the proliferation of low quality yoga teacher training, and inadequately trained yoga teachers.

We felt that our previous Standards were out of date, and restrictive in their prescriptive breakdown of course content and hours.

Updates were made after receiving input from many member schools, renowned yoga experts and yoga teachers.

Rather than requiring a specified, narrow curriculum, Yoga Alliance International evaluation is based on the content, number of contact hours, structure of training programs and the experience of the Lead Trainer - ERYT.

The creation of more rigorous professional Standards is one sign of progress to ensure that teachers will know the subjects they teach and how to teach them to yoga practitioners. Originally the Standards were created to respect the diversity of perspectives in yoga, while still providing a framework for yoga teacher training programs.

14/02/2021

Bikram Dandayamana-Janushirasana-This is an advanced very powerful balancing forward bending posture, working to increase the strength of the back and muscles surrounding the spine, tightens the abdominal and thigh muscles. Strengthens hamstrings,thigh biceps, deltoids, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, scapula, biceps and triceps.

Benefits: Strengthens hamstrings, tendons, deltoids, trapezius, latissimus dorsi, scapula area, biceps. Improves sciatic nerve flexibility.

Anatomical focus: Quadriceps, hips, hamstrings.

Contraindications and Cautions: Ankle Injury, lower back injury, arm surgery or severe pain, knee injury, foot injury, tennis elbow,pregnancy

13/02/2021

“To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him

09/02/2021

Yoga Alliance De Facto Standards

Let’s see why in an unregulated industry membership with Yoga Alliance is recognised and accepted by employers and insurance companies around the world

There are thousands of voluntary standards setting bodies around the world, and they can standardise pretty much anything to make life easier, safer, and more productive. Often, these bodies have agreements to cooperate with each other. They may endorse each other’s standards, build upon them, or purposely avoid duplicating efforts.

But human nature being what it is, standards bodies also compete with each other. The yoga industry is affected by these myriad standards and the organisations that produce and endorse them.

The Yoga Alliance organisations are a typical example of competition although literally and legally a “Perfect Competition”, which is a market structure in which all companies sell an identical product, all companies are price takers (they cannot influence the market price of their product); market share has no influence on price; buyers have complete or "perfect" information – in the past, present and future – about the product being sold and the prices charged by each companies.

With that being said, the reasons why membership with Yoga Alliance in the past twenty years has become widely recognised and accepted by employers, yoga students and practitioners worldwide and enables yoga professionals to apply for professional indemnity insurance and work anywhere in the world, are mainly due to the creation and implementation of a voluntary “de facto standards”. The term de facto standard is a Latin phrase that means “in fact” (literally by or from fact) which is used in contrast with obligatory standards (also known as “de jure standards"). A de facto standard achieves its status through public acceptance or market forces (such as early entrance to the market) rather than because it was officially approved by some standards organisation or government

07/02/2021

Research has shown that meditation may calm the mind and promote better quality sleep.

Sleep meditation techniques include guided meditation… Meditating has many benefits, including mental, emotional, and physical ones.

Meditation makes you happier

People who meditate generally lead happier lives than those who don’t. Meditation is known to enhance the flow of constructive thoughts and positive emotions. Even a few minutes spent meditating regularly can make a big difference. Scientific evidence supports this claim: extensive studies were conducted on a group of Buddhist monks as they were meditating.

The pre-frontal cortex of the monks’ brains (the part associated with happiness) was found to be extra active #