By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Once in awhile, I get a great phone call. So, here is something to share with all of you. The following is a question and answer session between a potential applicant and me, which never came to fruition. Sometimes, Yoga is a little different from other activities.

Q: I am a former Silver Medalist figure skater and the years of competition have beaten my body up, but I would like to become a Yoga instructor and coach of ice skating. Does this seem like a viable option? I have a lot of back problems because of the pounding on the ice, but I will be able to do all the required poses.

A: Yes, being a Yoga teacher and a coach of ice skating would be a nice compliment toward the benefit of the young skaters you train, and you could teach them a lot about injury prevention and recovery from injuries. How long have you been practicing Yoga?

Q: Actually I never took a Yoga class, but I figured that it would be an easy transition and I could just jump into it. After all, I am very flexible and should be able to do all of the poses.

I’ve seen those Yoga pose charts and most of the postures seem like a “piece of cake.” I can do splits in every direction and put my feet on my head backwards. How many days do you think it will take me before I can get certified?

A: Those are amazing feats of flexibility. I hate to answer a question with a question, but I have a question for you. How many days do you think it will take me before I can become a competitive silver medalist in figure skating?

Q: What are you trying to say? You know competitive skating is very tough. Not everyone can do it. You must be young and have the right kind of body. It takes years of practice, and you have to learn all of the precise techniques.

A: I agree that figure skating requires all that you say, but Yoga also has its own set of prerequisites. Most of the people who come into a yoga teacher training program have, at least, two years of experience, and many of our graduates have a decade, or more, of training.

Yoga has 5,000 years worth of precision techniques. There is terminology in Yoga that will cause your learning curve to be a bit more difficult than the average intern. You should consider some foundational training before applying to be a Yoga teacher.

Q: Do you mean you won’t sell me a course? I just want to get certified. I don’t need the “third degree” from you. You know, I can get certified somewhere else. I didn’t like the idea of a 240 hour course anyway.

A: Yes, you can become a certified instructor elsewhere, but for the sake of any future students, please take Yoga classes for a year or two and find a compassionate Yoga teacher, who cares about your safety.

Well, that’s all folks. That would have made a great podcast, but I would have needed permission, and I do not have the precise technical expertise. Come to think of it, that’s why I have technical help.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Jnana Yoga is often referred to as, “union by knowledge.” Jnana is also known as, “the path of wisdom.” A Jnana Yoga practitioner dedicates much time toward practice, research, and self-analysis. Traditionally, this method of Yoga was practiced by members of the Brahman (priest) caste.

The reason for this was based upon a prerequisite of education and general knowledge. If one has limited abilities to read, then primary education must be attained first. Add to this, the type of reading which one must perform - the absorption and sorting of facts from scriptures and educational books with reliable information.

To read reliable information is to expand the mind in a positive direction. To read misinformation leads one to “spout off” facts, which do not exist. Have you ever heard someone make an erroneous statement, based upon an “urban legend” Email? Most of this material is political, but misinformation happens in Yoga circles too.

We live at a time when many people have access to the Internet. Yet, how much of the information on the Internet is accurate? It might be wise to double check your facts before investing too much time in them. There are people who buy magazines or newspapers, which are full of slanderous journalism.

We used to call this form of writing, “yellow journalism.” Apparently, it is quite profitable to create a tabloid full of unreliable misinformation and sensational stories, based upon fabrication. However, some people read the stories, and often repeat them as facts. You might think, “This has no impact on reality, and people have a right to entertainment, even if it is slanderous.”

Consider this: These same people, who read misinformation and believe it, have just as much right to vote in the next election as you do. You may invest your time researching the facts, while someone else, with an equal vote, bases his or her decisions on misinformation. This is the information age, but it is also the misinformation age.

What are some “tell tale” signs of misinformation? When someone claims to be the guide to the only true path – watch out. This is a great strategy for creating an “us against them” mentality. Exclusive and elitist groups have misinformed humanity long before yellow journalism became popular.

As this applies to Yoga, politics, religion, philosophy and life itself - beware of speakers and authorities who seek to divide. The best path for humankind to take is paved with loving kindness. The words of an enlightened spiritual leader are based upon love, tolerance, mercy, charity, forgiveness, and compassion.

How can anyone take a message of kindness and turn it into a message of hate? Unfortunately, it has happened throughout history because people did not invest the time in education, research, and self-analysis. Jnana Yoga is the path of wisdom, but the truth can be felt in your heart. Ahimsa (non-harming) feels right, but to harm another, always feels wrong.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

One of the benefits of Yoga, and meditation, is clarity of mind. After practicing Yoga, the body and mind feel tranquility, which lowers stress levels and allows us to cultivate positive relationships at home, with friends, and at work.

It seems like a perfect solution to an imperfect world, but when you pick up a newspaper, listen to the radio, watch television, or turn on the Internet, you may wonder if spreading happiness is too large of a task for Yoga.

If you live in a democracy, any two seemingly reputable candidates work at destroying the opposition’s credibility - to the point where you are left in confusion. Before they started talking, you were sure they were qualified for the job. After they finish vilifying each other, you may wonder if either of them is a competent leader.

When considering politics, religion, philosophy, or current events, it is wise to evaluate the underlying messages and hidden agendas. Does the communicator find logical, tolerant, and kind solutions, that will benefit the masses?

Be careful before answering; remember that Adolph Hitler had a message too. Through some crafty political maneuvering, he managed to become appointed as chancellor of Germany in January of 1933. In retrospect, his speeches should have given him away, but people easily fall into being turned into a mob.

Look back further in history. How many people were executed by religious fundamentalists? The uneducated will try to deny holocausts, witch hunts, pogroms, and atrocities in the name of holiness. There is nothing holy about intolerance, sexism, discrimination, injustice, or bigotry.

Although you may reach a tranquil state of mind through meditation and Yoga, be prepared to listen to, or read about, intolerance that exists almost everywhere. To clearly recognize the face of intolerance, at the onset, is to your advantage.

So, how can one Yoga practitioner make a stand against intolerance? Once again, we can change the world from within. Be careful not to spread intolerance with your words. If you have an unkind thought, try your best to let it go. Do not hold onto unjust thoughts and do not act upon them.

When we hold onto anger, we claim ownership of a grudge. It becomes part of us. If you want to lighten your burdens in life, learn to leave hate, intolerance, discrimination, injustice, or bigotry behind. In combination, these negative burdens have held humankind back for centuries.

As Yoga students, or teachers, we must be living examples of kindness, tolerance, fairness, and mindfulness. Happiness in our actions, thoughts, and words, is the Yogic path.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles) - Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul
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By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

During the course of a week, Yoga teachers may work with students who have a variety of physical ailments. Among those ailments are the many forms of heart disease and heart conditions. There are many differences, and many causes, of heart problems.

Some heart problems are caused by risk factors, such as: Lack of exercise, poor diet, smoking, obesity, and a combination of these conditions. At the same time, high stress levels and genetics can also play a role in poor heart health.

While physical forms of Yoga can change the lack of physical exercise factor, how can it be a remedy for all of the other factors mentioned? When looking into the personal histories of dedicated Yoga students, there is one common denominator: All of them make a commitment to a healthy lifestyle.

If a Yoga student has a poor diet, or smokes, but keeps practicing, he or she will eventually give up bad habits. If a student is obese, years of Yoga practice usually will change his or her approach to life and diet. Some people eat without thinking. Yoga teaches us to be mindful of every action.

In the case of stress levels being too high: Everyone has stress, but Yoga teaches students to cope and to think clearly. The job that sends you over the edge today may be the cause of your hyper-tension tomorrow. Knowing this, one might ask how much more can he, or she, take before the job becomes a health risk.

Yet, how could Hatha Yoga compensate for genetic heart conditions? No form of Yoga can change a lineage of heart disease, but a healthy lifestyle should be able to extend your life, beyond the age of relatives, in your bloodline. In this case, a strict vegetarian diet may be a matter of necessity.

There are some people who will never change their lifestyles; even if, they know the consequences. Doctors deal with this every day, and it can be discouraging.
One of the greatest gifts of life is the ability to change for the better. Practicing Hatha Yoga does not require you to turn your life upside down, but you have the power to eliminate health risks by priority.

Luckily, Hatha Yoga gives you all the tools for clarity of thought. It is up to you to take action for your sake and for those who love you. Time spent meditating will give you rational thought and life-saving solutions. The physical postures will develop a body that is the best it can be. Yogic breathing techniques require time and practice, but the rewards are inner calm and a method for coping with high stress levels.

To maintain one’s heart is a matter of choice - even if our ancestors did not leave us the best of genetic score cards.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Recently, a conversation arose about the dangers of prolonged and forceful Pranayama (Yogic breathing techniques). A friend, and colleague, was discussing pushing the limits of Bhastrika and Kapalbhati to the point of neuron damage, within the brain.

It is true that some Yoga teachers and students are unaware of the dangers of prolonged Bhastrika and Kapalbhati. These two Pranayama techniques are classified as hyper-ventilation. If this means nothing, the short example below will open your awareness to the potential hazards.

When I was a child growing up in the United States, my family moved around the country quite a bit. It was not uncommon for children to play fainting or “passing out” games by practicing hyper-ventilation for prolonged periods of time, until they fainted, which is proven to result in neuron damage within the brain.

Children do foolish things. Luckily, we tired of those games and moved on to less dangerous games. Bhastrika and Kapalbhati are therapeutic when performed in moderation; however, there is a “dark side” of forcing these intense methods beyond the maximum limits.

The dark side is to get brain damage from overdoing something that appears harmless. So, what are the limits of Bhastrika and Kapalbhati? In the case of Bhastrika and Kapalbhati, there is a 10 minute maximum time limit, per day, and per technique, for advanced practitioners, of these two forms of Pranayama.

For healthy beginners, it is better to break up their Bhastrika and Kapalbhati practice into one or two minute segments - with the understanding that 10 minutes total is the absolute limit.

However, some Yoga teachers will tell healthy beginners to stop at five minutes; just to be sure they are not tempted to push their natural limits. If a student begins to feel light headed, he, or she, should take a rest. This is not a contest.

For most beginners, we start at one minute, and no more. Later, we gradually build up the time to 3 or 4 minute segments. It is safer to add one minute segments, with a rest in between the segments. For seniors, in good health, we start at 30 seconds and no more. Later, we gradually build up to one minute, only.

Apparently, the ancient Yogis made a few mistakes along the way, and lost a few practitioners, as a result of overdoing it. I personally love Bhastrika and Kapalbhati, but much like the ocean, these two forms of Pranayama deserve respect.

To make it crystal clear: The path of moderation, which is also known as the “Middle Way,” is the safest of all the paths. In Yoga, and in life, there should never be extremes, even when our egos are tempted to push the maximum limits.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles) - Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul
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