Articles for Yoga Teachers
Articles from https://www.expandinglight.org/free/yoga-teacher/articles/
This past year, I returned to teaching yoga after a nearly two-year hiatus while I recuperated from a painful back injury: a bulging disk at L5-S1, which was further complicated by a very inflamed sacroiliac joint. How did the injury happen? In brief, because I did not listen to my body when it was telling me the low back was … Read More
By now you may have heard about the Ananda movie, “Finding Happiness.” Filming concluded in October 2012, and post-production is nearly complete. Those who have seen the “director’s cut” say that it’s fabulous. The grand premiere is at Ananda Village on July 26, 2013. And yes, Ananda Yoga plays a role! Here’s the plot: The global economic crisis and widespread … Read More
I teach an ongoing Intermediate/Advanced class each week to a small group of regulars. They’re very much into Ananda Yoga®, and they love the affirmations. (I can’t get away with skipping any of them!) Recently I went to an Iyengar/Power Yoga workshop and learned what seemed like a nice (if strenuous) bunch of flows. I thought, “I’ll take this back … Read More
Recently while I was talking with Gyandev McCord, the Director of Ananda Yoga Worldwide, we came upon the question, “What will be the next big trend in yoga in the West?” Without hesitation, Gyandev looked at me with a twinkle in his eye and said, “Surely meditation is involved. It’s even starting to follow yoga into the corporate world. I … Read More
I had no students for the first week I taught at the studio I rented, so I would teach myself a class. I felt the Masters supporting me, and their presence was so strong that I felt I was right where I needed to be. I also felt I was being tested a little, as in, “Let’s see how dedicated … Read More
(This article is mentioned in Susan Brochin’s “Teaching Yoga in a Public School.”) The way I got started at the yoga club was when my mom started taking yoga classes. As soon as I told her that there was one at school, she started encouraging me to go. Finally, after about two or three weeks of her encouraging me, I had … Read More
One day, as my students were filing in for their yoga class and waiting for it to start, they began to discuss among themselves the yoga poses that they hated. It was quite a spirited discussion, with people lobbying fiercely for the “worst” yoga pose! Overhearing this, I suddenly had an inspiration. When they were all settled in and ready … Read More
When I got home from Ananda Yoga Teacher Training, I called up a community center to see if I could get in as a teacher in next September’s schedule. The woman who answered said that they were full, but she still asked me for my résumé. I knew right then that my name, phone number, and certificate weren’t going to get … Read More
Cynthia Edmonds Bath, ME In the Restaurant with a Five-Star Chef In one of my classes I have someone of regional celebrity status: a five-star chef (he was Maine’s first) with a restaurant and large catering service. He’s known for being passionate and outspoken, and he has a temper. He loves the asana affirmations and often repeats them out loud … Read More
I live and teach in a small rural town of about 5,000 people. So of necessity, my classes are very mixed: prior exposure to yoga ranges from zero to people who have pursued it with enthusiasm for many years. Spiritual backgrounds range from none to Christianity to New Age. While organizing my first class, I pondered a lot about how … Read More
