With its emphasis on breathing practices and meditation—both of which help calm and center the mind— it’s hardly surprising that yoga also brings mental benefits, such as reduced anxiety and depression. What may be more surprising is that it actually makes your brain work better.
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Embodying Yoga Alignment & Hands-on Assists - 50hr YTT with Ari
Have you been wanting to take your own personal practice further and really explore correct alignment? Or as a teacher, do you want to refine your alignment cues and assists in order to safely lead your students on a journey each class, allowing them the opportunity to grow and progress in their practice. Learning to nurture students in this way is an art form. We want ourselves and others to practice in a way that will allow us to continue well into the future, instead of wearing our bodies out with repetitive incorrect alignment.
We interviewed Ari about his 50hr Yoga Teacher Training Course.
What will the teacher training weekends involve?
Each day begins with a deep dive into your yoga asana practice, we will move in a slow detailed way. Then we unpack what we have experienced through our live online circle. Learning how to break down the poses into great detail will allow for a better understanding of your overall practice. We also dive into some philosophy and understand the subtle energies alive within the postures. By exploring energetic alignment in the actions and patterns of movement in the asana you experience your yoga practice in a way you never have before.
Why do you believe a solid understanding of alignment and hands-on assists is important to the quality of someone’s yoga practice or teaching?
The best teachers are the most passionate students. I understand that the journey of Yoga is always evolving, there is always something to learn. This 50 hour module is a great way to test the waters of diving deeper into a 200 hour training. How far are you willing to dive in? Once you have experienced the postures in this detailed way you’re able to revisit them later through muscle memory. We are literally creating new neural pathways in the brain. Changing the way you think and changing the way you move.
Will this training also support development and growth within personal practice?
Absolutely!
Will verbal assists and self assists also be covered?
Yes! We explore various types of assists, corrections and adjustments.
Is the training beneficial to those who do not teach yoga?
Absolutely. It is really an exploration into your own practice. You know your body better than anyone. Once you understand some of the key actions of the postures and have awakened the energetics in your practice there is no limit to what you can do.
What makes you most passionate about emphasising correct alignment and assisting students?
Aside from really understanding posture and alignment, I am excited by the movements of Prana in the practice.
Is there any work that needs to be completed outside of the four day online hours?
There will be some homework and practice assists (peer to peer) before the accreditation.
Are you interested in developing your personal practice, or refining your alignment cues and assists as a teacher? Find out more below about our upcoming course - Our Online Embodying Yoga Alignment & Hands-on Assists - 50hr YTT with Ari.
It takes confidence in the understanding of energetic alignment to physically assist in yoga. With practical lessons, safe physical assists and alignment cues, Ari will guide you into this online intensive 50 hour training that will hone your ability to read and assess bodies and learn the application of hands-on assists all from the comfort of your own home.
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Meet our teacher - Karolina
Meet Karolina, we interviewed Karolina so that you, our community, can find out a little bit more about her teaching and her wonderful self! Read below..
Tell us about your journey to yoga and your teaching background?
My teaching journey began in 2010 when I graduated from the Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training facilitated by the founders of the method: Sharon Gannon and David Life in Rhinebeck, New York. In 2012 I became an Advanced Certified Jivamukti Yoga Teacher thanks to the guidance of my mentor Narayani ( Nicole Nichols). After moving to Sydney in 2012 I joined forces with Jivamukti Yoga Sydney in Newtown and over the years I become an essential part of the studio’s teaching faculty. While teaching there, I have dedicated my time to serve as a mentor to newly certified Jivamukti yoga teachers, helping them to grow and become more skilled in sharing the method.
In the late 2018 I left the school in pursue of my own growth and independent journey as a yoga teacher.
I am now teaching numerous classes and workshops in Sydney, running my retreats and continue to serve as a mentor, running group and “one on one” mentoring programs for newly certified yoga teachers.
As a part of my ongoing continuing education, I have been practising and apprenticing with my Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Eileen Hall from Ashtanga Yoga Moves in Sydney since 2017. To balance my yang, I also practice and teach yin yoga.
What do you love most about teaching?
Heart to heart connection with students and many healing and therapeutic potentials that come from this ancient, potent modality.
Do you have a favourite pose(s) or one that you are trying to work on?
I have a love/hate relationship with Karandavasana (from second series of Ashtanga Yoga). I have been challenged by it and been working on it for some time now. I find that there is absolutely no time or space for switching off while attempting it. Full presence!
What do you enjoy doing outside of yoga?
Spending time in nature and connecting to the land, exploring healing earth traditions, playing and listening to music, connecting with friends and loved ones, ocean swims. I am also currently studying Recall Healing Therapy, so most of my free time is consumed by it at the moment.
Do you have a favourite book/ show/ song or quote you can share with us?
There is just too many to mention...I highly recommend all books by Pema Chodron, Jack Kornfield and Thich Nhat Hanh.
I'm currently reading this beautiful book: "See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love" by Valarie Kaur, which I highly recommend.
You can practice with Karolina at our TIY Studios or TIY Online. If you want to get to know her a little better visit her TIY Teacher’s page 💛.
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The Benefits of Practicing at Home
Never has home practice been more relevant, and possibly more important, than now. Regardless of the barrier to practicing in a studio- whether it be a pandemic lockdown, or just a busy life, there are numerous benefits to a home practice.
Of course there are challenges to practicing at home, however, if you set up your space, approach it with an open mind (not comparing it to in-studio practice), and stick to it for a while, it can become a very welcomed part of your weekly routine. In order to set yourself up for success, find a clean and tidy spot, free from distraction and with all props at hand. Make it like your own personal yoga shala!
Check out the article below to learn more about the well researched benefits of practicing at home.
There’s no place like home if you want to reap the most benefit from your yoga practice.
According to a recent study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, frequency of home practice was a better predictor of positive health than how many classes a person attended weekly or how long someone practiced.
Researchers at the University of Maryland and the National Institutes of Health found that those yoga students who practiced at home reported more positive mindfulness, subjective well-being, BMI, fruit and vegetable consumption, vegetarian status, sleep, and fatigue.
“They were even more likely to eat their vegetables!,” Timothy McCall, M.D. a contributing medical editor for Yoga Journal, wrote in the Yoga for Healthy Living blog.
“The study bore out something else I’ve been teaching for years: when you combine the various tools in the yoga toolbox including asana, breathing practices, meditation and even study of yoga philosophy you tend to get even better results,” McCall added.
Combining different types of asana practice, such as vigorous and restorative poses also proved beneficial. And the study also found that older people experienced less fatigue than younger, but both improved with regular practice.
So not only is it better for your health to practice at home, but to vary your routine to include as many elements of the practice as you can.
The abstract is available here.
Article sourced from: https://www.yogajournal.com/tourblog/home-practice-promises-greater-benefits/
Composed by YJ Editors
Want to practice at home with us?
Learn more about our livestream and on demand classes and timetables below!
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This Is Yoga – Craig’s Story
It all started with one Foundations class …
Back in 2018, I was a regular busy person – full-time job, 3 school-aged kids, wife, house, mortgage. I was fairly active, yet flexibility was a thing of the past – kind of like sleeping in. As my kids got bigger, I struggled to keep up with them in the park or at the beach. In particular my lower back and shoulders. I ended up at the physio/chiro a few times because my lower back was really grumpy.
I dabbled in meditation and mindfulness to try to help me be calmer, more focussed and generally more pleasant, but I never gave it a proper go.
Then my life got turned on its head. My wife got sick. Really sick. About as sick as you can get and still make it. She was on life-support in a coma for 10 days. She was in hospital for 10 weeks. It was chaos. But the hospitals and health care workers were amazing. They managed to get her back home to us. Unfortunately, she suffered brain injury during all of this and she now needs a lot of care and support.
I was suddenly looking after 4 people on my own. On top of that, we were down to one income.
This was a massive personal challenge. I needed to be the best version of me. Long days, full of pressure. I also needed to be able to care for and comfort my wife and my kids. Tired and grumpy Dad wasn’t going to be much use. I really needed to be the best version of me possible. So I decided to give yoga a proper try and I booked myself into a Saturday afternoon Foundations class.
It changed my life. It gave me some ‘me time’, focus, challenge, strength, flexibility, mindfulness, acceptance, improved diet, better sleep, and more calm. It was like a miracle pill. I’m not saying it was easy. It wasn’t. Just walking into the studio full of fit people who I imagined could tie themselves into pretzel shapes at will was a real challenge. But it felt fantastic afterwards. So I came back again, and again. I loved it. This is what everyone needs.
What the business needed was someone who could help it grow. What I needed was something meaningful to pursue that could give me the time and resources to look after my family.
So I bought This Is Yoga. Many of my friends thought I was nuts taking on the challenge of running a small business, on top of everything else. When COVID hit 4 months later, I started to think they may be right. But we handled that as best we could too, by focussing on the community – keeping the classes going for both the students and the teachers, and also to provide some wellness and connection during those challenging times. We gave away over 700 months of yoga to health care workers.
It has been a challenge taking on the business, but it was nothing compared to the rest of my life. Ironically, I wouldn’t have been able to get through my family challenges without yoga, but I also wouldn’t have had the courage or drive to take on the yoga business without having had the family challenges.
I’m still a busy person, just maybe not a regular one anymore. I’m certainly a much better version of me – pursuing meaningful goals to the best of my abilities and making a difference. Thanks to yoga I’m able to do this, and for that I am truly grateful.
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Aparigraha - practices in letting go
It is human to attach ourselves to things. Fond memories from the past, how things used to be, people past and present, objects, outcomes, and so on. However, we need to recognise at what point this attachment starts to impact our lives negatively. Often holding on to things, whether they be tangible or intangible, can hold us back in many different ways. Letting go can be easier said than done, yet it is an important practice in order to live our lives to the fullest.
The article below has been written about ways that we can practice aparigraha in our lives - that is, non attachment. Have a read and perhaps reflect on any areas in your own life where you may be needing to let go.
‘What do you hold on to (maybe a little too tightly) in your life? Does it still serve you or could it be time to let it go? By releasing what is no longer useful, we open ourselves to fresh ideas, new relationships, and more harmonious ways of living and being. These tips may help you practice the principle of non-possessiveness.
Let It Go
Possessions take up space and energy—in your head as well as in your home. So try this: Every time you buy something new, let go of something old—give it away, or toss it out. By letting go of things from the past, you can live more fully in the present.
Breathe
When we get stressed out, we tend to hold our breath. This makes us even more anxious. Release the breath and allow it to flow fully and deeply. Then you will feel more relaxed, open, and spontaneous.
Practice Self-Care
When we are afraid and insecure, we may feel a need to cling to and control those who are closest to us. That rarely works. Instead, find ways to nurture and center yourself so that you feel independent and strong in your own right, and can allow others to be who they need to be.
Be Positive
When we cling to negative thoughts, emotions, or memories, we spiral into destructive habit patterns. By replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, and by remembering your mantra, you create a harmonious space for yourself and others.
Forgive
Let go of painful memories from your past. Free yourself by offering forgiveness to those who have hurt you and to yourself.
Practice
Sometimes we try so hard to be perfect—in our asanas, meditation, contemplation—that we miss the essence of practice. Do your best and then remember to release—physically, mentally, emotionally. Let go and stay open to guidance from within.
Be generous
Expand your capacity to stretch yourself. Share your time, your energy, your knowledge, your attention, your connections. Donate. Volunteer. Give in whatever way you can.’
It takes resilience to let go, accept change, and navigate through challenging times of any nature.
View original article here
Original author: Irene Petryszak
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