Private Yoga lessons do vary in price, and the average private Yoga session, in Beverly Hills, is going to be on the higher end in cost. Yoga teacher experience is also a factor. Therefore, experience and location does have a lot to do with your private session rates; but how do you know what is a fair market value?

How do you avoid “selling yourself short?” Your students do expect more value, and they realize private Yoga sessions are more expensive than a regular Yoga class.

One course of action is to compare notes, with local Yoga teachers and personal fitness trainers. If you teach at a health club, or network with local Yoga teachers, and personal trainers; many of them will be happy to help you.

If personal trainers, with similar experience, are charging more than you, your rates are usually too low. Why? Some personal trainers might graduate from a 200 to 500 hour certification course; but many do not, unless they have a bachelor’s degree in physical education, which is more experience than most Yoga teachers.

Most Yoga instructors graduate from a 200 to 500 hour Yoga instructor training program. The hours of study involved to become a Yoga teacher deserves a similar private session rate, if the working experience is similar to a personal trainer.

How do you avoid Yoga students, who make appointments and do not show up for scheduled private Yoga session? You should have a firm 24 hour cancellation policy in place. Yoga students should be required to cancel before the 24 hour mark, if an emergency arises. Your time is valuable too, and you could be teaching Yoga to someone who shows up for their appointment.

Sometimes, Yoga students make appointments, and do not cancel, or show up for them. Once a student has done this, he or she should reserve a private Yoga session with a non-refundable deposit or reservation fee.

This may seem harsh, but you make the commute to your Yoga studio, set everything up, wait, and the student does not show up. It truly is a matter of how many times a Yoga teacher is prepared to waste his or her time before reacting.

Here’s how it works: If my private rate is $80, we require a $40 deposit for the reservation and the $40 balance upon arrival. If the student does not show up, he or she loses the deposit.

This policy is only for Yoga students who have a history of not showing up for appointments. It took a lot of abuse before we implemented this policy, but now everyone shows up for their private Yoga lessons on time.

Why do some Yoga teachers schedule so many private lessons, while others run Yoga classes only? Two factors are involved. If your location, or your student’s location, is upscale, there will be a demand for private Yoga sessions in that geographic area.

Also, it has to do with your marketing efforts. You have to make it known in your literature and on your website. In your Yoga studio, you want to post signs to let students know that you teach private Yoga sessions. Some marketing studies show that people have to see the same message seven times before they react.

© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. www.riyoga.com He trains, consults, and coaches Yoga teachers. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. To receive a Free e-Book: “Yoga in Practice,” and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

You might think it is hard to find the right Yoga teacher training, but there are many options for aspiring Yoga instructors. Below are some of the many choices you should consider, when you are deciding to become a Yoga instructor.

Moderate Hatha Yoga: There are many styles to choose from, but earning a Yoga instructor certification in one these styles will enable you to teach a wide variety of students.

The age and condition of your Yoga students should be taken into consideration, when deciding about which Yoga certification to join. Traditional Hatha Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Sivananda Yoga are examples of this classification.

Chair Yoga: This is a specialized Yoga instructor certification, but the global population is aging. When you consider how many people turn 50 every day – this Yoga specialist certification may be more mainstream 10 years from now.

Hot Yoga: There are a wide range of ages involved, but this does attract a younger crowd. The 105 degree room temperature is not to be taken lightly – if your native climate is much lower. You must feel real passion for this classification of Yoga. Bikram Yoga and Hot Yoga are examples of this type of Hatha Yoga.

Vigorous: Flowing, or powerful, movements and asanas can reach a wide range of ages, but most of your Yoga students will be less than 40 years of age. Ashtanga Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, and Power Yoga are examples of this classification.

There are other options for Yoga instructor training, as well. The number of study hours, for Yoga instructors, should be at least 200 hours. There is also the decision of whether you can attend Yoga training in person or take a Yoga instructor distance learning course.

On-site Yoga instructor training might be over the course of many weekends throughout five months, a year long Yoga training course – or the Yoga course may last years. Obviously, time is a factor in your decision, but cost and the quality of the Yoga instructor training should be “weighed in the balance.” Yoga instructor intensive training should be in the range of 200 minimum hours of training.

Home study Yoga certification courses are for interns who cannot attend Yoga instructor intensives. The graduates of these programs have previous Yoga experience and must be self-starters. The type of person, who takes “night school courses,” or home study courses, in any subject, is self-motivated. However, a minimum of 200 Yoga study hours is suggested for Yoga instructor interns.

© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. To receive a Free e-Book: “Yoga in Practice,” and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

Yoga Teacher Transformations start from the moment you decide to become a Yoga teacher, but they continue as you decide to take a Yoga teacher training course. After the Yoga teacher certification process, most Yoga instructors continue to learn more about Yoga philosophy, anatomy, other forms of Yoga, meditation, Ayurvedic medicine, or any one of the many Yoga subjects that Yoga teachers would logically pursue.

However, teaching Yoga classes on a regular basis is a form of continuing education, as you learn to teach Yoga students with different bodies, minds, and health conditions. This is where many Yoga teachers go through a gradual transformation toward Samadhi. Samadhi is the ability to control functions of the mind and body, while eliminating life’s daily distractions from the goal of complete consciousness.

To anyone who has never studied Yoga this seems like “mission impossible.” Yet, Yoga teachers learn to “walk the talk” of Yogic philosophy. What, at one time, seemed like a lofty goal; can actually be realized gradually. This all stems from teaching, sharing knowledge, and becoming a living example of steady Yoga practice. This is not a mystery, but a path that all Yoga teachers should walk.

These changes of body, mind, and spirit do not happen instantly. Some Yoga teachers and serious Yoga practitioners will receive different benefits and reach different levels of Samadhi, as a result of steady Yoga practice.

Yoga Student Transformation can sometimes be more easily felt or seen. In fact, a new student, who has never practiced Yoga before, may find relief from head aches, hypertension, or a back ache within a few Yoga classes. This is not a guarantee, but it does happen often. When a Yoga student feels the physical or mental benefits of practice he or she becomes transformed by discarding pain and gaining new found enthusiasm.

Within any given Yoga class, there is a form of collective transformation that students and Yoga teacher experience. If you take a typical Hatha Yoga class and consider the warm ups, Pranayama, Sun Salutations, asana practice, meditation, relaxation, or an integration of any other Yogic components; the transformation is quietly happening to the entire group.

There is no mystery here. Transformation of mind, body, and spirit is a result of steady Yoga practice.

© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. To receive a Free e-Book: “Yoga in Practice,” and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

Unfortunately, some of us will abuse our bodies in one way or another, but Hatha Yoga gives us a path toward the best possible health. The asanas (yoga postures) create movements, which we can visibly see, but there is much more going on at the microscopic level.

As you move, you stimulate the circulation of lymphatic fluids throughout the body. These are clear fluids, which are derived from blood plasma. Lymphatic fluids move throughout the body to rejuvenate tissue cells and return waste matter (toxins) to the bloodstream for elimination from the body. The lymphatic system carries cells, which help fight disease.

Yoga movements and pranayama (yogic breathing) also stimulate the circulation of oxygen and blood. The result of all this movement is improved efficiency of the immune system, and less infection or disease. If you add a good diet, such as the Sattvic diet, which contains many natural and whole foods, you have taken another serious step toward improving the immune system.

Stress levels are lowered, as a Hatha Yoga practitioner stretches, when performing asanas, because tension is released within muscles, soft tissue, and joints. As tension is released, stress levels are lowered and the Yoga practitioner finds peace of mind.

This leads to the mental aspects of Yoga practice. Controlled Yogic breathing (pranayama) is the easiest connection between mind and body. In turn, pranayama cultivates positive energy within the mind and body. The result of a steady Yoga practice is a trained mind.

To be able to create a state of tranquility, at any time you choose, is complete empowerment and mental mastery over emotions. The establishment of emotional stability is a priceless asset of Yoga training. Not only is a trained mind good for your health, but it can bring you to a path of success.

How often have you seen a talented person lose his or her position because of one angry outburst? You could make the logical argument that social status is not everything, but why “shoot yourself in the foot?” Yoga practice does not equal sainthood, but it does allow one to attain mental clarity. If you can maintain a state of emotional bliss, you will likely have a happy and successful life.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html

Some students may have a dominant sense or two, but rarely are we attuned to all three. It is important for Yoga teachers to reach out to all three groups – even when he or she also has one or two senses that are weaker.

Let’s take a look at each learning style to understand ourselves and enhance our abilities. It is rare to access all three senses equally during class, so do not judge yourself. Just observe from an objective viewpoint.

The Visual Yoga Student: Learning by sight is a strong point. This student learns by taking notes and reading books. In Yoga classes, this person will usually see the subtleties of alignment, when a teacher demonstrates an asana.

Yet, this same person may not pick up the concepts of Pranayama or meditation as easily. Pranayama and meditation may require audible instruction, and feeling them is important. If you require silence to study, are good at written language, dream in colors, understand maps easily, and close your eyes to remember, or visualize, the past – visual learning is one of your strong points.

The Auditory Yoga Student: Learning by sound is his or her strength. This student responds well to a Yoga teacher’s cues, while some students in class are looking around to see what the teacher or other students are doing. Verbal directions are easy for an auditory learner to follow.

Although an auditory learning has many advantages, students with this strength may find themselves reading out loud to retain written information. Some will catch themselves moving their lips in silence while reading. If you retain information from audio books, are good at explaining, remember verbal directions easily, and read slowly – auditory learning is one of your strong points.

The Kinesthetic Yoga Student: This student learns by doing. The feel, touch, and experience of an event, gives this student firsthand knowledge to perform better next time. With experience, this student becomes exceptional at Yoga and any other hands-on activity.

Therefore, physical or mental practice makes the kinesthetic learning student much better over time. A physical assist is most beneficial to a Kinesthetic Yoga Student.

Kinesthetic learning has a distinct advantage, as the student continues to experience Yoga through steady practice. If you use your hands to express yourself, and easily develop athletic skills – kinesthetic learning is likely to be one of your strengths.

Students, and teachers of Yoga, can benefit by understanding the differences in each of these three learning traits. When teaching groups of people, instructors should address the senses of sight, sound, and touch, throughout the class.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html

You can learn how to do yoga from a book, video, TV program or you can attend a yoga class. It is recommended that you try a yoga class first, so that you can learn the basics of how to do the postures, breath properly and also meditate. When learning on your own through a book or video, without having someone trained in yoga there, you may be at risk of hurting yourself by doing the postures incorrectly. It’s great to start off with a yoga class and then move on to practicing yoga at home on your own.

A typical Hatha yoga session will include a dozen or more poses. Many classes will start beginners off with the corpse pose, which is a simple lying on the floor, completely relaxed pose. The corpse, done properly, is most excellent for calming your mind.

Another important part of yoga is learning how to properly breath. Not just during the postures but while you are meditating. Typically, the yoga instructor will ask you to focus on your breathing, really paying attention to how you are doing it. One breathing technique will include breathing through just one nostril, which slows your breathing.

Hatha yoga can also involve the use of mental imagery while doing your postures and while meditating. One breathing technique includes imagining the air filling your lungs while you are taking a slow, deep breath. During meditation, you’ll probably be given images to focus on, like the sun or the ocean.

Breathing exercises, mental imagery, meditation and postures are all effective in and of themselves for reducing stress, but combined together into a customized program for your needs, they are incredibly effective for managing and reducing your stress.

Effects Of Yoga

The positive health effects of yoga include reduced heart rate and blood pressure, anxiety reduction, better physical strength, improved flexibility, reduced muscle tension, greater peace and calmness, better ability to handle stressful situations, better and deeper sleep, slower aging, spiritual awareness and growth and even a greater overall sense of well being. There are many more benefits to yoga practice, reducing and managing stress is just one of them.

If you have a problem with stress in your life, and who doesn’t, why not look into beginning yoga? It can improve your life as a whole.

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Yoga, like many other practices on earth seems to evolve over time with different peoples adapting a particular style that befits them. Originating from ancient India, Yoga has spread its wings far and wide and today it has followers all over the world. The west for example abound with people who practice it. The westerners seem to prefer a style of Yoga known as Hatha Yoga. This term of course originates from the Sanskrit language and is a composite of two words. Ha- sun and Tha – moon. This suggests that the practice of this form of Yoga is a union between the sun and the moon. The suggestion we get here is a union of opposites for the common good. The mind and the body come together and the result is peace of mind, strength and vitality.

The practice of this class of Yoga is mainly concerned with the physical aspects of yoga and a lot of emphasis is laid on learning and practicing postures, learning breathing techniques and the practice of meditation. There are different energy flows in the body and this practice aims at teaching individuals on how to attain a perfect balance of these. You get to learn on different postures that will be an outcome of knowing how to control movements, conscious breathing, deep concentration together with flexibility. It is estimated that there are over 200 different kinds of postures that can be learned for practice.

When practiced optimally, Yoga exercises are able to help reduce stress by easing your tense muscles, tone up your bodies internal organs and can even improve the flexibility of your body’s many joints. You get to learn to perform each posture slowly and carefully and they range from the simple to the complex, but you move progressively. Learning the movements may take a little time but the results you gat are actually worth the patience you must practice. There usually are no violent movements that could easily lead to the build up of lactic acid.

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All Yoga is really an attempt to synergize the body, mind and spirit into one complete whole that functions more effectively. But different people have different needs that motivate them – Yoga for health is different from Yoga for Enlightenment. Over time, different yogis have interpreted Yoga in various different ways leading to 6 distinct styles of Yoga within which there are several sub styles. Of the main styles, the most common or commercially popular style is Hatha Yoga, also called the Yoga of Postures. It comprises a series of Asanas or free hand poses that help work out different parts of the body. Along with the body workout there is pranayam or what are various breathing techniques. Not only do they prove beneficial for the respiratory system, they also provide greater energy to the body through better intake and utilization of oxygen. Pranayam also serves as a base for meditation. The focus required for correct breathing serves as learning for the more difficult concentration that meditation requires. Contrary to popular belief, meditation is not about making the mind go blank, but just stopping unnecessary `chatter’ that clouds clear thought. Meditation is per se not necessary for an active lifestyle but complements it very well. Meditation brings inner peace and contentment, feelings that all the success in the world cannot buy.

Finding a good guru is half the job done or undone as the case may be. Yoga can be learnt from a book or off an internet site but is best imparted person to person. Learning in a group or ashram is even more beneficial because of the access to group energy and motivation that a person gets. Ashrams also have a sense of quiet and peace that is difficult to replicate in a our cubby hole apartments. Yoga beginners can get started with easy Yoga Asanas and then seek out professional help once they know what they need. Yoga helps people get an active lifestyle by working their various muscle groups like no other gym exercise can. Yoga also comes with the twin benefit of happiness and extra energy to do more with our lives.

To learn yoga, you do not need any special equipment or clothes. You just need a yoga mat and some comfortable clothes. Choosing a nice quiet place is best when you are starting since it helps you focus. Yoga should not be treated like a complicated set of free hand exercises. Doing so will deprive you of all the great benefits that yoga can give you apart from a healthy lifestyle.

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Clear Minds

While practicing this type of yoga you will learn to breathe deeply, controlling each breath to bring the body in line with the mind. This is difficult to understand by simply reading. Yoga is something that you only begin to fully understand by experiencing firsthand. Whether you actually have time for meditation with your Hatha yoga practice or you use it more for the physical conditioning aspects, focus on the directions for breathing and do your best to follow along seriously.

At first this may feel awkward or silly, but the relaxed mind that puts you in sync with your body movements will eventually start to overcome you. It is very rewarding for those who learn to control their breathing and allow their mind to relax with their muscles.

Fit Bodies

The poses, or Asanas, involved can be challenging, but there are always modifications if you are using a DVD or even attending a class. Push yourself a little to just try positions that may seem too difficult. It will surprise you what your body is actually capable of doing and you will make progress rapidly if you continue to practice this type of yoga.

This is especially true if you follow through with the breathing elements of this type of yoga. The physical and mental rewards to be reaped from Hatha yoga are simply amazing.

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At that point, a guru would make a decision on whether or not to take in another student on a trial basis. The trial may have consisted of doing work around the ashram before being recognized as a formal student.

This is the way the Yoga teacher / student relationship operated for thousands of years. In some areas of the world, it still does work this way. Sometimes, a guru was honored as more than a mere man. However, the traditional model of the student / teacher relationship, within Yoga, has changed immensely.

Why doesn’t the traditional model work?

You cannot stop your students from reading books, going to the library, learning from other teachers, having Internet access, watching DVDs, listening to CDs, or watching Yoga on television.

At the same time, no responsible Yoga instructor wants to prevent students from learning. Yet, the reason the traditional model worked was because students studied within a “vacuum.” The guru had all the answers and was respected as an authority.

These days, Yoga teachers often ask me, “What is the role of a teacher in the 21st century?” The role has not actually changed; the first step in establishing a firm relationship, with any student, is based on trust. This is much like a friendship. When students know that you will not hurt them, the wise ones will always come back for more.

If students want to suffer in your classes, do you really want to teach them anything about Yoga? Hatha Yoga was not designed for students who want more pain. Is Hatha Yoga just another form of physical torture?

In fact, we know that pain serves us as a milestone for an area where none of us should be. If a student is not ready to hear the message of “The Middle Way” of moderation, why frustrate the both of you? The “no-pain, no-gain mentality” always finds a way to become injured.

A large part of what we do is to help our students find a tranquil state of mind and a healthy body. Always remember this the next time a student wants you to push him or her harder. It is not your job to become a “Yoga Nazi.” When you hurt your students, you have violated a trust that goes back thousands of years.

What do most students expect from a Yoga teacher? Most students expect an honest relationship. Our job is to make a difference. By this, we should make safety a priority while, at the same time, we help our students progress toward development of awareness and transformation.

If a student does not appreciate honesty, compassion, and the way of moderation, you will have a difficult time being a trusted guide on the Yogic path. The ancient Yogis were extremely wise to have realized this. That is why Yoga students were accepted on a trial basis.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com

He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html