Practical Applications of Yogic Philosophy - Perception and Myth

Where does a student of yoga start his or her practice? What is the foundation of yoga practice? Why do so many yoga classes and teachers avoid approaching the foundation of Yoga?

Where does a student of Yoga start his or her practice? Much like the desire to learn Yoga, the practice of any form, or style, of yoga, comes from within the self. You should seek a yoga teacher to act as a guide. Not all forms of yoga are physical, but if physical mastery is what you seek, there are Hatha, Raja, and Kundalini, yoga to consider. These are just three of the nine main forms of yoga and there are many sub-styles to consider, as well. You must also take the availability of styles within your local area into consideration.

Researching may take some time before visiting a yoga teacher. When you make an appointment for a discussion, find out what your yoga teachers methods are. Does this teacher have patience, understanding, and compassion?

A yoga teacher is a guide, who teaches you to eventually become your own teacher. This does not mean to visit a yoga teacher every so often, but it does mean to practice what is learned in each lesson by bringing it home.

Unfortunately, many yoga instructors do not place enough emphasis on the value of home practice. If a student practices in yoga, casually, once a week, takes the summer and Christmas season off, that is thirty-three lessons per year, without any home practice. After three years, how much has this student learned?

What is the foundation of yoga practice? The foundation of yoga is to be totally present within the lesson, and if possible, to be without distractions. If there are any distractions going on in the mind, you should learn not to judge yourself harshly because you were not mentally present in your yoga class.

To be in the moment, or to be mentally present for your yoga practice, is the key to advancing your practice in yoga. In fact, physical postures (Asanas) are part of the practice, but they are not the primary emphasis of most forms of yoga.

Why do so many yoga classes and teachers avoid approaching the foundation of Yoga? People are stimulated by superficial things. In the case of Yoga, the results of Asana practice can be felt immediately. Many yoga instructors give up on teaching meditation and the deeper aspects of yoga. The result is the perception that yoga is an exercise class only. The myth stems from the classification of Asanas as beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

It is true that yoga posture should be classified according to difficulty level, but Asana has little to do with classifying a yoga student. Consider this: Is a gymnast who is completely stressed out, and who knows nothing about meditation, an advanced yoga practitioner?

If this is so, then we do not need yoga teachers at all. yoga studios can hire teenage gymnasts to perform physical feats, and wow the students, with their prowess. This would be very cost effective for yoga studios, and most young gymnasts would love to perform physical feats to impress crowds of adults for a salary.

This may seem riduculous, but it does bring your view full circle. People have been duped into seeing yoga as a gymnastic event. Asanas are one component of yoga, but they are one of the eight limbs. All of the eight limbs of yoga, described by Patanjali, should operate together for a complete practice.

If we practice Asanas without higher forms awareness, and that is it, we are not practicing yoga. We are then focusing on muscles and breath, which is fine for weight resistance. In truth, yoga requires the eight limbs described within the yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

The many healing aspects of Yoga are barely realized, when we consider it a physical competition.

Copyright 2007 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.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 Training Nyc

Warm-up for Soccer Training and GamesTo improve your soccer coaching skills, youve got to make sure your players give their bodies the chance to perform at their best. That means sensible warm-ups and cool-down, before and after a match or a soccer training session of any kind.

soccer is a demanding physical game. So providing encouragement and instruction and making sure your players do adequate physical preparation is one of the most important responsibilities in soccer coaching.

The warm up is a process to increase awareness, improve co-ordination, improve elasticity and contractibility of muscles, and increase the efficiency of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

soccer training and blood flow to muscles

In a body at rest, the blood flow to the muscles is comparatively low, and the majority of the small blood vessels (capillaries) supplying them are closed. When soccer training or playing begins, the blood flow in the exercising muscles increases markedly, as the capillaries open.

At rest, 15-20% of the blood flow supplies muscles, while after 10-12 minutes of all-round exercise, the percentage of blood flow supplying the muscles rises to 70-75%. A muscle can only achieve maximum performance when all its blood vessels are functional.physical work increases the energy output and temperature of the muscle, this in turn leads to improved co-ordination with less likelihood of injury.

A warm-up therefore prepares the body by:

raising muscle temperature towards an optimum level for performance

enabling metabolic processes in cells to proceed at higher rates

and allowing nerve messages to travel faster

Why warm-up is important in soccer coaching

Reasons for conducting a thorough warm-up prior to soccer training and games include the following:

To increase blood flow to muscular tissue

To increase muscle temperature

To reduce muscle tightness

To elevate body temperature

To stimulate reflex activity related to balance and co-ordination

To achieve full joint mobility in the specific joints involved in the activity

To achieve full soft tissue extensibility muscles, tendons, ligaments

To enhance the functioning of the neuromuscular system

To prepare the cardiovascular and respiratory systems

To prepare the player psychologically for the coming activity

To familiarize themselves with the environmental conditions

Warm-ups should be intense enough to increase the body temperature, the effects of which will ultimately wear off depending upon its intensity and specificity. The procedure should begin with movements of the large muscle groups, as these are the main areas to which blood is redistributed. These include the following areas:

Back lower leg: gastrocnemius and soleus

Front lower leg: peroneals (shin)

Front thigh: quadriceps

Back thigh: hamstrings

Inner thigh: adductors

Back: erector spinae

Trunk: abdominal muscles

Shoulders and chest: deltoids and pectorials

Specialized soccer exercises

After the general warm-up players can begin more specialized exercises including mobilization of the joints and dynamic movements of muscles, particularly of the lower extremity. The final stage of a warm-up concentrates on technique, and/or practicing a specific movement.

Whether warm-ups are performed with or without a ball depends entirely upon the philosophy adopted by the coach. This part of the soccer training session does provide an opportunity to work on specific technical skills in conjunction with mobility work and may also provide a greater mental and neurological stimulus for the players. In soccer coaching generally a lack or improper use of a warm-up and a cool-down is a risk factor for lower extremity overuse muscular injuries, especially during running.

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