Yoga Teacher Training - Day 3

Yoganize Teacher Training - Day 3
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Yoga is not simply an exercise, a work-out, or even a meditation.  Yoga is a state of mind- a stillness of our thoughts; a quietening.  It releases us from stress and illness, bringing us back to our pure existence.  We maintain a practice to achieve this state of mind by focusing on the body, mind, and breath.  We arouse a sense of peace, harmony, and balance.  We feel centered when we are calm and we quell any trace of Ego.  It is in humility that we connect with the divine light in ourselves.
Yoga encourages:

• movement that works to relax the body
• relaxation to quiet our frantic minds
• chanting to arouse and release emotions
• meditation to center the spiritual elements

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Hatha Yoga

• Consists of 8 limbs of practices.
• Branches that need attention and exploration.
• Hatha yoga is practiced in the West.  "Ha" meaning sun and "tha" meaning moon, thereby uniting pairs of opposites.
• Haṭhayoga is translated by the Monier-Williams dictionary as "a kind of forced Yoga or abstract meditation (forcing the mind to withdraw from external objects.
• Swatmarama introduces his system as preparatory stage of physical purification that the body practices for higher meditation or Yoga. It is based on asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing techniques, also known as shatkarma). Hatha Yoga became popular in the west beginning in the second half of the 20th century, and is often referred to simply as "Yoga" in the context of health and physical exercise.

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Yoganize Homework

1. Keep a journal.
2. Be early to class.
3. Practice eight yoga classes a month.
4. Practice a 10 minute quiet time everyday.
5. Reading assignments.