In my previous blog post I promised you that I would tell you about my experience at the Yoga Academy Austria which hosted training for yoga teachers that would like to further their knowledge in health yoga. And here it is!
What is Health Yoga?
Health Yoga is a form of yoga which focuses on the physical aspect of yoga with a special attention on recovering after back, joints and knees injuries. However, this type of yoga goes much deeper than just looking at our posture or tendons, it places special emphasis on our breathing, digestion and even immune system! For example, special breathing techniques from health yoga can benefit people suffering from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and Asthma.
All of us are individuals and therefore everyone should practice a form yoga that caters for every person’s needs. Health Yoga teaches how to create special programs that fully adapt to every person’s needs. This is essential if you want to improve the physical and mental well-being of an individual.
My experience
The course that I attended offers a very health-focused approach, specializing in all sorts of ailments and injuries and thus awarding successful participants with the “Health Yoga Teacher Certificate” by the Yoga Academy Austria.
Overall, I have to say that although the course was quite hard and strenuous, it is probably the most valuable experience I have made so far! I was able to deepen my knowledge in different kinds of topics such as cardiovascular diseases and how to design yoga programs that target different areas of the body.
And is there anything better than starting off the New Year with an experience that teaches you how to recognize your clients’ needs and improve their health? I don’t think so!
3 Tips & Tricks for Better Concentration and Posture
Here are a few tips and tricks that will help you incorporate health yoga into your daily life:
• Start the day off right with a special sun salutation that is fully adapted to your back’s needs (e. g. relief for your cervical and lumbar spine). For more information, contact me via our contact page and I will make sure to create an adaption that is easy to follow and that will increase your well-being.
• Take time out for yourself throughout the day where you place your attention on your breath. Try to ask yourself the following questions: Is my breathing regular? Am I taking deep and full breaths? Try to direct your attention to the inside and notice whether there are muscles that may need stretching and relaxation.
• If your job requires you to sit at your desk all day long, try to remind yourself to keep your posture straight. Also, the following exercise is one of my go to yoga poses whenever I feel tensions in my upper back:
I like to call this pose the “sitting eagle pose”. This pose stretches your upper back muscles and relieves tensions in your shoulders. Also, your arms and eyes will thank you for this little coordination exercise which will certainly take your mind off for a while and allow you to restructure your thoughts!
Please let me know in the comments below what your thoughts on Health Yoga are! Would you try it out yourself?
Moreover, I would love to receive general feedback from you regarding my blog. As you can see, this blog is still quite new and I am eager to hear which other topics you would like me to write about next!
Until next time. 🙂