Let's continue with more ideas for workshops and some specialty
classes that may fit in as part of your regular class schedule.
You don't have to use all of these ideas, but you may find one,
or two, that fit with your clientele and your Yoga studio.
Prenatal Yoga: Again, this is much better suited for the female
Yoga instructor, but this teacher should be trained specifically
in Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga. There are too many complications
for the average Yoga teacher; this is for a Yoga specialist.
Modifications and contraindications change for pregnant Yoga
students each trimester. Jane Mackarness has written such a
course, and we carry it at our web site. This field requires
much more research than the standard 200-hour training, but can
lead to networking with medical professionals and hospitals.
Kids Yoga: Specialized training might be needed, but patience is
a key element for Yoga instructors who want to embark on this
path. I teach children myself, and a Kids Yoga class has to be
fun and include games. Vinyasa will be very popular with
children, since they get restless with nervous energy.
Children can learn a lot, but Yoga teachers, who spend time with
them, realize they are not little adults. Sometimes, the Yoga
teacher's lesson plan will not be finished due to questions,
answers, and kids just having fun being kids.
Hot Yoga: Most Hot Yoga classes originated from Bikram's style.
Be careful not to use his sequences; he has patented them. Also,
the Yoga teacher who wants to pursue this path should be
familiar with how she or he will perform under conditions of
serious heat. Hot Yoga is good, but it is not for everyone. Hot
Yoga classes are usually held at a temperature of 105 Degrees
Fahrenheit.
108 Sun Salutations: Many Yoga studios and ashrams have these
workshops at the beginning of a season. This is good bonding
time for the more physical Yoga students within your facility.
You could always go out to your favorite restaurant afterwards.
Yoga with Weights: Sherri Baptiste just released a book on this
subject. Bodybuilders have practiced combining weight resistance
principles, with Yoga, for years, but Sherri may be on to
something here. Yoga purists aside - the contracting of muscles
during weight resistance training, and the stretching of muscles
when practicing Hatha Yoga, can be a harmonious relationship.
© Copyright 2005 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
About the author:
Paul Jerard is the director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in
RI. He's a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He
teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness. He wrote: Is Running a
Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students wanting to be a
Yoga teacher.
http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
