Optimum Bodies Blog

Though yoga has been around for thousands of years, its popularity exploded in the

early 2000ʼs, and seemed to infiltrate every inch of our popular culture. From bank ads

featuring fancy head-stands, to yoga pants being a staple in every womanʼs wardrobe

(used for practice or not), yoga it seems, is here to stay. With the benefits of yoga

touted by health-care professionals, athletes and your neighbor next door who swore

that the poses cured her chronic back pain – yoga is, for the first time in millennia,

accessible to everyone.

These days, we can choose where to practice, at home, at a local studio, a gym, or

simply follow along with a DVD. While there are merits to each mode of practice (home

= convenient, studio = knowledgeable teachers, gym = you already have a membership,

DVD = economical), if you are a beginner at yoga, or simply want to deepen and

expand your practice, the yoga studio is a wonderful starting point for you. In this three

part newsletter series, we will explore why:

Educated Teachers

Yoga teachers are extremely passionate about their craft. Instructors at a specialized

yoga studio train for a minimum of 200-250 hours to certify before they teach, with most

of them practicing many years before they decide to take their training. This training

prepares instructors to plan a class which is not only effective, but safe. They learn

about contraindications of the many poses, proper alignment, breathing techniques and

safe modifications for those injured or absolute beginners. Additionally, they also learn

about the history and philosophy of yoga.

However, the majority of teachers go above and beyond this initial training, and

continuously upgrade their education and never, ever stop learning.

In a yoga studio setting, it is encouraged that students cultivate a relationship with their

teacher and vice versa. For instance, say a clientʼs who has been coming to yoga

practice for several months, has a nagging shoulder problem that isnʼt going away, it

would be helpful for that student to have a one on one with their teacher at some points.

Chances are, that teacher will be able to help the student with safer modifications for

poses that may be aggravating the shoulder issue – or tell them what poses to avoid.

Perhaps the teacher will suggest trying a different style of class. Unfortunately, this type

of personalized service is something you wont find on a DVD.

During a class, a teacher keeps a constant and watchful eye on their students.

Teachers help with physically aligning their students in an optimal way, so as to avoid

injury or strain. If they think you are working too hard, and need to rest, they will say so.

Conversely, if they think you are strong enough to hold a difficult pose for 3 more

breaths, they will gently encourage you to hang in there. Teachers are trained to temper

the class, in such a way that will help their students in the best way possible.

Our yoga teachers are here to help, if youʼve got a question or concern, feel free to ask

them after your class.