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Irish Health Culture Association |
The word yoga means to yoke or to join, the joining involved being with life — the intelligent life energy that is both within us and underlies all things.To the extent of his or her joining with life, the yogi benefits from a clear flow of that life energy through the body and the mind and into outer circumstances.By allowing freer expression to his or her life, the yogi contributes to the total of life available to the world at large, becoming an agent of transformation and positive change.This Course provides the necessary training to become a yoga teacher. It is suitable for those who have an interest in yoga, who are in good health and physically fit.The course includes: Philosophy and Meditation; Practical Breathing and Postures; Theory and Benefits of Breathing and Postures; Nutrition; Teaching methodology; Anatomy and Physiology.PERFORMANCE OF YOGA POSTURESAside from their obvious benefits for flexibility, body toning, increasing strength, fitness and aerobic capacity (increasing circulation and cardiovascular performance) there are three main purposes of yoga exercises: to serve as a vehicle for learning to focus the mind (increasing mindfulness) and so bringing a person into the flow of life to cause the life force, referred to in yoga as the kundalini to flow upwards from the base chakras or centres to the higher centres of awareness. Yoga postures are meant to be performed in a specialised sequence that drives the life energy through the chakras in a balanced way. As these chakras have been found to be related to our endocrine gland system, the correct performance of yoga exercises brings about a balanced development of the glandular system. To give one example of this unique capacity of yoga postures to affect our glandular system, postures that focus on our adrenal glands over a period of time lead to increased capacity to handle stress.
The course instructs all candidates in four specialised sequences of yoga postures that have this balancing effect on the body. Please note that experiencing the flow of life force through the body is not an abstract theoretical concept but something we expect all proactive yogis to achieve.
In addition to the regular monitoring and feedback given in class, special "master classes" help to "fine tune" the performance of the postures. Performance of Yoga postures is formally assessed after the first module and at the end of the course. Competence in the performance of yoga postures is assessed to:
Level 1: basic competence to a grade average of C (end module 1) Level 2: advanced competence to a grade average of B (final assessment) TEACHING YOGA POSTURESIt is one thing to perform yoga postures competently oneself, but quite another to impart that skill safely to a mixed group of people varying in age, all at different levels of fitness and flexibility. This section of the course deals with initial screening of class members; performing a clear demonstration of each posture; giving clear instructions on the performance and benefits of each posture; giving a brief outline of any contra indication to the posture; adapting the posture to class members who are less fit or providing an alternative for a class member for whom the posture may be contra indicated; providing a more advanced version of the posture for class members who are more fit; interacting with class members so as to guide and offer feedback in a friendly and helpful way.
Yoga postures are among the safest of exercises and often recommended where other forms of exercise may not be (e.g. pregnancy; people with high stress levels accompanied by high blood pressure; people who take little or no physical exercise of any type). It is the responsibility of the yoga teacher to ensure that safety guidelines are adhered to in all their classes. YOGA NUTRITIONAL PROGRAMMEThe yoga nutritional programme puts great emphasis on fresh live foods and can be adapted to vegetarian and non vegetarian alike.
This section of the course covers: basic composition of foods: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals increasing metabolism through nutrition nutrition for weight loss, body toning nutrition for energy and stamina nutrition for relaxation and stress control correct principles of food combining acid and alkaline foods traditional yoga practices such as fruit diets and fasting vitamin, mineral and anti-oxidant supplementation
The yoga nutritional program is a general health promotion program and is not intended as a training in specific advice for various conditions.
Candidates are expected to have a thorough knowledge of the above principles, the capacity to present them clearly to others, to have tested the program on themselves, and to be able to motivate people to a healthier lifestyle. YOGA BREATHINGBreath is central to life itself and has a central role in yoga postures. It serves to increase the pressure in yoga postures and helps focus the life energy to the various chakras. Yoga breathing leads to increased aerobic capacity and slows down the rate of breathing. The purpose of yoga breathing is to store prana or life energy in the body. Students will be required to: Explain the process of breathing Outline the benefits of yoga breathing Clearly demonstrate the different forms of yoga breathing techniques taught on course Provide helpful feedback to enable class members to master breathing. RELAXATIONAll aspects of yoga contribute to relaxation and in addition yoga has specific mind-training exercises that help to develop our capacity to relax.
This section of the course covers: What is relaxation; physical and mental relaxation; contemporary research on relaxation and states of mind, mindfulness, flow etc. Stress; understanding the stress reaction and the part played by the endocrine system; recognising stress in the body and in behaviour. Understanding how all the elements of the yoga program (breathing, posture, nutrition) all combine to reduce stress. Students will be required to: Clearly demonstrate the basic yoga relaxation position. Show competence in guiding a class into relaxation using progressive relaxation or guided imagery Explain clearly the different ways in which yoga helps to reduce stress Explain yoga mind training exercises and suggest practices that can be incorporated into daily living. YOGA PHILOSOPHY - BECOMING A YOGI ONESELFTo be a yogi means to join with life. In traditional yoga philosophy the first step along the path of yoga is to learn to control the mind. Breathing and exercises (Hatha yoga) were taught as an aid to help the yoga student or chela to learn to focus the mind. Unfortunately, in the process of bringing yoga into the modern world, the whole purpose of yoga is often obscured and it is simply seen as breathing and exercises. The philosophy and meditation section of the course is based on the Educo philosophy of Dr. Tony Quinn. This in turn is based on traditional raja yoga philosophy and meditation practice, but with the addition of all the latest psychological research into mind technology and mindfulness. This section of the course covers: Learning to experience the flow of energy Learning to flow the energy through the hands and when performing postures The difference between the programmed self (referred to in yoga as the lower self) and the true self (referred to in yoga as the higher self) Understanding how the programmed self is formed and how the programme's can be changed. Learning to access the unconscious mind through relaxation and mind training exercises How to influence your own unconscious mind through visualisation/installing alternative and more helpful programme's. How to influence your own unconscious mind through mantra. How to develop "one-pointed ness”, totally focus the mind Being in the now, entering the flow of life. Meditation, increased awareness The philosophy of right action (dharma yoga) The Yoga Diploma Course is presented in a combined weekend and concentrated study format. Commencing October 2008October 18/19; November 8/9: December 6/7 ;January 10/11; February 7/8/; March 6-11 (6 consecutive days);April 4/5; May 9/10; June 27/28 ; A further 3 weekends to be confirmed
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Diploma in Yoga |
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Next Diploma Course RYS 200 Fee €3650 |
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The Irish |
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66 Eccles St Dublin 7 Ireland |
