inspiration
Share the Gift of Yoga Become a Yoga Teacher ...or a Deeper Student
TEACHING YOGA Brings Cornucopia of benefits by Lara Azzarito Ward
Y
oga has rightfully become synonymous with natural health and wellness in the public mind. The benefits of this ancient practice are studied regularly by the National Institutes of Health and in universities across the U.S., where scientists continue to explore the positive affects of yoga on many functions of our body’s systems. Larry Schmitt, a chemical engineer with a curvature of the spine, began attending a lunchtime yoga class at work 10 years ago. “I wanted to loosen my hamstrings,” he explains. “In my fourth class, I had a nirvana-like experience. A few months later, I realized my back no longer hurt.” With a renewed body and great sense of peace, Schmitt set out to understand more about yoga and its deeper aspects. Schmitt’s job working with hazardous powders requires health monitoring, and he reports, “I reviewed my lung function from 10 years ago to today. As I get older, my lungs are getting healthier.” the experience inspired him to become a yoga teacher and conduct weekly classes while he continues to pursue his original career. Joining longstanding findings that yoga’s physical postures, combined with centered breathing and focused awareness, relieve back and neck pain and lower heart rate and blood pressure, new research indicates the whole body practice aids in the treatment of breast cancer, Type 2 diabetes and epilepsy. Other studies are examining yoga’s usefulness in the treatment of mental health issues such as post-trau-
matic stress syndrome, anxiety, eating disorders and depression. Kristi Gunnarshaug overcame an eating disorder through medical care, therapeutic assistance and the selfacceptance of yoga. “Learning to quiet the negative thoughts allowed me to become comfortable in my own body,” she says. Discovering yoga’s multifaceted benefits opened a new course for Gunnarshaug, and she now inspires others seeking to traverse the negative influences of life by leading physically and emotionally empowering yoga classes. With the accumulation of such positive scientific knowledge, this bodymind discipline has become a viable career alternative for those seeking a holistic practice. No longer relegated to a physical education elective at institutions of higher learning, in 2013, three U.S. colleges expanded their curriculum to include bachelor’s and master’s degrees in yoga studies. Yoga, in its most obvious physical form, with attendant health benefits, or the more subtle philosophical and spiritual aspect that lies at its core, offers myriad paths for giving back in service and creating rewarding ways to live for ourselves. Lara Azzarito Ward has been teaching yoga for more than 20 years and is also a licensed massage therapist. She is the founder and director of Lotus Gardens Yoga School, the first Yoga Alliance-approved teacher training program in CT, which has certified more than 300 instructors teaching around the world. See ad on right.
Lara A. Ward, Master Teacher Join Lara to experience an incredible journey of exploration from the ancient origins of yoga to modern day styles. You’ll discover through practice, lectures and discussions on postures, sequences, therapeutics, breathing, meditation, philosophy, business and more. Free Meet & Greets offered this Month.
Register This Month and Save $100 Off Full Tuition with Promo Code NANH
Call Lara at 860-354-6241 A YOGA TEACHER ALREADY? 500 Hour & Advanced Training Programs:
• Teach SUPaddleboard Yoga • Yoga for Seniors & Chair • Anatomy for Yoga Teachers • Acupressure & Yin • Advanced Sequencing & more
Locations throughout CT & NY
LotusGardensYoga.com
natural awakenings
May 2014
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