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Blogs - Go to my blog page
for articles about Current News, Testimonials, What is
Classical Yoga?, What is Advanced Yoga?, How to Find a Great Yoga
Teacher?, the Benefits of Yoga and More!
"Everything begins in the mind.
If you want to see clearly, you need clear vision." Swami
Satchidananda
"The Yogi regards the
physical body as an instrument for his journey toward perfection."
Swami Vishnu Devananda
PROGRAMS, CD'S
AND YOGA JOURNAL REVIEW...read below
NEWCOMERS AND YOGA
CONSUMER ALERT!
Are you new to yoga? Why
not try a Free introductory class. See the Classes
page for more information. Basic is for new beginners and is
a very thorough course with people at the same level. All classes at
Plasha Yoga are course classes instead of open classes so you are with
students at your level and are being instructed at an appropriate
level for you which is much safer. Did you know that
13,000 Americans were treated in an emergency room or a doctor's
office for yoga-related injuries in the last three years according to the
Consumer Product Safety Commission(Oct. 2007)! The main reasons
cited are minimally trained teachers who can lead a class after a weekend
course, hands-on adjustments, "hybrid" styles like power yoga and
open classes in a fitness setting. Go to the class page for descriptions
of all my classes. And see what students say about Plasha Yoga on the
Blog page. Click on testimonials. For information
about benefits and contraindications, please go to the resource page. Course classes can be pro-rated.
Private lessons, Yoga parties and single event
private yoga classes can be arranged!
If you are new to yoga, it is
also important to contemplate what your intention is to take yoga. Is it
stress managment, wellness, fitness or spirituality? You want to match
your interests with the most effective yoga schools and approaches to meet
your specific needs. Then find a local teacher who is qualified to
represent a style or styles
that you also connect with on an emotional level. Enjoy the
adventure!
What Does RYT and CYT
Really Mean?
The Yoga Alliance started in
1999 to create a minimum standard of training hours for teachers. RYT 200
is a teacher who completed training from a Yoga Alliance registered school
at the 200 hour level. This level is recommended for teachers to teach
beginner level yoga. RYT 500 from a registered school is recommended
for teaching intermediate and advanced levels and specialty classes with
specific training in them like yoga for heart disease and cancer and yoga
for pregnancy. E-RYT 500 (experienced yoga teacher with at least 500 hours
of training and over 4,000 classes taught) is their highest level and
recommended for all of the above plus being a yoga teacher trainer and
yoga therapist. Not all yoga teachers follow these guidelines thus
creating the climate for injuries. CYT means certified yoga
teacher and there are no established guidelines for this. For example, the
Yoga Fit school offers a Level One certification after only 18 hours of
training and teaching 8 classes! These teachers can go out and teach
intermediate level postures saying they are certified. It is important
that yoga students ask teachers what their "certification" really means.
Some Prenatal Yoga teacher trainings are only for one or two
days. The one I attended in 1998 from Integral Yoga, which is
internationally recognized as one of the best prenatal yoga trainings, was
10 days and 130 hours. Again, be assertive and ask what their
certification involved.
As of Dec. 2007, the Erie Yoga Teachers Network included 27 yoga teachers. Eight are registered with
the Yoga Alliance. Six are RYT 200. One is RYT 500. I am the only one
who is E-RYT 500. Some are teaching Yoga for Pregnancy,
Yoga for Heart Disease and Advanced Yoga without appropriate certification
or specific training. Despite the efforts of the Yoga Alliance, pretty
much anyone can still teach yoga regardless of their qualifications.
However, there are some RYT 200 teachers that are good for beginners.
If you can't come to my classes, I can recommend them to you.
Plasha Yoga Methodology of
Teaching
My main intention is that you develop a
safe physical practice by understanding the alignment of the asanas
(postures) and how to modify them with or without props so that your
prana(vital energy) will flow correctly to enhance the benefit of the
asanas. This is what I call the outer directed approach to practicing. The
outer directed approach is how most hatha yoga teachers teach. The next
level is to move into a place of stillness so that you can listen to the
wisdom of your higher Self. I try to share many ways of quieting the
mind from mantras (a sacred sound vibration that calms the mind), to
pranayama (breathing practices) to awareness practices, so you learn
how to be pranically playful, then your energy changes the form of
the asana to your benefit instead of you trying to forcefully change the
form of the asana to change your energy, which might not be the best way
for your Ayurvedic bio-energy body type. I aspire to empower you
to practice yoga from the inside out instead of being told how to do it
from the outside in. I call this Freedom Yoga, the Yoga of
liberation!
INTEGRAL YOGA
Did you know that Integral
Yoga has been a leader in the field of adapting yoga for the individual
for over 30 years? Their approach to yoga has influenced the work of Dr.
Dean Ornish, Dr. Mehmet Oz(Oprah's favorite holistic doctor) and
Dr. Michael Lerner among others in reversing heart disease and
treating cancer. If you can breathe, you can do yoga! I'll show you how.
Integral Yoga is one of nine internationally recognized styles of
hatha yoga. Others include Iyengar, Ashtanga,
Kripalu, Viniyoga , Kundalini, Bikram, Sivananda
and Jivamukti(the ones in bold I have training in and the rest I have
experienced many times). Always check to see where any yoga
teacher has been trained and certified! Go to my blog on How to Find A
Great Yoga Teacher to learn more. Compare my background with other
teachers and see then feel the difference superior training and
experience makes!
Ayurveda and
Yoga
I am now one of only 24
teachers in the world certified by the American Institute of Vedic Studies
to teach Ayurveda in classes and in private consultations. The
consult can take 60-90 minutes with a thorough intake to determine the
state of your current dosha (stress body type) mix, guna (stress mind
type) and kleshas or causes of spiritual suffering. Yoga can
actually disturb the mind and body and prevent removal of the kleshas if
you are doing the "wrong" yoga for you. After the intake, I will
recommend the appropriate practices for you to do throughout the day.
I charge $50 per hour. Call 864-1114 to arrange an appointment or to
answer any questions. You can take a simple dosha questionnaire at www.ayurvedic-md.com to give
you some insight, however, the intake will be much more detailed. For more
information on Ayurveda go to www.vedanet.com and www.everydayayurveda.org
Mantra Yoga and
Chanting
Mantra Yoga is the oldest type of
yoga(2,000 BC). Mantras are sacred sound vibrations that purify
the mind and return it to its natural state, which is calmness or
stillness. They are like postures for the mind; some are calming
like forward bends and some are energizing like backward bends. In the
classical yoga tradition mantras are always in the Sanskrit language in
which the vibration of the Sanskrit word gives the meaning of the word. A
simple example is Om Shanti which means infinite peace. When pronounced
correctly it sounds peaceful and you feel the peace in a deeper way than
saying peace. Sanskrit is the technical language of Ayurveda and
Yoga. Mantra is the main tool of psychological healing in
Ayurveda. We can go much deeper into our practices when we
integrate mantra into them. We can harmonize mind, prana (vital energy),
body and spirit with mantra. Some Sanskrit words have very
specific meanings and others have several similar meanings like synonyms.
Knowing the sanskrit names of the asanas is a simple way to honor the
classical tradition of yoga but Mantra Yoga is a powerful yoga by itself.
To exclude Sanskrit and Mantra from Hatha Yoga or any Yoga is to
disconnect Yoga from its classical roots and to limit its power to
transform.
The use of sacred sound for healing purposes is known
the world over, from medicine songs to chanted mantra, from
calls-to-prayer to Gregorian chant to Protestant hymn. In many cultures,
sound is recognized as a primary means of access to the divine, with
soothing even salvific properties.
Everyone wants a sound
mind and body. What could create that better than sacred sound
vibrations? Scientifically, sound is vibration at a particular
frequency, and it is able to produce changes in an organism. Some
vibrations can be harmful while others are beneficial. Sound can be
concentrated to such degress of intensity that it is used to break up
kidney stones! Mantras are not only sound alone but the revealed content
of sound. Mantras can be mentally repeated, written, whispered or
chanted.
Chanting is a universal practice common to many religions and
cultures. The yogic form of chanting is very simple to do but is a
very powerful way to calm the mind, open the heart and energize the body
creating a oneness with others. At Plasha Yoga we introduce simple
universal peace and spiritual chants that can support anyone's religion or
spiritual practice. They help to transform the physical practice of
Hatha into a spiritual meditation in motion. To simply put
it, to chant is to be enchanted!
The benefits of
mantra and chanting include: reduces anxiety, fear, depression
and low self-esteem; promotes a positive attitude; clears and balances the
channels of prana or vital energy in the system; stabilizes positive
emotions and releases negative emotions; improves the respiratory system
and strengthens the diaphragm; supports a healthy heart and throat;
prepares the mind for meditation; and helps us to access our inner
wisdom beyond the mind. Mantra can even help us to break up deep
seated mental and emotional patterns and conditioning, as from childhood,
or various traumas we have had in life. A wonderful book about
chanting is Chanting: Discovering Spirit in Sound by Robert Gass.
If you have primarily experienced yoga as
asana like in a fitness setting, you will be amazed at the many benefits
that come from the non-asana practices of classical yoga. So
what can you expect in a typical Beyond Beginners 90 minute class? We
start with a brief meditation, followed by a bit of chanting. Next we
focus on asana integrated with mantra and pranayama for 45-60 minutes
followed by 15 minutes of deep relaxation. We close with 10-15 minutes of
pranayama integrated with mantra, a bit of chanting and a final
meditation. At Plasha Yoga, you get the Full Yogi!
Family
Yoga
For moms and/or dads. Bring your children
ages 5 to 10 for a fun morning of yoga. Check out the Workshops page for more details.
PRE-NATAL
YOGA
Are you pregnant?
A new Yoga for Pregnancy Series is
available. Learn gentle postures, breathing
and relaxation techniques to support having a natural pregnancy, labor and
delivery. I was certified in prenatal,
labor and post-partum yoga from the Integral Yoga Institute in 1998
(130 hours of training) and there are over 300 babies from these
classes! Their program is internationally recognized as one of the
best. For details go to the
workshops
page.
WORKSHOPS
Check out the
workshops page for
NEW Spring and Summer
workshops including Ayurveda and Yoga for Your Body Type, Yoga for
Pregnancy and Meditation. Attendees of the meditation
program will learn several ecumenical techniques and ways to overcome
mental and physical obstacles. Read more…
Thai Yoga Massage Now
Available!
I have completed the first level
of training in Thai Yoga Massage from the Lotus Palm School and I am now
available for appointments. It is influenced by Tui Na Chinese massage,
Ayurvedic Indian massage and Shiatsu Japanese massage and blends these
techniques with yoga assisted postures... Click here to find out
more.
Teacher Training
Eight new yoga teachers
graduated from Plasha's Integral Yoga Teacher Training in 2005 and
became Certified Yoga Teachers...
Read their bios
LIFE
COACHING
Are you feeling stuck in your life? Do you have a job that pays
the bills but is not your passion? Are you not living up to your creative
potential? If so, go to the
Life-Coaching page and find out
about a free sample session with Allison Parr-Plasha, Certified
Professional Life Coach. Also check out Allison's website at
www.allisonparr-plasha.com.
YOGA
AT HOME
Do you need an at home practice audio instruction?
Just click on
Raja Yoga for
Beginners . Yoga Journal said in their review,
“Plasha has mastered his material(Raja and Hatha
Yoga).”
"I can't remember any tapes that
try to do what you're doing, which is why I appreciated your work so much.
We've forgotten that once centuries ago, Hatha Yoga was designed as a
"ladder" for Raja Yoga. Michael Plasha has done a
wonderful thing in his tapes (now CD's)by bringing these two ancient
schools together. Plasha has mastered his material (Hatha
and Raja Yoga)." Richard Rosen, Yoga Journal and
Yoga World reviewer and Deputy Director Yoga Research and Education Center
and author of The Yoga of Breath and Pranayama:Beyond the
Fundamentals.
"The posture becomes perfect, when
the effort of acheiving it vanishes." Yogabhashya
BEST YOGA
STUDIO 2007/2008 – Erie’s Choice Awards
Questions?
E mail me at rhadeya@plashayoga.com or call 864-1114.
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