1. Introduction to Yoga
Christina Adair, RYT200

2. What we will cover today
Yoga is everywhere – how can it help you and your clients
History of Yoga
8 Limbs of Yoga
Science of yoga and the modern lifestyle
What does a modern yoga class look like?
Sample yoga class

3. Yoga is everywhere – how can it help you and your clients
Different brands of yoga - Hot Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Restorative Yoga
Programs and sequences designed and marketed by a yoga teacher
About 100 years ago, yoga came to the US through Hollywood housewives
Postural yoga (Asanas) were taught to religious students (14 year old boys)
Spiritual yoga is a whole lot older than that and involves meditation, enlightenment and can be like Buddhism

4. History of Yoga
Historians are not sure when yoga first became a thing, some historians trace the roots of civilization that lead to historic yoga to a town in India as far back as 6,500 BC. Possibly a 5000 year old spiritual tradition.
Yoga Sutra of Patanjali (196 thought-threads for the study of Raja Yoga – path of concentration and meditation) is the ancient text most agree captures the ideals of yoga from 400 CE (Common Era) (400 AD), compiles ideas from older traditions.
There are three main historical (cultural) types of yoga, Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina, these are largely self-contained cultural developments in the Indian civilization. They have their own sets of scriptures, spiritual lineages, teaching, art and social patterns.

5. Hindu Yoga
Hindu Yoga is usually the spiritual heritage that is mostly associated with yoga. Usually thought to be from about 1000 BC, yoga to control the senses and the mind.
Raja Yoga (from Patanjali – Royal Path of Meditation)
Karma Yoga (Path of Self-Transcending Service)
Bhakti Yoga (Path of Self-Transcending Love)
Kundalini Yoga or Tantra Yoga (Path of Goddess Power)

6. Jaina Yoga
Jainism is a name given to the culture following the Guru Varhamana Mahavira or the Great Hero, who lived about 599 – 527 BC. (He is an older contemporary of Gautama the Buddha)
Son of a local ruler, at age 30 decided to renounce the world, pulled out his hair, walked about naked and gave up all his possessions.
He barely ate or drank, villagers beat him and verbally abused him, for 12 years, 6 months, and 15 days, then he obtained enlightenment
He found a way out of suffering and its cause, spiritual ignorance
Developed a following and began teaching others how to obtain enlightenment

7. Buddhist Yoga Gautama the Buddha, 563 BC – 483 BC
Son of a minor ruler and gave up his princely life for hardship
He only lasted 6 years before enlightenment. He found a “middle way” where he was able to sustain his body and still obtain enlightenment
Four noble truths:
Life is suffering
The cause of suffering is craving
Suffering can be stopped
The noble eightfold path is the way to stop suffering

8. Yoga Spirituality compared to Religion
Yoga is not a religion, but it does have some spiritual aspects that are different than Christianity.
The struggle for liberation is in our own mind, Buddha did not believe in a divine agent whose grace could remove our suffering, he placed the responsibility for our happiness or unhappiness on ourselves.
Karmic conditions for unhappiness, use 8 limbs to fix

9. 8 Limbs of Yoga Interpersonal Ethics - yamas
Personal Purification - niyamas
Physical Posture - asana
Breath Cultivation - pranayama
Sense Withdrawal -
Concentration -
Absorption -
Integration of the mind -

10. Yamas – Interpersonal Ethics
Nonviolence – Ahimsa
Truthfulness – Satya
Non stealing – Asteya
Non excess – Brahmacharya
Non possessiveness – Aparigraha

11. Niyamas – Personal Purification
Purity – Saucha
Contentment – Santosha
Self Discipline – Tapas
Self Study – Svadhyaya
Surrender – Ishvara Pranidhana

12. Science of yoga and the modern lifestyle
Modern Yoga is not a religion but not totally an exercise class either
Nervous system – needs to be in balance
Sympathetic nervous system – Fight of Flight response
Parasympathetic nervous system – Rest and Digest
Modern Lifestyle stresses the sympathetic nervous system
Yoga postures either activate the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous systems
Postures, breathing, grounding, all help balance your system

13. What does a modern yoga class look like?
Yoga teacher will welcome you to class and open the class with breathing and warm up exercises
Sequences depend on the type of class and the individual teacher’s plans
Generally a class will have some stretches, balancing poses, strength poses, floor work and then closing

14. Sample yoga class