Tips For Choosing Yoga Training Courses
Yoga in Western countries may have started life as a something of a hippy niche, but over the last 20 years, it has entered the mainstream at a phenomenal rate. With this popularization of an ancient Indian tradition, there has been a huge growth in organizations offering yoga teacher training. Gone are the days when students had to travel to India to gain qualifications. But the plethora of courses has created its’ own problems – not least in the question of quality and whether a course is recognized by the appropriate local and international associations. The prospective student must also ask themselves a number of important questions, the most fundamental of which is the type of yoga they wish to be trained in. But also, the wider question of what direction they wish to take their training in once completed. This article will address all of these points, and help provide a framework with which students may better choose amongst the many courses offered.
There are more styles of yoga available today than there has possibly been ever. Some represent a continuation of older traditions, that are relatively unchanged. This includes hatha yoga, and styles by Desikachar and Iyengar. Others represent a synthesis of different methods, even whilst being shrouded in mystical origins. For example, some have suggested that Ashtanga yoga is not derived from the yoga Korunta, but from a synthesis of traditions that may have included early acrobatics!
Some styles of yoga are very modern, and evolved more out of an adaptation to the West. Bikram yoga is a good example of this – and perhaps a very extreme one, given that Bikram copyrighted ‘his’ yoga poses and they way they were taught, despite yoga being essentially in the public domain.
Most people who train as teachers in yoga do so in a discipline that they have been practising already. This does make logical sense, as it’s important to be passionate about what you do for a living. There is the additional experience that people will have with a particular style of yoga that no doubt makes it easier than starting from scratch in a different style.
But other issues may come into play when choosing a yoga school. Is the style of yoga you like well supported in your area? Is there sufficient demand for that style? Understanding who these particular styles of yoga appeals to will help later on when you set up your own yoga business, as it will guide your marketing, choice of location, logo, and business identity. It’s worth thinking a little bit about these things before you make a time and financial commitment to getting qualified.
Finding out whether your course is accredited nationally and internationally is an important step. There are various governing associations at different levels around the world. For example, in the UK there is the British Wheel Of Yoga. In Australia, the government keeps a list of accredited training courses through the Australian National Training Authority. For a yoga specific association, try the Yoga Teachers Association of Australia. Globally, there is the International Yoga Teachers Association, which is available in many countries. There is also the American Yoga Association, Yoga Scotland, and the European Union Of Yoga.
Each of these organizations may have different standards by which they measure courses. But they do provide a good guideline for selecting providers with a minimum level of professionalism, integrity, and quality. You could look at contacting teachers who have gone through their training to find out what they thought of the course, and perhaps go to a few of their classes to get a feel for what is being taught.
Before going into any course, it’s a good idea to have some sense of the bigger picture. For example, are you looking at combining yoga with other healing modalities, such as massage, nutrition, meditation, or some combination of all of these. There are some teaching colleges that integrate yoga with other modalities, both locally and abroad in India. For the sake of continuity, and ease of integration, it may be easier to look at this before any study is actually done. It may prove easier to study with an all-in-one provider who will provide a clearer way to integrate these different aspects of health.
In some ways, this broad integration of yoga with health is more closely aligned with the true nature of yoga, according to some teachers such as Desikachar. But Indian style yoga is not the only one that offers this approach, with the Japanese ki, or Ki yoga often integrated with macrobiotics and shiatsu.
If you’re interested in going more deeply into yoga training for your own personal practice, as opposed to a prelude to teaching, studying abroad can be a truly rewarding experience. If you’re looking for teaching qualifications, it may be wiser to choose an institution in your own country, at least initially. Because it should be adapted to Western learning styles, the structured environment it provides will be easier to learn in.
Yoga training can be intensely rewarding, and life changing in many ways. Provided you choose a course that is accredited, in a style of teaching you like, and that has good community support, it could be the start of a great new career.
Choosing What Time of Day to Do Yoga
Whether you are just starting yoga or you have been doing it for a while, you may need to decide when during the day to do your yoga routine. Most people who have practiced yoga for a long time have probably changed the time they do yoga each day. We all adjust our daily schedules now and then. Let’s explore some of the different times of day you can do yoga.
Morning – You can do yoga in the morning if you want. Doing yoga in the morning will help wake you up fully and prepare you for the day. Also, assuming you usually shower in the mornings, you can use your morning shower to wash off after yoga practice. Unfortunately, if you have to go to work early in the mornings, you will probably need to get up earlier. Also, you may have trouble squeezing in breakfast with your yoga practice. You want to eat when you wake up before doing yoga, but you also probably do not want to do yoga immediately after eating.
Afternoon – Trying to do yoga in the afternoon may not work if you have a busy schedule. You may not find time for it. Even if you do find time, you may find yourself feeling rushed and stressed during your yoga practice, which may ruin it for you. On the plus side, doing yoga in the afternoon may help you avoid doing yoga when you are tired in the morning or at night. Many people find that they are at their physical and mental peak during the afternoon. Also, afternoon yoga may act as a stress-relieving break from your daily activities.
Evening and Night – You can do yoga during the evening or at night. This would probably include any time from when you get home from work until you go to bed. By waiting until nighttime, you can do your yoga without having to worry about your daily chores and getting to work on time. On the downside, you may feel tired at night, which can negatively impact your yoga routine. Also, if you are worn out from the day, that may cause you to skip your yoga practice. Some people may also find that doing yoga at night hinders their ability to fall asleep.
Obviously, the best time for you to do yoga depends on your personal schedule and preferences.
People who take yoga classes at a studio or gym may be have less options because they have to go at the set time of the class. Although, many studios and gyms offer at least some selection between different classes during the day. People who do yoga on their own at home will have more leeway in choosing the time.
With the options you do find for yourself, try to choose the time that will help you get the most out of your yoga practice. You want to be at peak condition to perform yoga, but you also do not want the practice to disrupt the rest of your day.
Whatever you do, good luck and have fun!
Choosing a Fitness Trainer
One of the biggest obstacles to staying on track for fitness is losing motivation. People are just starting an exercise program can find themselves quickly tired of the same routine. Keeping exercise appealing and maintaining a good fitness perspective is key to long-term success.
If you have to watch the exact same episode of your favorite television show every day for the rest of your life, you would probably be banging your head against the wall by the end of the week. You would change the channel, pick up a book, or do anything you could to avoid something you once enjoyed.
Yet, many people starting on a fitness program feel compelled to follow the same routine, day after day after day, and consequently fall off the exercise wagon due to sheer boredom.
That is why, most people would want the services of a fitness trainer in order to provide them the different portions of the fitness program in a more livelier style.
Fitness trainers are actually those who are expert in analyzing and creating a fitness program that is right for you. They are the ones who will calculate your appropriateness to a certain program with regards to your “fitness level,” create the program according to your specific needs, and keep you stimulated and inspired by giving you activities that will not bore you.
But then again, as with other entities included in the fitness world, not all fitness trainers are created equal. They may vary from the different trainings that they have, the health education they have acquired, and the skills that they have learned.
Hence, it is important to consider some factors that will determine if a certain fitness trainer is right for you. Here is how:
1. Certification
Like any item or product, the quality is sometimes measured and determined through the certification that goes with it. Hence, before you choose your fitness trainer, it is important to verify if the trainer is duly certified by a highly regarded fitness association.
It is also best to choose a trainer that has a CPR certification or first aid qualifications.
2. Education/Trainings
Be sure to choose a fitness trainer who had acquired an adequate training and education as far as health and physical fitness is concerned.
Even though it is not necessary, trainers who have acquired education connected with health or any other related field will definitely have an edge over the others.
3. Knows how to give the right attention
A good fitness trainer should know how to provide his or her client an undivided attention whenever their session is going on. In this way, the trainer will be able to focus more on the details that needs attention and immediate considerations.
4. Knows how to track development
It is best to choose a fitness trainer that knows how to track his or her client’s progress as far as fitness is concerned.
In this way, the trainer will be able to generate new activities and trainings designated for a particular result of the client.
5. Good Personality
Since you will be dealing most with your fitness trainer, it is best if you will look for somebody with a pleasing personality, somebody whom you can be comfortable. It is best to hire the services of somebody whom you can easily get along with.
Boiled down, the services of a fitness center and the contributions it can give you while working out on those belly fats, are, indeed, one of the best help that you can get from a professional person who knows what he is doing.
Hence, it is best to choose the best person who can give you the best services that you need so that you will never get bored again.
Choosing a Ferret Diet: is a Natural Diet Right for Your Ferret?
Until the last 40 years, ferrets were fed what we refer to as a “natural diet,” which was similar to the diet of the domestic ferret’s wild ancestors. In recent years as ferrets have become more popular, they have been fed commercially prepared ferret, cat, and kitten diets. While this is convenient for us as owners, is it what our ferrets were meant to eat? What exactly is a natural diet, and what are the benefits and concerns associated with it?
FERRETS ARE CARNIVORES
Ferrets are obligate carnivores, which means that they get their nutrients from a diet high in animal protein and fat. Their diet must be a meat diet, because they are unable to digest vegetable protein. They need food that is very low in carbohydrates, and they get their energy from animal fat. This is why proponents of a natural diet argue that ferrets’ bodies are actually designed for a whole prey or raw meat diet.
Ferrets have a short GI tract populated with simple organisms, and they don’t absorb nutrients as well as other animals can. They are intended to eat food that provides them with a highly concentrated fat content (calories for energy) and highly digestible meat proteins for maximum nutrition.
While there are a number of high quality ferret kibbles available today, many of them contain a high number of grains, corn, and other sources of filler material in addition to vegetable protein. Ferrets who eat diets with excessive vegetable protein can suffer from poor skin and coat quality, decreased growth rates, bladder stones and other conditions.
Insulinoma is also a concern, as a high level of carbohydrates in a ferret’s diet puts too much stress on the pancreas. While there is no definitive proof that a diet high in carbohydrates causes insulinoma, it just is not healthy for the beta cells in the pancreas to be overworked. When beta cells work too hard, they become overactive (hypertrophied) and either burn out (stop working altogether) or go to neoplasia (cancer).
MYTHS ASSOCIATED WITH A NATURAL DIET
Before I explore what feeding a natural diet entails, there are a few widespread misconceptions associated with feeding whole prey or raw meat that need to be addressed.
First and most importantly, your ferret will not turn into an aggressive wild animal if you feed a raw diet! Kim Schilling, author of Ferrets for Dummies, draws a great parallel. She points out that cats are great hunters and, at times, vicious hunters, playing with their prey before killing it. They kill countless mice, birds, rabbits, and other wildlife throughout their lives, yet they still remain sweet and cuddly companion animals that are perfectly happy to sit in your lap, purring and allowing themselves to be petted. It is not going to be any different with ferrets. Eating raw meat isn’t going to transform your sweet little girl into a vicious killer.
Many ferret owners point out that diseases could be passed from the prey animal to the ferret. If you are feeding your ferret the dead mouse from your mousetrap, the spread of disease is very likely. However, there are a number of reputable sources for humanely killed, frozen prey animals, and as long as you stick to getting prey from those sources, your ferret should be fine.
Another misconception is that to feed a natural diet, you must feed live prey. This is not true, nor is it even recommended. While some ferrets may be able to catch and kill their prey, the majority are going to take time to adjust to a natural diet, let alone be able to hunt for their own food. Ferrets are fully domesticated after all! Also, if you were to feed live animals, you also risk your ferret being bitten by the prey animal. The point of feeding whole prey is not to allow your ferret to hunt live animals, it is to provide a nutritious diet.
TYPES OF NATURAL DIETS
I will discuss two types of natural diets in this article – a whole prey diet and a raw carnivore diet. Bones and meat are the staples of a natural diet, regardless of which type you choose to feed.
Whole Prey Diet
A whole prey diet is the most balanced natural diet, and it refers to feeding ferrets pre-killed, frozen prey such as mice, rats and chicks. Ferrets have teeth that are designed for cutting meat and bone, so whole prey provides them with the necessary exercise for teeth and jaws and cleans their teeth and gums. Whole prey also gives your ferret the chance to experience a variety of tastes and textures, so it’s enriching as well.
Raw Carnivore Diet
Another natural diet option is a raw carnivore diet, which is a good alternative for ferret owners who are hesitant to feed prey animals to their ferrets. Raw carnivore diets can include commercially prepared diets that contain meat, organs, and bones. They can also include raw or cooked meat like chicken wings, raw liver or hearts, and other similar foods. If you are trying to find a raw carnivore diet, look for one that contains all parts of the animal (meat, bone, cartilage, organs) and meat suitable for human consumption. It must be high in fat and protein.
One thing a natural diet is not is just raw or cooked meat. If you feed your ferret only chicken, she will not get the nutrients that she needs. Bones, organs and other parts contain amino acids, calcium, fatty acids, iron and other essential vitamins and minerals that your ferret needs for a balanced, nutritious diet.
PROS & CONS OF NATURAL DIETS
As with any practice, there are both pros and cons associated with feeding ferrets a natural diet. If you are contemplating a natural diet, you should consider this list closely, and speak with your veterinarian about any concerns you may have.
Benefits of a natural diet include:
Automatically well balanced diet.
Closest diet possible to what your ferret would eat in the wild.
High in moisture (unlike kibble).
Fewer incidents of hairballs and obstructions because of the variation in food consistencies.
Protein and fat sources are high quality.
Because you design your ferret’s diet, you have more control over what your ferret eats.
Owners who feed a natural diet report that their ferrets have more energy, plusher coats, better overall dental health, and smaller stools with less of an odor.
Ferrets in countries that feed a natural diet have significantly lower incidences of insulinomas.
Concerns associated with a natural diet include:
Must be done correctly or the ferret will become malnourished.
Can be difficult to switch your ferret over to a natural diet.
Slight possibility of choking on bones or internal injury from bones.
Bacteria or parasites could be present if the whole prey isn’t from a reputable source.
Food must be handled carefully or you risk salmonella or e. coli contamination.
Can be expensive and inconvenient.
FEEDING A NATURAL DIET
Before you do anything, it is very important to speak with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will determine what your ferret’s nutritional needs are and how healthy your ferret is. Switching foods, especially from a commercial dry kibble diet to a natural diet, can be stressful on a ferret, and you need to make sure your ferret is up to the change. You may need to limit his access to kibble for short periods of time to get him to try the prey or meat, so you will need to make sure that your ferret is not insulinomic and his blood glucose levels are stable. Finally, it’s important to keep your veterinarian abreast of any changes in your ferret’s care, as it can affect how he or she will treat your ferret.
As with any diet change, switching to a natural diet should be done gradually. There may be a point where you have to completely remove your ferret’s kibble, effectively forcing him to try the new food, but this should not be done right away. Start out by giving your ferret meat and meat gravy or broth baby food, if you aren’t already, to get him used to eating meat. Once your ferret will eat baby food, you can try giving him some chicken. Move from that to chicken wings, either cooked or raw. Remember, any meat you give your ferret must be free of spices and sauces. Your ferret needs nutrients, not zesty barbecue flavor! Whether or not you feed the meat raw depends on your comfort levels. Once your ferret is comfortable with meat, you can continue to give that to him or you can try whole prey. (If you decide to feed your ferret whole prey, make sure it is fully defrosted.)
If your ferret is refusing to try the meat, here are a few things you can try:
Drizzle FerreTone on the meat, chicken wing, whole prey, or whatever else you’re trying to feed him.
Be creative with the meat you give him – if he won’t eat straight meat, try mixing cut up pieces of it with kibble.
Use the juices that come from the meat and pour it over their kibble to get them used to the new taste.
You will find that some ferrets are much more easily converted to a natural diet than others. Younger ferrets generally have a quicker transition because they aren’t quite as imprinted on their food as older ferrets are. However, whether you’re trying to switch over your six month old ferret or your six year old ferret, be patient and remember that different ferrets will like different things.
There is a difference of opinion as to whether all ferrets can be switched to a natural diet. There are some owners who advise removing all kibbles, forcing the ferret to eat the meat, because they believe that all ferrets can be switched over. There are others who will only try until it’s obvious that the ferret would rather starve than eat the meat. How you go about switching your ferret and how hard you are willing to push is something that you will need to decide for yourself after discussing it thoroughly with your veterinarian.
If you are able to successfully switch your ferret over, be sure to give him a variety of different animals, meats, or other dietary components. The key to doing a natural diet properly is feeding a combination of different foods. Ferrets wouldn’t eat only mice in the wild – they would eat anything they could catch – so they shouldn’t just eat mice at your house either. You may also want to continue feeding kibble if you are feeding a raw carnivore diet.
A NOTE ABOUT NATURAL VS. COMMERCIAL DIETS
The point of this article is not to prove that the ferret food industry is evil. While there are ferret diets out there that are not as good as they could be, there are also manufacturers who strive to provide healthy, nutritious diets for our ferrets and work on developing great new foods. Likewise, if you choose to feed a kibble diet, you are not a bad ferret parent. You just need to be aware of the ingredients in the food and what the protein and fat sources are.
It is important you understand that there is no hard evidence a natural diet is better than a kibble diet or vice versa. Much of the information available as to how either diet affects our ferrets is anecdotal, based entirely on ferret owners’ personal experiences. Every ferret owner needs to decide what diet will be best for his or her ferret after doing research and discussing the options with an experienced ferret veterinarian.
