PYTT Alumni Spotlight: Aerial Cetnar and Nadine Ziemert

Learning to teach Yoga to Help Others

Aerial Cetnar, Clinical Psychology Graduate Student, Los Angeles

 “As an undergraduate student at San Diego State University, I  attended yoga classes, especially during stressful times.    I started working as a Behavioral Health Assistant in the Psychiatric Unit at Rady Children’s Hospital. Many of the patients suffered through various mental illnesses.    One day, one of the patients was having a rough day and I decided to use my knowledge of yoga and meditation to help the patient relax and decrease anxiety.    This patient immediately noticed a huge difference and continued to use the skills I showed her.  Noticing this, I then decided to pursue my yoga teacher training certification so that I could learn more about yoga.  I also thought of doing research in my graduate program to discover the effects of yoga on mental illness.“

Aerial attended Prana’s 200hr Yoga Teacher Training Summer Intensive in June 2014.   She now lives in Pasadena and is in her first year of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at California School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles.

She teaches Vinyasa Flow classes at various LA Fitness locations in Los Angeles.

“It has truly been a rewarding experience, especially living in such a diverse community. It’s been so positively impactful, providing myself the opportunity to not only improve the lives of others, but learning and growing during the process. “

Deepening  My Own Practice Through Yoga Teacher Training – and what happened then

Nadine Ziemert, Scientist - Tuebingen, Germany 

 Nadine is an associate professor in the Microbiology Department at the University of Tübingen, Germany. She took her 200hr RYT certification at Prana during the spring of 2014.  She divides her time between Germany and La Jolla, where she used to live full time with her husband and dog Nala, before accepting a position abroad.

“When I signed up for the Teacher Training with Gerhard, I didn´t want to become a yoga teacher.   I just wanted to learn more about yoga and deepen my own practice. During the training I noticed that I had fun teaching and people liked my approach to it.   Soon after graduating I started to teach colleagues and friends at Scripps -  a lot of them had no idea about yoga and were surprised how good it felt!

Spending a lot of time in the lab, I started teaching yoga mostly to scientists who sit at their computers or stand in the lab pipetting all day.   A lot of them have lower back issues and shoulder and neck tensions, where yoga can help a lot to release pain and prevent these problems.    But I found that most important are the mental benefits.  I think that especially a yoga flow style, such as Vinyasa Flow,  is perfect for scientists.   For scientists – probably like many other professions –  it’s hard to stop the constant flow of thoughts and relax.  In a flowing vinyasa practice, students can concentrate on the slow movements and transitions that calm the mind and helps to reconnect body and mind.  Many of my  students mentioned that there is no other exercise after which they feel so calm, relaxed, and energized at the same time.    I am happy to help people to get to know all the benefits of yoga for themselves and guide them to discover that yoga is much more than glorified stretching exercises. Personally, I think that yoga keeps me sane, improves my stress coping skills enormously and helps to find my inner balance. 

Now back in Germany, I teach a weekly class at a Vinyasa studio in Tuebingen.   Teachers have very different backgrounds here and it is interesting to learn how they got into Yoga.    I also teach a more diverse group of people now with varying backgrounds and age groups, so I learn a lot  too.   The teaching forces me to keep my own practice up, which is sometimes not easy between the job, travelling and adapting to a new city.   But it´s definitely worth it, it makes me happier and more balanced. “

YWTT Alumni Spotlight: Shawnee Thornton Hardy

“Finding Your Dharma ~ Yoga for Children with Special Needs”

Shawnee Thornton Hardy is a special education teacher, author and graduate of our 300hr Professional Yogaworks Program. Her book Asanas for Autism and Special Needs has just been released and she will be teaching a workshop on this topic at Prana on May 30.

 “When I began my 300-hour YogaWorks teacher training at Prana Yoga Center,I had no idea that it would be the start of something incredibly big in my life. When I made the decision to further pursue my studies in yoga, I did a tremendous amount of research as to which teacher training would suit me best. I came across the 300-Hour Professional YogaWorks TeacherTraining and immediately connected to their philosophy, focus on alignment and diversity of workshops.

At the time I was very passionate about therapeutic yoga and learning how to work with clients on a therapeutic level. I have worked with children with autism and special needs for 16 years, specializing in working with children who have significant cognitive and language delays, sensory processing deficits, as well as severe behavior problems. I’ve experienced first-hand the benefits yoga can provide to health and overall well-being.

What I found to be of most value in the 300-hour Advanced Teacher Training was the mentorship program.  I was fortunate to have Rachel Krentzman, owner of Embody Physical Therapy​ & Yoga, as my mento​r. Rachel’s knowledge and application of yoga therapeutics surpassed my expectations. I wanted to absorb every bit of information I could learn from her and the other teachers. Gerhard, the lead teacher and owner of Prana Yoga was supportive, incredibly knowledgeable and created a safe and comfortable space for us to learn.

Through this experience, I was able to manifest my greatest desires in life:  To write a book, to teach and bring yoga to children with special needs, to build a private therapeutic yoga business and to share my passion with others by leading my own workshops and trainings.  When I presented my final thesis project in the training, I knew that I had found my dharma, my life calling, and it truly was from that moment on that my dreams began to unfold.

I don’t believe in magic or events happening simply because we wish them to, but I do believe in the power of thought, putting our desires out there, telling the world our passions, goals and dreams. When we decide what we want, say what we want and work hard for what we want, the universe opens up and the opportunities are more visible.

The knowledge and experience I acquired through the YogaWorks Teacher Training gave me the vision to see the opportunities available to me and the confidence to pursue my dreams. Not only did the training help propel me forward towards my goals but it also brought beautiful people into my life with whom I will have ever lasting connections and friendships.  I’m a strong believer that everything we do, every person we meet, every decision we make leads us to greater meaning, joy and purpose in life. Every day I feel grateful for listening to my heart and allowing it to lead me to Prana, to the training, to the teachers, to the people, to the experience and to my dharma.”

About Shawnee

Shawnee Thornton Hardy is a 500 RYT, E-RYT, RCYT (Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher), Yoga Therapist and M.Ed. Her goal is to bring the experience of yoga to all individuals no matter their differences or challenges. Shawnee has presented workshops on Yoga to Reduce Stress and Increase Relaxation for teachers and other professionals who work in education and youth programs, Yoga for Children with Autism and Special Needs and Yoga for Teens facing the challenges of mental illness. She published a book, Asanas for Autism and Special Needs – Yoga to Help Children with Their Emotions, Self-Regulation and Body Awareness.  Shawnee started a Yoga School through Yoga Alliance in order to train others in yoga approaches to support children with autism and special needs. Shawnee is dedicated to helping support youth in developing strategies to cope with stress in order to live happier, healthier more peaceful lives.   

Happy Back Yoga Teacher Training with Rachel Krentzman

Sign up by July 1st to save $150

Happy Back Yoga Certification with Rachel Krentzman, PT, E-RYT:

This is a 100 hour special certification program designed for Yoga teachers who wish to continue their education in anatomy, therapeutics and Yoga for spinal health. The training includes therapeutic use of the Great Yoga Wall TM system.

NEXT TRAINING DATES:  August 13-22, 2015   10 Day Immersion Program 10-5 daily.  To register contact: www.prana-yoga.com or email rachel@embodyphysicaltherapy.com for inquiries.

Description: Yoga for a Happy Back Certification Program:

With Rachel Krentzman PT, E-RYT

This unique program, Yoga for Safe Spinal Health, is designed for Yoga instructors and includes:

• Lower Back, Pelvis and Hips
• Upper Back, Neck and Shoulders

The full “Yoga for a Happy Back” Certification will be awarded when students complete both sections and a case study project, a total of 100 hours of training for 70 contact hours of credit.

Prerequisite: 200-hour Yoga teacher training

About Rachel Krentzman, PT, E-RYT

Rachel is a skilled physical therapist who combines 16 years of PT experience with more than 10 years of Yoga studies. Her treatment methods involve a unique and highly effective approach to healing the whole person. She uses Yoga postures and sequences, breath, and meditation to cultivate awareness and promote healing. Rachel trained with Master teacher Aadil Palkivala, and received his 2000-hour certification as a Purna Yoga instructor as well as continuing education credits in Yoga therapeutics.

During her ten years as a Yoga instructor, Rachel has also assisted Aadil at Yoga Journal conferences and at workshops in the U.S. and abroad. She continues her training with him in Yoga therapeutics and with master teacher Judith Hansen Lasater.

Rachel is the founder and director of Embody Physical Therapy and Yoga. You can learn more about her and her work at www.embodyphysicaltherapy.com

Location: Prana Yoga Center

1041 Silverado St.  La Jolla, CA  92037

When:

August 13-22, 2015  - 10 am-5 pm daily

What it’s all about:

This is a special certification program designed for Yoga teachers who wish to continue their education in anatomy, therapeutics and Yoga for spinal health.  The training includes therapeutic use of the Great Yoga Wall TM system.

The Upper Back Workshop covers functional anatomy and biomechanics of the thoracic and cervical spine and shoulders and how it relates to posture and movement.  Through Yoga practice and hands-on lab time, participants will develop a deeper understanding of the biomechanics associated with Yoga postures and how injuries can develop as a result of incorrect alignment. Experientials will also cover therapeutic sequences for upper back, neck and shoulder pain including degenerative disc disease, nerve root impingement, reversed cervical curve, rotator cuff tear/tendonitis, bursitis, thoracic outlet syndrome, tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Lower Back, Pelvis and Hips Section will cover the functional anatomy and biomechanics of the lumbar spine, sacrum, pelvis and hips and how it relates to posture and movement. Participants will learn specific therapeutic sequences for conditions including sciatica, disc herniations, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc disease and sacroiliac joint dysfunction as well as be able to identify improper movement and alignment and how those relate to pain and injury.

Both trainings will offer experience building Yoga programs tailored to the needs of individuals with specific conditions. Participants will emerge with skills to prevent and heal injuries by creating safe Yoga programs that include modifications, adjustments, use of props and the Yoga Wall.

Why a “Happy Back” Certification?

Work confidently with students who have special needs

Today, more people seek Yoga as a way to rid the body of pain and injury.  The “Yoga for a Happy Back” Certification Program is designed to help Yoga teachers have a clear understanding of the functional anatomy and biomechanics of the spine and surrounding areas and how those relate to both posture and movement.  By including varied learning modalities—such as Yoga practice, lecture, hands-on lab, practice teaching and adjustments—this certification gives Yoga teachers what they need to work comfortably and correctly with people experiencing specific conditions, injury or pain.

Attract a larger student base to your classes

This knowledge will help attract more students to group classes and private sessions. Yoga teachers with a broad understanding of anatomy, injury assessment and management skills are an asset to any Yoga studio or sports facility and are sought after by students seeking private Yoga classes for healing.  The “Yoga for Happy Back” Certification offers instructors advanced knowledge and specialized skills equipping them to teach a wider range of students.

Prevent and heal injuries

Often Yoga instructors feel unprepared to properly address student injury and pain in group classes or private lessons. Many begin teaching soon after completing a 200-hour yoga teacher certification, which often lacks the anatomy training needed to prevent and heal injury.  The “Yoga for a Happy Back” Certification Program is a perfect addition to basic or advanced yoga teacher training and provides the tools to work with individuals with injuries and limitations.

Keep yourself and others safe while enjoying Yoga practice!

Yoga is meant to be a sustainable, life-long and enjoyable practice that ultimately unites the mind, body and soul and allows people to connect more deeply with others.  In that process, a Yoga practice can help us stretch what is tight, strengthen what is weak, and allow our bodies to perform everyday activities with more ease and joy.  In order to make a yoga posture practice sustainable, we must learn how to create safe practices built on a solid understanding of anatomy and biomechanics and how they relate to movement and posture.  The Yoga for a Happy Back Certification Program provides the skills necessary to adapt any practice to enhance life and avoid injury.

Gain continuing education credit through the Yoga Alliance.

All hours count toward Yoga Alliance continuing education for Yoga teachers ( 100 hours for the full course).

Cost: Earlybird By June 1 $1,525 ~ Full Tuition $1,675

• $100 non-refundable deposit required to reserve a space
• Space is limited

Cancellations/Refund Policy:

Refunds available less $100 non-refundable deposit 2 weeks before the course. After that, credit can be applied towards any future course.

To Register or for more information:

Register online at www.prana-yoga.com

Prana Yoga Teacher Training Alumni Spotight

Greg A is a graduate from Prana's Summer Intensive Teacher Training in 2014. 

Our next 200hr Summer Intensive will be from June 12-28, 2015! That is only 2 months away!! If you are interested in learning more or signing up check out our website!

Greg currently lives in Newport, RI and his current position is as the Company Sergeant Major for A Co. 2nd Battalion 19th Special Forces Group.

We asked Greg some questions to find out more about his journey into Yoga and where it has taken him since he began!

What brought you to Yoga and deciding to take a Teacher Training?

Although I have been practicing yoga for 15 years the first 8 or 9 were all about the asana practice. It wasn't until the last 5 or 6 years that I began to go deeper into my practice. This is one thing I truly love about yoga, like the saying goes: "When the student is ready the teacher will appear" when I was at a point in my life when I needed more from my practice it was there waiting patiently for me.  I decided to take Prana's teacher training in order to increase my own personal knowledge of yoga and also to immerse myself in a community of fellow yogis as I have discovered that spending time with likeminded, caring, non-judgmental people provides me with a great deal of happiness.

Do you teach Yoga now?

I currently teach at Thames Street Yoga here in Newport, RI. Additionally, I started a non-profit "Newport Yogis" who's mission is to bring the yoga community together in support of the local community. We host events taught in a round robin fashion by local yoga teachers from various studios. These are all donation based classes, proceeds go to whatever local charity the board chooses. 
Finding a balance between my military career and yoga remains a challenge for me but I know that yoga has helped deal with a lot of emotional trauma, in fact it has saved me from a very dark path. My ultimate goal is to continue my practice and continue to heal before eventually sharing what I have learned with other veterans.


Our next info sessions are on Sunday May 17th and June 2nd from 12pm-1pm. If you are interested in attending please email alex@prana-yoga.com. 

Core Strength for a Healthy Lower Back

By: Ann West

Core Strength Workshops
On April 25th I’ll be teaching Core Strength for a Healthy Back workshop at Prana Yoga in La Jolla. Follow this link to reserve your space. The post below explains why core strength is important for a healthy back and how yoga is especially well suited to help.

Core Facts & Functions
Our physical core is the collection of muscles, bones, fascia and organs located between the pelvic floor at the base of the trunk, and the diaphragm at the base of the ribcage. The term “core” usually refers to our core muscles, which wrap around the middle of our trunk like a corset, supporting our back and internal organs.

The core muscles have far a reaching influence in the body. They generate the strength, stability, and mobility we need to perform all of our everyday activities, including walking, running, carrying, climbing, and any kind of sport. They support the weight of the entire body, initiate all of our major movements, keep us balanced, and protect our internal organs. In short, they play a crucial role in our body’s bio-mechanics, and we wouldn’t get far without them.

Core Strength for a Healthy Back
Most people suffering from chronic back pain would benefit from building a stronger core. The spine is the central structural column of the body. It assists in nearly all of our movements, and supports and protects the spinal cord. It should be strong enough to carry our body weight, yet flexible enough to allow our limbs to move freely.

Strong core muscles aid back health by improving our posture to support healthy spinal curves. A strong core is especially helpful when it comes to protecting the lower back as it guards the lumbar spine against bending or rotating too much in any one direction, and also shields the sacroiliac joints from overuse and strain. A strong core can also make the spine taller, which helps lift pressure off of the spinal discs and supports the back as it heals from pain.

Key Core Muscles
Anatomists differ as to which muscles make up the core, but below is a list of some of the major muscles usually included:

• Abdominals
• Iliopsoas
• Erector spinae
• Quadratus lumborum
• Pelvic floor
• Gluteus muscles
• Adductors

When practicing yoga, we don’t usually isolate or work the core muscles individually. It’s more effective to simultaneously engage the whole body so it works in unison, from the legs and lower core on up. However, it can be helpful to focus on working a particular group of core muscles. To read more about the major core muscles and which yoga asanas (poses) target each group click here.

How Yoga Helps
Because of the integrative, total body involvement of most yoga asanas, yoga is an ideal medium to engage and strengthen our physical core. The wide variety of poses also challenges the core in many different ways, through standing poses, arm balances, backbends, twists and inversions. Alignment also plays an important role in safe, effective core strengthening, making the refined alignment techniques of Iyengar Yoga a great match for careful core strengthening of the back.

The Bandhas
The Sanskrit word “bandha” means bond or join. In yoga it refers to an action that grips and controls a part of the body to form a seal or a lock. Bandhas are practiced to contain and control prana (life-force energy) within the body. There are four main bandhas:

1. Mula bandha – a contraction of the perineum at the pelvic floor
2. Uddiyana bandha – a contraction of the abdomen into the ribcage
3. Jalandhara bandha – tucking the chin into the chest
4. Maha bandha – a combination of the above three bandhas performed simultaneously

The first two bandhas require a visceral lift from deep within the core region, automatically activating many of the core muscles. This protects the back during yoga practice, and enables us to hold the poses for longer to build strength and stamina. Engaging the bandhas also causes vital pranic energy to flow upwards, shifting the asanas onto a more subtle level of practice. For further reading and detailed instructions on how to practice the bandhas, please refer to “Light on Pranayama” by BKS Iyengar.

Planking
If you only had time to practice one core pose regularly, your best choice would be plank pose and its variations. Many movement experts agree that it’s one of the most effective core strengthening exercises out there, in large part because it engages so many core muscles at once. Yogis have been practicing their version of plank pose, Chaturanga Dandasana, for a long time. Head on over to this page for more on Chaturanga Dandasana and how to practice it.

Workshops
If you want to put some of the above theory into practice, why not join me for my core strength yoga workshop at Prana Yoga at the end of April.

ANN WEST

Ann has taught yoga in the San Diego and La Jolla areas since 1994. She teaches beginning through intermediate level classes, along with yoga for students suffering from chronic back conditions, and yoga therapy for students with special physical and physiological needs

Her regular teaching schedule at Prana is:

Mondays ~ 10:30am-11:45am for Happy Back Yoga Wall
Wednesdays ~ 11:30am-1pm for Iyengar Yoga
Fridays ~ 10:30am-11:45am for Happy Back Yoga Wall

Visit her blog here!

Quinoa Kitchari

by: Jenny Griffith from Wild Vedic Living

J     

    January is a time most of us want to start eating clean now that the holidays are over. Kitchari is the ultimate cleansing dish. It's the perfect dish to help you get back on track. It is a complete protein ayurvedic meal that you can get creative with. It contains a protein (usually mung dhal) and some sort of carbohydrates (usually basmati rice because its the easiest to digest). Kitchari is great to cleanse with because it kindles the agni (digestive fire).  I make a giant pot of this and eat it for 3-4 days. It's cheap and tastes amazing. You can jazz it up choosing any grain or bean. In this particular recipe I chose quinoa as my grain and mung beans as my protein.

Benefits of Kitchari:

-balance metabolism

-blood and liver cleanser

-aids in weight loss

-Balances Vata, Pitta, and Kapha

Quinoa Kitchari Indian staple food that is a great cleansing dish and can be eaten at any time! CourseMain Dish Servings Prep Time 8 15min Cook Time Passive Time 1hour 115

Ingredients

• 1cup Mung Beans
• 1cup quinoa
• 3cups mixed veggiesI used sweet potato, zucchini, and broccoli, but you can choose any veggies you want!
• 1tbsp mustard seeds
• 1tsp cumin
• 2inches grated ginger
• 1tbsp turmeric powder
• 1tbsp fennel seeds
• 1pinch hing (optional)
• 2tbsp sesame oil or coconut oil
•  salt and pepper to taste
•  organic vegetable broth(optional) if you want to make it more soupy

Servings:

Instructions

1. Cook mung beans and 2 cups of water till boiling. Then cover with lid and cook on low for 40 minutes.
2. While beans are cooking, start your quinoa. I cook my quinoa in a rice cooker with 2 cups of water and it is usually finished within 20 minutes.
3. Dice and slice your veggies!
4. Prepare your tardka...this is getting your spices cooked slightly before you add the veggies into a large skillet. Put the stove on medium heat and add coconut oil, mustard seed and fennel. Cook till mustard seeds start popping and add veggies. Cook veggies on low-medium heat.
5. Stir veggies continuously. When the veggies look almost done add the rest of spices. (cumin, ginger, turmeric, hing)
6. When everything is finished cooking. Add everything together in a big pot and mix thoroughly. Option to add broth if you want it soupy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe Notes

Make your kitchari unique!

*Don't be afraid to use more spices!

*Saute your veggies in ghee if you want some flavor.

*Pour some coconut milk in if you want it to be richer.

*Throw in some organic bouillon cubes for an extra punch of flavor!