How important is it to follow your passion? How can you do your best when you are not doing what you love? These are questions humans have struggled with since communication began. Most of us realize we have a limited time during our working years. Who wants to spend years working at a job without rewards?

There are signs that people do not believe in the work they do or the products they sell. I knew a Ford salesman, who seemed happy enough, but he drove a Mercedes Benz to work. His father owned the Ford dealership, but he did not believe in the product. Yet, he sold a product he would not drive.

Maybe he loved what he was doing, but there is an indication here that he would have loved to sell for a Mercedes Benz dealership. He was very excited about the craftsmanship and the features of his own car. This same passion was not apparent when he was selling on his father’s car lot.

Many people would love to make a change, but there is always some risk. Change in itself is risk. The older we get, the more set we become in our ways. At a certain age, many of us refuse to change. Before you know it, and if you live long enough, you may be retired.

Yet, there is the ability to do what we love at any age. If we can think clearly, there is time to do what we love. When my wife, Marie, graduated from college, one of her classmates was nearly 80 years of age. She explained, “I always wanted to go back to school and never had the opportunity, until now!”

Most of us do not have to wait until retirement to follow our passions. It is true that family obligations, a career, and financial limitations can hold us back from following our dreams. However, there are steps we can take that are progressive, and might be considered unconventional, at the same time.

Going to college, in the evenings, has been one step toward progress. College courses can also be taken on the Internet and through some public television stations. Yoga teacher certification courses can be taken by correspondence, Internet, or a combination of the two.

Granted, you can take a conventional training too. Yet, the conventional form of Yoga teacher training tends to be a strain on those with family obligations, a career, and financial limitations. If children are living at home, leaving them can create complications.

One has to “weigh up” the pros and cons of each type of Yoga certification course before making a decision. Either way, a progressive step, in doing what you love, is a giant leap forward for your emotional and mental well being.

Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

All forms of Yoga are being given a closer look by medical and scientific communities, due to the benefits of living a Yogic lifestyle. We often read or hear about the benefits of Yoga poses (asana), Yogic breathing techniques (pranayama), or meditation.

Yet, the benefits of taking Yoga lessons into daily life are not usually taken into account. The Yogic lifestyle, itself, is hard to put under a microscope. Daily application of lessons occurs when we are out in the world. Here is one of the many ways that Yoga can be applied toward healing, without a mat or a visit to the local ashram.

Love: To show kindness to others, and all creatures, makes sleeping a lot easier. True compassion is not an easy task. This requires the ability to forgive others. Compassion for all creatures is most difficult. To become a vegetarian may be impossible for many people, but hardly anyone would allow a colony of termites or carpenter ants to devour their home without putting up a fight.

There has to be a reasonable level of moderate love in all matters. We must avoid extremes in our thoughts, actions, and our failure to act. Showing loving kindness toward others is a natural healing remedy. It allows us to discard negative feelings, which drain us of good health.

That said: Your compassion is not an open invitation to be taken advantage of by those who do not value your acts of kindness. Loving kindness is not weakness or foolishness. To accept others the way they are, without judging them, is a deep form of compassion.

As parents, we guide our children with the best of intentions. However, children have minds of their own, and do not always follow our advice. Do we love our children less because they refuse our opinions or instructions?

Of course not, because we accept each child the way he or she is. All children are uniquely different. As time passes, each parent begins to realize it is impossible to create an exact mold that a child will adhere to. We can do our best, but parenting is an art form and a constant work in progress.

People often forget that friendships are based upon this same principle. We must accept friends as they are. Good intentions are not enough, when you invade a friend’s “space” and tell him or her how to live. You can be a good friend, and a living example of Yoga, by giving compassionate advice; that is useful, when it is asked for.

Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

Could Yoga help you restore your faith in humanity? Have you ever had “one of those days” where everything seemed to go wrong? On one of those days, it may start with one crisis of the moment, and continue onto the next, until we become exhausted by the events of the day.

In the worst of times, we might feel like: “What worse can happen next?” Maybe your faith in humanity is challenged by rude behavior, traffic, or an Email that attempts to steal your identity. You might begin to think: “Whatever happened to courtesy, honesty and compassion?”

There are some points to review, while you are off the Yoga mat. Some Yoga teachers explain the wealth of Yoga, we may know, as “Raja.” Some will refer to this as the “Yoga of Patanjali,” because he classified many aspects within the Yoga Sutras.

Within the Eight Limbs, mentioned by Maharishi Patanjali, are the Yamas. One of the five Yamas mentioned is, “Satya,” which we may roughly translate as “truth.” Truth and honesty seem simple enough, but they can become complicated. Are we truthful to ourselves when we get caught up in believing the world has taken a turn for the worst?

There is a quote from Hamlet by Shakespeare, which reads, “This above all: to thine ownself be true.” It is so easy to see the weather, friends, family, and our jobs, as not up to our expectations. If we expect anything, it should be with tolerance and compassion. Life is full of surprises. Therefore, expect the unexpected, and do not worry about the worst possible situation.

Worrying about a situation, that never happens, is a waste of energy and will shave years off your life. Worrying, during a bad situation, will not solve the problem. To prepare is wise. To seek a solution, during a crisis, is an example of how Yoga can train your mind to maintain rational thoughts.

The teachings of Yoga allow us to renew our faith in humanity, because our viewpoint of life is what we choose. If I choose to be a member of the “doom club,” I can see everything has gone wrong everywhere. This is like Rush Limbaugh’s quote, when he stated, “I Hope Obama Fails.”

Regardless of our beliefs and differences, as contributing members of this planet, let us never wish for anyone to fail an attempt at a noble cause, especially if the situation affects millions or billions of people.

Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

No matter who we are – we may feel “stuck” at times. We may see an obstacle and feel like we have hit the end of the road or a ‘road block.” How can Yoga help you when you struggle, at an impasse, which looks like there is only one solution?

We know there may be multiple solutions, but all we see is one, and the one we see may not be appealing. When we gather information to make decisions, we can create a system for progressive thought that gives us multiple solutions.

Sometimes, the best possible solution is a combination of ideas, which take time to link together. If you are the person who makes the final decision, it may require you to compromise your ideas until you find the best possible solution. Below is a system for making progress in the worst of times.

1. Listen to outside opinions completely. Even if you do not agree, the old saying: “two heads are better than one” is worth considering. Make sure you understand the other person’s viewpoint and record the idea before you dismiss it. All, or part of, a foreign idea may be the answer to move forward.

2. Listen to your intuition. If you have poor intuition, it is best to have an advisor who has good “gut instincts.” If you do not like the essence of something, you should proceed with caution. If you have a partner with strong intuitive skills, who warns you about the road ahead, proceed with more caution.

3. Know yourself. If there is one quality you should have from steady Yoga practice, it is to have a realistic perception of yourself. Yoga teaches us about our strengths and our weaknesses. Yoga is a gateway to self-observation, and the ability to transform oneself to become a better person, by training the mind.

4. Learn what you do not know. Yoga is a never-ending path of education, with more information than we can gather in one lifetime. This applies to many other subjects, as well. Libraries are filled with answers, but our time in this life is limited.

Therefore, life is an educational journey. Enjoy it! When you cannot find the solution to your questions, it helps to have intellectual company around you. Yet, some people are good at finding solutions because they are “street wise.” They may not have the formal education, but they are strong in the area of common sense.

5. Develop relationships based on mutual trust. It is good to have a trusted pool of talent with diversified abilities. Some of these groups are referred to as “master mind” groups. Why should any of us struggle alone, when we have trusted friends?

Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

What is your untapped potential? Why do people take a certification course to become a Yoga teacher? Could Yoga teacher training help you to find inherent talents that have remained hidden inside you? Let’s look at these, and many other questions, related to finding natural resources within each of us.

What is your untapped potential? Most of us let a few set backs in life guide us down a well-beaten path that is traveled by many. Most people do not consider their full potential. Instead, they become conditioned to settle for less from life. They “play it safe,” and become extremely conscious of risk.

Your untapped potential is your ability that lies hidden in dormancy. You may not have had time to consider what you really want to do in life. Assessing your natural talents is a start, but envisioning where your natural talents could carry you is your untapped potential.

Why do people take a certification course to become a Yoga teacher? There are a wide variety of reasons why people take intensive courses. Some interns may feel a calling toward teaching Yoga as a vocation. Some choose to teach as a part-time hobby.

There are many, who take Yoga teacher courses, to help friends and family members. In this case, they are seeking enough information to teach safely. Rarely do interns have visions of a big Yoga teacher salary. It is possible to earn respectable wages, but this requires teachers to market themselves.

The marketing aspect tends to be a “turn off” for those who do not seek full time employment. This runs parallel to the mindset of many artists and writers, who begin to realize that a successful marketing campaign may require 50%, or more, of their time.

Could Yoga teacher training help you to find inherent talents that have remained hidden inside you? Yes, a Yoga teacher intensive course makes it possible to tap into the inner-self through self-realization. For anyone who experiences this awakening of consciousness, the world around them has changed.

This change is due to a transformation from within. At this point it is up to each individual, as to what he or she will do with complete awareness. A few may use it to garner a respectable Yoga instructor salary, while most will use the information they learn to help others.

Untapped potential means many things to different people, but it usually comes down to our personal values. Within each of us, what we see as valuable will be different. Regardless of our differences, a Yoga teacher intensive will guide us to find our true purpose in life.

Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

How can Yoga turn your life around? Where do you start? If you are a Yoga student, a steady practice is a good start. If you teach Yoga classes, and have students in need of help, where should they start? At least some of us see a need for a starting point, which is an early form of self-awareness.

In making a decision to change our lives, we need to know our perceived limitations. This viewpoint of limitations may not be based upon reality. Sometimes, a limitation is only a projection of our self-image. In other words: If I have low self-worth – are my thoughts about myself realistic?

The answer is: No; if I have a poor self-image, my thoughts would be limited by a negative mindset. In turn, a negative mindset blames everyone for everything. In such a case, nobody ever does anything right. Many complainers have poor self-esteem. Instead of designing a plan for the future, and searching for answers, it is easier to sit around and complain.

One more point about perceived limits: If your thoughts are based upon pure reality and logic, these thoughts will change with time. Any form of thinking is subject to change because it evolves with each life experience.

Therefore, when you design a plan to make a lifestyle change, you want to know yourself first. Any changes to the world around us must come from within – first.

Yoga allows the mind to find its natural balance. This Yogic state of balance may occur in the physical body first.

These subtle, physical changes, within the body, may be noticed if one practices Hatha Yoga (Union through Physical Self-Mastery). This is an early step for contemporary Yogis. People easily believe what they see when they notice physical changes in their own bodies.

The more subtle changes that occur within one’s mental, emotional, or spiritual health, take more time and patience to develop. Hatha Yoga practice may be considered the ultimate answer to physical mastery, but it is only a stepping stone on a path toward happiness.

For many of us, our biggest step is training the mind to become our best ally. Self-induced negativity is one of the greatest setbacks to humankind. Sometimes, whole countries and cultures believe they are worthless.

This state of cultural worthlessness occurs when a society’s leadership promotes pessimistic thought. Whether or not we live in a free society, the answer is to re-program our thinking toward a path of progress. Every form of Yoga contains methods for positive thinking.

Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html