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My Yoga Story and Training Yoga Alliance ® E-RYT Yoga Alliance ® RYT YogaFit® Yoga Alliance Approved 200 - Hour Teacher Training Program Adaptive Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) - Continuing Education Training for my RYT. Karen O'Donnell Clarke from YogaHealsUs.com YogaFit® - Level 5 Teacher Training - Beth Shaw - Continuing Ed for my RYT. YogaFit® - Anatomy & Alignment - Barbara Nobles - Continuing Ed for my RYT. YogaFit® - Level 4 Training - Beth Shaw, Kathy DeKramer & Stephanie Adams YogaFit® - Level 3 Training - Kathy DeKramer & Sybill Nance YogaFit® - Level 2 Training - Mark Hearn, Kay Davis, Michelle Demus & Miranda Davis YogaFit® - Level 1 Training - Sandi Call & Amy Larkin YogaFit® - Seniors Training - Rita Joseph YogaFit® - PreNatal/PostPartum Training - Sandi Call YogaFit® - YogaStrength Training - Amy Larkin YogaFit® - YogaFit Kid's Training - Kathy DeKramer YogaFit® - YogaButt Training - Sandi Call YogaFit® - YogaFit Abs/Back Training - Kay Davis CPR/AED by American Heart Association First Aid American Red Cross   About The YogaFit® Training Method: "YOGAFIT® TRAINING SYSTEMS WORLDWIDE is dedicated to bringing the practice of yoga to all populations in a safe and user-friendly, fitness format. YogaFit® makes the physical and mental health benefits of traditional yoga accessible to people of all ages and walks of life. [It's] non-competitive, non-judgmental, body/mind, fitness yoga.... rooted in exercise science and focused on safety. Each YogaFit class includes a warm-up, the yoga workout, and a cool-down and addresses all five components of fitness: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition, and flexibility. YogaFit® is approved by ACE®, AFAA®, and IHRSA® to train health and fitness professionals worldwide. YogaFit is also a recognized 200 hour program by the Yoga Alliance®."1 1YogaFit Training Systems Worldwide   My Blog at http://yogawithgaileee.blogspot.com/ My Prenatal Blog at http://prenatalyogawithgaileee.blogspot.com/   My Second Success Story With the birth of my fourth child, I had the previous year taken the YogaFit Prenatal/Postnatal training. I incorporated the training from the class along with techniques that I've learning in Lamaze and Bradley Childbirth classes and taught a prenatal class while I was pregnant. It was a great bunch of ladies and we practiced yoga postures and techniques to help us with the aches and pains of pregnancy and poses to help us through our labors. I'm happy to say that with my labor, I was able to utilize my yoga poses on the Resist-a-ball, to open up my pelvis, and use various other poses while laboring in the bed, and during my walks down the hospital hallway. I was able to have a healthy baby, with an induced birth (pitocin), using my poses, walking, using the birth ball with out any pain relief. The yoga breathing helped the most in distracting the pain away (as we learned in the Bradley Childbirth classes, and which is very similar to what we use in yoga classes too). Other Yoga benefits within my Family On another interesting note, during this entire time that I was taking the college class, getting certified, etc., I told my 75 year old mom how I so enjoyed the Yoga. She started taking the Yoga classes offered at her local YMCA. Immediately her balance was better for her, her flexibility and range of motion in her arms increased, and whenever she took her class her blood pressure lowered (she takes medicine for her blood pressure). Balance and flexibility were some of her concerns and to get a bit lowering on her blood pressure was just a bonus. Now mom is a pretty active person. She swims laps twice a week at the YMCA and also tries to walk at least 45 minutes 3 times a week. Not only that but she bowls a mean 160 average! Now isn't it interesting that she noticed changes in her body when she added Yoga to the mix. Click here to see success stories from my students. So take a Yoga class....you never know what benefit it may have in store for you! My Story and Training:: Getting Started I was practicing yoga poses during my first pregnancy, over 20 years ago. Since then my interest in Yoga restarted when I was taking fitness courses along with the computer courses at Victoria College. I had taken the Weight Training, Walking, Karate and Physical Fitness classes. The college wasn't offering any Yoga classes and through a survey, myself and others requested that Yoga be a fitness class offered at VC (there wasn't a facility in town that offered any Yoga classes that fit my schedule). The first time that Yoga was offered through the college I took it. As with any other fitness class at the college several things happened. Assessment of my initial Abilities In order for one to see if they are indeed making strides towards their fitness goals, you need to make assessments and measurements. At the beginning of the semester we measured weight, height, circumference measurements along the calves, thighs, hips, waist, chest and upper arms. A crunch test, along with a push-up assessment was done. Two fat body measurements were done-one with the pincher calipers and the other with an electronic fat body calculator. A Cardio endurance one mile walk (the Rockwell test) was also performed. Lastly a sit/stretch measurement was conducted. The assessments was a good portion of our grade. At the end of the semester all of these assessments were done to "measure" our fitness level, due to taking the Yoga class. Results from first three months of Practice Not only was I feeling better and well rested, from my initial assessment, I confess that I could only do ONE push-up. Through the learning of the different Yoga poses, practicing, etc., at the end of the course not only did I reduce my body fat percentage, lose inches (and increased inches in my arms/calves), but I increased my number of push-ups to 19 (with my age was finally conducted at "average" fitness) and also increased my flexibility in my sit/stretch measurement. Also I decreased my resting heart rate. My first teaching Experience One of the activities that we had to do was to present a Yoga class to the students. We paired up with 2-3 other individuals and selected the Yoga Mountain phase that we were to present to the class. After my 10 minute portion of the presentation the instructor had asked if she could use my Yoga sequences in her classes. (Sure!) She also recommended that I become certified and that I might like to teach YogaFit styled classes. (Perfect, so that I can schedule Yoga classes to fit my schedule!) Acquiring Yoga Training So that is what I did. After I finished my college course in Yoga, I took Level I, January 20/21, 2002. Since that time I finishing up the coursework through YogaFit’s Teacher Training programs for the Registered Yoga Teacher 200 Hour Training. I am the first student from YogaFit Training Systems to received my Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) by successfully completing all required YogaFit Trainings and Workshops for the Yoga Alliance Approved 200 Hour Teacher Training Program. I've been teaching since 2001, I have over 1300 teaching hours on the yoga mat. I'm currently working toward achieving my E-RYT (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher), which will allow me to teach others to teach Yoga. To the right are my trainings and teachers that I've had the pleasure to work with. Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 200) by Yoga Alliance ® Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 200) by Yoga Alliance ® 200 Hour Registered Teacher Training by YogaFit® (Teacher Training Levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Kids, Prenatal, Seniors, YogaButt, YogaAbs/Back, YogaStrength, Anatomy & Alignment) Yoga for Golfers™ by Katherine Roberts. SilverSneakers YogaStretch Resist-a-ball Training PiYo Training Certified CPR/AED (CardioPulmonary Resuscitation) by the American Heart Association First Aid Training by American Red Cross And Now.... What I do Now I currently teach classes at my church in Nederland Texas, Port Arthur YMCA, St. Elizabeth's WP Hebert Health and Wellness Center, and I also conduct private classes for clients, upon request. (409.727.3177) My Success Story I've had bunion surgery on my right foot and had a fourth degree sprain on my left foot, so I have some "foot" issues that I'm always concerned about. With the various balancing poses that you do in Yoga, I've become more confident on my "footing" and balance. I never thought I'd be able to do the "Tree and Eagle" poses, much less the "Dancer" pose (I can do them now!). Its been a work in progress, but I'm very pleased with the results!