The art of yoga was possibly developed in the northern parts of India about 5000 years ago. It was so common to this part of the world that allusions to the yoga 'mudras' (styles) are found in almost all major scripted works of ancient India. Even today, there is an immense popularity of yoga in the subcontinent region. No, that is the wrong way to put it. Rather, yoga of late has become a phenomenon that has attained global stature. People all over the world are taking to yoga as the best way to keep them healthy and realize the prized possessions that life has on offering for us. Yes, the popularity of yoga is increasing in leaps and bounds all around the globe. And more importantly, people are reaping the immense benefits of this art.

From time immemorial, several forms of yoga are in practice. The thing is quite similar even today. Naturally it becomes very troublesome on part of somebody, more so for a beginner, to choose from those types. However the premier yoga studios and fitness centers close in mainly on four of such types - the Hatha, Bikram, Kundalini, and Ashtanga variants of yoga.

Assessing the growing popularity of yoga, career as a Yoga Trainer is more than rewarding. Once you choose to become a Yoga Trainer, you will benefit yourself in more than one ways. Life as a yoga trainer enables you to experience a growth for yourself, besides the noble feeling of coming to the service of others. It won't be out of place to quote from Annie Jacob, a renowned yoga instructor from Salida, Colorado, in this regard: "Teaching offers me the challenge and the joy of selfdiscovery through the process of yoga. It allows me to contribute to society in a way that makes me feel good." As a Yoga Trainer, you can benefit others in a multitude of ways:

Mental Benefits:

• Relief from stress.
• Gaining more control over emotions.
• Increase in concentration power, with an enhanced focus.

Physical Benefits:

• Greater body balance and flexibility.
• Enhanced cardiovascular endurance.
• Enhanced core strength.
• Enhanced overall energy levels.
• Better muscular strength.
• Improved immune system.
• Enhanced digestive functioning.
• Proper muscle relaxation.
• Control of body weight.

Add to this the various social benefits that come with regular yoga exercises.

Opting for a career of Yoga Trainer is extremely viable these days. There are a lot many openings in this particular field. And, if we are to believe in the on going trend, the openings are ever on an increase. Nearly all the premier fitness training centers and gyms today have regular yoga training classes. A yoga trainer always enjoys the unique opportunity of rediscovering her/his own creative spirit through her/his profession.

Conducting a class means experimenting with one's own creative spirits. On a professional level, trainers usually specialize on anyone of the following patterns:

• Yoga exercises for physical fitness.
• Yoga therapy.
• Spiritual yoga.
• Prenatal and/or postnatal yoga.
• Yoga especially designed for kids.
• Yoga for the couples.
• Corporate yoga.
• Yoga designed for benefit of seniors.
• Retreats or workshops.
• Private lessons of yoga.

If you opt for a career as a yoga trainer, you can either go for some of the organizations or institutions like the several clubs, gyms, fitness centers, etc. Else, you also have the opportunity of being a private instructor. That gives you the freedom of scheduling dates and timings of classes according to your own will. In preparing yourself to suit the career of a yoga trainer, you need to make clear about a few things at the very outset.

You need to understand the philosophy of yoga. It is not just simply a few body movements. There are deep lying philosophies that go on to give it a holistic effect. Any efficient yoga trainer should have a good realization of the matters. You should be aware of the skills that go on to make a good yoga trainer. Knowing the perfect postures and attaining perfection in performing the exercises isn't enough for you. You will be teaching others; it calls for several other sets of skills. Be careful in choosing an efficient and widely experienced yoga teacher as your mentor. This is all very important keeping in view the practical little and big things about which no theory of yoga can previously equip you. Remember, nothing pays as experience. Go to any premier yoga training institute. All they want is efficient and well experienced instructors. The best thing for you will be to get yourself enriched with the experience of training yoga for several volunteer services. Many places require proper certification courses. In that case don't ever keep yourself ignorant about the existing systems of certification or registration as a yoga instructor.

When it comes to holding the yoga classes, effective planning can do wonders. It is a highly competitive market. There are so many aspirants, each willing to excel the other in matters of attaining perfection in the field of yoga. In such a situation, learning the basics of yoga is not enough for you. True that it forms the basic of the whole thing. But, in order to compel people mark you with distinction, you need to plan your yoga classes in a very effective manner. Things need to be sorted out in this regard well ahead of the act of actually holding the classes. A few things should be clear to you well before you have started training people in your yoga class(es).

There are hundreds of yoga exercises. You need to choose from them and decide on the poses that will particularly go on to prove more effective in the run. It should be clear to you as to which poses are going to prove more beneficial at which time, and how to utilize them. You should be able to rate the poses selected by you according to the level of difficulty to master them. Thus you can decide yourself as to which particular poses need to be provided with tips to make them easier for beginners. Sequencing the poses in an appropriate way in the yoga class is of extreme importance. You need to know when to open the yoga classes, how to make the necessary transitions in a smooth way, deciding on the high point or the 'apex point', and how and when to end the yoga class. You should be comfortable with the effective use of the yoga props. Pay heed in creating a fitting theme for your class. Preparation of a sample lesson plan can help you in a lot of ways. It can assist you in sorting things out, besides saving you from unnecessary confusions. Learn well the art of providing the students with verbal instructions well complimented by perfect demonstrations. Once you succeed in making them understand what the particular pose is all about and the functions that it perform, more than half your job is done. Adopt innovative techniques for rectifying mistakes made by the students. You need to take them to your confidence. The smoother the interaction, the easier the task gets for you.

There are several places that look forward to hiring efficient yoga trainers. Some of the common places are the yoga studios, corporate houses, health clubs, retirement communities, academic institutions like universities and adult education centers, etc. In case you want to join one such place, be careful in preparing your resume very carefully. Keep yourself well informed about the places where such job openings are prevalent. A little ignorance can mean you miss the opportunity of a lifetime. Learn beforehand techniques of hoe best demonstrate your skills to the employers. You can earn for yourself a separate niche in this popular career option by learning a thing or two of substitute teaching.

But there are often people who do not want to work for some organization, however prestigious they may be. Instead they like the idea of being self employed. In order to set up a yoga class (studio) of your own, you need to keep a few important things in your mind. Make your self focused about your target market. Know clearly WHOSE attention you want to draw. Your plan of business should be drawn accordingly. Get yourself well aware of the legalities and insurance policies that come with such an enterprise on your own. Another very vital thing is the choice of location. Learn both the pros and cons in case you decide to open the studio at your home. In case you need a separate location, there are many places which you can have on rent at a cheap rate. Devote good amount of time on designing your studio. The impression that the students get from the appearance of the place for their yoga classes actually go to play at the back of their mind. After all, yoga has so much to do with ones mental state.

Remember, the career of a yoga trainer can provide you with the rare opportunity of JOB SATISFACTION. As your students discover newer techniques that help them in being elevated in life, you too go on discovering the newer sources of energy hidden within you. Don't miss the opportunity of a lifetime

In India, natural methods of holistic healing have always found greater favor with people. Yoga is definitely one such healing method where the person training gets ample opportunity to shed flab and increase the body metabolism rate. This practice is many centuries old and various yogis have reiterated its benefits.

In early eighties, Swami Dheerendra Bharamchari was very popular for teaching easy to practice Yoga with several books on Yoga written by him.

In modern day India the most known name in yoga is Swami Ramdev, one of the biggest proponents of yoga till date. He champions the advantages of Pranayama Yoga which include cure from diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and even cancer. Since 2002 he has been making daily announcements on Astha channel so that common man gets the scope to incorporate similar practices into his daily routine.

Art of Living Foundation, founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is also doing courses all of the world teach Yoga, Pranayama and Meditation to heal the world's ills.

India has ever remained to be a hot bed for yoga training and performance. After all, this is the very country where the art (or the science) of yoga was first developed. Naturally, there are various institutions across the length of the country that offer professional courses on yoga for people who wish to build a career as a yoga trainer. Some of the very well known centers and the kind(s) of courses they are known especially for are:

• Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute, Lonavla - They have separate departments that specializes in
  
  1. Scientific Research
  2. Yogic Healthcare
  3. Philosophico-literary research in Yoga
• Gordhandas Seksaria College of Yoga & Cultural Synthesis. There are separate courses such as:
  1. Certificate Courses
  2. M.Phil
  3. Yoga Training for school teachers
  4. Advanced teachers training course
  5. Diploma in Yoga Therapy
  6. Diploma in yoga education
  7. and other specially designed yoga course.
• Pranava Yoga Dhama, Mysore: specializes on course such as Intensive teacher training course, yoga therapy instructor course, and a host of specialized courses and programs like those laying stress on hatha yoga, pranayam, basic yoga asanas, self management for excess stress, yoga asanas especially designed for pregnancy, and so network on.
• Purna Swasthya Yoga Therapy Center, Mumbai:: This particular institute specializes on the aspect of yoga therapy. The specializations and the respective courses on offer are for coronary artery diseases, back ache, cervical spondylosis, frozen shoulder, bronchial asthma, dyspepsia, weight loss program, osteoarthritis, along with course teaching simple but utility pranayam techniques.

Likewise, there are so many other institutes all over the country that specialize in various yoga courses. Aspirants undergoing courses there have a good opportunity to make it in the professional world as yoga trainers.

People nowadays are looking for alternatives in every aspect of life. This has made the art of yoga a thing of immense popularity. Yoga proves to be effective not only in curing us from diseases, but preventing several diseases as well. This preventive function of yoga reflects in the ever increasing demand of yoga therapy. Besides, learning a few basic yoga asanas and performing them on a daily basis shows its positive effects within weeks. Naturally, with the increase in demand, career as a yoga trainer is fast becoming highly remunerative job. It may be that for the initial phase, you don't get the expected monetary return. But, with the passage of time, as you have that cushion of experience to support you, it indeed is a highly remunerative job. As a matter of fact, yoga classes are almost entirely frequented by people from the higher economic class. Hence, the financial aspect of this job is easily gettable.

It has nearly been a decade now that yoga is considered as a part of the fitness industry in India. Worth more than Rs. 2000 crore, the fitness industry in the country now boasts of some of the best yoga trainers in the world. The job profile is essentially contractual in character and the amount of remuneration is based on the expertise of the trainer. Since employers can range from resorts to health spas and even wealthy individuals, remuneration is generally good.

As the demand for yoga is ever on an increase, finding suitable jobs as yoga trainer won't be that difficult. All you need to do is go for a professional course from any of the well known yoga institutes in the country. They offer a host of professional courses on yoga - from the philosophy of yoga to each and every practical aspects of the practice are well covered by them. Once you are through with the course and have that certificate to back you, finding out a premium yoga institute as a trainer/teacher won't at all be a tough proposition. There are several schools that include yoga training within their curriculum. You can always apply for the post of a yoga teacher in one such school. These days there is also high demand for efficient yoga trainers with the various NGOs. You can opt for a full time engagement with them or can get employed on a part time basis, so that you are free to carry on your own yoga parlor. Some such NGOs are really very big and offer exceptionally lucrative salary packages. You can browse through the internet to know more about such job vacancies. The same also holds for the several ashrams all over the country. Yoga is such an integral part to the ashrams. Your being efficient as a yoga trainer will invariably see you with a very prospective job opportunity in these places.