Ask about how many hours of training he has received. Although there is no universal yoga teacher certification, many quality studios require that their instructors complete a minimum number of training hours before they are allowed to teach. If instructor has 200 or more hours of training, there is a good chance that he has solid skills to work with.

Does instructor know benefits and contraindications of each pose? Can he offer modifications for students who have physical limitations? You want a teacher who can provide information about how each pose relates to your unique physical condition.

Also, find out if teacher has specific training in basic anatomy. I cannot emphasize this point strongly enough. When I was in my early twenties, I took a gymnastics class which was taught by an instructor who had no training in anatomy. Each week he stretched my body in a position that caused me a great deal of pain. If he knew about body mechanics and physiology he never would never used that stretch, because it is almost guaranteed to cause injury. The end result for me was years of pain and permanent injury. If teacher is not trained in anatomy run, don’t walk, out of class.

What is teacher’s personal style? In order for you to get most out of yoga, you have to feel comfortable with teacher. Is teacher friendly, encouraging, and supportive? Does she treat students and others with respect?

Yoga is intensely personal so it is critical that you like and trust teacher. She will be touching your body to adjust your alignment, so you need to feel totally safe with her. A good instructor will make class a secure and peaceful experience for students.

How clean is studio? As you look around, do you notice dust or dirt? Is there a musty or sweaty odor? A yoga class encourages you to practice barefoot and breathe deeply. It is very difficult to get most from your yoga instruction if you are worried about contracting a disease from an unclean studio.

How does teacher handle your personal beliefs? A good yoga teacher does not impose her personal beliefs on students. Yoga is not a religion. You should be able to practice any religion, or none at all, and still feel comfortable in class. You also should not be required to eat or act a certain way to be considered acceptable to teacher.

Yoga promotes freedom, so you should not be held bondage to someone else’s beliefs. You should be free to live whichever way is right for you.

Quality yoga instruction can be very important for you in your yoga journey. By keeping these ideas in mind when you search for a yoga teacher, you are very likely to find one that is just right for you.

The giant supermarkets aren't concerned about our nutrition; it’s cash register that dictates bottom line. Plant foods are harvested before they've even ripened; many are gas retarded from ripening, trucked across United States, and then gas ripened. By time food gets to our dinner tables there's little or no nutrition left. But they sure look good.

No longer can we rely on a "balanced" diet with merely so many calories or certain vitamins or fixed proportions of starches, proteins and carbohydrates. We know for certain that our diets must have a score of minerals. And potassium along with many others just isn't there.