Natural Family Online Blog

Find a Qualified Yoga Teacher

How do I find a qualified yoga teacher?

Karen Prior replies: Within the last decade, yoga has become very popular in the West. With all of the styles, traditions, certifications and class offerings, it can be confusing when you are trying to find a qualified instructor.

Just because someone is a "great teacher" does not mean she is qualified to teach yoga. There are some individuals who seem to be able to teach just about anything because they possess the gift to do so. While this can be great in many subjects, it is not necessarily a good thing when it comes to yoga. Yoga is an ancient science, and it requires both personal experience and vast knowledge in order to teach safely.

In recent years, certification programs have surfaced that give credentials to just about anyone who will pay for them, sometimes in as few as eight hours of training. There are also teachers who start teaching without any formal training. That’s not to say that none of these teachers are good teachers — but it is important to do your own homework to see if the teacher can safely instruct you. Read More.

© Karen Prior 

Karen Prior’s impressive breadth of knowledge in the therapeutic uses of yoga, nutrition and prenatal fitness is backed by solid credentials: she is a registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance, a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, a clinical nutritionist and a retired La Leche League leader. Karen runs a Registered Yoga School, where she offers specialized training in prenatal yoga and yoga for children through her programs MamasteYoga and Let'sPlayYoga. Karen lives in Texas with her husband and young daughter.

Pressure Treated Wood - Poisonous?

Family Health & Wellness

Question: We have a wood deck where we spend a lot of time outdoors. I heard that pressure-treated wood can be poisonous. How can I tell if mine is, and what can I do about it?

Christine Climer responds: Pressure-treated wood does sometimes contain a preservative called chromated copper arsenate (CCA) -- this means arsenic. Arsenic is a poison and has also been linked with the development of certain types of cancer. When your child touches CCA-treated wood with his hands, arsenic residue sticks to his skin. Then if he puts fingers in his mouth or touches food, he ingests the arsenic.

Walking through your local home improvement store’s lumber department, you may have noticed some wood carries an interesting green tint. That green color is CCA. Many stores no longer carry CCA-treated woods, and the lumber industry has agreed voluntarily to phase out CCA treatment of wood intended for residential use. Other non-arsenic chemicals are available instead. So if you are building a new structure, arsenic exposure is likely to be less of an issue.

Read the full article.

© Christine Climer.

NFO Your Family’s Health Editor Christine Climer is a registered nurse with experience in pulmonary disease, pediatrics, home health and hospice services. See more about Christine.