Yoga Methods for Functional Well-Being

via Coursera

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Details

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Provider

Coursera
Pricing

Paid Course
Languages

English
Certificate

Certificate Available
Effort

5 hours 26 minutes
Sessions

Self-Paced
Level

Beginner
Subtitles

English

Found in

Part of

Foundations of Yoga: Building a Strong Practice

Overview

Yoga can be much more than stretching. When applied thoughtfully, it can support mobility, stability, balance, body awareness, breathing, stress reduction, and everyday movement comfort. By the end of this course, learners will understand how foundational yoga poses and breath practices can be adapted safely for different bodies, goals, and ability levels. This course introduces alignment essentials, clear teaching cues, safe progressions and regressions, and practical ways to integrate yoga principles into movement, wellness, manual therapy, or exercise-based settings. Learners explore how posture, breath, control, and pacing can influence comfort, confidence, and functional movement. Through step-by-step video instruction, learners study how to combine movement, props, and paced breathing for common goals such as easing back or neck discomfort, improving balance, supporting relaxation, and building better body control. Healthcare, fitness, yoga, and wellness professionals will gain practical tools for client-centered programming, while general learners will better understand how yoga methods can be adapted to real-life needs. This course offers a functional, accessible approach to using yoga for movement quality and well-being.

Syllabus

Yoga Foundations: An Alternative Approach to Wellness

Instructor Vern introduces the philosophy and practice approach behind this course, highlighting Hatha Yoga as a pathway to improved balance, strength, and self-awareness. You’ll begin exploring fundamental standing poses, learning how alignment, core stability, and breath support each other to create a solid foundation for all future practice.

Seating Poses

Seated asanas are introduced to encourage flexibility and introspection. Learners will explore postures that lengthen the hamstrings, open the hips, and support spinal alignment while promoting calm focus. The emphasis is on mindful positioning and controlled breathing to deepen relaxation and awareness.

Core Poses

Building on previous sections, this module targets the core muscles as the energetic center of movement and stability. You’ll learn to engage the abdomen and lower back safely through mindful control, integrating breath to strengthen both body and concentration.

Supine Poses

In this section, you’ll explore poses performed lying on the back that emphasize release, alignment, and gentle core activation. Supine asanas support spinal decompression and are ideal for improving posture and body awareness while relieving tension.

Back Bends

Backbends invite the heart to open and the body to expand. This module teaches safe techniques for extending the spine, protecting the lower back, and combining strength with flexibility. You’ll learn to balance effort and surrender for emotional uplift and energy renewal.

Inversions

You’ll safely explore inversions—poses where the head is below the heart—to enhance circulation, focus, and confidence. The module emphasizes proper setup, breathing, and progression toward inversions that suit your individual level, promoting inner calm and improved balance.

8. Arm Balances

This module introduces arm balances as an empowering way to build strength, stability, and concentration. You’ll practice mindful weight transfer, joint alignment, and controlled breathing to find ease in challenging positions while maintaining awareness of safety and alignment.

Flow

Here, you’ll learn to link postures through rhythmic, breath-synchronized movement. Flow sequences teach how to transition gracefully between poses, cultivating endurance, focus, and meditative presence. The emphasis is on finding effortlessness within motion.

Bonus Drills

This bonus section includes targeted drills and short sequences to refine balance, mobility, and control. These optional practices help strengthen weaker areas, enhance proprioception, and support progression into more advanced poses with confidence.

Relaxation Cycle

This module focuses on integrating all previous learning through guided relaxation. You’ll explore restorative postures that calm the nervous system, release muscular tension, and prepare the body for deep rest and recovery.

Breathing Exercises

The course concludes with pranayama techniques—breathing practices that balance energy and promote clarity. You’ll learn simple yet powerful breath control exercises to regulate the autonomic nervous system, enhance mindfulness, and support overall wellness.

Practice Assignments

This module provides an opportunity to consolidate and apply what you’ve learned throughout the course. You will review key concepts, reflect on clinical relevance, and complete a short practice assignment and/or course reflection quiz. The goal is to reinforce understanding and strengthen your ability to integrate these skills into real-world client care.

Reflective Learning Exam

This final exam is designed to assess your understanding of the key concepts presented throughout the course. Please review all video lessons and written materials before beginning. A passing score of 70% or higher is required to successfully complete the course and earn your CE certificate. You may reference your notes during the exam. Once you pass, your certificate will be available for immediate download.