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When yoga teachers gather in a workshop to hear a lecture about communication - what is the first topic that comes to mind? Is it cueing skills, voice inflection, or when to ask a student for permission to assist? Those are important issues for anyone who teaches yoga, but lets take a look at many more areas that could use some work.

Communication is a two way street. How can we exchange ideas if students are made to feel stupid for asking questions? Granted, yoga classes cannot operate like an open forum, if you have a lesson plan in mind, but a student who is experiencing pain should not have to feel bad for asking about it. Nor should he or she have to wait until the end of class to ask an impatient teacher about his or her pain.

Listen Empathically: When a student asks a yoga-related question during class time, the yoga instructor present, should listen to all of the details. There are times when a yoga student asks questions, which are on the mind of many more classmates.

For some yoga students, it takes a lot of courage to ask a question in a group setting. Some students ponder questions for days before asking them. Their heart rate may rise because it took courage to ask the question.

With all this said, listening is a primary communication skill. As a yoga teacher, you are respected by your students, so do not violate a trust by bolstering your ego. The key is to listen intently, because you may have questions of your own, which will result in a deeper answer.

Who becomes a yoga students best teacher during hatha yoga practice? His or her body, and mind, must eventually be the best Yoga teacher. If not, we have failed to give our students the gift of self-realization. To go further: yoga students must learn to think for themselves. If they are dependent on a yoga teacher, all the time, then our teaching method is flawed.

Why do I say this? If a student is not present for yoga practice, we must make him or her gently aware of it. There is no need to make students dependent on us. Good students will always return to yoga class.

yoga must still be practiced after our students have rolled up their mats. Breathing, walking, talking, eating, posturing, and acting with mindfulness, is the sign of a yoga practitioner. All of the amazing physical feats are nice, but any flexible pilates student, dancer, gymnast, or martial artist, could do the same.

Copyright 2007 Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-book: "Yoga in practice," and a Free yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

Jerry and Sue were busy with their hectic work schedule, so they decided to hire a nanny to take care of their baby girl. When they met a 42-year-old mother of two, named Kara, they thought their prayers had been answered. After interviewing a dozen candidates, they finally found a nanny they really liked. Gradually, as the weeks went by though, the parents noticed certain changes in their daughters' behavior. Although she seemed healthy, she developed certain peculiarities that made her parents suspicious.

Jerry and Sue purchased a hidden camera disguised as a stuffed animal that they placed on a shelf in their daughter's room. When they came home from work at the end of the day, they played the video and were horrified at what they saw. They discovered that their trusted nanny Kara had been shaking their little girl to quiet her down when she cried aloud.

They immediately fired the nanny and called the police who later arrested Kara for endangering the welfare of a child.

Unfortunately, this story is all too common these days. Three other stories that I read about in the news while researching this article were as follows,

New York - A nanny who police said slapped, kicked and smothered a 10-month-old girl with a toy to make her stop crying was arrested this week after an enraged father watched the abuse on a newly installed "nanny cam."

Los Angeles A nanny was arrested and charged with two counts of risk of injury to a minor after she was observed on videotape hitting, slamming and jerking two 10-month-old twins (1 boy and 1 girl) while they were in her care.

Vermont A nanny was arrested after being viewed on videotape dropping an 11-month-old boy from a height of three feet above the ground onto a pillow after becoming upset because the youngster wouldnt eat. This caregiver was also viewed throwing the boy again, kicking him, picking him up by his right arm and throwing him back down again.

These are just some of the disturbing news stories I read while researching this article. In all of these cases, the children were checked out by pediatricians and found to have no serious long-term injuries. (Thank God)

Sadly, some of the other stories I researched did not have the same happy ending.

Its not easy for a parent to leave his or her child with someone else for the first time, and news stories like these dont make it any easier. Everyone wants peace of mind when they choose a childcare provider. Generally speaking, most parents feel uncomfortable and a little guilty about leaving their children in the first place. You should do whatever you can do to eliminate some of the concern. A hidden nanny camera can give you the peace of mind youre looking for and make it easier to leave your children with someone else.

There are many genuinely caring nannies in this world, but how can you tell if the stranger youve let into your home is one of the good ones? Covert camera technology makes it possible to make sure your child is getting proper care.

The hidden camera is available in many different forms. It could be the clock on the wall in the babys bedroom, a teddy bear on the shelf, or even the VCR or table lamp in the living room. They are easy to install, and can be either wired or wireless depending on your situation. If you are considering purchasing a hidden nanny cam, take the time to do a little research and determine the best one for you. Then decide whether or not you should tell your caregiver that there is a nanny cam in the house somewhere.

While it is perfectly legal to use a hidden nanny cam to keep watch over the nanny without her knowledge, should a nanny find out that shes being monitored and recorded without her knowledge; you may run the risk of losing a valuable employee. Studies and polls show that most honest nannies are not against the use of video surveillance, just the use of it in secret. If you monitor them in secret and they find out, then any bond of trust between you and your nanny could be instantly broken.

On the other hand, if you tell them that the nanny cams are not there just to monitor her, but they are there for general home security, then she will feel that you trust her, because you told her. And as a bonus, if she knows shes being video taped, any temptation to lash out at your child may be held in check, even on her most frustrating of days.

When hiring a nanny, parents should complete a background check, which included the persons criminal, employee and workers compensation history as well as licensing verification. But sometimes a check still does not guarantee the children are free from abuse. Parents should try to spend time with a prospective caregiver and observe them in a discreet way. Families should interview the person themselves, not relying solely on the placing agency.

The most important thing is for a parent to know their child and to pick up on clues that something might be wrong, such as a normally energetic child suddenly becoming lethargic or you find unexplained bruises and scratches. Another key sign that something might be wrong is if your child starts to become overly anxious when its time for you to leave them with the caregiver.

Hidden cameras can be used for many other reasons than just childcare. The devices can be used while your home is being cleaned, for security reasons, or just to keep an eye on things when youre not there. However, spy shops indicate the leading reason continues to be to monitor care providers. I personally have noticed a 20% increase in the purchase of hidden cameras over the last two years. While this is good for my business, Im not sure what it says about our society.

Steven Rubin is the owner of North American Security Products, LLC. A company dedicated to providing you with the means to protect and defend yourself against crime.