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The art of growing plants without soil (hydroponic growth) is now so advanced that it can help humans to survive for long periods in previously inhospitable environments such as Antarctica.

Traditional plant growth relies on plants absorbing minerals and nutrients from the soil. plants do not actually need to be placed in soil to obtain the nutrients they need. In fact the soil is simply there to support them. There are many areas on Earth which do not have the necessary soils to support plant growth, preventing humans from living there.

Over recent years, this restriction has been combated by growing plants hydroponically. Hydroponics uses nutrient solutions applied directly to the roots instead of soil, in order to allow the plants to grow in unlikely places.

One of the earliest hydroponic success stories happened on Wake island in the Pacific ocean. The island was first discovered in 1568 by lvaro de Mendaa de Nevra, who noted that it was a low, barren island. Later, when the island was surveyed in 1840 by the US Commodore Charles Wilkes, it was officially recorded as having no fresh water.

In the 1930s, Pan American Airlines began using the island as a refuelling stop between America and China. The airline constructed a village for its workers; the first time the island had been inhabited by humans. Because of the distances involved, it would have been expensive and impractical to import fresh food to the island, so the islanders relied on hydroponic methods for growing food instead for many years.

Hydroponic techniques are not as new or miraculous as some people may think; they have been developed over many centuries. However, perfecting the nutrient solutions which are used will really affect the success of hydroponic crops in remote or harsh conditions.

Perhaps the harshest environment of all is Antarctica. At the McMurdo station on Ross island, a community of nearly 1000 people survive by relying on hydroponic techniques to grow food.

These techniques allow people at this icy station to enjoy fresh lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, fruit and herbs for use in cooking, throughout the year.

The Antarctic environment is unusual because it enjoys four months of continuous sunlight, followed by four months of darkness, not to mention high winds and extremes of temperature.

To survive this harsh climate, seeds are planted in a hydroponic mix of perlite and vermiculite and placed in a totally enclosed, insulated greenhouse at the station. Nutrient solutions are fed to the plants to ensure healthy growth and other environmental factors are dealt with by using hydroponic techniques. For example, artificial lighting is used to simulate a more normal day to night pattern in which the plants will grow best. The air is kept warm and humid by fans and hydroponic ventilation equipment, and at night an electric furnace is used to generate more heat. This gives the fresh fruit and vegetables ideal growing conditions to allow them to flourish.

Hydroponic techniques are now so advanced that we really are able to grow food anywhere on Earth, regardless of the external environment or the availability of light.

Growing food hydroponically is a fascinating process, making commercial sense for many growers who are now able to produce on a large scale without an enormous land investment.

In fact, the same techniques which keep people alive in Antarctica can be practiced in your own home using a hydroponic kit available online from great Stuff Hydroponics. Kits and equipment for commercial growers are also available online, along with information downloads and expert advice.

Find out more about great Stuff Hydroponics at http://www.hydroponics-hydroponics.com

About great Stuff Hydroponics

great Stuff Hydroponics is based in Middlesborough (UK) and supplies a vast array of hydroponic equipment for all your hydroponic plant cultivation needs. The Great Stuff Hydroponics showroom is open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday10am-2pm. sales can also be placed online at http://www.hydroponics-hydroponics.com

Please direct all media queries, requests for press information and editorial details, to Rebecca appleton. Tel: 0208 123 5178 or email: press@topposition.co.uk

Who are some of the best teachers a yoga instructor could have? The answer should not surprise you, but it is our yoga students who create the best yoga teacher from within us. Consider this: Random questions develop complete knowledge of any given subject.

yoga students are full of questions, so let them ask, and you will find. yoga students often have a fresh view of yoga. We cannot easily absorb new ideas with a preconceived perspective of a given subject. yoga students have no set of preconceived notions about yoga

Socrates once said, I know nothing, except the fact of my ignorance. If he could be such a humble teacher about the subject of life, who are we to feel so comfortable with our knowledge on the subject of Yoga? Allow Yoga-related questions during class time, and everyone will be richer for the experience.

It is true that some yoga teachers have found their niche by suppressing student thought, but this is not yoga, and it is all about control. The sad fact is - yoga students, who seek out abusive teacher / student relationships are magnetized to dogmatic personalities and have voluntarily chosen to be in the relationship.

These same primal behavior patterns run parallel to their relationships at home, in work, and in their social lives. This is unfortunate, but all of us have a place in this life, and some people crave the negative attention of an alpha personality. If you observe a wolf pack, you can see much similar behavior.

getting back to communication skills - yoga teachers, who masterfully explain concepts through cueing, voice inflection, demonstration, and assisting, have taken the time to practice the art of communication. Seasoned yoga instructors are not good at what they do by accident. Time spent in front of a crowd, or a mirror, causes us to look within and communicate effectively.

Knowing the audience is a valuable skill every yoga teacher should take the time to learn. What are the interests of your yoga students? What parts of the lesson plan raise their level of motivation? Do you feel a stir of excitement or anticipation at certain points in your yoga class? Even if none of them says a word, you can still read body language.

When students feel the beneficial aspects of your yoga class, it is written all over their faces. Develop your intuition, but do not drive yourself crazy. If you are still not sure what motivates your students, it is time to ask them some tactful questions.

A sample question, about one subject, might be: Do you see the benefit of practicing Revolved Triangle now? If they do not give you an answer, you can list the skeletal benefits to the hips, spine, shoulders, and legs. You can list the muscles, which are strengthened and stretched.

You could also mention the particular internal organs, which are massaged and cleansed. Revolved Triangle (Parivrtta Trikonasana), like many Asanas, has many physical benefits, but it develops mental strength, as well. The student / teacher relationship is a think tank. Allow your students to participate completely, and the proficiency level of your entire school will be raised.

Ponder these words of Jesus: Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. The answers to all of our questions are right in front of us, if we remember this.

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