New Guidelines for High Blood Pressure Put More at Risk, Emphasize Natural Solutions
Last week thirty million Americans woke up to discover that they had high blood pressure. No, it wasn’t all those buttery Thanksgiving biscuits and stuffing. In fact, it wasn’t even that these Americans’ blood pressure had changed—but the guidelines for
Yoga For Beginners: Demystifying Vinyasa Flow - Free Online Yoga Video
So you’re a new yoga student in a fast-paced Vinyasa Flow yoga class, and the teacher keeps saying “now flow through your Vinyasa”. First of all, you probably didn’t know you had a Vinyasa (“is that a body part I
Text Claw Blues: Yoga for Hands and Wrists in the Digital Age
The hands and wrists are the means with which we express, communicate and create. In yoga, they hold mudras, rest in meditation, reach to the sky and hold all of our body weight in arm balances. Their high level of
Yoga for Military Veterans with PTSD - Study Highlights Common Research Challenges
Approximately 23% of military veterans are estimated to suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which often include nightmares, flashbacks, heightened reactivity to environmental situations, social isolation, anxiety, and depression. Many adults with PTSD may not experience long-term relief
Yoga for Osteoporosis: # 1 Way to Reduce the Risk of Vertebral Fragility Fractures: Muscle Strength
A major line of defense against osteoporotic vertebral fractures is the strength of the muscles that attach to the spine. Following Wolff’s law, which governs bone formation, strong muscles exert a stronger pull on the bone, in turn stimulating bone
Yoga for Osteoporosis: #3 Way to Reduce the Risk of Vertebral Fragility Fractures: Intersegmental Stability & Neuromuscular Coordination
The spine is essentially a set of loosely assembled building blocks stacked on top of each other. What keeps the spine stable and able to move efficiently are the ligaments, fascia and muscles around the spine as well as the
Yoga for Osteoporosis: #2 Way to Reduce the Risk of Vertebral Fractures: Strengthening The Trabecular Network
Also known as ‘spongy bone,’ the trabecular network makes up the inner part of the bone, surrounded by a thin outer rim of outer cortical bone (see figure). Trabecular bone has a three-dimensional honeycomb-like structure, which helps with the distribution
Yoga for Osteoporosis: #4 Way to Reduce the Risk of Vertebral Fragility Fractures: Intervertebral Disc Integrity
Studies have shown that the weight-bearing capacity of the vertebrae, and therefore their ability to withstand loading, is linked to the integrity of the intervertebral discs. The vertebral discs act as shock absorbers that both facilitate movement and attenuate and
Yoga for Osteoporosis: #5 Way to Reduce the Risk of Vertebral Fragility Fractures: Posture
One of the most thoroughly researched risk factors for osteoporotic fractures is posture. In particularly, a kyphotic posture with a flattened lumbar spine has been linked with increased risk of fractures of all types. Biomechanically, when the body’s center of
Yoga For Beginners: Supine Pigeon Pose - Variation on the "King" Hip Opener - Free Online Yoga Video
Supine Pigeon Pose is one of the most well-known and used hip openers. It is a safe way to practice Pigeon Pose and is accessible to most students. In this free online yoga video tutorial, YogaUOnline’s Jasmine Punzalan offers a
Yoga Sequencing Tips: How to Create a Balanced & Integrated Yoga Practice
You know how after some yoga classes you feel more balanced and centered, and after others, you feel more disjointed and discombobulated? There are many factors that affect the outcome of a yoga practice, but one of the most important
Steps to Stability: Refining One-Legged Standing Poses
Practicing yoga benefits our activities of daily living. We breathe easier, sit more comfortably and feel stable and strong when standing and walking. For this post, we’ll focus on the muscles that are active during the “mid-stance” phase of walking—which
Yoga Improves Mental Function in Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment
As the global baby boomer population continues to age, there is a greater need for strategies to prevent or reduce cognitive decline and dementia. Emerging research suggests that a manual-based yoga program may improve memory, executive function, and mood in older
Yoga for the Whole Being: The Panchamaya Koshas and the 5 Levels of Practice
My yoga teacher often jokes about what he calls the “reductionism of yoga in America.” He says that in India, yoga is a system of complete physical, mental and spiritual health. When yoga was brought to America, however, practitioners latched
Trust Your Gut: 6 Ways to Keep Your Gut—and Your Brain—Happy
Ever sense that “trusting your gut” or “butterflies in your stomach” are more than just old wives’ tales? Mounting scientific evidence suggests that you’re absolutely right! Because when you go with your gut, you tap into what has become known