When It’s Just Too Cold Outside: Family Yoga for Wintertime
It’s winter, and in many areas of the U.S. (and the Northern Hemisphere generally) it’s too frigid to stay outside for long. That doesn’t change the need, developmentally speaking, for children and teens to move and stretch, to enhance motor
Reverse the Curve: A 5-Minute Yoga Practice for Hyperkyphosis
We all have a kyphosis, or at least we ought to. Kyphosis is the natural outward curve of the upper back, which balances the inward curves of the neck and the low back. Hyperkyphosis is different. When the convex curve of
My Conscious Uncoupling: Yoga Poses I'm Letting Go
Been there, done that. After two decades of daily practice and a lifelong love affair with yoga, I am announcing a conscious uncoupling from certain poses. There are no hard feelings. We will maintain a wholeness in our separation that
Beginner Yoga Series: How to Sequence for Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana 2)
Warrior 2 is practiced regularly in most yoga classes - often transitioned into dynamically from a lunge, or Warrior 1. Like most yoga poses, Warrior 2 has a host of subtle alignment and muscular actions that aren't regularly explored. We
Beginner Yoga Sequence: Dancer Pose (Natarajasana) - FREE Online Yoga Sequence + Practice Tips
When practicing or teaching Dancer Pose, there is a lot to consider. Dancer Pose is tricky because it is both a standing balance as well as a backbend. The standing leg needs to be strong, and capable of holding you
5 Ways to Power Up Your Practice with Yoga Props
Yoga props breathe life into your practice. On occasion as a yoga teacher, I have seen firsthand the resistance to using props in one’s practice. As a student there certainly have been times where I’ve said to myself, “I don’t
Fight the Winter Blues - Free Online Yoga Sequence to Lift Your Mood
This winter has been long, cold, and icy for us - and, frankly, we're getting a little tired of it! So, instead of sitting around beating our heads against the wall, waiting for elusive spring to arrive, we decided to
New Study Points to Yoga as a Promising Complement to Substance Use Disorder Treatment
According to recent data, approximately 21.5 million American adults aged 12 and older have battled some form of Substance Abuse Disorder within the past two years. Increasingly, Yoga is being recognized as a powerful adjunct to more traditional medically oriented
Foot on Knee in Tree: Yay or Nay?
We’ve all heard from yoga teachers to never put your lifted foot on the knee of your standing leg. But can you safely put your foot on your knee in Vrksasana (Tree Pose) without catastrophe? The short answer is ...
Our Favorite Quotes on Your Favorite Topics: Yoga & Love
“Every day, think as you wake up, say, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand
Finding Connection: What Yoga Can Offer People with Alzheimer’s Disease
I teach Chair Yoga to seniors. Students of different shapes, sizes, and mobility levels come to class with their canes, walkers, and wheelchairs. Some are blind and others are hard of hearing, but many have a less visible disability—Alzheimer’s disease.
Cancer and Insomnia: A Short, Relaxing Sequence to Put You on the Path to Sleep
You probably know the feeling - lying in bed for hours on end looking at the clock with the mind swirling, chattering and generally keeping you from falling asleep. You re-play the events of the day getting caught in circular
Yoga & Meditation Offer Effective Alternate Treatments for High Blood Pressure, Study Suggests
Numerous studies on yoga and meditation suggest the practices offer safe alternatives to drugs for the control of high blood pressure (HBP) in some instances, according to scientists who performed a comprehensive review of the research literature. Also known as hypertension, HBP is
Does Your Yoga Practice Feed You: Develop a Yoga Practice to Feed Your Body and Mind
More than 25 years ago I decided that I would ingest only foods that would contribute to my health and well-being, and avoid “non-foods” that have no nutritional value. Things like chemical-ridden processed foods and zero-nutrition soft drinks were officially
Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic Response: Balance Your “Body Budget”
I went skiing over the winter break and since I don’t do it very often or very well, every day on the slopes took a lot of effort. I could feel my body mobilizing its resources before every run: my