And Now What? Living Life Here and Now
I watched a wonderful docufilm called Planetary last night and was blown away by the sheer beauty of our Earth and how interconnected we all are. The scenes of canyons, oceans, glaciers, forests—oh, I could go on and on—were astoundingly beautiful, each
Clinical Somatics: Beyond Simple Stretching
From the ages of 12 to 21, I was a ballet dancer. It was all I did and all I wanted to do. Being extremely disciplined, I stretched for half an hour every night before bed so I could get
Resilience Training: Why I Don’t Take My Yoga Hot and Sweaty
Here is a simple graphic I’ve been using in my training programs (and in yoga classes) to explain why the yoga I teach is different from other kinds of yoga out there. After I moved to Asheville in 2001, I quickly realized I had
Restore Any Time: 5 Awesome Child’s Pose Variations
Ahh, the joy and relief of Balasana (Child’s Pose) after a sweaty yoga practice! Though often seen as simply a resting pose, the benefits of Child’s Pose are so much more than just to take a break between vinyasa flows.
Yoga Research: How Yoga Can Support Healthy Brainwaves
Neurons communicate through electrochemical signals that are the basis for motor functions, thoughts, emotions, and behavior. These electrochemical signals—also called brainwaves—can be detected by placing sensitive sensors on the head/scalp. Brainwaves are functionally characterized as bandwidths and range from slow
Adapting to Feeling Unseen: How I'm Navigating a World that Overlooks Aging
Older Beautiful inside and out— Invisible I gave a little start when those words flashed onto the screen during a presentation by the poet Elizabeth Bradfield. Liz was in the process of describing six-word memoirs, modeled on Hemingway’s heartbreaking story: For
Yoga Anatomy: Opening the Heart of the Warrior
The fundamental asana Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II Pose) harnesses the archetypal spirit of the warrior. In fact, many martial arts also contain some variation of the Warrior Pose. Remember that the greatest warriors combine power with compassion that flows from the
No Crunches Needed: 3 Fresh Core-Strengthening Poses
When one envisions “core work,” it's safe to say that the first image to pop into his or her mind are “crunches.” This is the classic core-conditioning exercise done lying on the back, knees bent, hands behind the head, and
Yoga Anatomy: Speculating on a Forward Fold Mystery
A yoga teacher recently asked me, “Why can’t my student straighten her knees in Paschimottasana (Seated Forward Bend Pose) when she can in Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend Pose)? Her hamstrings seem pretty open. What are the mechanics behind this?” While
Restful Sleep: On Caffeine and Yoga
About 70 years ago a zoologist who studied spiders got tired of waking up at 5:00 am to watch them build their webs, so he asked his pharmacologist friend if he could drug the spiders to change their construction time.
Empower Your Yoga Practice: Inquiry and Agency in the Asana Practice
Some of the things that make our asana practice so effective can prove problematic if we start to misinterpret or misuse them. Many of us have experienced the hypnotic effect of linking breath, movement, and awareness. The endorphins released after
Yoga at Your Desk: 5 Poses to Relieve Strain from Sitting
Do you spend long hours sitting at your desk? Many of us do these days. Perhaps you’ve noticed that after sitting for a long time, your muscles feel stiff, your joints ache, and nagging pains start to creep into your
Deepen Your Backbend: 3 Ways to Use a Strap in Camel Pose
A yoga strap is an effective tool to use when practicing Ustrasana (Camel Pose). This backbend requires a great deal of proprioception, the internal ability to sense one’s body positioning and movement in space. This can be difficult because we
Rethinking Posture: How Spinefulness Helped Improve My Upper Back
The day I met my first yoga teacher, Wende Davis, she placed me in Ardha Adho Mukha Svanasana (Right Angle Pose or Half Downward Facing Dog Pose) with my hands resting on the top of her upright piano and ran
Feeling Lightheaded? 5 Tips to Help Prevent Dizziness in Yoga
Getting a little woozy while practicing yoga isn’t uncommon. The sensation can vary from an almost pleasant, slightly intoxicated feeling (like the rush after the first swallow of a good glass of champagne) to nausea accompanied by a frightening feeling