How Your Quadriceps Can Cause Pain: 3 Yoga Poses That Can Help
The quadriceps muscle group is a group of four muscles on the front side of the legs. These include the vastus lateralis, the vastus medialis, the vastus intermedius, and the rectus femoris. The name “quadriceps” means “four-headed” in Latin. They
Sitting Tall: Finding Ease in Yoga’s Most Basic Seated Position
Slumping the back and collapsing the chest is a common occurrence in Sukhasana (Easy Pose), especially in those who are new to yoga. Factors that can contribute to this posture include fatigue, defeated mental state, and tight muscle groups. Many
Teacher Training is Over ... Now What? 4 Tips for Recent Yoga Teacher Training Graduates
Ending a yoga teacher training program is bittersweet. In trainings, you meet incredible individuals who are interested in the same material you are. Kindred spirits who are willing to talk to you about Trikonasana for two hours are not so
Yoga at the Wall: Support and Alignment in Warrior II
Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II) is a fierce and powerful yoga pose that cultivates strength in your legs, core, shoulders, and even your mind. Embodying the strength of the fiery warrior Virabhadra, Warrior II is a posture of stability and grounding.
Yoga Anatomy: Releasing Your Tight Psoas with Clinical Somatics
The psoas muscle, formally called the psoas major, is a very important core muscle. The psoas attaches the lumbar vertebrae to the lesser trochanter, near the head of the femur. The psoas muscle is often grouped together with the iliacus muscle, and
Daily Life Yoga: How to Practice Every Day
International Day of Yoga was designated by the United Nations in December of 2014 to be celebrated on June 21st every year. International Day of Yoga “aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.” Yoga has become an international
Yoga Pose Primer: Urdhva Mukha Prasarita Padottanasana
I’d like to propose an inevitability to accompany death and taxes: gravity. In fact, it’s arguable that gravity is more consistently inevitable than taxes because there are ways to get around paying taxes if you can afford it. None of
Another Reason to Sleep More: Can Sleep Loss Lead to Weight Gain?
Most of us do not practice yoga for weight management, but we all know that maintaining a healthy weight helps the body function more efficiently. It is common knowledge that our ability to manage weight depends on two main factors:
Mobilize Tight Shoulders: 4 Yoga Shoulder Stretches Using a Wall
Crouching over electronic devices, driving for long commutes through stressful environments, not regularly moving our bodies in healthy and balanced ways—all of these parts of modern life can make our shoulders stiff and tight. The shoulders are key in hundreds
Yoga Anatomy: The Vagus Nerve, Amygdala and the Stress Response
The vagus nerve and amygdala are key elements in my work associated with chronic stress, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and trauma. These aspects of our nervous system connect how we think, feel, and relate to experiences within and around us.
Yoga and Scoliosis: Asana Recommendations and the Latest Research
Scoliosis is an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, an estimated two to three percent of the population, six to nine million people, are affected by scoliosis. Although women are diagnosed with
Make "L" Handstand Accessible: 4 Yoga Poses to Build Your Skills
“L” Handstand is an introductory inverted pose for seasoned practitioners that builds strength, stability, and stamina. It is the midway point between standing on your feet in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) and standing on your hands in Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand
Yoga Anatomy: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, you might feel shooting pain, burning, tingling, numbness, and weakness in your hand and wrist. You may have developed carpal tunnel syndrome from doing repetitive tasks with your arms and hands, like computer work,
Tom Myers on Spatial Medicine: Change the Body to Change the Mind
How do we foster health, well-being, and healing? Medicine has one approach, primarily using antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, and surgery to cure disease. Traditional types of medicine apply another approach, relying on herbs and other natural remedies to restore balance and activate
The Yoga Bod: Can Yoga Practice Positively Influence Body Image?
The philosophical aspects of yoga teach us to shift away from self-judgment of our bodies and minds. Yet yoga in the West has become a multibillion-dollar industry that is represented by thin, toned models whose physique may be unattainable to