Yogic Wisdom: How to Make Peace with Food
What if I told you to forget every diet rule and healthy eating tip you’ve ever tried to adhere to, and just eat what you want when you want it? If you’re anything like me, you may have an adverse
What is Full Expression in Yoga Practice?
Have you ever heard a yoga teacher invite you to take a pose to full expression? What comes to mind when you hear this? I’d wager that for most of us, we picture the most extreme expression of flexibility—one that
Ahimsa: Use Yogic Principles to Practice Nonviolence
As you practice mental nonviolence, notice how it brings in more desirable thoughts. That alone will bring in happiness, satisfaction, clarity, pure joy and bliss. So how about cultivating some mental nonviolence in our lives? The first of the eight
Skip that Midday Coffee Break: Yoga for a Quick Energy Boost
It’s 4:00 pm. Your eyes begin to glaze over. Your laptop becomes a blur. Then they start to droop. You shake your head, stretch your neck, and do your best to refocus, but you can’t. You need coffee. Yet what
What's Wrong With This Picture? How Yoga Can Keep Us from Missing the Moment
A blue kayak floats on a lake of crystalline water. White clouds drift lazily across a blue sky punctuated by the pinks and purples of early sunset. It’s not visible, but there’s a breeze, gentle and cooling. Also invisible is
Release Tight Shoulders with this Simple Shoulderstand Prep Pose
“It is no overstatement to say that if a person regularly practices Sarvangasana he will feel new vigor and strength and will be happy and confident. New life will flow into him, his mind will be at peace and he
Vidya: How Yoga Can Help You Find Clarity Around Racism in America
“Clarity affords focus.” ~ Thomas Leonard When we bring clarity to an issue, we see what is happening, correctly assess the situation, and consciously choose to take action. How do we get clear on what’s happening in America today? Our
Yoga Warm-up: 3 Basic Fuzz-Busting Poses
What are your go-to poses right after you step onto your mat? I like to warm up with a “gooey” Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana). By gooey, I mean that I warm up with lots of movement. I
5 Yin Yoga Poses to Mobilize Your Hips
Who doesn’t love Yin Yoga? It’s firm but gentle, soft but strong, and physical but introspective. It creates a perfect balance between lengthening and strengthening our tissues, and invites silent meditative space into our practice. Yin Yoga is fantastic for
Got Brain Fog? Try These 7 Steps to a Healthy Brain
“Dr. Hyman, most days I feel like I can’t focus for more than 15 minutes at a time,” writes this week’s house call. “I lose my train of thought and feel like I’m living in a daze. I used to
Dial Down “Sassy” Hip Syndrome: Yoga for Easier Abduction
Have you ever seen a hiked up back hip in Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II Pose)? I call it the “sassy hip” because it has some life and attitude. It pops up like the hips of a runway model taking a
Yoga Research: How to Identify and Interpret Research Methods in Yoga Studies
As you start to find research articles that may help you see and communicate what science says about yoga, you can sprinkle in questions like the ones that follow, to stoke your curiosity and build your fluency: What is meant
Yoga for Healthy Knees, Hips and Ankles: 3 Ways to Prop Virasana
Virasana (Hero’s Pose) is a popular choice for a seated position in most yoga classes. Even so, it may not be entirely accessible due to the required amount of hip flexion, knee flexion and plantar flexion of the ankle. This
Yoga Anatomy: Add Myofascial Release to Your Yoga Classes
Over the past few years, especially in the last year, I’ve spent a good deal of time learning the technique of myofascial release. As a self-proclaimed “anatomy nerd,” it’s right up my alley because it gives me a chance to
Yoga Teachers, Communicate with Clarity: Satya, Biomechanics and Yoga
“One who shows a high degree of right communication will not fail in his actions.” (T.K.V. Desikachar’s translation of Yoga Sutra II.36) Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras have much practical wisdom that can be directly applied to life. In fact, the evolution