Increase Quadriceps Strength for Healthy Knees
One of the most effective ways to stabilize and protect your knees with yoga is to strengthen your front thigh muscles, the quadricep muscles (aka quads). A study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, Greater Quadriceps Strength May Benefit Those with Knee
Accessible Yoga Poses: Kneeling Warrior Pose Variations
Scroll yoga corners of social media, and it doesn't take too long to see strong Warrior Poses: Warrior II Pose (Virabhadrasana II), Exalted Warrior Pose (Viparita Virabhadrasana), and Extended Side-Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana), for example. These images (of lithe young
4 Ways to Train Your Yoga Teaching Voice
Your most important tool as a teacher of asana is not your body. It is your voice. Certainly, there are other essential pedagogical tools: clear demonstration, concise explanation, encouragement, a willingness to leave room for the words to be received,
Practicing Svadhyaya and Aparigraha: Yoga and Our Stories
Yoga instructors who reveal their authentic humanity to their students—“warts and all,” as the saying goes—most often really resonate with me. One time when I was caught in a busy day’s “monkey mind,” one teacher’s opening sharing about yoga helping
Time to Unwind: A Bedtime Yin Yoga Sequence
Yin yoga is a deeply relaxing and restorative practice that works with the “yin” tissues of the body rather than the “yang” tissues targeted in a typical active yoga practice. Yin works with connective tissues like fascia, ligaments, tendons, and
Create an Individualized Yoga Practice for Osteoporosis
When a new student starts private yoga sessions, we usually ask many different questions about their current state: the functioning of various physiological systems, stress levels, sleep patterns, lifestyle, mental state, etc. Sometimes clients seem puzzled. They wonder, how is
Yoga Pose Primer: Revolved Camel Pose
Revolved Camel Pose shares many of the same benefits as traditional Camel Pose, and then some. This backbend mobilizes your lumbar spine, and the twisting aspect mobilizes your thoracic spine. The pose stretches the hip flexors and expands the chest.
Yoga Pose Primer: Staying Balanced and Rooted with Virasana (Hero's Pose)
The Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon) is a 2,000-year-old text on traditional Chinese medicine. Organized as a Q&A between the Yellow Emperor and Taoist master Qi Bo, one exchange between the two involves longevity. The emperor asks: “I am
A Balanced Life: The Key to Happiness
Work-life balance is just one aspect of a happy life. It’s not about spending equal time, but quality time in each area of your life. A balanced life requires self-discipline. You have to divvy up your time so you aren’t
Sustainable Yoga Practice for Healthy Aging
When I was younger, I occasionally attended yoga classes taught by people with stunning acrobatic skills. I would think, “That’s beautiful, but there’s just no way …” I started to secretly call those classes “Last Man Standing Yoga” because the
Energy and Calm: A Winter Yoga Sequence
Let’s be honest. Winter isn’t easy on our bodies, minds, and spirits. The holidays can leave us sluggish from too much rich food, our adrenaline depleted from packed schedules, and though there’s much joy in the air, we grieve those
3 Steps to Contentment
I was talking to a loved one yesterday, a woman who, from an outside point of view, has everything. She has an incredible house with a swimming pool, a wonderful husband, two smart, beautiful, and good-hearted children, and a life
5 Ways My Gratitude Journal Has Made Life More Fulfilling
Have you ever tried to keep a daily gratitude journal? How long did you last? I’ve tried to keep one many times in my life, and I have failed every time. The longest I’ve ever kept a journal was for
When the Nervous System Goes Haywire
Could Long COVID, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and numerous other conditions be caused by the same underlying condition? In this article, we talk with the author and yoga therapist about dysautonomia, a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous
Recovering From Breast Cancer
One of the most common side effects of undergoing cancer treatment is fatigue. Treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy can sap your energy. Similarly, the emotional upheaval of being diagnosed with cancer and receiving treatment can be draining. Patients often