Open Your Heart and Free Your Mind in Bow Pose
Resembling the shape of an archer’s bow, Bow Pose (Dhanurasana), is a wonderful backbend that opens your heart and mind to the fullness of your potential. Bow Pose strengthens the back body (shoulders, back muscles, glutes and hamstrings), while opening
Calm and Ground with Forward Folds
If we mindfully approach forward folds in yoga, we can create experiences of these asanas as calming, grounding, and enjoyable. It can allow us to fold further and deeper. That’s not to do so for the sake of “touching our
The Broomstick Effect: The #1 Key to Perfecting Balancing Yoga Postures
Many years ago I read an article on balance in one of the yoga magazines and one visual that the author used had stuck with me. She talked about trying to achieve “broomstick effect” when it comes to aligning the
6 Vagus Nerve Exercises to Boost Your Well-being - Free Online Yoga Video
Did you know that activation of the vagus nerve in yoga keeps your immune system in check and releases an assortment of hormones and neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine and oxytocin? This results in reductions in inflammation, reduced allergies, relief from
Yoga Anatomy: Release the Internal Rotators for a Deeper Lotus Pose
Joint congruency and joint reaction forces are among the most important principles to understand for both practitioners and teachers because many poses can take the articulations to the limits of their range of motion. Take a moment to review this
A Daily Yoga Sequence for Pelvic Pain
Pelvic pain impacts so many people. In fact, the International Pelvic Pain Society estimates that over 25 million women suffer from chronic pelvic pain. While the number is generally lower in men, some studies estimate that around 1 in 10
Muscle TLC: How to Add Oomph to Your Yoga Practice with TheraBands
For over a year now, I have been integrating stretchy bands called TheraBands into my yoga practice and teaching. My wife and amazing yoga teacher, Melina Meza, turned me on to these useful props, and she started using them for
Yoga TLC for Your Feet: 10 Tips of a Strong Foundation
I can’t claim to have made healthy choices in all areas of my life throughout my history on the planet, but I can claim relative intelligence about one aspect of being in a body: I’ve always worn sensible shoes. I’ve
Is Magnesium Deficiency Contributing to Your Muscle Tension, Pain, or Fatigue?
Sometimes, despite all your efforts to release tension and relieve pain with pandiculation, you may get to a point where you feel like something else is going on. There may be some other factor besides learned muscular patterns that’s causing
Free Yoga Video: 3 Somatic Yoga Practices to Help Enhance Postural Awareness
Ready to learn the power of adding simple somatic movement to your practice? And, help improve your postural awareness and interoception at the same time? Join James Knight of Gentle Somatic Yoga for three soothing practices to ease tension in
Yoga for a Healthy Heart - Research Review Charts the Benefits of Yoga on Markers of Heart Health
According to a comprehensive review of yoga research, reviews, and meta-analyses published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, the field of yoga research has grown exponentially in the past 7 years, with nearly 200 studies being published annually. As we continue
Exercise and Longevity: Diversify Your Yoga Practice for Maximum Benefits
In asana (posture) practice, we aim for that “sweet spot”—notable physical sensation, but that which causes no harm. This lets us know that we’re opening up muscles and fascia in the body but not straining joints or tearing muscles. Many
Free Video with Dr. Ray Long: The Wonders of Diaphragmatic Breathing
Does the heart move with your diaphragm when you breathe? You bet you! The pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, has fascial connections to the diaphragm. Accordingly, the heart does move during breathing notes Dr. Ray Long in this article
A Cool Tip For Deeper Breathing in Yoga
I studied yoga for an extended period at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India. The Iyengars are true world experts in yogic breathing. During my time there, I was exposed to the great teachings of pranayama from
Yoga for Tight Hips: Take a Breather in Cow Face Pose
Wouldn’t it be great if all of life’s problems could be solved by lying down and taking it easy? The good news is that some of them can. Take tight outer hips, for example. This might be one of your