Holiday Entertaining with Healthy Chocolate Mousse
Who says you can’t eat your greens… and your chocolate, too, in one dish? This healthy yet decadent chocolate mousse tastes like the “real deal” with each creamy and rich spoonful. Enjoying pleasurable foods, including dessert, is the key ingredient
Looking Back: Yoga U Online's Most Widely Read Articles of 2018
As 2018 winds down, we at Yoga U Online invite you to revisit—or visit for the first time—the eight articles on our site that garnered the most attention and discussion on our social media sites. The articles vary in scope
What Is Mechanical Back Pain? How to Reeducate Your Nervous System to Alleviate Pain
If you’re suffering from back pain, you’re not alone. Between 50 and 80 percent of Americans will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. (1) It’s estimated that 97 percent of cases of back pain are mechanical
Deep Rest: Healing Yoga for Cancer-Related Fatigue
For most people, a good night’s sleep will set us right when we experience occasional fatigue. Cancer-related fatigue is different and not completely understood by allopathic medicine. This deep tiredness is not alleviated by sleeping and is one of the
Healthy Joints: 10 Things I Wish I’d Known about Hypermobility Before I Started Practicing Yoga
While it became fairly obvious that I was hyper-flexible early on in my yoga career, I never really understood to what degree. Nor did I fully grasp the implications of having hypermobility, aside from meaning that I was more flexible
Sleep to Stabilize Your Mind: How the Yoga Sutras Interpret Dreaming and Deep Sleep
I am a big fan of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. I believe that they are full of insights that can help us better understand our experiences on a daily basis and give us tools to deal with life’s challenges. There is
The Rotator Cuff: What It Is and How to Prevent Injuries through Yoga Practice
The number of rotator cuff injuries reported in the United States is increasing, as are the number of surgical interventions for such injuries. These injuries can be debilitating and interfere with work and recreation. Healing can take a long time,
Facilitating Calm & Balance: Understanding the Multi-Functional Psoas Muscle
On the list of MVMs–most valuable muscles that is–the Psoas muscle, or more precisely the Iliopsoas chain, would be at the top of any yogi’s list. It is after all, the physical link between the spine and the legs. The
Making Peace with Our Differences: Cultivating Equanimity in Relationships
It’s been a full year since a dear friend succumbed to cancer. A longtime yoga student and generous soul, I was privileged to know her for 20 years. I think about her often. Even now, sometimes my mind has a
Fall Favorite: Butternut Squash Soup
This is a fall favorite in my house that is flexible and can include whatever veggies you have on hand. The savory roasted vegetables and herbs combine beautifully to create a smooth, creamy and nourishing soup. Serve garnished with toasted
Integrating Yoga Breathing into a Practice to Feel More Balanced and Centered
Yesterday I had an appointment at my son’s school to discuss a stressful situation we’ve been dealing with involving one of his teachers. The mere thought of it was making me frustrated and anxious. So I did this breath-centered yoga
Beyond Kegels: How to Incorporate Pelvic Floor Cueing Into Your Yoga Classes
It is wonderful to see the pelvic floor gain more media attention these days! As a yoga professional, you are well positioned to address pelvic floor wellness in your classes. Unfortunately, accurate information about the pelvic floor is not always
Make Yoga Fun: Teaching Sun Salutations to Preschoolers
Both parents and educators wish to inspire children toward a healthy lifestyle. Introducing yoga at an early age not only builds strength and flexibility but can also bring a level of calm into their lives. As a registered children’s yoga
Yoga Asana for Hip Mobility, Part 1: Spotlight on Flexion and Extension
When we think about hip mobility in yoga, we often think about a forward folded Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-Legged King Pigeon Pose) to stretch some of the hip rotators. But don’t forget that the hips do more than just rotate!
Yoga Anatomy: Antagonist/Synergist Combinations In Yoga
In this post, we explore the relationship between the tensor fascia lata (TFL) and the gluteus maximus. In addition, I add a cue for engaging the adductor magnus as a synergist of the gluteus maximus. Knowledge of these relationships can