Breathe Easy: A Yoga Sequence to Exercise Your Diaphragm
Your diaphragm is the primary muscle of respiration; it contracts like any other muscle and can be controlled voluntarily. It is important for your diaphragm to maintain tonicity so that it can properly contract and move down on the inhalation
Chakravakasana: Yoga’s "Un" Cat-Cow Pose
Chakravakasana (also called “Cat Pose”) is often confused with a yoga pose called Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana). Although the two poses look similar, they have completely different effects and intentions. For most students, Viniyoga’s Cat Pose is much more beneficial than
Yoga Off the Mat Founder Seane Corn Takes on QAnon Conspiracy Theories
Seane Corn, a popular yoga teacher, author, and wellness influencer from Los Angeles, noticed a disturbing new trend on her social media feeds a few weeks ago: members of the wellness community were posting QAnon-related content. QAnon is a fringe
Do You Sit Too Much? Try These 5 Yoga Poses
We’ve probably all heard by now that sitting is the new smoking. We know we’re supposed to use a standing desk or get up and take a stretch break every 20 minutes. But in reality, life often gets in the
5-Minute Yoga Challenge: How to Deepen Your Malasana for Greater Benefits
I just came back from a short road trip. When I got out of the car after several hours of sitting, I noticed that I was a little stiff in my hips. But I didn’t have the pain I used
4 Ways to Change the Orientation of a Yoga Pose
One of my neighbors told me that her problem with yoga was that she couldn’t do any poses lying down because she always felt nauseated when she was lying down. And when she consulted her doctor about it, her doctor
The Cycle of Life: How to Find Abundance in Rotting Apples
When I think of the word abundance, my mind goes almost immediately to one of my favorite family fall traditions: Apple picking. Once a year, my daughter and I load up the car with snacks, water, and a friend or
Namaste and Yoga: Honoring Body, Mind and Intellect
According to what I learned in India from my grandfather and other Sanskrit scholars, “namaste” is a revered Sanskrit word with a deep and profound meaning. It’s not a simple act of bringing your hands into Anjali mudra and muttering
The Social Nervous System: 4 Steps to Vagus Nerve Recovery
A healthy vagus nerve supports your digestive system, helps to regulate your sleep patterns, and calms down your nerves. Learning to regulate vagal tone is associated with a reduction in inflammation and better prognosis in people suffering from chronic illness,
Tension Headaches: A 30-Minute Yoga Practice to Help Relieve Symptoms
If you are among the 80 percent of American adults who have experienced a tension headache, then you are likely aware of how they can impair productivity and decrease overall quality of life. Can yoga ease the symptoms of tension
Yoga for Back Pain: Restore Ease in Mind and Body with Supported Bridge Pose
The practice of yoga addresses all levels of consciousness. In yoga, a distinction is made between the physical body, the energetic body, the mental body, the discriminating mind, and the body of bliss. These are called the five levels of
Improve Your Vital Lung Capacity with Yoga
The last time I went to visit my mom, she asked me to show her some yoga moves because she wasn’t feeling too well. Once we got down to the floor, I asked her to take a few full, deep
6 Ways to Customize a Yoga Pose
The other night when I was cooking dinner, I had an epiphanette (a tiny epiphany). As usual, even though I had a recipe in front of me, the actual way I was making it was different in several ways from
Accessible is Advanced: Yoga as a Universal Practice
Anyone who wants to can practice yoga. Anybody can breathe; therefore anybody can practice yoga. But no one can practice every kind of yoga. It has to be the right yoga for the person. ––––T.K.V. Desikachar. The idea that each
Autumn Wellness Boost: Squash and Apple Soup
Ta da! … squash and apple soup! Winter squash is the epitome of the autumn harvest. Round, oblong, green, orange, variegated—hardy winter squash are abundant right now. They’re absolutely gorgeous and hard to resist because they last so long in