7 Ways to Practice Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) is probably the most ubiquitous pose in the yogic repertoire. In countless styles and traditions of the practice, Downward Facing Dog Pose is used as a neutralizer, resting pose, or as a foundational
3 Ways to Make Your Yoga Practice Your Own
Knowledgeable, attuned teachers tell us to “make your practice your own.” Yet have you ever heard that and thought, but how? Being able to adjust our practice to our unique needs is a skill, just as much as is practicing
Yoga for Your Wrists: Wrist Flossing
Yesterday I read a brief article in The New York Times titled “3 Ways to Relieve Work-From-Home Pains.” In the article, A.C. Shilton recommended some wrist stretches— yoga for your wrists — for people who have been working at home
Manage Stress with Yoga for Fertility
The World Health Organization’s World Report on Disabilities ranked infertility as the fifth largest serious global disability. In the industrialized world, infertility affects 10 to 15 percent of couples and individuals trying to conceive. That number is on the rise.
6 Reasons to Practice Yoga to Relieve Arthritis Pain
“I hurt all the time,” said one of my students. “But after yoga class, I feel so much better.” This is a typical response from my students with arthritis. Does this surprise you? While arthritis is a painful, inflammatory condition
Conscious Breathing and the Vagus Nerve
Our bodies reflect our relationship to stress. When under duress, your sympathetic nervous system kicks into gear, which can lead you to breathe with quick, forceful inhalations into your upper chest. This breathing pattern prepares you to flee or fight
Stress and Fertility: How Yoga for Infertility Can Help
The fact that infertility is a major emotional crisis isn’t news to anyone on this journey. A study conducted by Harvard University showed that infertility produced the same levels of anxiety and depression as patients diagnosed with cancer, hypertension, and
Yoga Research: Mindfulness and Athletic Performance
When it comes to playing sports, the mental game is as, if not more, important than the physical one. And plenty of research has shown that mindfulness and athletic performance are inextricably linked—in a good way. In order to perform
Yoga is Not Just Stretching
We’ve all heard the cliché that yoga is “just stretching.” But anyone who has taken a few yoga classes knows better. All you have to do is try holding Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) for a couple of minutes.
The Neurological Basis for Hand Mudras
Mudras are specific hand gestures that are meant to have symbolic, energetic, and healing qualities. I like to start my day by holding a deck of mudra cards in my hands, closing my eyes, taking several deep breaths, and asking
Teaching Yoga: Replenishing Your Energy
In the past two weeks, the pile of unopened mail in my kitchen has grown taller and more unruly. Every so often, I try to neaten its edges, but I have done nothing to reduce its size. It’s not that
Hidden Racism: Social Injustice in the Food Industry
Why have a disproportionate burden, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 fallen on African-American and Hispanic populations? Perhaps it is that these communities often live in food deserts and food swamps. They often survive on Supplement Nutrition Assistance Plan (SNAP or
Live Longer: Eat a High-Fiber Diet
The media is full of mixed messages about nutrition, and it can become very confusing. One area that has been portrayed especially poorly in recent years is carbohydrate intake. Many popular diets have advocated a very low consumption of carbohydrates,
Yoga—A Different Kind of Luxury
My 17-year-old wants a Tesla. He shows me different models and their latest features. He talks about how it can pick me up at the grocery store curb. He tells me about the computer, the self-driving, the automatic updates, the
The Practice of Rooting in Yoga
Lynwood L. Giocomini said, “Like a gardener, I believe what goes down must come up.” A gardener may believe that what goes down must come up, but a yogi believes that what goes down, and how decisively it goes down,