Navasana: 3 Variations for Practicing Boat Pose in Yoga
We’ve all heard that strong abdominal muscles support a healthy lower back and that yoga poses build “core” strength. But, although Navasana (Boat Pose) is categorized as an abdominal pose, like all yoga asanas, on a purely physical level, Navasana
How to Make Your Forward Bends Comfortable and Soothing
I have always known that yoga’s seated forward bends are considered quieting poses, but it wasn’t until I interviewed Shari Ser about baroreceptors several years ago that I discovered that forward bends are quieting for the same reason that inverted poses are
5 Yoga Tips for A More Enjoyable Lizard Pose
We are all very unique and different - straight down to our bones. So alignment in yoga needs to be adjusted and adapted to fit our individual needs. We often strive for aesthetic, picture-perfect postures in our yoga practices, but
Tom Myers - Fascia as a System of Biomechanical Auto-Regulation
I am so over the word ‘fascia.’ I have touted it for 40 years – I was even called the ‘Father of Fascia’ the other day in New York (it was meant kindly, but…) — now that ‘fascia’ has become
Improve Your Posture: Yoga on a Ball
According to Webster’s 1913 Dictionary, the word combat means, “To struggle or contend, as with an opposing force; to fight with; to oppose by force, argument, etc; to resist; a contest of violence; a struggle for supremacy.” When you see
8 Dos and Don'ts When Teaching Yoga to Beginners
When it comes to teaching yoga to beginners, there are a few dos and don’ts that can help your students feel welcome and feel like they belong. If you remember your first yoga class, it was a pretty intimidating experience.
Popping Joints In Yoga Practice? Here’s What It Means
Has the sound of popping joints ever surprised you when you move? You may wonder if anyone else can hear it. Cracking and popping joints, even sounds like grinding, can be disconcerting. Don’t worry! These sounds don’t mean your body’s
Yoga for Posture Improvement: Hyperkyphosis Carries Similar Risks as Osteoporosis, Research Finds
Suppose you're over 40 or spend a lot of time hunched over your cell phone or computer. In that case, chances are that your posture is starting to look increasingly like the person in the image above, and you may
Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Pain: Healing the Mid-Back Core
Are neck and shoulder pain the new back pain? Neck pain is now the fourth leading cause of years lost to disability, according to a 2010 study by The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. We spend hours a day
Yoga for Pelvic Floor Disorders - Studies Suggest Yoga Can Help Prevent Incontinence
Pelvic floor disorders are surprisingly common. After the age of 55, issues like incontinence, prolapse and pelvic pain become increasingly prevalent, and by age 80, one out of two women will have experienced some form of pelvic floor disorder. Two
Food Story: How to Eat Like a Yogi
Elise Museles is a certified eating psychology and nutrition expert, creator of the Food Story Method and platform, and host of the popular podcast “Once Upon a Food Story.” We recently spoke with Elise about her recent book Food Story:
The Yoga Sutras and Neuroscience: Exploring Connections
Of all the traditional yogic texts, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is my all-time favorite. It gets often mentioned in the yoga world in connection with yamas (moral precepts), niyamas (daily practices), and the eight limbs of yoga, but, to be completely
Experts Agree Yoga Is Great for Your Brain: A Review of the Scientific Evidence
Although we’ve long known that cardiovascular exercise improves brain health and stimulates the growth of new neurons, we’ve known less about how yoga affects the brain. Now, a review of the research suggests that yoga may enhance many of the
Utkatasana: Use Yoga Props to Stabilize and Energize Fierce Pose
Flexible people tend to self-select for yoga. Of course, anyone with any body type can benefit from yoga practice. But those of us who were born with flexible bodies gravitate to the practice because asanas that highlight hypermobility—which make up
Yoga Anatomy: 3 Easy Steps to Hamstring Health
Hamstring soreness is one of the more common problems encountered when teaching and practicing yoga. Typically, the pain is present during forward bends such as Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend Pose) or Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend Pose) and is located in