Let’s Rethink Yoga Class Levels: What Are Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Yoga Classes Anyway?
I was visiting another yoga teacher trainer who lived out of state so we could work on a project together. One morning, he suggested that we take a class. He had a friend who kept inviting him to her class,
How to Release Neck and Shoulder Tension
Neck and shoulder tension is one of the most common issues I hear about from students. Between the stress we experience in our daily lives and the repetitive activities that most of us do every day, it’s difficult to avoid
Gluteus Medius: Improve Your Balance In Tree Pose and Beyond
Many yoga students, including me, struggle with standing balancing poses like Tree Pose (Vrksasana). In this post, we’ll look at the gluteus medius, the primary muscle that stabilizes your pelvis when you’re standing on one leg. Understanding how your gluteus
Shoulders Away from Ears in Down Dog? How to Organize Your Shoulders in Dog Pose
Should you relax your shoulders away from your ears in Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)? This is a very common cue. And there are some good reasons why we hear it so often. We’ll discuss these below. But
Yoga for Arthritis: Study Shows Yoga Reduces Arthritis Pain and Improves Well-being
Discomfort while walking. Pain in your hip, neck, or other joint area that wakes you up at night. Morning stiffness that can take over an hour to subside. These experiences are all-too-familiar for the one in five Americans who suffer from
3 Tips for a Stable Warrior III: Using a Wall in Your Yoga Practice
Warrior III is one of those yoga poses that confers numerous benefits. It strengthens your hips, core and back muscles, it enhances balance and builds neuromuscular integration. So, what's not to like? Unfortunately, for most students a well-aligned Warrior III
Take Your Yoga Outside! Increase Your Serotonin and Melatonin Levels
Humans evolved living outdoors, exposed to bright natural light during the day and total darkness at night. The systems of our body rely on natural light to keep us healthy—our eyes and skin actually need to be exposed to daylight
Yoga for Depression - What Does the Research Say?
A New Meta-Analysis Offers Convincing Evidence for the Effectiveness of Yoga for Major Depressive Disorder Depression is a debilitating mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It is a leading cause of disability and places a tremendous burden
Yoga’s Energy Centers: What Science Says About the Chakras
If you practice a yogic lifestyle in the West, you most likely have been exposed to a myriad of products advertised to “balance your chakras.” From essential oil blends to fist-sized crystals to polished rocks, many of these products are
Biotensegrity: Structural Stability and Ease
“Feeling held versus holding the body upright” is how I would describe a felt sense of tensional integrity. Where standing or walking feels effortless. There is little or no strain, and there is no need to engage the core, align
What Is True Self-Care?
A while back, I published a post outlining some simple self-care strategies. The article outlined the reasons we experience stress and concluded with a list of suggested self-care practices. These are good techniques and positive ways to manage stress, but,
There's No Such Thing As Being Bad at Yoga
Have you ever worried that you’re bad at yoga? Have you heard other students complain that no matter how hard they try, they just can’t get “good” at it? As a teacher, I’ve heard this time and time again, and
Wake Up Your Arms: 3 Ways to Bring Awareness to your Arms in Yoga’s Standing Poses
Standing poses in yoga indubitably favor the lower body. In teaching standing poses, most of the cueing points to what you are doing or feeling in the lower body. However, regardless of what poses you are practicing, the entire body
Explore the Many Faces of Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
Like all yoga poses, Triangle Pose has many (possibly endless!) variations, and yoga teachers are constantly inventing new ways to not only make this pose fit all types of bodies but to help teach all of the actions (and therefore
Setting Intentions: 5 Tips for Creating a Powerful Sankalpa in Yoga Nidra
Creating a Sankalpa, or intention, is a fundamental principle for offering your practice to something larger than yourself and moving your life in the direction of manifesting your intention. However, creating a powerful intention can be one of the most