Finding Your Way to Seated Compass Pose (Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana)
Seated Compass Pose (Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana) is a simultaneously grounding and expansive yoga posture. Also called Sundial Pose (Parivrtta = revolved, Surya = sun, Yantra = instrument) this asana confers powerful energetic effects. Rich in symbolism, the pose uses the body as an instrument
A Stitch in Time: Unlocking Your Aging Superpowers Through Yoga
The old adage "a stitch in time saves nine" takes on profound new meaning when we consider new research on the remarkable self-regenerating capacity of the human body. Particularly when it comes to aging, emerging research reveals that we have
Stretch and Strengthen: Yoga for Pelvic Floor Health
The best yoga poses for the pelvic floor actually depend upon what your pelvic floor needs. Sure, a strong pelvic floor is essential for many reasons, but did you know you need to be able to relax the pelvic floor
A Beginner’s Guide to Downward Facing Dog Pose
Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) is one of the most common asanas in yoga. For beginning yoga students, proper form for Downward Dog Pose can be challenging initially, but over time, as one's practice advances, it often turns
Yoga Can Be Helpful in Reducing Chronic Pain and Depression - Including Online Yoga Classes Studies Show
A growing body of research has shown that yoga and meditation can benefit patients with chronic pain and depression. Does this transfer to online yoga? According to one study, that appears to be the case. The Challenges of Living with
Tom Myers: Change the Body to Change the Mind - Dynamics of Transformation in the Light of New Fascia Research
The medicine of the future will have to focus on healing the epidemic of lifestyle-related diseases by changing behavior, says Tom Myers, author of Anatomy Trains, in this interview. Yoga, bodywork, and other therapies that tap into the transformative potential
Engage Your Body, Mind and Senses for a More Mindful Yoga Practice
Sometimes what’s going on in the world or in your life is just too much and you need some time out. But if your mind is racing or you have a lot of pent-up energy, relaxing, even with yoga, might
Invert Safely: Healthy Alternatives to Traditional Yoga Inversions
Inversions are powerful poses that bring the head below the heart and often require bearing weight through the hands and shoulders. Active inversions include poses like Handstand Pose (Adho Mukha Vrksasana), Forearm Stand Pose (Pincha Mayurasana), Shoulderstand Pose (Salamba Sarvangasana),
Is Your Yoga Practice Rewriting Your DNA? The Science of Longterm Transformation
When you roll out your yoga mat and begin to breathe more deeply, settling into your practice, something extraordinary begins happening inside every cell of your body. While you're focused on the finer mechanics of practice, breath, and presence, your
Yoga and Your Reticular Activating System
In my most recent post on Empress Pose, I mentioned that when we bring the chin toward the chest, we deactivate the reticular activating system (RAS). Many of you were probably wondering what the reticular activating system is. So I thought
Yoga Anatomy Language: Part 2
In a previous article, we reviewed the starting point of anatomy with anatomical position. If you missed it, you can read Yoga Anatomy Language: Part I here. From here we can move on to naming some major movements. In this
Dr. Ray Long: Yoga Anatomy: Two Steps to a Healthier Side Forearm Plank
Side Plank Pose (Vasisthasana) offers numerous benefits, but it is a physically very challenging pose. However, even practiced in small doses, it can strengthen your core. If you are one of the many people who struggle with hands, wrists and
A Blueprint for Learning Anatomy for Yoga Teaching
When budding yoga teachers try to learn anatomy as part of their training, often what they experience is a feeling of overwhelm. Even for those that have a background in science, applying anatomy for yoga is a unique exercise, one
The Best Kind of Happiness
The year was 2005, and I was lying in the warmth of summer on a yoga mat in the lush green lawn outside Kripalu Yoga Center. I had gone there to escape the confusion and upheaval of a pending divorce.
Help from Your Hyoid: Stabilize Your Core in Chaturanga Dandasana
What's an eight-syllable Sanskrit name that, when spoken by a yoga teacher, elicits fear (or at least, a groan) in roughly half the population that practices yoga? The same phrase evokes a feeling of invincible awesomeness in many others. The