Yoga Pose Primer: Balancing Effort and Ease with Crow Pose
Much success and well-being in life depends upon finding balance—the “happy medium,” the “sweet spot” between extremes. For instance, consider balancing personal and career endeavors (“work/life balance”). Giving the right amount of time and attention to both areas of life
Yoga Balance for the Spine: What’s the Best Counterpose for Backbends
A yoga teacher recently messaged me, saying, “I had someone tell me that I was wrong to put my students in Reclined Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana) after backbending and that I should be putting them in ‘knees to
The Fire Element: Enlighten Up!
Fire is the element that governs transformation. It affects metabolism and the flow of energy supporting our ability to rest, work or play. It also sparks changes in how we think about and express our authenticity. We embody these ideas
Supported Shoulderstand: Yoga Inversion Practice for Almost Everybody
One of my most influential teachers, Aadil Palkhivala, once said, “Practicing yoga without including an inversion is like trying to make lemonade without lemons.” For those students who have mastered some version of Shoulderstand and/or Sirsasana (Headstand Pose) as a
Yoga Pose Primer: Sphinx Pose Tutorial (Salamba Bhujangasana)
Sphinx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana) is a seemingly simple yoga pose, but there are many important points of alignment in this posture, which many people miss. These points are important, however, because they help prepare your body for more challenging yoga backbends.
How Healthy Is Your Nervous System: Polyvagal Theory Made Simple
Looking for ways to help reduce anxiety, stress, and negative reactions to life’s adversities? Ways to improve your nervous system health? Of course! We all go through periods in life where we wish we had a magic wand to ease
Working with the Fascial Network: The Art of Self-Myofascial Release
Self-myofascial release is a technique that has been around for more than 50 years, but it has recently come to prominence in large part due to the growing recognition of the importance of the fascia - the connective tissue of
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. Improved vagal tone results in better prognoses in people
The Telomere Effect: Taking Charge of Your Cellular Aging
I just finished reading The Telomere Effect by Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn and Dr. Elissa Epel, and it was enlightening. The authors’ discoveries about how telomeres (the end caps on our chromosomes) affect cellular aging constitute a significant advancement in our
Interoceptive Awareness and the Continuum of Embodiment - Creating Mindfulness in the Body
What does it mean to be embodied? And doesn’t yoga already take care of that? When we take a closer look, the answer might surprise us. Think of embodiment on a continuum. On one end, we have exteroception, in the
Extending Your Lifespan: 10 Recommendations For Longevity with David Sinclair
Is aging optional? In his bestselling book, Lifespan, Author David Sinclair challenges the prevailing narrative of aging, and urges us to reconsider our perception of aging and mortality. Based on cutting-edge scientific research into the factors that affect aging, even down
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Yoga Sequence to Soothe Sore Wrists
There might not be any body parts that we consciously use more than the hands, wrists, and arms. That can make Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)—to put it bluntly—a real drag. In short, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome causes pain, numbness, tingling, and
6 Yogic Tips to Help Boost Immunity
The coronavirus has changed our lives, at least for the time being. People are understandably worried, and caution is justified. Grocery stores and pharmacies are the last bastions of in-person social interactions at the moment. And the internet has become
Online Yoga Tutorial: Power Up Your Warrior II - Virabhadrasana II
In this free online yoga tutorial, learn tips for how to lengthen the side body in Warrior II Pose (Virabhadrasana II) to increase the space between the ribcage and the pelvis, and make more room for the diaphragm and the
What is Nutation and How Can It Help Our Forward Bends? Part 1
Many moons ago I had the privilege of spending an extended period studying yoga at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India. During my time there I made it a point to watch Yogacharya Iyengar practice whenever possible.