Yoga for Osteoporosis: How Your Breathing Affects Your Bones
When we think about keeping our bones strong, most of us focus on getting enough calcium, taking vitamin D, or doing weight-bearing exercises. But there's another crucial factor that's often overlooked: how well you breathe. Your body's ability to get
Uttanasana: Expand Your Breath
We practice yoga asanas (poses) to free the body so that it can more easily take in, let go of, and absorb the energy of the breath. In Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga, the practice of asana (i.e. the third
Yoga and Cancer: A Sequence to Help Alleviate Lymphedema
One of the most distressing side effects of cancer treatment is lymphedema. Lymphedema is a swelling of the extremities caused by damage to the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system and consists of nodes, vessels,
Open Your Heart and Free Your Mind in Bow Pose
Resembling the shape of an archer’s bow, Bow Pose (Dhanurasana), is a wonderful backbend that opens your heart and mind to the fullness of your potential. Bow Pose strengthens the back body (shoulders, back muscles, glutes and hamstrings), while opening
Free Online Yoga Video! Natasha Rizopoulos: Keys to Core Stability – Two Postures to Transform Your Practice
In yoga, we hear a lot about the core, and the importance of core strength. But what exactly is the core and what does it mean to cultivate core strength in a balanced way? In this yoga practice video, Natasha
Dr. Ray Long: How to Enhance Your Breathing Capacity During Yoga
I studied yoga for an extended period at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India. The Iyengars are true world experts in yogic breathing. During my time there, I was exposed to the great teachings of pranayama from
Calm and Ground with Forward Folds
If we mindfully approach forward folds in yoga, we can create experiences of these asanas as calming, grounding, and enjoyable. It can allow us to fold further and deeper. That’s not to do so for the sake of “touching our
The Broomstick Effect: The #1 Key to Perfecting Balancing Yoga Postures
Many years ago I read an article on balance in one of the yoga magazines and one visual that the author used had stuck with me. She talked about trying to achieve “broomstick effect” when it comes to aligning the
6 Vagus Nerve Exercises to Boost Your Well-being - Free Online Yoga Video
Did you know that activation of the vagus nerve in yoga keeps your immune system in check and releases an assortment of hormones and neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine and oxytocin? This results in reductions in inflammation, reduced allergies, relief from
Glute Amnesia: Yoga for Your Forgotten Rear
Are you forgetting about your backside? If you spend most of your day sitting, there’s a good chance that you are suffering from glute amnesia. The more you sit, the more you “forget” how to use your glutes! The glutes
Yoga Anatomy: Release the Internal Rotators for a Deeper Lotus Pose
Joint congruency and joint reaction forces are among the most important principles to understand for both practitioners and teachers because many poses can take the articulations to the limits of their range of motion. Take a moment to review this
A Daily Yoga Sequence for Pelvic Pain
Pelvic pain impacts so many people. In fact, the International Pelvic Pain Society estimates that over 25 million women suffer from chronic pelvic pain. While the number is generally lower in men, some studies estimate that around 1 in 10
Muscle TLC: How to Add Oomph to Your Yoga Practice with TheraBands
For over a year now, I have been integrating stretchy bands called TheraBands into my yoga practice and teaching. My wife and amazing yoga teacher, Melina Meza, turned me on to these useful props, and she started using them for
Yoga TLC for Your Feet: 10 Tips of a Strong Foundation
I can’t claim to have made healthy choices in all areas of my life throughout my history on the planet, but I can claim relative intelligence about one aspect of being in a body: I’ve always worn sensible shoes. I’ve
Is Magnesium Deficiency Contributing to Your Muscle Tension, Pain, or Fatigue?
Sometimes, despite all your efforts to release tension and relieve pain with pandiculation, you may get to a point where you feel like something else is going on. There may be some other factor besides learned muscular patterns that’s causing