Refine Your Yoga Practice: 5 Easy Fixes for Malasana
If Malasana (Garland Pose) is not part of your regular practice, there are several compelling reasons to add it. Regular squatting practice benefits include opening the hips and groin, stretching the ankles, hamstrings, and back, giving a little boost to
Yoga for Arthritis - 8 Tips to Help Relieve Symptoms and Stay Active
After years of teaching high-impact aerobics, I found myself in the office of an orthopedic surgeon discussing knee surgery. I was frustrated and scared and told my doctor it wasn’t fair because I’d always been active and exercised. “Well, dear,
An Ayurvedic Drink for Better Sleep
Ayurveda is an ancient wisdom that originated in India. It is a beautiful science that focuses on various aspects of an individual when considering their health. Some of these aspects are sex, sleep, and digestion! I absolutely love it, so
Controversial Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose): Is it Necessary to Lengthen Both Sides of the Torso?
As yoga teachers, we know that the way we move in and out of the pose is just as important as what we do while holding the pose. This couldn’t be truer for Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose). The way
Looking for Ways to Cope with Anxiety? How Yoga May Help
In today’s increasingly complex world, stress in all facets of life have overtaken contentment and happiness, resulting in a myriad of health issues, all of which have alienated us from our own true selves. While the use of prescribed and
Understanding Heart Rate Variability: What It Is, Why It’s Important, And How To Improve It
Maybe you’ve heard the term heart rate variability (HRV), but do you know what it means regarding your health? It’s not something most people paid attention to until smartwatches made it easier to track. It turns out heart rate variability
Preventing Chronic Disease: Yoga May Alter Gene Expression Linked to Inflammation
Chronic stress, and the resulting inflammatory response, is a known cause of numerous illnesses. Although yoga is found to reduce stress and increase wellbeing, we know little about the molecular mechanisms mediating these effects. Interestingly, increasingly research suggests that one
Lateral Love: A Gentle Yin Yoga Sequence to Lengthen the Side Body
Yin yoga can be magical. As it works to elongate your connective tissues, it can create space in places you likely didn’t even realize were constricted. Personally, one of those tight-but-I-didn’t-know-it places was my side body. A great deal of
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
Yoga Poses Improves Both Balance and Cognitive Perfomance, Study Suggests
The loss of balance control presents a major risk for falls and fractures for aging adults. Poor balance control can be attributed to a loss of core strength and muscle mass. A decline in neuromuscular integration, the brain’s ability to
How to Sequence a Chair Yoga Class
One of my older yoga students gets mildly irritated every time she hears a yoga teacher say: “Listen to your body and don’t do anything that doesn’t feel right.” She says, “My body tells me to stop moving and go
Judith Hanson Lasater on The Art of Yoga: Making Every Movement an Asana
Judith Hanson Lasater is one of the longest-teaching yoga teachers in the U.S. In this interview, she reflects on how yoga teaching has changed over the years and shares her insights into what is the true essence of practicing yoga
Finding Your Radiance in Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)
Are you looking to explore the strength, balance and radiance of Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)? Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you there. Half Moon Pose (ardha = half, chandra = moon asana = pose) is an energetically expansive
Dr. Arielle Schwartz: Breathing and the Vagus Nerve - Which Is the Right Way To Breathe?
Our bodies reflect our relationship to stress. When under duress, your sympathetic nervous system kicks into gear, which can lead you to breathe with quick, forceful inhalations into your upper chest. This breathing pattern prepares you to flee or fight
How Yoga Can Help Build Functional Core Strength
Julie Gudmestad is a long-term Iyengar Yoga teacher and founder of Gudmestad Yoga in Portland, Oregon. She is a licensed physical therapist and widely known for her Anatomy of a Yogi column that she wrote for Yoga Journal for nearly