Research Studies Document Benefits of Yoga for Depression
Each year, 17 million people, or 7 percent of American adults, experience at least one major depressive episode of two weeks duration or longer. Depression is also a common additional symptom of several other mental health problems. Major depressive disorder
Strengthen Your Bridge Pose with a Yoga Sandbag
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana) is one of yoga’s most versatile poses. When I studied with B.K.S. Iyengar in India, variations of Bridge Pose were a go-to. For those of us who accidentally ingested parasites, Supported Bridge Pose was therapeutic. Setu
Peak Yoga Pose: A Sequence to Illuminate your Ardha Chandrasana
Nothing lights up the room better than a bright Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose). Before embarking on this celestial journey, one should ask, how do you get the room to illuminate if the half-moon seems more like a shooting star?
How Exercise Might Help Brain and Nervous System Health
“The research shows that using the legs, particularly in weight-bearing exercise, sends signals to the brain that are vital for the production of healthy neural cells, essential for the brain and nervous system. Cutting back on exercise makes it difficult
Strengthen Your Core with Yoga Balance Poses
Core strength and balance go hand-in-hand. When the “core” muscles around the trunk are strong, they prevent chronic lower back pain and many other injuries. They also keep you from losing your balance and falling down. A strong core helps
15 Natural Remedies For A Good Night's Sleep
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, about 30 percent of adults experience some form of insomnia. Some have trouble getting to sleep in the first place, while others wake up a few hours after retiring and can’t get
When Stretching Hurts: The Science of Connective Tissue
Whether you’re a yogi, runner, body builder, corporate CEO or aging baby boomer, there’s growing evidence that stretching offers numerous benefits for optimal health and performance. Regular stretching increases and maintains a healthy range of motion, it improves posture and
What Your Body Tells You Can Protect You From Stress, Study Suggests
Interoception refers to the capacity to accurately detect and interpret bodily cues. Some of these cues are obvious, such as when you accidentally touch a hot surface. But interoception also involves being aware of the body’s more subtle signals. Research
Beyond Endorphins and the Runner's High: Where Does Yoga Fit In?
I don’t know about you, but I love to have my understanding of some aspects of being human challenged or expanded by the newest discoveries and research. If you are like me, you have long heard that one reason we
Yoga and Brain Health: How Yoga May Help Curb Risk Factors for Dementia
Watching the slow decline of someone with dementia or Alzheimer's is heartbreaking. Unlike a sudden death, you lose the person gradually as their memories fade and their mind becomes confused. As if the loss wasn’t enough, caring for someone with
What Your Savasana Can Tell You
I’ve heard it many times and said it many times: “Savasana is the most important yoga pose. All the other poses we do in our asana practice prepare us for Savasana.” For most yoga students, this is good news. For
Joy as a Spiritual Practice: 3 Ways to Fill Your Joy Tank
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. – Thich Nhat Hanh The word “joy” has more than one definition and is open to a wide variety of
6 Yoga Poses for Dead Butt Syndrome
The tech age has brought with it several well-known maladies, including Text Neck and Text Claw. But I found out only recently about yet another physical byproduct of too much desk sitting with a rather dramatic name: Dead Butt Syndrome.
Space Element: Vibrating Life
Star Trek fans (myself included) consider space to be the final frontier. But is it? According to yoga philosophy, the space element is a manifestation of a mysterious substance called ether. Science defines space as a boundless substance in which
Can Yoga Help Curb Chronic Inflammation? What the Research Says
Ever experienced an unexplained excruciating pain in the joints, ankles, or knees that lasted for some time and then subsided? Or, for some of us who do yoga regularly, we may have experienced pain, burning, numbness, or tingling in the