With the popularity of abdominal strengthening exercises like curl-ups and crunches, many people come to yoga with overly tight and short abdominals. Tightness in the abdominal muscles can restrict the movement of the diaphragm and disturb the proper balance between the different muscles involved in breathing, thus disturbing the breath’s natural rhythm. When the diaphragm … Continued
Central to the teachings of yoga is the concept of “Prana,” the universal life force that is the origin of and animates all living things, also known as “Maha Prana” or great prana. In the human body, Prana is the underlying intelligence that coordinates all functions of the body. This universal vital force is expressed … Continued
Digestive health is considered a key to the prevention of disease in Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of natural health. According to this system, sluggish digestion results in the accumulation of toxins in the body. This, it is further theorized, in turn affects our energy and well-being, and in the long term, forms the foundation … Continued
Core strengthening has been a health and fitness buzzword for years, but there is a lot of confusion about what it actually is. True core strengthening has little to do with building a “ripped” or “shredded” six-pack, rather, it is a full-body integration that enables us to strengthen and access the entirety of the core’s … Continued
The ability to be still and enjoy life is a sacred, sacred thing, but we spend much of our lives absorbed in the bustling busyness of day-to-day existence. Life flies by while we are busy pursuing goals we think we must meet before we can really begin to enjoy life. As we reach our prime … Continued
Yoga is more popular than ever, but as yoga has become a household word, has it also become a mile wide and an inch deep? Are we missing out on the essence of yoga, even as the practice has become a household word? What can we do to capture the deepest aspects of yoga and … Continued
As baby boomers reach 50 and beyond, they are increasingly looking for ways to retain energy and vitality in the second half of life. Yoga offers a unique way to slow aging, restore well-being and vitality, deal with the changes of the maturing years, and even bring greater peace to mind and body. Yoga can … Continued
The yogic action of Jalandhara Bandha, while it is designed for the practice of breath retention during pranayama, contains vital insights into the subtleties of how we hold our head, and how that in turn affects our breathing, muscle tone, and even the functioning of our nervous system. How we hold our head isn’t just … Continued
The original texts of hatha yoga cite the bandhas as being crucial to having a fruitful yoga practice. The bandhas are simple yet powerful muscular actions in the area of the pelvic floor (mula bandha), lower abdominals (uddiyana bandha), head, neck and shoulders (jalandhara bandha). Their original significance centered around pranayama and the movement of … Continued
With 76.4 million boomers entering the last half of their lives, healthy aging is becoming an increasingly popular buzz word. But when we talk about healthy aging and how yoga helps perhaps facilitate a more healthy aging process, we usually only think in terms of about preventing aches and pains and prolonging the years we … Continued
Our yoga practice offers a path to draw awareness inside and bring attention into the subtle movement in the body and the sound of the vibration of the subtle body. This is also referred to as Pratyahara, the Fifth Limb of yoga. Pratyahara is the softening of sensory awareness and is foundational to working with the … Continued
Join Tom Myers, author of Anatomy Trains, for an online course that will give you new insights into the interconnectedness of the body as it relates to your yoga practice. While traditional anatomy is static, Anatomy Trains shows you the body as an interconnected whole. We do not move via individual muscles as traditional anatomy has it, … Continued