Why did the ancient yogis consider the spine a sacred channel – a repository for the flow of Prana, or life force energy? And what are the implications for our approach to practice today? How can we best amplify the flow of life force energy in the body through our practice? In this online course … Continued
How do new insights into brain functioning cast light on ancient yogic teachings? And why was the spine considered so central to our health and well-being? Learn why the ancient yogis considered the health of the spine central to our vitality, well-being, and even longevity. In this course, Tias dives deep into how modern anatomy … Continued
Each day we must work our spine in order to keep it strong and supple. Given that there are 26 bones in the vertebral column and 48 interlocking joints, each of us must spend time mobilizing and stabilizing our spine. In this course you will learn the importance of balancing the spine and intervertebral spaces. You … Continued
Osteoarthritis affects 30 million adults in the USA, causing pain, severely restricted essential activities such as walking and other daily movement, and fear of exercise. Ironically, while arthritis tends to limit movement, movement is also the best antidote against arthritis – if it’s the right type of movement. Yoga enhances coordination and flexibility, the very … Continued
“Restorative yoga has been helpful for my patients with diverse conditions, such as back pain, neck pain, high blood pressure, asthma, migraine and tension headaches, stress-related diseases, chronic fatigue, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cancer.” – Mary Pullig Schatz, MD We work very hard in our lives, and while we may sleep, we rarely take time … Continued
The rotator cuff is an important but often overlooked part of the shoulder joint. While it’s essential to the proper functioning of the shoulders, it’s also extremely vulnerable to injuries and even tears. Unfortunately, because many yoga postures put great strain on the arms and shoulders, yoga practice can also cause or contribute to shoulder … Continued
Have you seen those beautiful, deep back bending postures in yoga publications, on Instagram and so on? They might seem like a “gold standard” when it comes to back bends; but in reality the effectiveness of your backbend has NOTHING to do with how far you can curve your spine. In fact, the deeper you … Continued
By now it’s become an article of faith that core stability is a key element in healthy asana practice and crucial to a happy lower back. But what is the core and how do we strengthen it? Too often classes with a core emphasis focus on the superficial musculature of the front body and end … Continued
Are you plagued by chronic aches or movement restrictions in your body that persist even with a good yoga practice? In addition to finding help through chiropractic, massage or physical therapy, you can help yourself with simple yet powerful techniques that you can do right at home. Myofascial release techniques are gaining popularity as a … Continued
“Our body is our most proximate, intimate, and useful tool – and yet we graduate from school knowing more about the principal exports of Chile than we do about our own selves south of the neck.” ~ Tom Myers As a culture, we have become disenfranchised from our body and the subtle somatic cues that … Continued
We all know that having a strong core is important. However, most people are not completely sure what the core is, nor how to best go about strengthening the core. And unfortunately, most approaches to core strengthening get it wrong and can even be counter-productive. For example, most people think of crunches when they hear … Continued
Motherhood is a rite of passage and yoga is an ideal method for carrying women through that rite of passage into the fourth trimester of postpartum. Yoga can help women embrace motherhood and their new identity, as well recover after giving birth. A woman’s body undergoes miraculous and enormous changes, a complete transformation, during pregnancy … Continued
Many students come to yoga with pronounced posture problems like forward head posture (or ‘text neck,’), which in turn cause alignment issues in numerous yoga postures. In this course, Julie Gudmestad focuses on one of the origins of this problem: Chronically protracted scapula positioning caused by muscle imbalances, including tight pecs, and weakness in the trapezius and rhomboids. … Continued
“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it…Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light. ~Brené Brown A popular bumper sticker notes, “Don’t believe everything you think.” As many wise visionaries have pointed out, … Continued
The pandemic has been a challenge for everyone, but in most families, the stressful and trauma-inducing events of the last few years have been disproportionately hard on women. Shouldering the burden of caring for their families on top of their other responsibilities, many women are running on empty with little time to take care of themselves … Continued
This 6 part series is all about intelligently and mindfully building and maintaining strength and stability combined with mobility throughout your entire body. Each class focuses on a different body part, from the rotator cuff of the shoulders to the hamstrings, hips, knees, feet, ankles, core, and more. These classes are designed to help you … Continued
The benefits of the core get a lot of attention in the yoga and movement worlds. But are we missing out on one of the key reasons why the core body is so important? Most of the attention focuses on the need to keep the core strong and toned. More advanced approaches to core work … Continued
While a bottle of wine can sit in a cellar for years improving with age, the same cannot be said of humans. In fact, a sedentary adult may experience as much as 30 to 40 percent loss of muscular strength as a result of reduced levels of muscle mass between the ages of 30 and … Continued
While a bottle of wine can sit in a cellar for years improving with age, the same cannot be said of humans. In fact, a sedentary adult may experience as much as 30 to 40 percent loss of muscular strength as a result of reduced levels of muscle mass between the ages of 30 and … Continued
Gender equality has come a long way since women first got their voting rights. Sadly, however, we still have far to go before women enjoy the same economic equality, financial security, and freedom of choice as their male counterparts. Women continue to be disproportionately affected by stressful and trauma-inducing events and life circumstances. In the … Continued