Can Simple Stretching Help Fight Cancer? The Groundbreaking Research of Dr. Helene Langevin
A Scientist Who Sees the Whole Body What if one of the most powerful tools against cancer were something you already do in your yoga practice? Dr. Helene Langevin is a physician-scientist whose career has been shaped by a single,
Sankalpa, Visualization, and Yoga: The Diaphragm-Psoas Connection
In yoga practice, the Sanskrit word sankalpa means “resolution” or “intention,” usually in association with the practice of Yoga Nidra. According to Swami Satyananda Saraswati, “sankalpa has the potential to release tremendous power by clearly defining and focusing on a
Donna Farhi: Keys to Pain-free Living - The Importance of a Balanced Core Cylinder
Donna Farhi is an internationally renowned yoga instructor, leading countless intensives and teacher training programs. She is the author of The Breathing Book, Yoga Mind, Body, and Spirit: A Return to Wholeness, as well as Bringing Yoga to Life: The Everyday
The Fourth Niyama: Svadhyaya - Self-Study
The fourth of the niyamas (personal observances) from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is svadhyaya. In Sanskrit, sva means “self;” dhyaya translates as contemplating, meditating on or reflecting upon. Svadhyaya therefore can be translated as self-reflection, self-contemplation or the study of oneself.
Shoulder Biomechanics, Part 2: The Infraspinatus and Teres Minor Muscles
Welcome to the second of our series on the shoulder joint in yoga. The first article in the series discussed the subscapularis muscle, the main shoulder internal rotator. Now we’re on to the antagonist muscles of the subscapularis, the infraspinatus
Half-Hero Pose: Television Yoga for Tight Quads
One of the most fruitful areas for a new yoga practitioner to explore is television yoga. It’s not a formal practice. You don’t have to wear special clothes, roll out a mat or light a candle. And if you watch
What Makes an Effective Yoga Teacher?
Yoga instructors, let’s take a moment for honest self-study (svadhyaya). Do you teach yoga, or are you solely leading poses? What distinguishes yoga instructors from fitness instructors? How do yoga classes and fitness classes differ? What makes an effective yoga
Love your Back With This Spine-Focused Yin Yoga Sequence
In our typical day-to-day lives, our spines do a lot, and usually, we aren’t even aware of the amount of stress that we put on these tissues. The spine is an ingeniously designed shock-absorbing structure and a column of strength
Practice Figure 4 Cross-Legged Hip Stretch at the Wall
At first glance, it may not look as though the wall is useful in a Figure 4 Stretch (Supta Kapotasana). Yet it potentially offers good leverage and resistance to venture deeper into the realm of mobility and flow in your
Upward Plank Pose: Wrist-Saving Variations
With my long neck and a body that prefers curling up into a fetal position, the Upward Plank Pose (Purvottanasana) has always been a challenging pose for me. But I’ve also found over the years that the more challenging poses
A Relaxing Yin Yoga Sequence at the Wall
Yoga at the Wall is a special type of practice that utilizes a wall for support and comfort. And there are few practices better than a high-quality wall yin yoga sequence. Yin yoga is the perfect practice to take to
New Research Suggests that Stretching May Reduce Cancer
Although the research on what constitutes the best form of stretching is all over the place, most experts would agree that good/normal ranges of motion in all anatomical areas are important. So it shouldn’t come as a shock that we
How to Help Students Set Goals in Yoga
When we work with yoga students one-on-one, we always begin by identifying each student’s unique needs. The first question we always ask our new yoga students is, “What do you hope to get out of this?” Helping students articulate their
Upside-Down Yoga: The Many Benefits of Inversions
When you are standing upright, you are subject to gravity. This is probably not a surprise. But what most people don’t think about is that the blood and organs in your body are also subject to gravity. Although our bodies
Yoga Anatomy: 4 Steps to Facilitated Shoulder Stretching in Gomukhasana
Today’s post illustrates some of the shoulder biomechanics in Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose) and some simple steps that can help to increase the range of motion of the lower-side arm through a facilitated stretch of the shoulder external rotators. Please