Decompress in Supported Bridge Pose
Sometimes it can be a struggle to step onto your yoga mat. This is especially true if you practice in the evening. After a challenging day, it’s sometimes hard to justify practicing a bunch of sweaty vinyasas. But the good
Yoga for Lower Back Pain: Relieve Discomfort and Restore Mobility
Can yoga help with lower back pain? If you or a loved one have experienced this incredibly common condition, you know just how painful it can be. This widespread problem can severely impact daily activities, but regular yoga for lower
Flexibility and Mobility: Why They Matter As We Age
People often come to yoga because they want more flexibility. Of course, I’ve also had people tell me that it’s their lack of flexibility that prevents them from trying yoga. Although flexibility is one of its many benefits, yoga also
Yoga for Wrist Pain: How to Stretch, Strengthen and Protect Your Wrists
Do your wrists hurt during yoga? Or maybe you notice after a yoga class that your wrists feel strained or sore. Wrist pain is a common issue among yoga practitioners. There’s probably very little that you do in your daily
Free Yoga Video: Breathing for Pelvic Floor Health: Two Practices to Deepen Your Breath
"Our breath, like our heartbeat, is the most reliable rhythm in our lives. When we become attuned to this constant rhythm, our breath can gradually teach us to come back to the original silence of the mind." ~Donna Farhi Breathing
Yoga 2.0: Align and Refine Pyramid Pose and Revolved Triangle Pose
Pyramid Pose (also known as Intense Side Stretch or Parsvottanasana) is a strong standing pose that lengthens the entire posterior chain and the sides of the waistline. It’s very similar to Revolved Triangle Pose (Parivrtta Trikonasana), another strong standing posture
Trauma-Informed Yoga: 12 Keys to Teaching A Safe, Healing Class
Teaching trauma-informed yoga takes skill, heart, and patience. But approaching your teaching from this angle is one of the greatest gifts you can give your students. Why? Because everyone who shows up to the mat has experienced some level of trauma. The
Let’s Rethink Yoga Class Levels: What Are Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Yoga Classes Anyway?
I was visiting another yoga teacher trainer who lived out of state so we could work on a project together. One morning, he suggested that we take a class. He had a friend who kept inviting him to her class,
How to Release Neck and Shoulder Tension
Neck and shoulder tension is one of the most common issues I hear about from students. Between the stress we experience in our daily lives and the repetitive activities that most of us do every day, it’s difficult to avoid
Gluteus Medius: Improve Your Balance In Tree Pose and Beyond
Many yoga students, including me, struggle with standing balancing poses like Tree Pose (Vrksasana). In this post, we’ll look at the gluteus medius, the primary muscle that stabilizes your pelvis when you’re standing on one leg. Understanding how your gluteus
Shoulders Away from Ears in Down Dog? How to Organize Your Shoulders in Dog Pose
Should you relax your shoulders away from your ears in Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)? This is a very common cue. And there are some good reasons why we hear it so often. We’ll discuss these below. But
Yoga for Arthritis: Study Shows Yoga Reduces Arthritis Pain and Improves Well-being
Discomfort while walking. Pain in your hip, neck, or other joint area that wakes you up at night. Morning stiffness that can take over an hour to subside. These experiences are all-too-familiar for the one in five Americans who suffer from
3 Tips for a Stable Warrior III: Using a Wall in Your Yoga Practice
Warrior III is one of those yoga poses that confers numerous benefits. It strengthens your hips, core and back muscles, it enhances balance and builds neuromuscular integration. So, what's not to like? Unfortunately, for most students a well-aligned Warrior III
Take Your Yoga Outside! Increase Your Serotonin and Melatonin Levels
Humans evolved living outdoors, exposed to bright natural light during the day and total darkness at night. The systems of our body rely on natural light to keep us healthy—our eyes and skin actually need to be exposed to daylight
Yoga for Depression - What Does the Research Say?
A New Meta-Analysis Offers Convincing Evidence for the Effectiveness of Yoga for Major Depressive Disorder Depression is a debilitating mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It is a leading cause of disability and places a tremendous burden