Mounting Research Evidence Shows that Yoga Can Help Ease Symptoms of 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
Closing Down the On-Ramp to Alzheimer's
Uncle Chuck was a gem. A big, warm-hearted, generous man, he’d been through a lot—including developing a nasty case of PTSD from the Vietnam War. He worked hard to overcome his trauma and became an even stronger, more compassionate person.
Yoga and the Vagus Nerve
The vagus nerve is the longest of 12 cranial nerves in the autonomic nervous system. The word vagus in Latin means “wanderer,” aptly named because the vagus nerve spans from the brainstem to the colon with branches that innervate the heart, lungs, liver, spleen,
Can We Control How We Age? Study Suggests Yoga Practice Can Help Alleviate “Dowager’s Hump”
Can we control how we age? Look in the mirror, and the answer seems to be “yes and no.” We are bound to look older. There’s no choice when it comes to wrinkles, saggy jaw lines, drooping eyelids, or the
Create Mobility in the Upper Body With Puppy Pose Yoga 2.0
Puppy Pose, also known as Uttana Shishosana or sometimes called Anahatasana, is a great release for the latissimus dorsi, posterior deltoids, pectorals, triceps, abdominal muscles, and more. It’s somewhat of a cross between Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
How Yoga Can Help Ease Mood Swings, Anxiety and Depression - An Interview with Linda Sparrowe
Linda Sparrowe is a renowned yoga instructor and co-author with Patricia Walden of “The Woman’s Book of Yoga and Health: A Lifelong Guide to Wellness.” Linda was managing editor of Yoga Journal for numerous years and currently leads workshops for
Yoga for Balance Training: Why Static Poses Don't Cut It
“Last weekend, at a yard sale, I was carrying a box and tripped. Not only did I keep my balance and not fall, but I didn’t even drop the box. This wouldn’t have happened six months ago. I know my
Free Yoga Video! Yoga for Cancer Survivors: Keys to Improving Wellbeing
As detection and treatment modalities improve, more and more people are surviving cancer or living with it long-term. Over 16 million Americans currently live with the aftermaths of cancer, while an estimated additional 373,000 people will be cancer survivors by
Video With Dr. Robert Schleip: How Fascia Research Is Transforming Our Understanding of the Body
Robert Schleip, Ph. D., is a world-rennowned, leading fascia research. He is co-founder of the bi-annual Fascia Research Congress and Director of the fascia research program at Ulm University in Germany. In this interview, he reflects on the numerous ways
Better Balance in Yoga: It’s Not Just Tree Pose
“Balance is associated with longevity because it requires keeping your brain and nervous system’s integration circuitry intact,” says Danine Fruge, MD, a family-practice physician. Practicing specifically for better balance In yoga is important for anyone at any age, but it
Invert Safely: Healthy Alternatives to Traditional Yoga Inversions
Inversions are powerful poses that bring the head below the heart and often require bearing weight through the hands and shoulders. Active inversions include poses like Handstand Pose (Adho Mukha Vrksasana), Forearm Stand Pose (Pincha Mayurasana), Shoulderstand Pose (Salamba Sarvangasana),
Supported Shoulderstand: Yoga Inversion Practice for Almost Everybody
One of my most influential teachers, Aadil Palkhivala, once said, “Practicing yoga without including an inversion is like trying to make lemonade without lemons.” For those students who have mastered some version of Shoulderstand and/or Sirsasana (Headstand Pose) as a
Welcome Spring With This Practice for the Change of Seasons
Spring is always such a welcome respite from the bitter cold of winter. The first chirp of birds and buds of flowers lets us all release a sigh of relief: spring is coming. Spring is often considered to be a
Vrksasana (Tree Pose): Growing Roots
There's a lot that can be learned from trees when it comes to approaching Vrksasana (Tree Pose). Trees are our partners in keeping this living, breathing planet alive. We inhale the oxygen that trees exhale, and they inhale the carbon dioxide
4 Types of Yoga Poses that Increase Axial Extension
Technically, the term “spinal extension” refers to the spine returning into the neutral position from flexion (1) and bending backward (2) seen in the drawing on the left. But the term “extension” also means lengthening. So when we say “axial