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,
Keys to Making Your Yoga Practice a Lifelong Partner
My lifelong yoga practice began in 1982. I was, of course, much younger then. I don’t know that it ever crossed my mind that I might someday enter my 50s or even my 60s. But once I began practicing asana
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
Yoga Teaching Methodology: Making Props Palatable
While yoga teachers know that using a prop during asana can enhance practice by bringing the floor closer, alleviating the load on an unstable or unready joint, or creating a healthier position for the spine, getting their students to buy
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
Yoga For Beginners: Supine Pigeon Pose - Variation on the "King" Hip Opener - Free Online Yoga Video
Supine Pigeon Pose is one of the most well-known and used hip openers. It is a safe way to practice Pigeon Pose and is accessible to most students. In this free online yoga video tutorial, YogaUOnline’s Jasmine Punzalan offers a
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
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
4 Ways to Fit Yoga into Your Day—No Leggings Required
As a yoga instructor and practitioner, I can see that for many people, one of the biggest obstacles to maintaining a consistent yoga practice is lack of time. Add up all the pieces of getting to a yoga class—traveling, getting
Yoga for Arthritis: Study Shows Yoga Can Help Reduce Arthritis Pain and Improve 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
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
Yoga’s Energy Centers: What Science Says About the Chakras
If you practice a yogic lifestyle in the West, you most likely have been exposed to a myriad of products advertised to “balance your chakras.” From essential oil blends to fist-sized crystals to polished rocks, many of these products are
Biotensegrity: Structural Stability and Ease
“Feeling held versus holding the body upright” is how I would describe a felt sense of tensional integrity. Where standing or walking feels effortless. There is little or no strain, and there is no need to engage the core, align
What Is True Self-Care?
A while back, I published a post outlining some simple self-care strategies. The article outlined the reasons we experience stress and concluded with a list of suggested self-care practices. These are good techniques and positive ways to manage stress, but,