4 Surprisingly Challenging Chair Yoga Poses to Strengthen Your Core
Chair Yoga isn’t typically considered to be the most challenging form of practice. Most associate this practice with simple, gentle movements. And while Chair Yoga poses can certainly be simple and gentle, they can also be surprisingly challenging too. If
Take a Yoga Break! Nourish Body and Mind with Supported Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall Pose)
It’s the season of short days, long nights, and monumental to-do lists. Potlucks, concerts, parties, and gift buying take us out of our usual routines. Normal activities often take a back seat. At a time when our schedules are stuffed
Unlock Success: 5 Yoga Class Preparation Tips
Embarking on the journey of teaching yoga is not merely about leading a class or crafting an experience. Rather, the responsibility of the yoga teacher also lies within the facet of equipping others to understand how to practice. It’s about
Diaphragmatic Breathing for Healthy Aging
You’ve seen them. The people in church or at a concert enthusiastically sing along, their shoulders rising each time they take a deep breath. While they believe raising their shoulders enables them to take a deep, full breath, nothing is
5 Ways Yoga Prepares Us for Life Off the Mat
As a former crime scene technician, I turned to yoga to balance the stressful nature of my job. Like many of us, I immediately fell in love with the physical practice. New and challenging poses kept my mind glued to
Yoga Pose Primer: Jathara Parivartanasana (Revolved Belly Pose)
Taoists call the belly the “elixir field.” In addition to the belly’s role as an assimilator of food, from before birth, the navel contains a reservoir of life force, a gift from our mothers. According to Chinese medicine, positive
Finding Freedom Through Practice: A Book Review of Practicing the Yoga Sutras by Carroll Ann Friedmann
A Fresh Commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali In the preface of her excellent new book, Practicing the Yoga Sutras: A Personal Study Guide & Journal, Carroll Ann Friedmann writes, “There are so many published works about the Yoga
Tips for Growing and Blossoming as a Yoga Teacher: Teaching from the Heart by Sandy Raper, a Book Review
Congratulations! You’ve graduated from your yoga teacher training. You’re exhilarated, inspired, and—truth be told—kinda nervous. Now what? One training doesn’t make you a teacher. Growing into the role, applying the fundamentals you learned in your 200-hour really begins after you
Yoga Pose Primer: Malasana (Garland Pose) - Strengthen Your Pelvic Foundation
What’s in a name? As I researched Malasana, I found out that the most common translation, “Garland Pose,” has nothing to do with its more literal translation. Malasana supports apana, the downward-flowing energy that governs elimination. Apana energy grounds agitation, making Malasana
Yoga Anatomy: The Gluteus Medius Muscle in Yoga
The gluteus medius originates on the outer surface of the ilium bone and runs to the greater trochanter of the femur. This muscle acts to stabilize the pelvis when standing on one leg in a yoga pose and while walking.
Lengthen, Expand, Relax: 6 Ways to Use Blocks in Your Yoga Practice
If you’re new to yoga, you may be curious about the blocks you see on the prop shelves at your local studio. What are they, and why would you want to use them? A yoga block is shaped like a
Embodied Self-Compassion: Support for Your Healing Journey
One of the most common barriers to healing that I see as a psychologist and trauma specialist is when we experience feelings of despair and hopelessness. Sometimes it may feel as if nothing you do is going to make a
How to Reap the Many Benefits of Intense Side Stretch (Pyramid) Pose: Parsvottanasana
Parsvottanasana, or Intense Side Stretch Pose, is a particularly challenging side stretch that requires strength, stability, presence, and patience to perform safely. Also referred to as Pyramid Pose, Parsvottanasana is all about commitment in the legs—creating a solid foundation and
How To Create Powerful Yoga Cues
Having a cues strategy is having an approach that allows you to organize your thoughts and share yoga cues without using a script. Think of it as an outline or framework to organize what you know. When I talk to
Restorative Shoulder Release Pose: All-Over Ease
Restorative Shoulder Release Pose uses gravity to help relieve upper back, neck, and shoulder tension. Lying on the belly, you cross your arms and use the weight of your chin on your arms to release shoulder tension. The pose eases