In our lives off the mat, we rarely if ever go upside down. Thus it is quite natural that for many of us the idea of inversions causes some trepidation. However, inverted yoga poses have many positive effects on the body (and the mind). Different inversions have specific benefits, but in general, they stimulate the endocrine, immune, and digestive systems. [...]
Last week we focused on tuning up our core. This week, I want to apply some of what we have learned there to focus specifically on our digestion. A well-functioning core has tremendous benefits for your digestion. A properly functioning digestive system, in turn, is extremely beneficial for your overall wellbeing. There are a large variety of asanas that promote [...]
Increasing core strength can transform your yoga practice, improving your balance and agility and bringing more ease to difficult poses. However, tuning up your core means more than just building strength. A well-tuned core also involves increasing core flexibility and improving the brain's ability to direct the core with ease. A radiant core can improve posture, reduce back pain, [...]
What makes yoga such a powerfully positive practice for both body and mind? The focus on the breath, which has the power to transform mind and body, and to strengthen the connections between both. One of the simplest ways to do this is to learn how to move from the breath. The breath is the most direct link between the [...]
Research has shown that happy emotions contribute to long-term wellbeing. But none of us wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed every day. So how do you generate joy when you don't already feel joyful? One answer of course is yoga. :) Generate joy by focusing on the here and now One secret to increase your joy is to realize that happiness [...]
Pranayama, one of the core practices of yoga, is often translated as "control of life force" or "breath control". This is so because 'prana' means life force or breath, and ‘yama' means control or restriction. (See the footnote below for a detailed grammatical explanation of the meaning of pranayama). While this is probably the original historical meaning, it is worth [...]
Setting a solid foundation can improve alignment, balance, and spaciousness in your yoga poses while increasing your safety and enjoyment. In addition, setting your foundation with intention is a way to become more mindful in your practice. However, to reap all those benefits, it is important to actually notice how changes to your foundation affect your poses, rather than [...]
Muscular and Organic Energy are a pair of yoga alignment principles designed to work in tandem to bring us into balance. I find such paired alignment principles powerful teaching tools, because they inherently stress the importance of balancing opposites. By balancing opposites like Muscular and Organic Energies, we can increase not only our joy in our practice, but its [...]
Inner and Outer Spirals are a pair of alignment principles usually applied to the hip girdle. They are specifically designed to take us towards a place of balance, as they are based on the realization that wellbeing is a state of balance, not an extreme. This perspective runs counter to the widespread belief that more is always better. It also [...]
Most of us have a tendency to work too hard in yoga at least some of the time. We typically do this in an effort to try to force improvement in our practice. However, over-efforting is counterproductive not only because it increases the likelihood of injury. It also distracts us from the enjoyment of the present moment and impedes our [...]
