Learn All About the Relaxation Response and How Restorative Yoga Can Initiate It
The relaxation response is a magical moment in the body’s nervous system when we make the switch from our sympathetic response to a parasympathetic one. While that doesn’t sound like much, the implications of this can be truly profound and
Yoga for Healthy Aging: 4 Basic Skills
I recently realized that I think about yoga for healthy aging every single day. This is not just because I’m the Editor-in-Chief of a blog with that name; it’s because this is my life. Many of the decisions I make
Yoga for Posture Improvement: Hyperkyphosis Carries Similar Risks as Osteoporosis, Research Finds
Suppose you're over 40 or spend a lot of time hunched over your cell phone or computer. In that case, chances are that your posture is starting to look increasingly like the person in the image above, and you may
Stabilize Your Core: 6 Side Plank Variations
Side Plank Pose (Vasisthasana) is a good strengthening pose for so many reasons. Improving core strength requires strengthening from all sides of your core, front, back and sides. Because Side Plank recruits the oblique abdominal muscles to help stabilize your
Relax Your Facial Muscles to Relieve Stress
If you’ve ever watched the TV show “Lie To Me,” you know that people automatically express their emotions through their facial expressions, whether they want to or not. Our nervous system is hardwired to contract our mimetic muscles (facial muscles)
Short Yoga Practice for Long Car Trips
Personally, I cannot drive or ride in a car for more than a couple of hours without my body telling me, “OK, time to get out!” So you’ll see me walking, stretching, and breathing at rest stops all over the
Make Mindfulness a Daily Practice
By now, you’ve probably heard the word “mindfulness” on TV, people talking about it at work, or seen the buzzword all over your social media channels. Are we close? Given the many benefits of practicing mindfulness, it makes sense that
Balance and Awareness: Yoga to Ease Scoliosis Symptoms
A name for the human torso is the “trunk,” because, in the majority of people, it resembles the straight, strong trunk of a tree. Yet for those with scoliosis, the spine is more like the trunk of a tree on
Why Your Yoga Students Need You
A few months ago, I had a conversation with a yoga teacher (I’ll call her Kay) who told me she was seriously thinking about throwing in the towel and getting a “real” job. She said that during COVID her students
Do You Shortchange Your Savasana?
Decades ago I attended an early morning—6:00 to 7:00 am—asana class for a few months. While I’m not a natural morning person, I attended the class because it was one of only three each week that my favorite teachers offered.
Improve Your Agility with Yoga Practice
Agility is the ability to move easily through a series of positions while you stay balanced and in control. Everyday situations that require agility include getting in and out of a car (especially the back seat of a two-door!) and
Seek Your Source: Sahasrara (Crown Chakra)
This is part 8 in my series on the chakras. The last post focused on Ajna (Third Eye) Chakra and how we journey toward wisdom. This post will explore Sahasrara (Crown) Chakra. Sahasrara translates as “union” and is often referred to as
6 Yoga Practices to Relieve Menopause Symptoms
I grew up hearing stories from my older aunts about “the change” and how horrible it was. I remember them sharing night sweats and mood swings horror stories, all while my older uncles would make jokes about what their wives
Yoga and 4 Benefits of the Pomodoro Technique
When I write these blog posts, most of the time, I do it to the sound of a small red kitchen timer shaped like a chicken. Cranking the timer is a signal that the work is going to begin, and
Enhance Your Yoga Practice: The Many Benefits and Uses of Yoga Props
I hope you’re sitting down for this, although if you’re sitting in a chair instead of on the floor, you’re already using a prop. Most yoga teachers and practitioners believe that using yoga props makes yoga easier, and some consider