Tag: yoga
-
Mountain Pose in Yoga: How to Do Tadasana
When I cue students to get into Mountain Pose, or Tadasana, I often say it’s such a simple pose, but one that’s so powerful and beneficial when you practice it mindfully. Mountain Pose is a standing resting posture, but it also requires focus in order to practice it effectively and gain benefits like improved posture.…
-
Yoga for Sciatica: Yoga Poses for Sciatica & Safety Tips
I’ve recently worked with several yoga students who have sciatica and come to yoga for ways to stretch and relieve nerve pain. This shouldn’t be surprising, as sciatica is fairly common. According to Harvard Health Publishing, up to 40% of people will experience sciatica during their lives. The risk of sciatica increases with age. If…
-
Side Body Stretching: Benefits & Side Body Stretch Ideas
There’s just something so satisfying about a good side body stretch. In yoga, we do a lot of folding into poses like Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend), so incorporating side body stretches helps balance out your entire body. Side body stretches, also known as lateral bends, help align our body’s systems. According to “Yoga Toolbox”, side…
-
6 Ideas for Doing Yoga in Everyday Life
Your physical yoga practice can continue once you step off the mat. During the day, there are often plenty of opportunities to get some extra stretching and breathwork in. Consider these six ways for how to do yoga in everyday life and make yoga part of your whole-day routine. 1. Face Yoga While Relaxing Did…
-
Jnana Mudra: What Is the Jnana Mudra? How to Use It in Yoga
In yoga, as we move our whole bodies into various shapes, we may also do different things with our hands and fingers that facilitate the mind-body connection. One common expression is to position your hands into a prayer-like arrangement. Another is the Jnana Mudra, also known as a hand position that signifies wisdom and intelligence.…
-
Pigeon Pose: Benefits & How to Do Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
Landing at number two in my top favorite yoga poses of all-time (number one is Supine Spinal Twist) is Pigeon Pose, or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana. Pigeon Pose can be one of the most emotive poses in yoga. That’s because, with neuroscience backing, there’s a link between emotional storage and our hips. As Pigeon Pose offers…
-
5-Minute Yoga: Benefits of Adding Just a Few Minutes of Practice to Your Day
One of the most challenging aspects of yoga is simply arriving to your mat. The American Heart Association names “lack of time” as the top barrier to fitness. Once we step on the mat and get into a flow, the practice becomes worth it. But there can be lots of obstacles to getting there. An…
-
5 Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice Off the Mat
While most people think of yoga primarily as a physical practice, yoga poses (known as asanas), are only one small part of a well-rounded yoga practice. Patanjali, an ancient Indian sage who wrote the “Yoga Sutras” 2,000+ years ago, outlined “8 limbs of yoga”, which include physical postures, as well as areas like breath control…
-
Supine Spinal Twist: Benefits & How to Do Supta Matsyendrasana
If I had to choose one yoga pose as my all-time favorite, it would probably be a Supine Spinal Twist, or Supta Matsyendrasana in Sanskrit. A variation of Knee-Down Twist (Jathara Parivartanasana), the Supine Spinal Twist enhances spinal mobility, while balancing the digestive system in this soothing pose. As my yoga teacher would say, “Imagine…
-
5 Reasons to Host a Yoga Class at a Bar or Restaurant
When I lived in Arizona and had recently completed yoga teacher training, my fellow yoga classmate and graduate started teaching down the road at the brewery she worked at, Fate Brewing Co., in Scottsdale. The brewery had a spacious tap room that connected to its restaurant. On Sunday mornings, you could pay around $10 for…