4 Keys to Relieving Back Pain with Therapeutic Yoga

If you are a chronic back pain sufferer, you are not alone! It’s a leading cause of disability worldwide. The good news is that in most cases therapeutic yoga can help decrease pain and protect your back from further injury. When

Yoga and Positive Psychology: Calm the Complaining Mind

What do you really want? What makes you happy? What gives your life meaning? What are your strengths? I ask my clients these questions all the time and almost always they respond with a long silence followed by “I don’t

Finding Your Yogic Path: Shy Sayar’s Journey

The art and craft involved in creating a language style and teaching presence is one of the things that new and even experienced yoga teachers often struggle with. What we bring of ourselves to the mat and how we use

A Yin Yoga Home Practice

I’ve taught Yin Yoga off and on for 15-20 years and I’m always finding new ways to appreciate this special way of practicing. Right now I see Yin as a bridge between the fast-moving part of my life and meditation

Around the World with Your Hips: A Yoga Mini-Sequence

One of the most common requests I get while teaching yoga asana is to help my students create more mobility in their hips. Among other issues, tightness in the hips and legs can contribute to difficulty moving and low back

Discharge Excess Mental Energy: Sturdy as A Mountain Yoga Practice

When I lived in Portland, Oregon, on a clear day you could see Mt. Hood from different parts of the city. I could go about my business teaching yoga, running errands or going for a walk, and continuously feel its

A Tool for Yoga Teachers: The Eight Universal Principles of Optimum Alignment

As founder and director of the Tantravaya School of Yoga and Ayurveda, Shy Sayar takes a somewhat unconventional approach to training yoga teachers. Rather than a series of sequences or poses, Shy teaches his trainees a set of eight Universal

Neck Pain from Texting? Yoga Can Help!

As I near the fifth decade of my life, I am becoming more and more aware of my body and its vulnerabilities.  Surprisingly, I’ve begun to notice this vulnerability when texting. We’ve all been there: casually texting a friend and

Yoga Pose Primer: Double Toe Hold (Ubhaya Padangusthasana)

One of the physical benefits of practicing yoga asanas is the development of balance. This is something our four-legged friends don’t have to worry about. But as two-legged, upright-walking humans, balance is a skill that we need to keep cultivating

Yoga Teaching Methodology: Use Your Words! Working with Mixed Level Groups

Dear Lynn, "In my yoga classes, I'm generally dealing with people who come in at varying levels of ability. Some of them should not be doing some of the poses full out, but I don't know how to say that diplomatically.

The 5 Koshas: How to Get Access to Yoga’s Inner Layers

The movie Cake follows the main character Clair (played by Jennifer Aniston) as she struggles with chronic pain that was a result of a bad car accident. Yet despite time and physical therapy Clair doesn’t seem to make any progress

Fight Joint Inflammation: How Natural Supplements and Yoga Practice Can Alleviate Pain

So many people who practice and teach yoga suffer from pain. The good news is that pain is optional; what it takes to get pain-free is simply a basic understanding. Which is … Western Medicine’s Approach to Pain Pain is

A Veggie-Rich Treat Rainbow Collard Wraps With Creamy Tahini Dressing

Brighten up your week by making some Rainbow Collard Wraps! Use this list for inspiration, and simply fill the hearty greens with any veggies that you happen to have handy. Start by making sure you get an array of vibrant

Vijnanamaya Kosha: Yoga to Awaken Your Wisdom Body

According to yogic tradition, koshas are a layered model that maps five interrelated, mutually interdependent levels, bodies, sheaths or “treasures” that are common to all humans. They are: Physical (Annamayakosha): our physical body. Breath/Energy (Pranamayakosha): our physical breath and energy anatomy (prana

Rock-Solid Yoga Vinyasa: Using Isometrics to Stabilize Your Flow

It’s happened to most yogis, I’d wager: You’re practicing a pose in a vinyasa sequence and feeling like you might just topple over. Our bodies are strong and stable, yet we can’t always tap into these qualities. In yoga poses

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