5 Yoga Poses for Tight Shoulders and Upper Back
Tight shoulders? You’re not alone. Nearly everything we do—sitting at a desk, working on a computer, cooking a meal, picking up children, riding a bike, driving a car, etc.—closes off the front of our chests and creates varying degrees of
6 Vagus Nerve Exercises to Boost Your Well-being - Free Online Yoga Video
Did you know that activation of the vagus nerve in yoga keeps your immune system in check and releases an assortment of hormones and neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine and oxytocin? This results in reductions in inflammation, reduced allergies, relief from
Yoga Anatomy: Release the Internal Rotators for a Deeper Lotus Pose
Joint congruency and joint reaction forces are among the most important principles to understand for both practitioners and teachers because many poses can take the articulations to the limits of their range of motion. Take a moment to review this
Smooth Transitions: 9 Ayurvedic Tips for Moving into Spring
Happy Spring! Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space are the five elements that make up all that exists in our universe according to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of life. Look around you and feel inside of yourself. Notice the
A Daily Yoga Sequence for Pelvic Pain
Pelvic pain impacts so many people. In fact, the International Pelvic Pain Society estimates that over 25 million women suffer from chronic pelvic pain. While the number is generally lower in men, some studies estimate that around 1 in 10
Muscle TLC: How to Add Oomph to Your Yoga Practice with TheraBands
For over a year now, I have been integrating stretchy bands called TheraBands into my yoga practice and teaching. My wife and amazing yoga teacher, Melina Meza, turned me on to these useful props, and she started using them for
Yoga TLC for Your Feet: 10 Tips of a Strong Foundation
I can’t claim to have made healthy choices in all areas of my life throughout my history on the planet, but I can claim relative intelligence about one aspect of being in a body: I’ve always worn sensible shoes. I’ve
Is Magnesium Deficiency Contributing to Your Muscle Tension, Pain, or Fatigue?
Sometimes, despite all your efforts to release tension and relieve pain with pandiculation, you may get to a point where you feel like something else is going on. There may be some other factor besides learned muscular patterns that’s causing
Free Yoga Video: 3 Somatic Yoga Practices to Help Enhance Postural Awareness
Ready to learn the power of adding simple somatic movement to your practice? And, help improve your postural awareness and interoception at the same time? Join James Knight of Gentle Somatic Yoga for three soothing practices to ease tension in
Yoga for a Healthy Heart - Research Review Charts the Benefits of Yoga on Markers of Heart Health
According to a comprehensive review of yoga research, reviews, and meta-analyses published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, the field of yoga research has grown exponentially in the past 7 years, with nearly 200 studies being published annually. As we continue
Healthy Yoga Practice: Don’t Stretch Your Joints!
For the past few years, I’ve been on the faculty of the teacher training program at Avenues Yoga Studio in Salt Lake City. Early in the 2013 training, one student who had been teaching in a fitness studio asked a very important question.
Free Video with Dr. Ray Long: The Wonders of Diaphragmatic Breathing
Does the heart move with your diaphragm when you breathe? You bet you! The pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, has fascial connections to the diaphragm. Accordingly, the heart does move during breathing notes Dr. Ray Long in this article
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.
Yoga for Tight Hips: Take a Breather in Cow Face Pose
Wouldn’t it be great if all of life’s problems could be solved by lying down and taking it easy? The good news is that some of them can. Take tight outer hips, for example. This might be one of your
Yoga and Body Image: How Yoga Can Help You Make Friends with Your Body
We’ve all heard about the amazing benefits that yoga offers the human body, from strength and balance to relaxation and better sleep. The effects of yoga are a trending research topic; so far, studies have shown that a regular yoga