Yoga

Yoga Cross-Training for Athletes: Integrate Yoga Practice into your Daily Training

Yoga Cross-Training for Athletes Integrate Yoga Practice into your Daily Training

When you watch your favorite athlete excelling on the playing field or court, you may actually be seeing the results of regular yoga practice. Athletes at the top of popular sports like baseball, basketball, football, surfing, and tennis often use yoga as part of their cross training regimen. Cross training helps athletes maintain overall athleticism… [Read Full Story]

The beautiful benefits of Iyengar yoga: Helping both the mind and body

The beautiful benefits of Iyengar yoga Helping both the mind and body

Iyengar yoga is one of the most popular forms of yoga in the United States. Created by Shri B.K.S. Iyengar, this type of yoga is particularly well-suited for people with back problems and for people who suffer from stress (two conditions that often go together). Iyengar yoga has been around for over 60 years, and… [Read Full Story]

Can’t sleep? Yoga poses to get a good night’s rest

Can’t sleep

Yoga has so many benefits mentally, physically, and emotionally. Feeling stressed and overtired can be the inability to sleep soundly. At the end of the day we expect our bodies to shut down instantly and fall asleep. After a full day of energy-charging our bodies, it can be tough to wind down automatically. Television and… [Read Full Story]

Eyes closed: The art of staying present in yoga and life

Eyes closed The art of staying present

We tend to spend so much time living in the future or dwelling in the past, we recognize something special has happened when we spend some time in the present moment. You know, like when you get really absorbed in a task or project, and upon finishing you feel like you just took a mini… [Read Full Story]

Journey into grace with Anusara yoga

Journey Into Grace Through Anusara Yoga

In 2007 a profound betrayal and subsequent loss of my best friend plunged me into the darkest years of my life. Despite my anguish, I somehow mustered up the strength to make the bold (or arguably stupid!) decision of moving across country to Los Angeles, in part to fight for love, only to find myself… [Read Full Story]

Summer Yoga Stretching is Here!

Summer Yoga Stretching is Here!

Summer is here and the nice warm weather it makes it easier to pause after a run, stretching out those tight muscles. Yoga can counterbalance the stresses that training can have on the body. Running can lead to tight hips, hamstrings, lower back and glutes. A regular yoga practice can help stretch, release and strengthen… [Read Full Story]

Competition in Yoga

Competition in Yoga

I recently had the opportunity to attend the International Yoga Asana Championship in L.A. I must admit, the idea of competitive yoga is a little difficult for me to digest. When I took my yoga teacher training, the thought of judging someone for how deeply he or she could go into a pose was frowned… [Read Full Story]

Backbending Safely Through Your Yoga Practice

Backbending Safely Through Your Yoga Practice

Backbending is a natural range of motion for the spine. Over time the spine gets a lot more forward bending flection from everyday activities. It is important to balance all the daily forward bending with a few backbends. Backbending yoga postures can help counteract pressure from the spine. When doing these back bends safely you… [Read Full Story]

Radical Acceptance: Accepting What is, Both in Yoga and Life

Radical Acceptance Accepting What is, Both in Yoga and Life

Derived from Buddhist philosophy, “radical acceptance” is the life-changing practice of simply accepting what is. You might think this to be an obvious approach – of course you have to accept what is, or you might think this approach sounds too passive to be effective. Well, despite its apparent obviousness, radical acceptance is practiced less… [Read Full Story]

Feel Something in Your Yoga Practice

Feel Something in Your Yoga Practice

I just completed the longest yoga session of my life. It was 52 minutes drawn out into what felt like 52 hours. I was weak and distracted. Each new pose brought with it a new exit point and strategy. My mind was spilling over with justifications – I had this article to write, after all… [Read Full Story]