The nemesis pose is that pose you just don't like. It challenges us physically, mentally, and emotionally. Instead of viewing this pose superficially as a nuisance, cultivate curiosity about what it has to offer you.    Read More

As we develop a yogic style of living and an increased awareness of ourselves and our planet, it is reflected in our actions. Consider composting as one way in which you can use your awareness to provide a practical benefit to our world.   Read More

Set an intention for your yoga practice, and notice how, over time, you will get what you want out of yoga. So set an intention, release expectations, follow your breath, and your practice will open up to you.   Read More

Everyday yoga means doing yoga every day, but it means more than that. It is showing up to shake yourself free of ego and to feed your spirit. Only if you do the work can your practice shine through you, always. Then, you see yoga everywhere you turn and in everything you do.    Read More

The body's amazing capability of returning to balance is greatly assisted by the practice of yoga. A regular yoga practice helps to calm stress by balancing the nervous systems stress response.   Read More

In yoga, your breath is considered to be very powerful. It is prana, the life force, and when you connect with it and send it to certain parts of your body, you can experience renewal, relief and relaxation. This is true for healing injuries, just as it is for difficult emotions or challenging asanas. It works when you breath into an injury or a sensation instead of avoiding it.   Read More

Showing up on your mat — whether in a class or at home, or wherever, is the hardest part of yoga. Once you are on your mat, no matter the practice, the hard part is over.   Read More

The true meaning of ahimsa, according to Osho, is not merely a vow to be non-violent. It can be seen another way. It can be seen as a pure acknowledgement of what it means to be alive. The real vow of non-violence is not, “I will never kill.” It is, “Whatsoever I must take I am going to give back.”    Read More

Prana, or life force, is the energy that flows within and without the body. Increasing the flow of prana with asana and pranayama helps to bring about physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Blockages in the energy channels of the body lead to dis-ease, highlighting the importance of clearing these channels.   Read More

We often find ourselves with so much to do at Christmas that we may mindlessly go through the motions without embracing the actions. This tends to leave us exhausted and unfulfilled. Learn a practice that can help remedy this, and bring some magic back to your holidays.   Read More

Our lack of movement reaches into every area of our lives. It affects our physical and emotional health, our work, our sleep, our ability to focus and generate ideas, and, eventually, even our desire to change our exercise habits. That is why I decided, writer or not, it is absolutely essential to move everyday.   Read More

In a led class, it can be difficult to keep up with specific breath cues. A home practice helps you find your natural breath, deepening your connection to breath, and ultimately, to yourself.   Read More

In yoga and in life, very few of us are without limitations. Even day to day, our flexibility, focus and balance can waver. Part of the experience, however, is understanding and choosing to live within our own limits. Those things we cannot do or must struggle to do are our greatest teachers.   Read More

To many people the yoga practice can seem intimidating. A common misperception is that one must be flexible, thin, and strong in order to practice yoga. Many miss out on this beneficial practice because of such preconceived ideas. But yoga is actually a very accessible practice.   Read More

It is easy to get caught up in the stress and expectations that tend to come with the holidays. Harness the benefits of your yoga practice to release these expecations, and allow yourself to fully experience the precious essence of Thanksgiving.   Read More

Savasana, we come to you in every possible state — fatigued, refreshed, limber, healing, seeking, emotional, insecure, arrogant — yet you [eventually] manage to peel these layers away. Though our to-do lists often call us away from you far sooner than we should go, the seeds you plant within our hearts then begin to grow.   Read More

Whether done by a man or a woman, goddess pose emanates power, strength, and healing. Like a warrior pose, it commands our entire bodies and our minds, insisting that we use our intuitive powers to connect with the ground beneath our feet.   Read More

In yoga class, it can be difficult to not compare yourself with others. This is totally normal. Before you get too wrapped up in achieving that perfect pose, however, notice what is happening, and come back to your breath. This practice will help bring you to the place where you realize the perfect yoga pose is the one you are in.   Read More

I stand with those occupying all over the world against corporatism, because, as a yogi, as a human, as an American, I realize that I cannot in good conscience support a way of life which silences the majority for the benefit of a few.   Read More

Yoga offers a number of well-documented benefits, which collectively add up to not just a healthier life, but also a longer one. Yoga, prayer, and meditation are associated with less stress, better sleep quality, improved digestive health, and stronger immune systems, all of which can help ward off disease and keep you healthy and active well into your later years.   Read More

Most people are very unaware of their breath. Though breathing is one thing we do all day, every day, it tends to fall into the background; the body breathing on its own, usually shallow and into the chest. The fact that we are always breathing, however, can bring us comfort. If you view the breath as an old friend, like someone who is always there for you when you need them, it can open up a whole new practice.    Read More

In today's society, the push to do our best is almost inherent. We are constantly seeking to do better, to be better, and to achieve more. This competitive nature, whether with ourselves or with others, follows us even to our yoga mats. To overcome this, it is helpful to think of your yoga practice as just that — practice.   Read More

Yoga helps our physical health, yoga is good for relaxation… we are aware of these facts. Few, however, are aware of the deeper heart of yoga. It is a pathway to discovering the existing inner strength and peace within ourselves. It is a path that provides a very real tool for dealing with the difficulties life throws our way.    Read More

These two yogas, Kriya and Karma, go together as breath and silence, since, while the yogi is practicing the removal of the klesas, she is practicing, also, unselfish action; while he is surrendering material wealth and creature comforts, he is also surrendering attachment to himself.   Read More

Karma Yoga and Kriya Yoga can be seen as two separate, but ultimately interwoven, paths by which one can reach liberation and clarity. The first, outlined in the Bhagavad Gita, shows us the way of altruism and surrender. The second, from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, provides a procedure for cleaning and clearing the mind.    Read More

Sthira sukham asana, yoga sutra 2.46, defines yoga asana as a steady, comfortable posture. Sthira (steadiness) and sukha (ease) are the qualities to cultivate in yoga postures. In fact, only when these two qualities are attained is the pose truly an asana.   Read More

We may know that sustainable living is something to work towards, but simultaneaously believe that the achievment of it is difficult or even impossible. A glimpse at European culture suggests it's not such a daunting task.   Read More

Should yogis have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, or is competitive yoga contrary to the very purpose of the practice?   Read More

Thinking local, fresh, and whole, means thinking complexly. It means making food decisions, when you can, that are based on your idea of how food should be grown, and, maybe, what constitutes food in the first place. For instance, how far from it's natural state can something be and still be considered "natural", or "food."   Read More

Studies on therapeutic yoga are rapidly increasing as more people become aware of the vast benefits of this practice. In a recent study, older stroke victims improved balance and endurance after eight weeks of yoga therapy. And—they liked the practice!   Read More

Our feet not only connect us to the earth, they support our entire bodies, bearing the weight of so many daily activities, and, somehow, keeping us balanced and upright whenever we need them. Yet, after all they do for us, we mostly neglect them. We stuff them in shoes and forget about them.   Read More

Yoga sutra 1.2, yogas chtta vrtti nirodha establishes the definition and purpose of yoga early, and clearly, in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the foundational text of yoga. In the very second sutra, in fact, it is stated—yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.   Read More

It wasn't that long ago that I took my yoga practice to a new and transformative level. After several years of floating between a sporadic home-based practice and various classes at various studios, I finally tried Bikram yoga. I immediately fell in love with the feeling of strength and cleansing that followed each class. Bikram challenged me, mentally and physically, in a way that my previous practice hadn't. I was hooked. My enthusiasm for Bikram renewed my love for yoga and motivated me to practice more often. I even briefly entertained the thought of becoming a Bikram instructor. I felt like I had found a new home.   Read More

In part I of this article we talked about steps one through four of the eight fold path. In this article, we get to the more meditative, mental side of the yogic path and a suggestion of how we can use this path in our daily lives.   Read More

The eight-fold path of Yoga consists of Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi. There is no particular hierarchy or order to it. The path is a unified thing, in which all parts are interconnected and necessary. We need each facet of the path, the whole way through. This is true even for Samadhi (oneness with the divine), the final goal of yoga.   Read More

Anahata, as the heart chakra is called in Sanskrit, is the very center chakra, integrating the lower three physically-oriented chakras with the upper three spirit-oriented chakras. It is the essence of balance between spirit and body, the seen and unseen. Much healing is possible when working with anahata — both on the physical and spiritual level.   Read More

In yoga, as in life, self-doubt can come creeping in any time. Sometimes we recognize it, others we don't. Often, it is a result of ego, and a way ego protects itself from a shattered self-image. It may seem like the opposite of ego, at first. Once we look closely, however, we see that self-doubt is all about holding onto a self and keeping that self separate. If we can create drama around ourselves, our successes, or our failures, we never have to let go of that big "I" which keeps us isolated from our inner deity and the love of others.   Read More

Yoga can serve many different purposes, but ultimately, there is one goal of yoga. Learn the true purpose of yoga, and how you can integrate it into your practice.   Read More

Recently, many studies have come forward showing how Yoga can speed recovery and fight fatigue in everyone, from cancer patients to MS sufferers, to those who report chronic or regular fatigue in their daily lives. The Society for Integrative Oncology and Science Daily have published studies showing just how beneficial Yoga can be for those recovering from or fighting disease, and, within the past two years, Yoga Journal has cited a study showing how Yoga can help relieve chronic fatigue.   Read More

Want to get the most out of your yoga practice? Don't limit it to the physical postures; explore the importance of making it a moving meditation…   Read More

Deep belly breathing can be elusive, but is an essential breath to the yoga practice. Here, deep belly breathing is explained in an easy-to-grasp manner, with tips and basic anatomy explained.   Read More

In a full class of fellow yogis, balance suddenly becomes extraordinarily important, and that pressure and importance becomes compounded by the fact that so many of us are feeling it. Even one wobble can send the whole class toppling. So, how do we let go of this? What does it take to hold Tree Pose, for instance, as long as one wishes?   Read More

What if we discovered that cities, while major culprits in the declining quality of our environment, are an inevitable means for humans to survive and evolve as a species?   Read More

The vegetarian debate can sometimes be a heated one in the yoga community. Do you have to be a vegetarian if you practice yoga? Some yogis state unequivocally, yes. But according to polls conducted by Yoga Journal magazine, only about 12 percent of yogis practice vegetarianism (compared to approximately 3 percent of the general population). So why the huge divide?   Read More

Morning Sun Salutations, also known as Surya Namaskara (Surya = sun and Namaskara = to bow down), are a delightful way to start the day. Learn how to salute the sun each morning to build a regular yoga practice.   Read More

While so much emphasis is placed on self-discovery and overcoming our own barriers, what we may tend to forget is, ultimately, it is the letting go of self, and the finding of something larger than ourselves, which is the true goal and pinnacle of yoga.   Read More

We are multidimensional beings. Different aspects of ourselves manifest on physical, mental, emotional and energetic levels. The practice of yoga serves to develop an ever-increasing awareness of these facets, but it does not end with the cessation of asana, breath or meditation. Rather, yoga has the potential to become a lifestyle, a practice that moves beyond the mat to infuse each moment, never separate from daily life.   Read More

Detoxification is a popular buzz word, and is a practice that has been met with some degree of controversy. Numerous programs and commercial products from 3-day fasts to 21-day liquid diets promise the amazing health benefits of detoxification. But are detox programs really necessary, and do they really work?    Read More

A very exciting recent study has found that yoga is beneficial for women with breast cancer. Learn how yoga can benefit these women, who make up 12 percent of women in the U.S.   Read More

As we tap into our breath we get closer to the still, softness at the core of our lives, and we begin to let it teach us. Each contact with the simple, yet profound, inhale and exhale which sustains us, is an encounter with the divine truth that we are alive, and from this comes gratitude and perfection. This is the principal at the heart of pranayama and at the heart of all deep, spiritual works.   Read More

Though it may not seem so at first glance, yogic and eco-friendly lifestyles are closely related to one another. The attitudes and values upon which they are built are undeniably similar.   Read More

The vast majority of resistance and obstacles standing between you and your practice lie within the many thoughts running through your mind.   Read More

Too often, in yoga class, we think of an asana as something we need to do just right, or we think of it as just a temporary portion of our hour or two hour long Yoga class; however, while the literal translation of asana is simply “pose” or “Posture,” asana means much more.    Read More

Anusara. Bikram. Moksha. Yin. Even the most experienced yogi can have difficulty deciphering all the different types and schools of yoga that exist today.   Read More

This blog post is a direct result of something that occurred today. I wasn't on my mat, but that is the thing with Yoga: Sometimes it just happens. When we practice often and listen well, Yoga comes along to move us forward.   Read More

One of the social restraints presented in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, ahimsa is the practice of non-violence. Though ahimsa is often defined as abstaining from causing harm to other living creatures, the concept extends far beyond just avoiding hostility.   Read More

Yoga clothes are synonymous with freedom of movement, flow, and comfort. We want something that lets our skin breath, our bodies bend, and our limbs stretch. We need to know that where we go in our practice, our clothes will go also, rather than hinder us.   Read More