“My Why” series, #1 This is the first installment in a series that I’m calling “My Why,” reflecting on why I do the practices that I do in my life. I find it’s through reflection that I learn the most about myself. I hope this sheds some light on why you do what you do
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Stretching is not just for dancers and gymnasts. Stretching is important for everyone. I have always been naturally flexible, but it can easily leave me if I don’t keep working on it. Like most kids, I was a rubbery kid. I remember being 6 and lying down on my stomach to touch my feet to
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Let’s break down twisting yoga poses The spine moves in four ways: forward bending (flexion), backward bending (extension), side bending (lateral flexion) and twisting (rotation). All movements are important for spinal health, but need to be done mindfully and intentionally. Twisting yoga poses strengthen the obliques (2 of our 4 abdominal muscles) and the spinal
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Appreciating what you have In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday in the (not so) United States, I wanted to share the power of Gratitude (Kritajna), not only as a practice, but as a general mindset. As a practice, naming things that for which you are grateful helps you orient your mind toward the positive. Our
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Warrior 1, Warrior 2, Triangle, Side Angle, and Half Moon are all connected Yoga is a wonderful way to cross train and strength train as you age. You can build and maintain muscle mass, bone density, and work on stabilizing your balance. Standing yoga poses strengthen your legs, core, glutes, back, and shoulders, while increasing
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It means you have low body fat When I was a young dancer, I would see other women in my ballet and modern classes with sculpted muscles and a “ballet body.” This was never me. I was (and am) short, and always had a stockier build. I wanted to be sculpted like them, and would
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Baddha Konasana, Bound Angle pose Through my almost 30 years of practicing and teaching yoga, there have been many poses that I’ve “hated.” You know those poses. The teacher mentions it in class and you let out a groan, either internally or externally. We all have poses that we dread and that we try to
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When I was 39, I started having some weird lower back pain. I was very active with yoga and swimming and didn’t want my back to hold me back. I wasn’t even 40! Why was this happening?! I went to see one of the physical therapists in my office (I am also an acupuncturist), and
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Work with the body that you have, not the body you wish you had. I love practicing yoga, and one of the reasons is because it is adaptable to all bodies. Whether you can stand or only sit, whether your wrists and toes bend easily or they don’t, there is always a way to modify
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First the body, then the mind There are many ways to meditate. You can practice while seated, finding stillness and watching your breath, or you can practice while moving, like with walking meditation. I also find swimming and hiking in the woods to be wonderful ways to meditate and move. You can read about walking
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