Your yoga teacher wants you to know a few things when you step into the studio. No, you don’t have to know any poses or lingo. We—I—want you to know this: We Don’t Know All the Yoga Yoga is a rich science with thousands of years of history. There are thousands of poses and variations, […]
Category: Yoga
Should You Practice Yoga at Home or in a Class?
When it comes to yoga, you have options about where to practice. But what’s best? Is it better to practice yoga at home on your own or in class with a teacher? Both are beneficial. A lot of people start practicing at home, thinking they’ll work their way up to attending a class. However, working […]
What Are the Five Koshas?
In your average yoga class in the United States, you might not hear about the five koshas. It’s part of yoga anatomy that doesn’t often get discussed in the gym setting, or even in many studio settings. I learned about the five koshas in my Akhanda Yoga teacher trainings. Here’s a quick rundown. 🙂 What […]
Yoga Vocabulary 6: Big Names in Yoga
Who are all these people? Whether you’re new to the practice or somewhat experienced, you’ve probably heard some of the big names in yoga that everyone else seems to recognize, but you’re left nodding along and telling yourself to look that person up. I’ve been there (and still am sometimes). So let’s take a look at some […]
Yoga, Materialism, and the Holidays
Materialism and the holidays get closely linked. As we get caught up in the season, we often get caught up in excess: too much food, too many gifts, too much money spent. We might start to feel guilty about having so much while others have little, or maybe guilty that we can’t provide more for […]
Yoga and Fear
Happy Halloween! As we down the candy and think about all things scary (I’m still working up the courage to watch IT), it’s a good time to talk about yoga and fear. Yoga and fear seem almost opposite, but they come together in two ways: Yoga can help reduce anxiety. Sometimes, people don’t do yoga […]
How to Know When You’re Ready for an Advanced Yoga Pose
There are thousands upon thousands of yoga poses and variations, and it’s tempting to try them all. I always encourage practicing a variety of poses rather than getting stuck in the habit of doing the same favorites. If you follow any Instagram yoga accounts, you might feel inspired (or discouraged) to try some of the […]
Yoga Vocabulary 5: Meditation
We do yoga, at least in part (I hope), to prepare the body for meditation. More flexible hips and a stronger core, for example, make it easier to sit for extended periods of time. When our bodies feel good, we can be still and focus on our meditation rather than facing distractions of discomfort. As […]
Is Novelty Yoga Still Yoga?
You’ve probably seen the videos: adorable little goats hopping all over people as they do yoga. It’s springing up all over the place. And then there’s yoga with weights. Yoga in super hot rooms and yoga in the snow (snowga). Practice to heavy metal music! Do yoga in the air, with partners, and on slack […]
Tips for Doing Yoga With Kids
Kids are natural yogis. They love it, and their little bodies are still working the way they were designed to work, free from the smartphone-inspired chin-down posture, and the desk-inspired slouched shoulders. They still lift with their legs in perfect squat form, and they still breathe deeply and fully. What a gift it is to […]