The Importance of Setting Yoga Intentions As a yoga instructor, I give students time and space at the beginning of each class to set an intention, or sankalpa. Rod Stryker, the founder of ParaYoga and author of The Four Desires, explains that to create the life we were born to live, we must enlist the…
Stress Less: The Science Behind Cortisol
Cortisol is the stress hormone. It is made by the adrenal glands along with other hormones including norepinephrine, epinephrine, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and aldosterone. In times of stress, the hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland to tell the adrenal cortex to release cortisol. When there is enough cortisol, the hypothalamus and pituitary stop communicating, and cortisol…
4 Yoga Poses (With Props!) for Athletes
As an athlete, stretching and yoga can be amazing allies. This article, highlighting recent Olympians who practice yoga, certainly attests to that! If you want to be an athlete on the top of your game, stretching and rest are all part of a successful training program. These four yoga poses with props will soothe the…
What is Kundalini Yoga?
Kundalini yoga has become popular in recent years, and even if you have already attended a class, you may wonder, exactly what is kundalini yoga? Like any yoga style, the discipline varies given different teachers and studios, but the underlying message and techniques are the same. This guide will help familiarize you with Kundalini yoga:…
Can I Do Yoga While Pregnant? Follow These Do's and Don'ts
Whether you’ve got a serious yoga habit, or just picked it up once baby was on the way, doing yoga while pregnant requires some adjusting of the practice. With all of your body’s changes, and that little babe growing inside, you’ve got to be smart–and safe–every time you hit the mat. And while there are…
Yoga Nidra For Deep Sleep
There is a lot of talk about meditation, the different meditation techniques, and the benefits of meditation in the media. However, we should be aware that simply doing a meditation exercise and actually being in a state of meditation are two different things. Yoga Nidra, or yoga sleep meditation, can help. Anyone who has ever…
5 Health Benefits of Inversions in Yoga
Inversions can be scary. As human beings, it’s most natural to be standing on our own two feet, not upside down balancing on our hands, heads, forearms, fingertips, chins… (the list goes on). The word “inversion,” which refers to anytime the head is below the heart, provokes emotions that range from fear to excitement to…
The Cleansing Benefit of Massage
By Hannah Aylward There is nothing quite like that post-massage bliss, am I right? Massage has been used for thousands of years by people living all over the world as a means of naturally treating both mental and physical body ailments. Massage therapy is defined as “the manual manipulation of muscular structure and soft body…
An Intro to Ayurveda
By Hannah Aylward An Intro to Ayurveda by Hannah Aylward As yogis, we have heard a few Sanksrit terms, like namaste, chaturanga, and savasana. You may be familiar with the sacred texts of the Vedas, or “Books of Wisdom”, which are the ancient Sanskrit texts which yoga is based on. Enter: Ayurveda. Ayurveda is the…
Yoga Poses Every Skier Needs to Know
By: Michelle Delong After a full of day skiing – whether you’re taking turns on ice, groomers, moguls, or powder – your body usually has something to say. Drinks at your favorite après bar and a hot tub session might be your first moves (once your ski boots come off) but we’ve also got some…