Though yoga is a practice associated with peace, calm, and pretzel-like poses, these yoga poses for summer athletes can also be used as a tool to bolster specialized strength and flexibility needs, and for injury prevention. Simply put, summer sports like hiking, cycling and trail running can be hard on your body. Period. Many outdoor…
The Surprising Benefits of Head Stand and Shoulder Stand
Inversions like head stand and shoulder stand can appear intimidating. Humans are much more used to standing firmly on their two feet, as opposed to balancing on their heads and shoulders. The word “inversion,” which refers to anytime the head is below the heart, provokes emotions that range from fear to excitement to doubt. New…
On and Off the Mat: Yoga + Social Justice
When we start to approach the world through the lens of yoga, social justice and activism become a natural extension of our practice. There is great significance (and discipline) in maintaining your yoga practice in the midst of mayhem. While meditation, breathwork, and asanas (physical postures) can be used to relieve stress or for self-care,…
Love Your Brain: An Interview with Adi Amar
We snagged a moment with Adi Amar to peek into her recent affiliation with Love Your Brain. If you’re familiar with YogaToday, you recognize Adi Amar, one of the original yoga teachers who offers endless insight into the yoga practice, streamed online to you, anytime anywhere. LoveYourBrain‘s mission is essentially improving the quality of life…
Power Up Your Practice
Taking on a more rigorous power yoga practice can be both exciting and scary. One will begin to challenge both the mind and body in new ways. It is likely that one will feel this in their body mentally, emotionally and physically. There are many different ways to support a more rigorous yoga practice including…
Preparing for Your First Pilates Class
Your first Pilates class doesn’t have to be intimidating: learn what to expect as far as style of Pilates, equipment used, what to wear, and more. Ever walk past a Pilates studio and wonder if the equipment inside is some kind of medieval torture device? You’re not alone. Despite being nearly 100-years-old, the workout method…
Hold Yoga Poses for Longer to Build Mental Strength!
Do you feel like you might lose it when you hold yoga poses for more than a few seconds? Do you avoid demanding classes or poses at all costs? You certainly aren’t alone! When you learn to hold yoga poses for longer, you’ll actually receive all kinds of benefits that will hopefully outweigh your aversions : let’s…
Discover the Psychological Benefits of Meditation
Let’s talk about the many psychological benefits of meditation that might spur you to start a simple meditation practice. Does the thought of sitting still in meditation have you running for the hills? Not to worry. Like yoga, meditation is a practice. Some folks gravitate easily towards sitting still, and some do not. Either way,…
20 Small Ways to Add Mindfulness to Your Day!
The world feels uncertain right now—with quarantines and social distancing from the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re all feeling a bit untethered. All in need of a few deep breaths and a practice that keeps us rooted in ourselves. Enter: mindfulness. Mindfulness is presence, embodied awareness, and connection to our experiences of the world around us. It…
Herbal Wisdom: Stay Healthy from Your Backyard!
This week’s guest blogger, herbalist Shawna Wianecki-Paoli, shares the ancient herbal ally that is most likely growing right in your backyard: the dandelion. The relationship between humans and the dandelion herb is older than written language. Dandelion has been around since before the last Ice Age. With the thaw of the Ice Age, dandelion came…