Yoga for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Recommendations for Practice

Most of us associate arthritis with aging. While osteoarthritis and menopausal arthritis both tend to appear as we age, rheumatoid arthritis can affect anyone of any age. This post will help clarify our understanding of rheumatoid arthritis and will provide

Making Yoga Accessible to Every Body: Common Alignment Mistakes in Backbends and How to Avoid Them

Olga Kabel is yoga therapist and  founder and managing director of Sequence Wiz, a web-based yoga sequence builder that assists yoga teachers in organizing yoga practices. In this interview, she talks about principles for maximizing the benefits of backbends while

Shoulder Biomechanics Part 3: The Supraspinatus Muscle

The final rotator cuff muscle in this series on shoulder biomechanics is the supraspinatus. This muscle originates in a trough-like area above the scapular spine, hence its name supra, which means “above.” The supraspinatus then inserts onto the greater tuberosity

Does Yoga Counteract Cognitive Decline? New Study Shows Promising Results

Aging is linked to changes in brain structure and function that may lead to cognitive decline and dementia. New research published in Frontiers of Aging Neuroscience reveals potentially significant brain benefits of yoga for elderly women who practice regularly. There

Take 5- Recharge with Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall Pose)

Often we think of “power yoga” as a high-energy, heat-infused workout that leaves us exhausted—in a good way. In terms of asana practice, there’s more than one way to understand what is powerful. The power of the eight-limbed path of

Yoga for Beginners: Dolphin Pose (Ardha Pincha Mayurasana) - Free Online Yoga Video

Dolphin Pose is a great beginning yoga pose for many reasons. It strengthens the shoulder girdle, which is weak for most students just starting yoga. Dolphin Pose (Ardha Pincha Mayurasana) also engages the core muscles we need for forearm stand,

Immune Health: 6 Yoga & Ayurvedic Tips for Navigating the Seasons

Your immune system is made up of many components including the tonsils, thymus gland, circulatory systems (including the lymphatic system), digestive tract, and bone marrow. Each of these systems, or parts of the body, plays a unique role in helping

3 Types of Arm Balances: How to Avoid Possible Pitfalls and Come Out Strong

When I was in my 20s I participated in an arm balancing class series. Over the course of several weeks, we worked tirelessly toward poses like Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand) and Vrischikasana (Scorpion Pose). I even remember balancing in Scorpion

Study Lists 7 Benefits of Yoga for Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer worldwide, with nearly 2 million women and men being diagnosed each year. Even though survival rates continue to climb, the impact of the disease and its treatment can be both physically

Chronic Pain: How Yoga Can Help

When I first met Diane Dixon she had been living with constant hip pain for five years. Her doctor diagnosed her with fibromyalgia and recommended weight loss and a double hip replacement. She needed a walker and a scooter to

Yoga For Beginners: Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) - Free Online Yoga Video

Bridge Pose is a great way to counteract the high volume of sitting we all do in our daily lives. When you are sitting down, your hips are in flexion (the hip flexor muscles are shortened). This creates a variety of issues

VIDEO! Yoga Healthy Aging: 3 Yoga Poses for Hip Arthritis

As many of you may know from personal experience or from observing others as they age, the most common age-related problem for the hips is the development of arthritis in one or both hip joints. Before discussing this condition—and how

Shoulder Biomechanics, Part 2: The Infraspinatus and Teres Minor Muscles

Welcome to the second of our series on the shoulder joint in yoga. The first article in the series discussed the subscapularis muscle, the main shoulder internal rotator. Now we’re on to the antagonist muscles of the subscapularis, the infraspinatus

Yoga, Body Awareness, & Balance – Slowing the Age-Related Loss of Proprioception

Can yoga help us improve balance—and thereby reduce the risk of falls and injuries over time? In this article, we explore the answer to this question by exploring how yoga can help slow the loss of proprioception—i.e. the faculty most

Age Better, Live Longer: 5 Ways Yoga Supports Healthy Aging

There’s no way around it—our bodies change as we get older. Sometimes these changes have a big impact on our health. We may find ourselves dealing with more and more health issues as we age.  A yoga practice provides many

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