Breathe Easy: A Yoga Sequence to Exercise Your Diaphragm

Your diaphragm is the primary muscle of respiration; it contracts like any other muscle and can be controlled voluntarily. It is important for your diaphragm to maintain tonicity so that it can properly contract and move down on the inhalation

Chakravakasana: Yoga’s "Un" Cat-Cow Pose

Chakravakasana (also called “Cat Pose”) is often confused with a yoga pose called Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana). Although the two poses look similar, they have completely different effects and intentions. For most students, Viniyoga’s Cat Pose is much more beneficial than

Yoga Off the Mat Founder Seane Corn Takes on QAnon Conspiracy Theories

Seane Corn, a popular yoga teacher, author, and wellness influencer from Los Angeles, noticed a disturbing new trend on her social media feeds a few weeks ago: members of the wellness community were posting QAnon-related content. QAnon is a fringe

Do You Sit Too Much? Try These 5 Yoga Poses

We’ve probably all heard by now that sitting is the new smoking. We know we’re supposed to use a standing desk or get up and take a stretch break every 20 minutes. But in reality, life often gets in the

5-Minute Yoga Challenge: How to Deepen Your Malasana for Greater Benefits

I just came back from a short road trip. When I got out of the car after several hours of sitting, I noticed that I was a little stiff in my hips. But I didn’t have the pain I used

Yoga Anatomy: The Diaphragm and Spinal Stabilization in Yoga Practice

A diaphragm is the primary muscle of inhalation; it is responsible for about 75 percent of the air movement in normal breathing at rest (external intercostal muscles are responsible for the other 25 percent). The diaphragm is a very thin

4 Ways to Change the Orientation of a Yoga Pose

One of my neighbors told me that her problem with yoga was that she couldn’t do any poses lying down because she always felt nauseated when she was lying down. And when she consulted her doctor about it, her doctor

Wake Up Your Arms: 3 Ways to Bring Awareness to your Arms in Yoga’s Standing Poses

Standing poses in yoga indubitably favor the lower body. In teaching standing poses, most of the cueing points to what you are doing or feeling in the lower body. However, regardless of what poses you are practicing, the entire body

The Cycle of Life: How to Find Abundance in Rotting Apples

When I think of the word abundance, my mind goes almost immediately to one of my favorite family fall traditions: Apple picking. Once a year, my daughter and I load up the car with snacks, water, and a friend or

Take Your Yoga Outside! Increase Your Serotonin and Melatonin Levels

Humans evolved living outdoors, exposed to bright natural light during the day and total darkness at night. The systems of our body rely on natural light to keep us healthy—our eyes and skin actually need to be exposed to daylight

Namaste and Yoga: Honoring Body, Mind and Intellect

According to what I learned in India from my grandfather and other Sanskrit scholars, “namaste” is a revered Sanskrit word with a deep and profound meaning. It’s not a simple act of bringing your hands into Anjali mudra and muttering

The Social Nervous System: 4 Steps to Vagus Nerve Recovery

A healthy vagus nerve supports your digestive system, helps to regulate your sleep patterns, and calms down your nerves. Learning to regulate vagal tone is associated with a reduction in inflammation and better prognosis in people suffering from chronic illness,

Tension Headaches: A 30-Minute Yoga Practice to Help Relieve Symptoms

If you are among the 80 percent of American adults who have experienced a tension headache, then you are likely aware of how they can impair productivity and decrease overall quality of life. Can yoga ease the symptoms of tension

Yoga for Back Pain: Restore Ease in Mind and Body with Supported Bridge Pose

The practice of yoga addresses all levels of consciousness. In yoga, a distinction is made between the physical body, the energetic body, the mental body, the discriminating mind, and the body of bliss. These are called the five levels of

Improve Your Vital Lung Capacity with Yoga

The last time I went to visit my mom, she asked me to show her some yoga moves because she wasn’t feeling too well. Once we got down to the floor, I asked her to take a few full, deep

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