Stress is an inevitable part of our lives—in any profession, at any age, no matter where we live. But there is a lot we can do to respond to stress in ways that mitigate its affect on our health and on our lives in general. Being stressed interferes with practically everything we consider important in …
Taking care of our liver is not something we think about very often, but our liver certainly takes care of us. This large organ is a key player in running the complex machine of the body—in fact, it performs over 300 functions. For example, the liver filters toxins in the blood that may come from …
Wholesome is a word we often associate with our children’s well-being. We feed our kids wholesome food to nourish their growing bodies. We encourage wholesome activities to help them develop good habits and useful skills. Yoga is not only wholesome, but holistic as well. In other words, it’s an activity that develops the whole child—physically, …
One of the main things I hear when people talk about cutting meat out of their diets is that they’re afraid they won’t get enough protein. But so many foods in a vegetarian yoga diet pack a protein punch—beans, nuts, whole grains, tofu, in addition to a variety of plant-based “chicken” strips, tofurky, veggie burgers, …
If you have a home asana practice, you may find that time and again you’re practicing your favorite poses. If your back is very flexible, for example, you probably include a lot of backbends. If your hips are open, it’s likely you include poses that increase that flexibility because they feel good; if you’re strong, …
What Do You Need to Balance Your Asana Practice? Read More »
If you’ve been doing yoga asanas, you’ve probably noticed that they can cause you to perspire a lot, especially in hot climates. But don’t worry, sweating is good for your health. It cools down the body and eliminates toxins. However, if you perspire a lot without drinking enough fluids, your body can dehydrate, and this …
Have you ever noticed how your body and mind work better on some days than on others? How one day things come easy to you, but on other days those same things require much more effort? These “off” days have a variety of causes. For example, if your body is stiff or tense, or if …
Some yoga poses are easy for us; we like doing them and practice them regularly. Sometimes, however, we try a new pose that stretches muscles we don’t often use or requires us to muster up strength. That’s when our resistance kicks in. Let’s say you learned a new pose yesterday that was quite hard for …
The ancient science of yoga offers profound benefits that go far beyond the physical. But in order to enjoy all of yoga’s benefits—physical, mental, and spiritual—we need to cultivate a certain mindset. Asanas were designed to enable the practitioner to sit for long periods of time in meditation, so as to achieve the ultimate goal …
Three Qualities for a Stress-Free Asana Practice Read More »
It’s really not hard to practice meditation. Anyone can do it—even you. Having a successful meditation practice doesn’t mean you have to conquer your mind by the strength of your will and clear it of all thoughts. If you have tried to do this and have become frustrated, I’m not surprised. The mind is notorious …
