Yoga Tip: Twists in the Yoga Practice

Click on the picture above to watch the video!

Had a moment (or two, or three) of frustration with youtube, but I got around my frustration by creating a clickable picture above that will take you directly to the video. Alternatively, you can just click here. The video is about 3 minutes and explains the benefits of twists in the yoga practice, and gives a number of different ways you can incorporate twists into your own sequence. Hope you enjoy.

PS: A breakfast cookie recipe, a fascinating read about competitive yoga and Bikram, and a morning yoga practice to start your day off right. 

On Backbends and Inversions

Backbends and inversions can seem intimidating, but the benefits of both are so great that I urge you to give them a try. Choose a pose appropriate for where you are in your practice. You can make use of the wall or a block to help you out. I made a short video for tips and inspiration. 

Inversion Benefits

Whether it's a passive pose like legs up the wall or a more physical pose like headstand, inversions improve circulation, alleviate anxiety, relieve back pain, improve digestion, and help insomnia.  Note: Menstruating women and people with high blood pressure should not do inversions.

Backbend Benefits

Backbends are invigorating and help to energize the body. They stimulate circulation, loosen up the joints, release natural pain killers, relieve tension and boost energy levels. Great to do if you're feeling a little tired!

I hope this video helps to inspire someone to try an inversion or backbend. If you decide to give it a go, snap a pic and send it to me on twitter or on Facebook so I can put you in the facebook album "Yoga Everywhere"!

PS- A favorite quote, meditation for beginners, and some yoga chair poses.

Yoga Tip: Seriously Intense Ab Exercise

If you're working on core strength, or trying to tone up in time for summer, this is an exercise you should try out. It should be done three to five times with brief rests between sets. Tip: Make sure your butt is in line with your body (the tendency is for the butt to either sink really low or be up really high). Hope you enjoy! 

PS: I wrote an article about what to bring to yoga teacher training that was published on Do You Yoga, a gooey peanut butter oatmeal recipe, and a playlist for cardio exercise.

Yoga Tip: Yoga Video for Low Back Pain

If you're suffering from low back pain, chances are you have tight hips and hamstrings. Today I've put together a yoga video to stretch the hips and hamstrings and hopefully zap that back pain. Let me know how it goes! 

ATTENTION: This was originally a 20 minute video but YouTube made me cut it down to 15 after I had already edited it. I made a mistake while re-editing. Around the 11:50 mark I say, "stretching out the hamstrings" and I meant "stretching out the hip flexors". Sorry! I was rushing to finish and get it online.

PS- If you like the video, please subscribe to my YouTube Channel. Also, here's a video for six pack abs, what to do if you get stuck in a yoga rut, and a gift guide for the yoga/fitness/travel lover.

Yoga Tip: Yoga for Sculpted Abs

Core strength is essential for a number of yoga poses so I thought I'd put together a routine for abs. I made an ab video in the past, but this one is a little more intense. It's just under 10 minutes, and while you might feel discomfort (does anyone enjoy the lactic acid feeling in their abs?!), you will notice improved core strength with consistent practice. Let me know how it goes. And as always, if you have any questions or suggestions about what you'd like to see on the blog, feel free to get in touch.

PS- A yoga practice to warm you up, a recipe for a vegetarian Mexican dish, and what you need to know about your first yoga class.

Yoga Practice: Drop backs

Here's a short vid from my practice the other day. It's been about 20 years since I've done a proper drop back. Somewhere along the way I developed a fear of putting my hands over my head and dropping back. Instead had to put my hands by my sides, walk my fingers down my legs and at the last second, rotate my arms to meet the mat. I realized that it was seemingly more dangerous to do it the "incorrect" way because I was finding it hard to rotate my arms that fast and it could mess up my wrists and arms if I didn't get there in time. So, it was time to change. After a few practices with a spotter, I realized I had the physical strength to do it and the fear was just in my head. Moral of the story- face your fear and do it anyway.  

To do a drop back- first and foremost make sure you are warmed up! Never go into this cold! Then, stand tall, rooting down into all four corners of both feet and lengthening up through the crown of the head. On an inhale, raise your arms up overhead, and engage the quads. Exhale and engage the abs as you drop back with control, keeping a microbend in the knees.