Nyasas: Symbolic gestures that turn your body into a temple
Mudras are specific hand gestures that are meant to have symbolic, energetic and healing qualities. Most mudras are static gestures, but you can also make them dynamic when the actual[…]
Category: How to design a practice
Here we discuss the process of designing a yoga sequence, whether it’s a class or a private session, to make it more safe and effective for the students
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Mudra in a supporting role: How to use mudras to help manifest the intention of your practice
Last week we discussed how you can organize an entire practice around a mudra, if you give your mudra a leading role in your yoga practice. A mudra can also[…]
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Mudra in a leading role: How to organize an entire practice around a mudra
Since most mudras are simple hand gestures, they are pretty easy to integrate into one’s yoga practice. What we try to avoid is making a mudra an afterthought, something that[…]
Three main ways to approach your personal yoga practice (and your yoga classes)
Recently I received a lovely email from a regular blog reader. She brought up a very important point that is relevant to all yoga practitioners. Here is what she said:[…]
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Three steps to effective yoga practice design
Our professional lives seep into our personal lives whether we like it or not. Shawn Achor in his book The Happiness Advantage tells a story of a tax auditor who[…]
What do pregnant women need in a yoga class?
Some years ago I was invited to teach an introductory workshop on viniyoga at a local health club for women. It was a large group of about 50-60 women, and[…]
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How to set an intention for a specific group of students
When my son was about 5 years old I made a point of finding some after-school activities for him to do. We were lucky that there were plenty of choices[…]
Who sets the intention for the yoga class – the teacher or the student?
When I go to a yoga class and the teacher asks students to set an intention for the practice, I usually get frazzled. What exactly does she want me to[…]
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What can singing teach us about yoga? How to structure effective yoga classes
Recently I’ve been very fond of this 24-year old singer from Kazakhstan whose name is Dimash. Despite his young age he demonstrates incredible musical skill and unbelievable vocal range. He[…]
How to create a short potent yoga practice
My sister had recently gone to see Tony Robbins – you know, the self-help guru? While a lot of the things that he talked about weren’t new to her, the[…]
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Why it is important to be specific in your yoga practice design
When I first moved to Michigan about five years ago, I experienced a bit of a yoga shock. I went from having a yoga studio and being surrounded by long-term[…]
3 steps to help your yoga students sleep better
Our students choose to do yoga for all sorts of reasons, but in my personal experience they rarely seek advice of a yoga teacher specifically for sleep problems. However, many[…]
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Reignite your home yoga practice
At a recent yoga event I got to talking with one of the prominent yoga teachers and we somehow got on a subject of personal yoga practice. “Nowadays it is[…]
What do we lose as we gain more education and experience in yoga?
Most yoga teachers I know spend a lot of time perfecting their craft – they read a lot, attend workshops, experiment in their own practice and teach many classes. This[…]
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The art and science of yoga sequencing: How the order of poses can change the effect of the practice
I remember hating Latin in college. Unfortunately, it was required for my degree, so I had to endure. For example, translating a Latin sentence takes a lot of work because[…]
Extend your yoga beyond the physical: How to design an integrative practice
Some time ago one of my students reported to me: “I was watching this movie last night about an assassin who was doing yoga to stay in shape.” What’s wrong[…]
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Why do we do forward bends in yoga?
I heard an interesting theory that older women who have osteoporosis in their spine, shouldn’t practice forward bends because of the risk for additional fractures. This theory is a result[…]
Unlock the hidden potential of the yoga poses
I have a question for you – name one pose that you can use to strengthen your lower back and core, stretch your hip flexors, stretch and strengthen your upper[…]
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Are private yoga sessions different from yoga classes? Yes, in every way
A new student came to see me once for a private session. She was very surprised by the number of questions I asked her before we even got started on[…]
6 yoga substitutes for the most common gym pre-exercise stretches
Every time I go to the gym I see somebody doing the anga bangha stretching. Anga bangha means trying to do something good for one part of your body while[…]
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