Why do we bend back in yoga?
If you follow any famous yogis on Instagram, you will inevitably see many beautiful, glamorous images of backbends in your feed. There is something about backbends that makes the practitioner[…]
Category: Teaching tips
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How to take your yoga practice to the next level
When we think about taking our yoga practice “to the next level”, it often conjures images of deeper stretches, more challenging poses, longer practice, etc. These are all fine ideas,[…]
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Should we take the body to the maximum bend possible in every direction possible?
A few months ago one of the teachers in my yoga teachers Facebook group posed a question: would it be a good idea to go straight from Camel pose to[…]
Is it safe to begin your yoga practice with seated poses?
When I was on vacation few weeks ago, I did my first SUP yoga session (yoga on a stand up paddle board). Practicing yoga to the gentle rhythm of the[…]
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How to avoid overstretching in forward bends
For the past couple of weeks we’ve been talking about Forward bends and how to use them to stretch the posterior (back) structures of the body (along the Superficial Back[…]
How to bend forward without stressing the spine
When you go to a yoga class and attempt to do a forward bend, you are likely to hear: “Bend from the hips!” What does it mean exactly? And is[…]
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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[…]
How do you know what a yoga pose is for?
When I get new students with some experience in yoga, I like to ask them: What is this pose for? What are you trying to accomplish here? And I am[…]
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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[…]
6 sure ways to ruin your relationships with your yoga students
In my yoga teacher training we used to have Observation clinics, where we would observe each other both in static position (standing or lying down) and movement, and compare notes[…]
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“Every move you make, every step you take, I’ll be watching you” – the art of observation in yoga
I can’t help it – everywhere I go, I see people with my “yoga-teacher” eyes. The last time I was at the symphony I was thinking – “This conductor has[…]
What kind of message are you sending your students with your yoga adjustments?
“Here I am, resting in a reclining bound angle pose. All of the sudden I feel this incredible pressure on my inner thighs, and as I open my eyes with[…]
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Fancy yoga poses – are they worth the risk?
Last time I was at my hairdresser’s I read an article in some fashion magazine about Hilaria Baldwin – you know, yoga teacher, wife of Alec Baldwin? She was getting[…]
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[…]
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Myths about benefits of yoga poses – how much truth is there?
Let me tell you a secret – many claims that yoga teachers and yoga publications make about benefits of yoga poses are not true. I know, I know, this is[…]
5 other ways to avoid benefits of yoga poses (release valves part 2)
Few weeks ago I wrote a post about the so-called “release valves” in yoga – unfortunate movement or holding patterns that our bodies fall into out of habit or to[…]
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Most talked about posts of 2014
Yoga for the Body Yoga for Energy Practice tips How to design yoga practices Teaching Tips [jetpack_subscription_form]
5 ways to forgo the benefits of yoga poses (release valves part 1)
During my very first (weekend-long) yoga teacher training we were taught to “swan dive” – bend forward from the hips. I have a lot of mobility in my lower back,[…]
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The cult of a yoga pose: what yoga poses are and are not
My teacher, Gary Kraftsow, likes to ask: “Are you for yoga, or is yoga for you?” The answer seems obvious, yet often from the way we practice it appears as[…]
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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