Vasisthasana in its full expression is a strong side plank pose fired up with lots of internal power. Gratefully, it lends itself nicely to modification for a variety of student levels and abilities. (We cover full vasisthasana in this earlier post.) This variation of vasisthasana is a more-forgiving level of this pose…but there are easier […]
Build your hara power with this easy sequence.
Rupali and I learned this energizing sequence of movements—called hara kumbhaka—early in our yoga journey at the Kripalu Center. And we love it! It’s such a simple practice, yet very effective. A little about hara ‘Hara’ refers to the abdominal area or the soft belly. It’s considered the seat of our life force—the house of […]
Are you a flat-footed yogi?
If you struggle in yoga class with finding stability in poses, it might be because your feet are flat! Flat feet can be a liability when it comes to practicing certain poses in yoga. Feet with no arches can make it harder to balance, cause pain in the ankle joints and midfoot, and are less […]
Strong shoulders, strong mind
Oh yogi—why take the time to do shoulder strengtheners? On a purely physical level, strong healthy shoulders allow us to execute many fun asanas without injury to the shoulder structures that support them—poses like handstand, pincha mayurasana and chaturanga dandasana. Men, because of their strong shoulder muscles, often excel at these poses…once they build up […]
7 easy steps to heal shoulder injuries
A stiff shoulder is a painful shoulder—in fact, the shoulder thrives on motion. Consistent stretching increases your range of motion and relieves pain and stiffness. The most common source of shoulder pain is capsulitis, inflammation of the ligament that surrounds and connects the ball of the upper arm bone to the shoulder socket. We’ve had […]
