Much-loved trikonasana is one of those poses that’s more complicated than it looks. Which becomes apparent when you do it. And whether you’re doing it “right” has more to do with which lineage or style of yoga you follow than the particulars of the pose itself. In some styles, the feet are further apart, the […]
My journey with the five Tibetan Rites
The five Tibetan Rites are a daily practice to build prana and power up the chakras…or so I’ve heard. But are they really? The inner scientist in me had to find out. So I’m at it again…experimenting on myself to see what I can discover—not the first time I’ve done this, and surely won’t be […]
Asana tip sheet #28 – Ardha mandalasana
Back bending has never been my strong suit in yoga (ask any of my students 🙂 ) and ardha mandalasana is one that took me many repetitions to appreciate, then love. If I’m spending too long at the computer, this is a pose I’ll do to open up my hips, chest and shoulders to counteract […]
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 […]
Asana tip sheet #26 – Salabhasana
Although we’re calling this pose salabhasana (sometimes written ‘shalabhasana’), in certain traditions it’s called belly-down navasana. I personally attribute this pose with helping me to heal a lifetime of back pain, which is, in fact, what brought me to yoga. In the beginning I could barely lift up off the ground, and couldn’t sustain the […]
