Many times doctors refer patients to us yoga teachers because, other than prescribing painkillers, they have nothing left in their little black bags for folks living with chronic-pain conditions. Osteoarthritis is one of those conditions. Osteoarthritis a joint disease in which the healthy cartilage that normally cushions bones at the joints breaks down through wear […]
Asana Tip Sheet #38 – Utthita Tadasana (5-pointed star)
Five-pointed star pose is the quintessential pose for becoming aware of how lines of energy move through a pose. It’s a great beginner’s pose but don’t let it fool you! It can also be a massively interesting pose so even an advanced practitioner can get a lot of value and benefit from it. If you […]
How to do Scott Cole’s ‘Eight Poses of Empowerment’
I found the “Eight Poses of Empowerment” in a 90s Scott Cole conditioning video that has disappeared over the years, along with the antiquated VCR player on which I played it. Scott Cole is a Tai Chi master and did this sequence so beautifully in the video. At the time, I memorized it and taught […]
How to nail your nauli—the crown of hatha practices
The first time I saw nauli I was fascinated. I HAD to learn it. The five-year-old kid in me who had entertained herself and others by rolling her stomach (vertically though…nauli is rolling sideways) was hooked. So I tried it and…surprise! It wasn’t as easy as I, a natural born abdominal roller, thought it would […]
How to achieve lift-off with uddiyana bandha
Uddiyana bandha. You hear about it. Your teacher encourages you to use it in your yoga practice. You THINK you know what the heck she’s talking about, but you’re not exactly sure that you’ve got it or are doing it right. Why should you use uddiyana bandha anyway? You might not be practicing Ashtanga and […]