Fitness

5 Easy Meditation Techniques to Practice at Work
The workplace can be a source of anxiety, stress, and burnout. While there is no way to totally eliminate stress from the workplace, more businesses are recognizing the importance of holistic, evidence-based practices to improve the health and wellness of employees. This is due in part to research showing the many benefits of lower-stress employees, including improved work performance. Companies...
Why You Are Already a Natural Meditator
Meditation has a short history in this country, and it's gratifying that the history has been so positive. No longer is closing your eyes to meditate considered exotic, Eastern, or strange. There is so much research on the benefits of meditation that the future will only make the practice more popular.But there is still a tendency to study meditation in...
9 Reasons to Try Mindful Walking
Regular meditation is the foundation for mind-body wellness and a consciousness-based approach to life. The daily practice can improve quality of sleep and relationship skills, enhance concentration, reduce stress, and provide a deeper connection to spirit.However, daily meditation doesn’t have to mean sitting passively. Walking meditation, also known as mindful walking, is an active practice that requires you to be...
An Ayurvedic Approach to Cleansing Your Home
If you are wondering where to begin, a good place to start is “cleansing” the home. Most of us spend a great deal of time at home, and it becomes our sanctuary full of our creature comforts. Over time, natural accumulation occurs, both physically and energetically, which can impact the feeling of the house and also affect your psyche.For example,...
Kriyas for Kapha: Poses to Get You Off the Couch
Have you sent this text to your best friend recently? “I just don’t feel like doing anything. I don’t want to deal with it. I’m so exhausted!” Or have you been feeling unhinged and ungrounded—like you’re juggling dozens of balls in the air? “I am so busy. I just can’t get everything done. I feel like I’m running on empty!”...
Don’t Feel the Burn: Exercise Tips for Pitta
Here are a few Pitta-balancing exercise tips to help you harness the power of physical activity to create radiant health and emotional wellbeing, without burning out.
Energize Your Life: Exercise Tips for Kapha
As a Kapha type, you’re blessed with great physical strength and steady energy. Because of this, you can excel at physical activities that require endurance, such as long-distance running, rowing, cycling, and hiking. You also have well-lubricated joints and are the least likely of the three dosha types to get injured.Frequent vigorous exercise is particularly important for Kapha types, who...
Create Sustainable Energy: Exercise Tips for Vata
Looking for the best way to exercise as a Vata? Let the experts at Chopra help with our Vata guide online today.
Chore to Lifestyle: How to Adjust Your Mindset About Fitness and Wellness
Fitness and wellness is a powerful lifestyle. Things are always going to change, and here is my story of rebuilding myself after an injury. You can use these five lessons I learned to help your own journey and approach to integrating exercise.
Why Rest Days Are So Important for Your Fitness Plan
Your body is constantly being placed under stress daily—both physiological and psychological—and when you are working out, you are greatly increasing both. While exercise is known to many as a form of stress relief, the phrase “too much of a good thing” proves to be true when it comes to exercise. Exercise and how it relates to your own body...
A Guide to Resilience on World Health Day
Staying healthy is at the top of everyone’s mind in times like these, and on April 7, the globe recognizes World Health Day. As the world works to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there are a few easy ways you can keep track of your health and wellness on World Health Day and every day after.Emotional Health1. It’s OK to...
A Soak and Massage Ritual to Calm the Mind, Body, and Spirit
As a natural beauty and wellness expert working mostly with clients in New York City, I knew before the coronavirus (COVID-19) hit that my clients were already living with a high level of stress. Now, in the midst of this new experience, with confusion and uncertainty all around us, we are collectively experiencing a new and unprecedented level of stress.While...
5 Prácticas de Mente-Cuerpo para Aumentar su Energía
Este enfoque suele provocar un aumento de los niveles de azúcar en la sangre, y el inevitable colapso del azúcar; un breve pico de energía desequilibrada; o nerviosismo provocado por la sobre estimulación del sistema nervioso.
14 Tips for Preventing Winter Weight Gain
While you may think that winter weight gain is inevitable with the colder, shorter days; the holiday bustle; and your inherent urge to hibernate more, consider these tips for taking charge of your weight and health.1. Eat Whole FoodsYou may have heard of the whole food movement. This eating style is focused on eating foods that are in their whole...
6 Ways to Find Motivation to Work Out This Winter
It’s recommended that adults get at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity—or a combination of both—throughout the week.During the winter months, fewer daylight hours, colder temps, and seasonal mood shifts can make it tough to stick to a regular workout routine.However, if you can stay motivated to exercise, your workouts...
4 Tips to Improving Your Posture with Embodied Mindfulness
What is it about hunkering in front of a computer all day that’s so exhausting? It’s a wonder that a sedentary activity can cause your body so much fatigue but sitting up straight for hours at a stretch is undeniably backbreaking.As a result, technology-related posture aches and pains like rounded shoulders, hunched backs, tight hip flexors, and the dreaded “text...
3 Ways to Strengthen Your Bones
A meaningful yoga sutra reads Sthira sukham asanum. This Sanskrit phrase translates to “steadiness and ease within posture.” The movement portion of yoga, asana, focuses on building a strong foundation—an aligned, steady body, which only then is capable of fluid and easy movement.The bones are your most basic element of structure and stability. Not only do bones create the framework...
5 Benefits of Moving Your Body Every Day
Learn more about the everyday benefits of movement from Chopra with everything from better mood to an improved sex life.
6 Secrets to Maintain Youthful Energy
According to data from the World Bank, people are living longer than ever. Average life expectancy worldwide increased from 52 years in 1960, to 72 years in 2016 (for males and females). While the added time seems innately like a blessing, some may find it a curse. With age and experience comes the various trials of life: changing jobs, retiring,...
How Practicing Self-Care Can Improve Every Aspect of Your Life
Turbulence. Chaos. Frustration. These words may describe your days. You are over-stimulated, frenzied, stressed, exhausted, fatigued, and desperate as you attempt to cope with the challenges of modern life. If this sounds all too familiar, you’re not alone. You live in a culture of compulsive over activity—a society driven to work harder, faster, and longer to accomplish more in less...
How to Design a Customized Self-Care Routine for You
Self-care has become quite the buzzword. Hashtags such as #selfcare or #selfcaresunday pepper social media feeds as people display activities, quotes, foods, etc., that reflect their “self-care” lifestyle. Numerous books and magazine articles are dedicated to this trending topic. It’s overwhelming, with the amount of information available, to figure out what this is really about and if it’s something you...
4 Steps for Lifelong Energy
Despite all the standard advice about exercise – much of it is very worthwhile – the issue of having energy all your life runs deeper than just getting more exercise. At present, more than half of young adults regularly exercise, in contrast to the obesity epidemic that is occurring at the same time, but there's a steady decline in exercise...
5 Lessons for Staying Active from Those Who Live to 100
There are many factors that can go into a long, healthy life—and what better place to start than by adopting the habits from those already living a long and healthy life? Let’s take a look at the exercise habits practiced by people living happily into their hundreds, in parts of the world known as “Blue Zones.”The StudyIn the past two...
5 Healthy Habits to Adopt in the New Year
You can probably think of a daily habit you perform—perhaps it’s checking Twitter first thing every morning or taking a shower before bed. Whatever the habit may be, it is typically automatic, meaning you don’t give it much thought, if any at all.Luckily, as a human, you have the ability to choose which habits you’d like to adopt and which...
5 Ways Exercise During Pregnancy Supports Your Baby’s Development
While you’re pregnant, physical activity can certainly help you maintain your health and fitness goals. Did you know that it can also condition your baby for life outside of the womb?When you exercise regularly while pregnant, your baby’s cells use the physiological messages from your body to develop stronger body systems, which will better equip your baby to meet physical...
5 Ways Gardening Strengthens Your Mind-Body Connection
If you’re getting into the swing of things this season, chances are you may be interested in doing a little gardening. You may be aware of the nutritional benefits of gardening your own food; however, you may want to consider the positive effects that gardening can have on your consciousness.Just about all nature experiences can be beneficial to your spirit....
5 Reasons to Spend More Time Outside
During your childhood, the comforting embrace of the great outdoors may have been the only place you wanted to be. Maybe you couldn’t wait to wake up on a weekend morning or get home from school so you could flee from the indoors and explore that ditch behind your house, toss a ball in the park, or watch caterpillars inch...
7 Outdoor Activities that Boost Your Prana
The changing of the seasons is often a tricky time for health. On one hand, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you may be excited with the end of winter and happy to see the budding flowers of spring. On the other hand, the rapid changes in weather and seasonal allergies can leave you feeling a bit out of...
Mindful Walking Practice: How to Get Started
After a long day sitting in an office, seated meditation might seem unappealing. On days when you want to get out into nature, try walking meditation instead.Walking meditation, also known as mindful walking, is an active practice that requires you to be consciously aware and moving in the environment rather than sitting down with your eyes closed. The practice brings...
Gardening 101: How and Why to Get Started
Growing your own vegetables is one way to ensure that you’re eating fresh organic, pesticide-free food. But gardening doesn’t just provide nourishing foods for your body; it’s also an activity that feeds your mind.Gardening can increase your awareness and help you become more attuned to the world around you.Before you dive in, consider what plot of land you intend to...
9 Mindful Activities to Get You Fit
For many people, the idea of getting fit is more of a chore than an inspiring or uplifting activity. With this mindset it’s easy to procrastinate or postpone a workout rather than to embrace the opportunity to actively strengthen and move your body. When you do eventually make it to the gym or get out for a walk or run,...
Which Foods Lower Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is a term most people are familiar with, but what exactly is it? Blood pressure is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the pressure of the blood circulating through your vessels. Simple, right? But blood pressure is extremely important to your overall heart health.According to the American Heart Association, your blood pressure is measured in two ways: Systolic...
6 Holistic Ways to Fight Sugar Cravings
How many times have you told yourself that you are not going to eat any more sugar and then found yourself digging into the next cupcake or candy bar in sight? If you experience cravings for sugar (like many people) you might feel like you have no “willpower” when it comes to sweets, and may even feel like you're addicted...
Athletic Performance on a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet
Are you thinking about trying a low-carb, high-fat diet? Some people have tried it for weight loss in place of a traditional diet. Others go on an extreme low-carb diet to treat a health condition, such as epilepsy. Studies also show that the low-carb, high-fat diet may potentially enhance athletic performance, with the body’s ability to adapt to burning fat...
The Power of Chair Yoga, Plus Exercises
Chair yoga is for everyone. Using a chair as a prop for yoga can be an expression of creativity as well as a useful, supportive, and empowering tool. A chair of any kind is an excellent prop and can support you in a fulfilling yoga practice.Here are some people who may wish to practice yoga with the aid of a...
Embrace Your Unique Anatomy in Your Yoga Practice
There is not a single pose in the entire yoga lexicon that every human body can achieve. Let that sink in for a moment.In a world that would have you believe that if you just work harder, longer, and faster, you too can achieve chiseled abs, a perfect split, and put your leg behind your head, the latest research in...
5 Ways to Use Yoga Blocks to Improve Your Practice
Many individuals believe that yoga blocks can be useful when practicing yoga as a means to improve balance. While this is true, there are many other uses for yoga blocks (one of a variety of yoga props available) that can help both beginners and yoga instructors alike improve their yoga practice. To help you understand how to use yoga blocks...
5 Yoga Poses to Improve Your Posture
Stand up straight! Don’t slouch! These are reminders you probably heard growing up, but healthy posture truly is an important element of overall wellness. Harvard Medical School defines “good posture” as: Chin parallel to the floor Shoulders even (roll your shoulders up, back, and down to help achieve this) Neutral spine (no flexing or arching to overemphasize the curve in...
How to Create a Perfect Yoga Playlist
Making the perfect yoga music playlist can be a challenging part of being an instructor as the yoga playlist can have a significant effect on the pace, tempo, and enjoyment of your class. Finding the right Yogi songs to incorporate into your yoga playlist can help you create the ideal musical pairing with your class to make the music flow...
Yoga Props 101: Blocks, Straps, Blankets, and Bolsters
While it is true that you need nothing but your body and breath to practice yoga, yoga props are extremely useful in helping to create sthira (steadiness) and sukha (comfort) in your yoga practice. By no means limited to beginners, props help to accommodate anatomical differences, tight muscles/joints, and limited ranges of motion. If you’ve ever wondered how to efficiently...
Find Your Inner Warrior: Build Courage with These 3 Warrior Poses
The warrior poses are among the most well recognized postures in the Hatha yoga tradition. Standing poses that are accessible to almost everyone—Virabhadrasana I, II, and III—engage the entire physical body, while providing an opportunity to bring a powerful focus and attitude into the moment you are in. Just putting your body into these shapes brings about a certain attitude—one...
5 Ways to Enjoy Child’s Pose
There are many reasons why you likely breathe a sigh of relief anytime your teacher tells you to come into Child’s Pose. So much more than just a resting position, Balasana is a chance to slow down, connect to Mother Earth, and recalibrate your entire system.In an era where stress has become an epidemic, why not gather every tool for...
5 Breath Practices to Warm You Up from the Inside Out
Try these 5 yoga breathing techniques to keep warm when it cools down. From ujjayi breathing to box breathing and wim hof techniques we'll show you how to warm yourself from the inside out.
Warm Up with These 8 Yoga Poses for Winter
Drinking hot cocoa by your fireplace isn’t the only way to get warm during the colder winter months. Shifting the contents of your yoga practice toward postures that heat and stimulate the fire within will keep your Agni strong. Agni, or digestive fire, isn’t just vital for digesting food and nutrients, but for keeping alive the fires of passion, discipline,...
Summer Salutations: Poses to Honor the Sun and Stay Cool
Warmer days make for lazy yogis. Whether you’re vacationing or working through the season, sometimes a regular yoga practice falls by the wayside in the summer months.As you move into the final months of the summer season, you should honor the light and life-giving force of the sun. Egyptians, Indians, Romans, Greeks, Aztecs, and cultures on every continent have worshiped...
Chill Out with These 6 Cooling Yoga Poses
Take time to nourish your emotional, mental, and physical body with these cooling yoga poses for summertime yoga sessions.
5 Minutes of Yoga: A Quick Sequence to Do When You’re Short on Time
It would sure be lovely if you had two hours a day to practice yoga, but in this fast-paced world, you’re lucky if you can snag a minute in Downward-Facing Dog on some days. Author Gretchen Rubin says “What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while,” so in that spirit, here is a...
A 20-Minute Yoga Sequence to Do When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed
You know those days when everything feels difficult. Days when your sluggishness can’t be remedied with yerba matè, when the ad for baby diapers makes you well up, when the thought of checking off even the tiniest item on your miles-long to-do list makes your skin crawl and your head ache and your brow furrow … you get the idea....
6 Yoga Poses That Don't Require a Yoga Mat
It’s certainly a gift to be able to practice yoga with a full arsenal of props and equipment on hand. But to what degree is the “stuff” actually necessary to practice? Your yoga mat has become synonymous with “doing yoga”, but what about when you’re traveling, outside in nature, or on a work break?Unlike other forms of physical activity like...
Road Trip Yoga: 9 Poses You Can Do on the Road
Setting out on a grand adventure can be incredibly inspiring. The wind in your hair. The sense that anything is possible. Wanderlust finally satiated!And…oh, that pain in your low back. And now that dull ache in your neck. And that twinge of a headache. When preparing for a road trip, long or short, remembering the benefits of yoga, stretch breaks,...
8 Yoga Poses for an on-the-Go Energy Boost
Let’s face it—life is busy, and unless you take the time to consciously make room for the things that are important to you, it’s quite easy to get swept away in the everyday hamster wheel of your daily routine. It can be hard to recognize that the constant “Go! Go! Go!” is often the very thing that perpetuates feeling overwhelmed,...
PAWSitive Reinforcement: 7 Yoga Poses Inspired by Your Pup
Have you ever watched your dog stretch in the morning? If so, then you know why we call that iconic pose Downward-Facing Dog. Hang around a dog long enough and you’ll be reminded of some yoga-related health benefits:Present-moment awareness and single-pointed focus: Dogs have the amazing ability to always be in the now and be completely content being there.Dog thoughts:...
15-Minute Warming Yoga Sequence for Winter
Cold weather and less sunlight tend to draw you inward, both physically and emotionally. You may find yourself spending more time indoors, not moving your body as much as you do during warmer, sunnier months. While all this downtime can be a wonderful opportunity for introspection and rest, it can also leave you more susceptible to lethargy, restlessness, and maybe...
8 Yoga Poses and a Meditation to Connect You to the Water Element
Learn to nourish yourself and reconnect with these eight water yoga poses that are aimed to balance the water element within you.
3 Yoga Poses to Stretch Your Hamstrings
There is no denying it; yoga has become one of the most prolific health activities in today’s fitness world. While some who practice it are seeking mind, body, and spirit connection, yoga is also widely used as a stretching alternative for athletes. Whether you train for triathlons or just do the occasional jog around your neighborhood, yoga exercises can have...
8 Yoga Poses to Connect You to the Earth Element
A great way to increase your connection with the earth element is to practice earth yoga poses. Here are eight poses to find a sense of stability & security.
Inversions 101: How to go Upside Down with Grace
You’re 45 minutes into a great class, you’re in your vinyasa groove, or you’re grateful to be resting in child’s pose, and then the teacher utters the dreaded words, “Alright, let’s move into an inversion practice, time to go upside down!”Immediately your heart sinks, your stomach drops, and you do everything you can to avoid eye contact with the teacher...
5 New Year’s Resolutions to Expand Your Yoga Practice
Modern yogis are high-powered and goal-oriented, and often treat yoga as a boot camp. Yoga sages know that the practice of yoga is a lifelong pursuit with nuances and discovery of the mind, body, and soul.In the book, Light on Life, yoga master and father of modern yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar, tells stories of being sick and weak as a child...
7 Yoga Poses to Connect You to the Fire Element
One way to better attune with the fire elements is to incorporate them with your yoga practices. Here are seven poses that focus on sparking your internal flame.
8-Minute Calorie Blasting Holiday Workout
It’s that time of year when extra pounds begin to subtly take residence in your body. From Halloween candy and Thanksgiving feasts to cocktail parties and festive brunches, delicious food is abundant. Unfortunately, the accompanying pounds are also plentiful.Along with the excess calories comes busy schedules and shorter workouts. But shorter workouts don’t have to equal fewer calories burned. A...
6 Restorative Yoga Poses for Hikers
All hikers know that the trail offers its fair share of rewards—beautiful vistas, serene lakes, and a sense of accomplishment. But hiking also has its challenges—uneven rocky terrain, altitude, and possibly a nagging sense of uncertainty. Adding a yoga practice before, after, or during your hiking adventure can be beneficial to both your mental and physical health, allowing you to...
7 Energizing Chair Yoga Poses to Beat the Mid-day Slump
It’s 3:30 in the afternoon, you’ve had a busy day, and your energy reserves are running low. The mid-afternoon slump ambushes you and suddenly you’re in a battle with your eyelids to stay awake. Does this sound familiar? If so, what can you do to recharge your batteries to make it through the remainder of the day?Chair yoga to the...
30-Day Yoga Challenge
Yoga is a lifestyle, and there are many different ways you can incorporate yoga into your daily life. Try this 30-day yoga challenge and get a month’s worth of transformational practices and ideas. You can add to your practice from the previous day or do one each day.Day 1Get out your yoga mat and do three sets of Sun Salutations...
5 Common Yoga Cues Decoded
There are certain things you may have come to expect from your yoga classes, like whether or not you’ll break a sweat or the fact that you will always end with Savasana. There are also some cues (or directions) you can usually expect to hear from your teachers, but aren’t actually clear on what they mean. Here are five common...
6 Yoga Poses for a Healthier Back
If you want to keep your body moving fluidly throughout your life, having a strong, healthy back is a must. Stretching and strengthening your back can provide a greater range of movement and prevent injury, pain, and even costly trips to the chiropractor and doctor.Yoga is a gentle yet powerful and effective way to both strengthen the back and increase...
Why You Need a Private Yoga Session
Integrating yoga into your regular workout program is beneficial on many levels. It can help prevent injury, relax muscles, and keep you flexible. Furthermore, the benefits of reduced stress and increased oxygen levels can give you an overall sense of wellbeing that can become deliciously addictive in a good way.However, I’ve heard many potential students who are reticent to join...
Yoga Class 101: What to Expect from Your First Yoga Class
Ready to try your first public yoga class? If you are at all intimidated by the thought of moving your practice out of your living room and into the yoga studio, here’s a guide for how to proceed and what to expect when you make it to the shala (studio) for the very first time. 1. Find Your StudioMaybe you’ve...
9 Yoga Poses for Runners
It’s no secret that running helps keep you fit. However, unless you take care of those legs, knees, and hips it can also lead to tight muscles, pain, or injury. Long-time runners are likely to have an encounter with at least one of the major muscles groups or joints pounded by the pavement: shins, knees, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, and...
Playground Yoga: 6 Poses to Try While Your Kids Play
In an ideal world, you would have 1 to 2 hours a day to devote to your own yoga practice; however, sometimes as a parent, it simply isn’t a possibility. Why not embrace your ability to multitask by integrating a physical yoga routine into your child’s playtime? The playground is chock-full of equipment (and kids!) that can support your yoga...
Detoxifying Yoga Flow to Spring Clean From the Inside Out
Spring is a time to rid your home of accumulated clutter so you can have a fresh and light start to the new season. But spring cleaning doesn’t just apply to physical clutter; your body and mind can benefit from a rejuvenating cleanse as well.This short yoga flow is designed to leave you feeling fresh, energized, and rejuvenated so that...
5 Yoga Poses to Challenge Your Balance
Have you ever been to a yoga class and the teacher demonstrates a perfect balancing pose that looks so easy and simple. Yet when you try it—bam! You meet the floor.Trying a new yoga pose in class can be scary and intimidating, especially if failure means falling flat on your face. Yoga is not about being perfect. It’s about challenging...
5 Common Yoga Alignment Mistakes, and How to Fix Them
If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, you’ve heard your teacher give cues for proper alignment. But how do you know if you’re executing them properly? Sometimes you might think you’re in alignment, but your body is in a slightly different shape—affecting both your physical safety (you’re more likely to be injured) and the energetic effectiveness of the posture itself...
5 Yoga Poses to Detox Your Body
When you decide to detox your body, you must consider your lymphatic system. The lymphatic system consists of tissues and organs that help rid the body of toxins, waste products, and other unwanted material. The primary role of the lymphatic system is to transport lymph, a fluid substance, which carries white blood cells to fight off infection.In Ayurveda, toxins are...
6 Yoga Poses That Help Reduce Anxiety
The never-ending flow of information from news sites and social media feeds can cause even calm people to feel anxious or stressed. It’s no wonder that some 40 million adults in the U.S. suffer from an anxiety disorder, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Many alternative therapies such as yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda can help improve mental health;...
5 Hip Openers That Release Tension
There’s a common saying in yoga, “we carry our issues in our tissues.” And those issues usually manifest as tightness in the hips and shoulders.You’ve probably noticed that when you feel overwhelmed or stressed, your body is more constricted, similar to your mind. Emotional stress does manifest in the body, and you can release it through regular meditation.Yoga poses can...
6 Yoga Poses You Should Do After Every Run
Running burns calories, builds cardiovascular strength, muscular strength in your lower body, and can even be a moving meditation. However, running by itself can lead to tightness in the hamstrings, hip flexors, quadriceps, and feet.Balance your running routine with some yoga poses that work on increasing flexibility in these overworked areas. Whenever you practice yoga, make sure you take your...
5 Top-Rated iPhone Apps for Yogis
If you want to learn yoga, you no longer have to research, order, and wait for a DVD to come in the mail. These days, you just have to pick up your phone.Learning yoga in person can be an effective, more social approach. However, you might not always have access to a studio, or have the funds to pay for...
5 Pre-Run Yoga Poses
Doing yoga before a run can help you get stronger muscularly and mentally, prevent injuries, and even improve your speed. Try these five yoga poses before your next trek on the pavement or trail.Yogic CrunchesWhy Yogic Crunches? Core strength improves your posture, speed, and endurance, and establishes a solid foundation for strength in your entire body. If you’ve had abdominal...
10 Yoga Poses That Fend Off Stress During the Holidays
Stress and fatigue are often unwelcome guests during the holiday season. Stress might join you while cooking a holiday meal, decorating your house in preparation for a party, or shopping at a crowded mall. It can manifest as aches and pains, prevent you from sleeping through the night, and dampen your spirits during the holidaysYou can beat back stress, and...
12 Fundamental Yoga Poses for a Balanced Life
Hatha yoga, and its myriad of poses, offers nearly endless possibilities for cultivating strength, balance, and flexibility. However, the huge variety of poses can sometimes feel intimidating to both the new and seasoned yogi. In the limited time we have for our personal practice, which movements are the most basic and beneficial for restoration, healing, and stillness? Here’s a well-rounded...
7 Yoga Poses to Detox Your Body
When you are feeling tired and weighed down, try these 7 yoga poses to detox your body and reboot your mind.
Top 5 Yoga Poses to Ease Jet Lag
Whether your trip is a couple of days, a couple of weeks, or a couple of months, travel does a number on both your energy and your body. It often takes your mind and body longer to “arrive” at your destination, which leads to jet lag. Your energy shifts, your rhythm is off, and your body's fatigued.Yoga can help. You...
10 Thoughts That Go Through Every Yoga Teacher’s Mind
Ever wonder what your yoga teacher is thinking about while you’re striking a pose and taking a deep breath? Their thoughts might just surprise you—and at least make you laugh.Welcome to the mind of the deeply flawed and hardly perfect yoga teacher. Brace yourself, and please try not to laugh too hard.“My butt looks big and are my pants see...
5 Steps to Take Your Yoga Mat Outside for Outdoor Play
Summer is here, bringing with it long, warm days and an outdoor environment bursting with birds, bees, plants, and trees. Take advantage of the season and trade in an hour at your local studio for a rejuvenating outdoor yoga session. It’s an activity that anyone can do, not to mention, that it’s a lot cheaper than paying for a class.What...
Good Morning Yoga: 5 Stretches to Start Your Day
Kick off your day the right way with a morning yoga session. Not only can yoga help get your body and mind moving, it can also bring you into present moment awareness.All it takes is waking up just 5 to 10 minutes earlier each morning, a small sacrifice for big benefits. You can use that extra quiet time to set...
6 Yoga Poses to Strengthen Your Core
Yoga can help you accept your body’s changes and embrace the blemishes, lines, and some extra flesh. But long before you tackle your physical core, take a moment to become aware of your internal core. It begins with the total acceptance of our bodies; they are perfect and beautiful exactly as they are in their current shape. We don’t need...
Top Yoga Poses to Build Strength
Building strength is a beneficial byproduct of participating in a regular yoga practice. You often don’t realize just how intensely your muscles are working in the most foundational poses. Think about how many muscles it takes just to work your way into alignment for Tadasana (Equal Standing Pose). It may appear that you're just standing upright effortlessly, however, while standing...
Yoga Poses for Tight Hamstrings
Tight hamstrings are extremely common for beginning yoga students. Even after a decade of yoga practice, some students find that hamstring flexibility is still a work in progress. Although, some gains are made, years of bad footwear choices combined with congenital anatomy can leave many yogis frustrated in poses like downward facing dog and seated forward bends.Extreme flexibility is also...
10 Shower-Free Ways to Freshen Up Post-Yoga
You really want to fit in that yoga class before heading off to work, or before meeting friends out for happy hour, but you just don't have the extra time to freshen up after. When you’re rushing from one place to the next, trying to maintain some semblance of a work-life balance, some things, like a post-workout shower may need...
What’s the Difference Between Yoga and Pilates?
Nearly 20.4 million people were practicing Yoga in the U.S. in 2012, according to The Huffington Post, and those numbers are likely even higher now as yoga is at an all-time height of popularity. Pilates, too, is rising in popularity. Yoga may have a bigger following right now but with celebrity Pilates teachers like Tracy Anderson and participants such as...
6 Tips for a Mindful Exercise Routine
In Ayurveda, meditation is the foundation for health, happiness, and overall well-being. A regular exercise program is also important for a healthy lifestyle. Strength training, flexibility, and cardiovascular conditioning make up the backbone of a well-rounded fitness routine that can keep you healthy and strong throughout your life.While these two activities seem dissimilar—in one you’re cultivating physical and mental stillness,...
7 Practices to Channel Restlessness for Good
Whether you’ve got something major on your mind or you’ve eaten too much sugar, sometimes it simply feels impossible to sit still. You may be familiar with the feelings: antsy feet, jittery body, crawling skin, general unease, or a quickening breath rhythm.When this uncomfortable feeling hits, you may choose self-destructive habits to find relief. Whether it’s overeating, calling up that...
6 Design-Thinking Methods You Can Use to Improve Your Life
Do you ever feel like you’re unhappy with your work or career? If so, you’re not alone. According to Designing Your Life by Stanford University lecturers Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, two-thirds of workers in the United States are unhappy with their jobs and 15 percent hate their work.The saying, “They call it work for a reason,” seems to be...
8 Ways to Integrate Music into Your Life
It’s no small thing that music affects your moods—it’s that feeling of nostalgia when the theme song from your senior prom comes on the radio. Or that burst of energy you feel when that jazzy tune plays as you get ready for work. Even hearing the national anthem taps into something biological within you. Can you imagine hearing it now?...
6 Creative Rituals That Will Make You Happier
Do you ever just get lost in the moment? Do you get so engrossed in a project or engaged with what’s in front of you that you lose track of time? If you answered no, it’s time for a change! Psychology professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi writes in Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience that those who are able to connect to...
5 Big Mistakes People Make When Setting Their Goals
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of New Year’s? Depending on your stage of life, you might think of champagne and dancing, or a hot cup of tea by the fire with your journal. Whether or not you stay up late enough to see the ball drop, chances are you will think, however briefly or...
7 Ways to Avoid the Winter Hibernation Trap
Winter introduces you to colder temperatures, darker skies, and an overall gloomier feel when you walk out the door. So it’s no wonder your natural inclination is to avoid all of it. Why battle the snow or put on an extra three layers of warm clothing when you have the option to remain in the comfort of your home?Health Consequences...
Deconditioning: How to Create Pattern Interrupts and Learn New Behaviors
Continuing to run the same old behaviors can torpedo your relationships, and tank your career. The key is pattern disruption & new behaviors. Here are the steps
24 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Quitting Your Job to Pursue Your Passion
Perhaps you are unfulfilled in your day job. Maybe you have had this nagging idea about your own side business that just won’t go away. Maybe you’ve even started working on an inspired idea, but you are not sure how to really make it profitable.If you can relate with any of these, it sounds like you might be ready to...
5 Ways to Embrace Imperfection
Here are five views of imperfection that can help you to soften your expectations of yourself, embrace your incompleteness, and create more room for beauty, compassion, and contentment
Into the Wild: 6 Steps to Stay Safe on Your Outdoor Adventure
The days are longer and lighter, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to play outside! Whether you grew up camping every summer or you’re a nature newbie, everyone can use more Vitamin N these days (that’s N for Nature!).There’s nothing quite like the power and joy of the natural world, whether it’s beach, forest, lake, or desert....
Reap What You Sow: 4 Reasons to Plant a Garden
Planting and tending a garden is great to improve your home’s aesthetic, but in addition to being good for property value, planting a garden is also good for you as a person. Finding a single activity that involves exercise, mindfulness, delicious food, and fun, and that also happens right in your own backyard, is hard to find.Gardening is a great...
Say No to a Sedentary Lifestyle: 5 Reasons to Get Active
Spending the day relaxed on your couch, binge-watching your favorite Netflix show isn’t always a bad thing … unless it becomes your norm. Or perhaps you don’t even watch TV, but find yourself fairly inactive, spending more time sitting at home, work, or in your car rather than being active.Research has shown that many adults in the U.S. spend 70...
The Tao of Enlightened Combat: Fulfilling Your Core Needs Through Martial Arts
The martial arts are a paradox: How can an inherently violent activity lead to higher states of awareness and spirituality? On the surface it doesn’t seem possible. Yet martial arts history is filled with examples of fierce warriors who were also highly evolved beings.In order to explain how the martial arts create a path to your higher self, you need...