PRACTICING YOGA
Get the most out of your yoga practice
Heal your aches and take a deep dive into specific layers of your system
TEACHING YOGA
Sharpen your yoga-teaching skills
Design effective yoga practices for yourself and your students using stick-figure images
BECOMING A YOGA THERAPIST
Deepen your professional expertise
Get to know your student to create truly customized yoga practices
LATEST POSTS
In today’s digital era, many of us find ourselves sitting for hours—whether at a desk, in front of a screen, or on the couch. Our bodies are built for movement, and extended periods of sitting can take a toll on our posture, muscles, and overall well-being.
The food choices we make undoubtedly impact our health and wellness, but those benefits can get lost in the ongoing debate over “which food cures the most symptoms” or “my diet is better than yours.” Here are three key factors to consider when using food as fuel to support your body’s energy levels and healing capacity.
A human being is an open system that takes in energy from the environment, transforms and organizes it, and then releases it, impacting the surroundings. Yogis have been talking about this process for centuries. It’s beautifully captured in the Pancha Vayu Model, which describes the flow of energy into, throughout, and out of the body.
YOGA FOR YOUR BODY
According to joints classification, the knee is a “hinge joint” that folds and unfolds like…
YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN
Many years ago, I took an anatomy and physiology course in college. I went in…
According to Walter Freeman, one of the great neuroscientists, “All the brain can know it…
When it comes to dealing with chronic pain, we have to differentiate between pain and…
When you are in pain, the body gets stuck in a loop of emergency stress…
Some days, when I begin my yoga practice, I can feel the entire physical history…
Your brain interprets your bodily sensations based on context and experience. If you feel a…
There is a heated ongoing debate in the yoga community about the difference between a…
One of my clients is currently shopping for a doctor. She has been trying to…
In our digital world, technology experts continuously come up with solutions to make our everyday…
One of my clients has recurring knee issues. For her, there is always a low…
If you accomplish ten great things today and make one mistake, what will you more…
A former client of mine, let’s call him John, bent over to tie his shoes…
A few years ago, my family moved from one house to another. On the moving…
A recent article in the New York Times discussed the updated guidelines by the American…
TEACHING YOGA CLASSES
Any yoga teacher knows that it feels very different to teach regular students who have…
Yesterday morning, I was trying to do my pranayama practice, as my 9-year-old was bouncing…
A few years ago, I wrote a blog post about the similarities between a well-designed…
PRACTICE VIDEOS
Traditionally, yoga practices for young adults were vinyasa-based and centered around a Sun Salutation. Sun…
Your vestibular system, working in tandem with your eyes, proprioception, and pressure sensors in your…
Last week, a blast of cold weather moved across the United States. Here in Portland,…
There is a particular group of poses within the side-bending category that is useful for…
Yoga poses are meant to be “prana pumps”, because the ultimate purpose of asana is…
Are you planning on lifting suitcases anytime soon? Shoveling snow? Hauling a Christmas tree? If…
Our contemporary sedentary lifestyles are not kind to our backs (weakening them) and our hamstrings…
The amount of twisting we do in our daily lives is minimal, yet spinal rotation…
To have a strong body, we need a supple spine, stable skeletal structure, supportive core,…
Would you like to feel a spring in your step? When our hips feel stiff,…
Oftentimes our bodies try to get our attention through physical pain and discomfort. The messages…
Oftentimes our bodies try to get our attention through physical pain and discomfort. The messages…
Your right and left brain hemispheres approach the tasks you do throughout your day a…
How do you feel when you are at peace with yourself? Inner peace (or peace of…
Your heart is small but mighty. For an organ that could fit into the palm…
According to the yoga tradition, there are three qualities, or three energetic forces, that are…
When did you last feel like a superhero: strong, confident, capable, and vibrant? Try this…
Do you ever feel so overwhelmed that you have to guard yourself with a stiff…
Are there certain qualities or character traits that you would like to strengthen within yourself?…
We get headaches for a variety of reasons. They can be related to muscular tension,…
BENEFITS OF PRIVATE YOGA SESSIONS
In my yoga teacher training, we used to have Observation clinics, where we would observe…
When a new student starts private yoga sessions, we usually ask many different questions about…
Some months ago, I met with a new student who’s been recently diagnosed with osteoporosis.…
When my son was little, he used to freak out every time he fell down…
Have you ever had this experience when you get worked up about something one day,…
Sleep impacts every aspect of our physiology, so it is not surprising that we always…
Since the beginning of the last century, reporters have been taught that the lede should…
About a month ago, one of my students had a knee replacement surgery. We planned…
When students arrive at our yoga classes and private yoga sessions, they usually have a…
A new student came to see me once for a private session. She was very…
A new client showed up to our first appointment a few years ago with a…
POPULAR POSTS
FEATURED AUTHORS
Maryam Ovissi
Accredited Trauma-Informed Clinical Yoga Therapist and Yoga Teacher.
Lisa Sack
Certified Viniyoga® therapist, Āyurvedic Health Counselor, and Hanna Somatic Educator®.
Alison Wesley
Faculty Franklin Method Educator and Registered Yoga Teacher/Therapist in Portland, OR.
Mary Hilliker
Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, E-RYT500, IAYT-Certified Yoga Therapist
Amanda Green
Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist
How to Create Yoga Student Profiles: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide to Keeping Records of Private Yoga Sessions
