Category: Styles & Poses
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For the Love of Lats: TLC for your Back Muscles
The latissimus dorsi (also known as “lats”) is a super important back muscle. You use it every time you pull something towards you. Recently I’ve come to recognize how little attention and love I give to this muscle. I train in karate. One of the requirements to move up in rank is to do 3…
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What muscles is your yoga pose stretching?
A friend of mind posted this image recently on Facebook. (Apologies, I don’t know the original source but will site it here when I find out.) This is a great illustration of the muscles that you are using when performing a particular pose. One of my mentors always describes poses in terms of the target…
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Shake up your Forward Bends with these Five Variations
Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend). I use this pose a lot in both my personal practice and in the classes that I teach. I love it as part of my warmup and done with more intensity as my practice progresses. It’s one of those poses that make me go “ahhhhh….” Like coming home after a vacation.…
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Yoga to help you get grounded
The other day I forgot my pants. Ok, I didn’t actually walk around in public with no pants but I left them at the yoga studio after class! Then yesterday I put a co-worker’s keys in my jacket pocket. She set them down on my desk. I still am not sure what happened but I…
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Trusting in Your Body
A few weeks ago I hurt me knee. It was the same knee I injured badly 10 years ago. I went to the doctor, rested, did some physio and took a break from my martial arts classes. This week was testing for me in karate. And although it felt better, I was scared that my…
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Fabulous Forward Folds
I love forward folds. I like to sprinkle in some standing forward bends throughout my practice. And at least one longer-held seated forward fold towards the end. They are like the chocolate of yoga! So decadent. Our days are full. We spend them days chasing kids, talking with others, working and learning. It is stimulating and exciting. But all of this can also…
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Yoga for Happy, Healthy Knees
The knee is a weird and fragile joint. I tore a knee ligament (ACL) many years ago. I had physiotherapy and eventually surgery to repair the ligament. I was very physically active when it happened and it was frustrating as hell to be forced to slow down. But perhaps I needed a pause in my…
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Yoga for Courage
It has been a long while since my last blog post. I apologize. I was wrapped up in the goings on of my own world and got out of the habit. Then the longer it went on, the more of a deal it became. I was worried about what you might think and also about…
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Bring Joy to Your Yoga Practice
We all come to yoga for different reasons. It could be to heal an injury, to relieve stress or to get in shape. Maybe you love the way your body feels afterwards or you find a certain peace in the spiritual aspects. And as you go, your reasons may change. There may be times when…
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Get The Most Out of 10 Minutes of Yoga
A big thank you to Bethany for her guest post on Yoga Flavored Life this week! === When it comes to meeting any goal, the most important part is overcoming initial resistance and just taking that first step. This applies in beginning your yoga routine as well. Many assume that in order to reap…