The gluteus medius — one of the four muscles comprising your “rear end” — acts as much like your hip as your seat. When it’s sore or used improperly, it makes itself KNOWN — sometimes as hip pain, other times as lower back pain.… Read more
BLOG
Love you, Dad
Dear friends,
What a harrowing week it has been. If my countenance in this week’s practice does not look particularly chipper, it’s because I forced myself to the mat while I traveled to and from the ICU where my father was admitted this past Tuesday morning.… Read more
My Labor & Delivery Story
Hey there.
I’m writing on a personal note today to share the story of how my little family came to be. It’s not a yogini’s mystical tale of a birth so magical it bordered on orgasmic. It’s not even what you might call a “positive birth story,” except that, in the end, my baby landed on my chest healthy and oh-so-loved — so in that way, it’s positive beyond measure.… Read more
Spotlight on Hip Flexors
Hip flexors get a lot of attention in yoga classes, and rightfully so. But why is it so important to work with them?
Before we go there, let’s square away exactly what we’re talking about.
What are the hip flexors?
The hip flexors are the muscles that run across the front of your hip, connecting your torso and your thighs.… Read more
Yoga for the Heart Chakra
Anahata
The Fourth Chakra
The fourth chakra is the seat of compassion, generosity, and ecstasy.
When this chakra is functioning in a healthy way, it is easy to recognize yourself in others. Their struggles become yours, their faults are the kind you can forgive, and their well-being is as important to you as your own.… Read more
Notes for Prenatal Yoga Practice
Pregnancy is a beautiful time to be doing yoga. Not only does it prepare your body for labor and post-partum, but it can keep you strong, supple and spacious as your body shifts shape to make room for your little loved one.… Read more
Yoga for the Navel Chakra
Manipura
The Third Chakra
The third chakra is the seat of personal power, the sense of self, and will.
When it is activated and in balance, you feel confident, able to express yourself, and able to conduct your affairs in the world without hindrance.… Read more
Yoga for the Sacral Chakra
Svadhisthana
The Second Chakra
The second chakra is the home of personal creativity and sexuality.
When it is activated and in balance, it is easy to express yourself creatively or artistically, and you are comfortable and satisfied by your sensual and sexual experiences.… Read more
Yoga for the Root Chakra
Muladhara
The First Chakra
The root chakra forms the foundation for all other chakras, housing kundalini energy in its coiled, potential form.
When it is activated and in balance, you operate from a sense of security because you feel that you are genuinely supported in all that you do.… Read more
I’m Having a Baby!
Yessss!!!!
Hello friends,
I’m writing today on a pretty personal note just to share that my partner Joe and I are expecting a baby! We are elated, and we expect our little munchkin to arrive somewhere around the end of January or early February, 2019.… Read more
Handstand Tips – Answers to the questions you’ve asked
Here’s a post answering some of the questions you’ve asked about handstand.
Handstand Tips
Where do I gaze?
Draw an imaginary line between your pointer fingers and envision at dot right at the middle. This gaze point is neutral enough to not strain your neck but forward enough to keep your body aligned over your hands, something that takes practice.… Read more
The Kleshas: Obstacles to Freedom
Patanjali taught that there are five obstacles, called the kleshas, on the path toward ultimate freedom. This post takes a look at each obstacle and then offers a few self-study prompts so that you can determine which kleshas are keeping you contained in suffering.… Read more
Which of the Gunas Is Running Your Life?
In yogic thought the manifest world is comprised of three basic characteristics called the gunas: energy, idleness, and clarity (rajas, tamas, and sattva) which are always in flux. Every object, every abstraction, and each one of us has some combination of these three components of nature.… Read more
Quiz: Which Guna Predominates in You?
[qsm quiz=1]… Read more
The Emancipation of Being Wrong
Do you know someone who can never be wrong? Maybe you know many people who harbor this common quirk.
Maybe that person is you.
I’m going to put it right out there that I am someone who is sometimes wrong. Let me say that again because it’s such a liberating, though oddly difficult, revelation: I am capable of being wrong.… Read more
To Hold Space for the Self
At The Yoga House, Jacquelyn and I are blessed and grateful to host so many wonderful instructors whose highest aim is to hold space. To hold space for healing entails seeing to it that the room and its energy are comfortable and judgment free.… Read more