Headstand (Sirsasana) is often called the "king of poses" because of the many benefits it affords. It teaches balance and poise, increases the strength of the arms, positively affects the cardiovascular system, and allows, more than many poses, a few minutes for mental and physical stillness. It's a difficult pose, involving many precautions and prerequisites. Many Westerners feel that if they can practice Headstand, they are practicing "real" yoga.
Popular definitions of yoga often include terms such as balance, harmony, health, and peace. While these qualities are certainly desirable, and must be created before one can enter the state of fixity, or yoga, they are not included in the definition Patanjali offers us in his Yoga Sutras, the classic second-century B.C. exposition generally accepted as the bible of yoga.
Health insurance plays a vital role in safeguarding Indians from mounting healthcare costs. With medical inflation rising and hospital bills becoming unaffordable, having robust individual health insurance is no longer an option but a necessity. Recognising this, the Indian insurance regulator made a crucial change in April 2024. Now, health insurance and individual health insurance plans must cover hospitalisation cases where the patient is admitted for as little as two hours.
I had no idea what to practice, when to practice, or for how long. As a result, my practice lacked structure, variety, and inspiration. Then, I discovered an online yoga & meditation platform rooted in Himalayan wisdom. It wasn't just about movement; it was about building a relationship with myself. I started with 15 minutes a day. That was it. Sometimes, just breathwork. Other times, meditation. And occasionally, a full-body kriya that left me buzzing with energy.
Gina was one of the golden girls of my circle-charming, smart, and seriously cool. As our other friends rode through their mid-20s on roller coasters of elation and despair, Gina maintained an almost daunting level of emotional perspective. She gave birth to a child who experienced cognitive impairments and cared for him without losing either her detachment or her sense of humor. She went through cancer surgery with her usual rueful grace.
The winter blues are very real. The lack of light and cold temperatures can pull you into a slump-but practicing yoga can help you feel more like yourself and help you overcome some of the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. All it takes is a willingness to commit to some movement, even-or especially-when you're feeling a bit blah. This grounding morning flow helps you overcome winter sluggishness with some breath-guided stretching and slow activation.
Come flow with us every 4th Sundays! After the community yoga class, enjoy a cup of coffee on us at @javabeachsf to warm you up from our San Francisco summer weather. 12pm, Judah and Great Highway Park BYO mat and coffee mug. No registration required, just show up and enjoy yoga to the sound of waves. Sundays at the Beach are possible thanks to a grant award from @avenuegreenlight and help from our friends across the community like @yogabeachsf for helping us bring weekly joy
Like many people, I always wanted to do yoga daily. I'd roll out my mat a few times a week, follow a YouTube video, and feel great... for a while. But between work, life, and mental exhaustion, my practice was inconsistent at best and forgotten at worst. That changed when I discovered the right approach - one that felt more like a cup of calm than a chore on my to-do list.
Games did not suddenly become "worse." Games adapted. Attention got tired, schedules got tighter, and competition for free time turned brutal. A ten-minute gap now has to fight against messages, videos, and endless feeds. In that environment, long-form sessions still exist, but short sessions often win because they respect reality instead of demanding a perfect evening. That shift is visible everywhere, from mobile puzzlers to competitive titles and even casino-style experiences where a quick crore win feeling is part of the appeal.
Aging isn't just about wrinkles-it's about how your body moves. Or doesn't move. As we age, we often lose strength, balance, and range of motion. Our spines compress. Our glutes weaken. All of this manifests as pain, stiffness, and fatigue. But as Yogi Aaron reminds us, the true signs of aging come from a loss of mobility. The good news? You can get it back through regularpractice of our yoga routine to stay young, which includes breath, muscle activation, and mindful movement.
Still, even in the early days of social media, there was a lot of talk about what a mind-mess these platforms could create, including research that tracked declines in mental health. I deliberated cutting ties with Instagram because I noticed myself falling into the classic trap: looking at what my friends were posting and wondering, "Why aren't I doing what they're doing?" and "Should I be doing that?"
Yoga retreats are admittedly amazing. Imagine an entire block of time to tune in to your mind and body as you move, reflect, and perhaps explore your surroundings while honing various elements of your yoga practice. There's a reason the global yoga travel market is projected to reach $222 billion by 2030. That said, you may be seeking a vacation that includes a collection of friends or loved ones-including non-yogis.
It requires suppleness of the adductor (inner thigh) muscles, as well as the hamstrings (back thigh) and the hip joint itself. There are several variations to the pose. Initially, the student attempts to grasp the toes with the index and middle finger. As the student advances, they move forward until the chest is resting on the floor, but this should only be attempted if the back can be kept straight, otherwise the pose tends to distort the vertebral column.
Black moonstone is an uncommon and attractive moonstone variety, which is one of the feldspar minerals family. Black moonstones are different from the usual white or peach ones. They have a dark gray to almost black base. A soft silvery, bluish, or white shine called adularescenc e often highlights this base. The optical effect appears to move through the stones' surface once it absorbs light which gives the black moonstone an eerie and ethereal look.
With the passing of the band's rhythm guitarist, Bob Weir, many of us are sitting with yet another quiet, unexpected grief amid a world that seems perpetually heavy. And The Grateful Dead has long been a companion to our shared experiences, and their work continues to resonate in wellness, yoga, and ritual spaces. Because it was never just about music.
Perhaps everyone else in class is twisting while you're skipping it, avoiding eye contact with the teacher, and thinking, "My rib cage does not move that way." You're not alone. Twisting poses, by definition, rotate the spine, which can make it feel like your midsection is being squeezed waaay too tight. That makes it trickier to take a deep breath because of the pressure twisting places on the abdomen. The result? A not-so-calming stretch you'd rather avoid than attempt.
In a world that never stops talking, your mind can often feel like an overcrowded room. If you are struggling with anxiety, you know that the "noise" isn't just external; it's a persistent, jagged frequency within your own body. Perhaps you've tried traditional meditation only to find that the silence is too loud, or your racing thoughts simply won't be still.
Mantra Pushpanjali lyrics Meaning The term Pushpanjali comes from two Sanskrit words. "P ushpa" means "flower," and " anjali " means "offering made with folded hands." Pushpanjali represents the act of offering flowers. This can be both a metaphor and a literal gesture. They do it for the gods, the guru, the divine, and the people present. For Bharatanatyam as well as other Indian traditional dance forms, Pushpanjali is the traditional way to begin a show. This isn't just an introduction, but an act of worship.
Blue aura is among of the most well-known and important aura colors. Auras are subtle energy field that surrounds living things. They show a person's physical, mental, and spiritual state. People link blue auras to peace and truth. They also relate to communication and spiritual understanding. It is a signification of a person who has calm and reflective appearance that emits calm and peace. The challenges could include overthinking, emotional sensitiveness or withdrawal when stressed.
Śrī Gaṇapati Atharvaśīrṣa is a sacred text associated with the Atharva Veda and is often regarded as Upaniṣadic in nature. Unlike devotional hymns composed later in history, this text speaks the language of tattva, or ultimate reality. Here, Gaṇapati is not presented merely as a personal deity or remover of obstacles, but as the principle of consciousness itself, directly experienced through sound. The Atharvaśīrṣa identifies Gaṇapati as Brahman, the Self, and the underlying cause, sustainer, and dissolver of all existence.
The Giloy Plant, known as Tinospora cordifolia, is an important medicinal plant in Indian medicine, especially Ayurveda. This plant is also known as Guduchi, Amrita, or Heart-leaved Moonseed. For centuries, individuals have utilized it to support health, boost immunity, aid digestion, detoxify, and promote healing. Giloy is often called the nectar of life because it has many health benefits. Giloy Plant and Regnum Plantarum Pertinata and Classification: Regnum: Plantae Divisio: Angiospermae (plantae florentes) Classis: Dicotyledones Ordo: Ranunculales Familia: Menispermaceae Genus: Tinospora Species: Tinospora cordifolia
As someone who comes alive at 2 am and can easily sink into an hour-long vortex of consuming YouTube shorts, I started using an Oura ring to act as a sort of pseudo-parent. It's motivated me to stand up from my desk more often, swap my mid-day social media breaks for 20-minute meditations, and develop a more calming before-bed routine than letting one episode of Vanderpump Rules turn into three.
Staying mobile as we age isn't just about movement. It's about confidence - knowing you can get out of a chair without wobbling, walk across a room without reaching for support, or step into the shower without the fear of falling. For many older Australians, this confidence fades slowly. A bit of stiffness in the hips, a little less balance, muscles that don't recover the way they used to. Then one day it becomes easier to stay put than to get moving.
Some years ago, I was working at my desk and realized that I had misplaced a bill that was due. While I anxiously searched for it, my then 4-year-old daughter came into the room and asked for my attention. I said that I was busy looking for something important and to come back later. In a few minutes she returned and asked quietly, "Have you found yourself yet, Mommy?" I was humbled by her question.
In today's fast-paced world, stress, anxiety, and constant mental noise have become part of daily life. Many people search for simple and natural ways to feel calmer, more focused, and emotionally balanced. This is where meditation comes in. Meditation is not about escaping life or forcing the mind to be empty. Instead, it is a practical skill that trains the mind to become more aware, steady, and present.
A cazimi, derived from the Arabic term kaṣmīmī meaning "in the heart," is when a planet draws close to the Sun. In our solar system and in astrology, the Sun is the essence of all life. As Venus in Capricorn enters into the heart of the Sun this week on January 6. 2026, she is 0ffered vitality, awareness, and the very source of life itself.
When life feels chaotic and your mind is spinning, a short yoga flow can help you slow down, breathe, and come back to your center. Rather than the nonstop twists and turns of some sequences, this practice helps you find your rhythm by taking your body through simple, repetitive movement, which offers your mind a place to find stillness. With its various iterations of the classic Sun Salutation A and B, this fluid practice grounds your energy and clears mental clutter.
The new wellness is not constant repair, but constant care. Compassion. Joy. Appreciation for what currently exists even as any intentional changes continue to unfold. The last several years have already been a time of refining, unlearning, and becoming for myself and many of us. Not arriving. Not fixing. Just existing within the process rather than being exclusively focused on the destination and ignoring, well, life.
