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.
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.
On the list of things my girlfriend likes to do, yoga falls somewhere beneath scrubbing her kitchen floor and somewhere above listening to me explain Game of Thrones. Kate (an alias since my girlfriend agreed to this experiment only if I kept her anonymous) has tried yoga a few times and recognizes the physical benefits although it's not exactly something she gets overly excited about.
At thirty years old, I have been teaching yoga for a third of my life. In my corner of the world, it's almost like a clique. Everyone knows who's who, and what's more menacing is that everybody seems to know each other's business. Of course, there are pluses and minuses, but for the most part, it feels more like a popularity contest than a viable career.
What's especially helpful about these is that you can incorporate them into your existing yoga practice or gym workout. They also bring a surprise factor in that they're not things that you might normally think to try on your mat. Even better, it's not an entire 30-minute strength conditioning workout. It's simple drills you can rely on every single day to strengthen your shoulders.
As defined by brands and advertisers, the holidays mean socializing, decorating, gift buying, cooking, traveling, and forced socializing. For many of us, that feels like barely contained chaos. Yes, it can be lovely to partake in the spirit of giving and gratitude and all that comes with it. But it's entirely too easy, amid the endless tasks and commitments, to lose yourself and forget about the things that keep you grounded.
In Indian philosophy, few concepts are as profound and transformative as Maya. Often translated as "illusion," Maya is not merely a false reality but a complex force that shapes how we perceive the world. It influences our emotions, decisions, attachments, and spiritual journey. For seekers, yogis, and students at Nada Yoga School in Rishikesh, understanding Maya is essential for inner clarity and self-realization.
Brain fog is very real. According to a recent study, "cognitive disability"-defined as difficulties concentrating, remembering, and making decisions-is on the rise in the U.S. The phenomenon is most dramatically affecting those between the ages of 18 to 39, with the self-reported impairments doubling over the course of the decade-long analysis. Potential culprits include stress, Covid, and digital overload. Fortunately, banishing-or at least minimizing-brain fog is within your power.
Plank. Chaturanga. Downward-Facing Dog. Crow. Handstand. What do all of these very different yoga poses have in common? Each of them requires wrist extension, in which the backs of the hands are drawn toward the forearms as if you're signalling "Stop!" We constantly extend and bear weight on extended wrists in yoga, particularly in vinyasa classes. The aching you might feel in your wrists after leaving class? That's often the result of overworking the wrist extensors.
Yoga. One ancient tradition, several millennia of evolution, and as many interpretations as there are people who practice it. So what exactly do we mean when we talk about yoga? For the last 50 of those 5000 years, Yoga Journal has returned to that question again and again, exploring how this ancient practice helps us navigate the complexities of contemporary life.
As we commemorate the last 50 years of Yoga Journal, we also turn our attention to what lies ahead. Because although the practice of yoga coaxes us into the present, what has happened before and what has yet to happen are inextricably intertwined. The following article explains all that and more as part of Yoga Journal's 50th anniversary coverage of yoga's evolving role in America throughout the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s.
Just as an Indian carpet is interwoven with many threads of various colors to produce a perceivable pattern of harmony, Indian writings and religion are interwoven, perhaps in an even more complex way, to produce the pattern we have come to know as Indian philosophy. But for the novice, this pattern can be more than confusing; it can be overwhelming. Actually, one can begin in a systematic way to study and discover the various teachings of Indian philosophy, such as Yoga.
Think of the dozens of activities that are driven by these muscles (brushing your teeth, washing your hair, making breakfast, typing, driving, carrying groceries, practicing Plank and Downward Dog, and the list goes on). As the most mobile joints in the body, the shoulders are also susceptible to injury on and off the yoga mat. Sometimes it's not until you feel a strain, tweak, or otherwise unpleasant sensation that you realize just how much you rely on them-and how frustrating shoulder discomfort can be.
You know that small, quiet panic that shivers through you when it feels like someone is watching you? Butterflies in your stomach, goosebumps, perhaps a sheen of sweat? Like you're onstage, even if that "stage" is just a public sidewalk? I used to get that feeling in yoga class. For nearly a decade, I approached each practice as a place of success and failure, all while believing that everyone present was bearing witness to, and judging, my every pose.
There's a pit of dread in my stomach. I awkwardly fidget, trying to balance my weight evenly between my hands and feet but inevitably paining my wrists or ripping my hamstrings seemingly in half. What should be an inverted V shape more closely resembles the upper half of a capital D, my legs the straight line and my back the rounded curve, too stiff to straighten. Even if I could do it, it doesn't look quite right. "This is terrible," I think.
At its essence, the fall equinox-and autumn at large-are about balance. Day and night meet in length as we are ushered into the last leg of the year in which everyone seems overcome with cravings for all things spiced and attempts at committing to more things than is humanly possible. Through it all, your yoga practice remains as essential as ever. So why not make it a place of refuge?
