What is yoga for? It seems like a straightforward question. Everybody knows what yoga is for, right? Well, maybe not. For a moment, let’s forget about complicated arm balances, ongoing debates in the media about the safety of asana practice, and how tight you hamstrings still are after 8 years of dedicated practice and get to the real issue.
Author Archives: Mara
How to De-Stress Using Yogic Breathing
If I were to do only one yoga practice for the rest of my life, it would be pranayama, or breath-control. Yogic breathing techniques are incredibly powerful. They can transform stress and anxiety into calming surrender, and they can energize a lethargic mind and body.
Map Your Yoga Body
Mapping your yoga body can help you explore areas of tension and stress in your physical being. Since approximately 60% of us are visual learners, it may be beneficial, and fun, to break out the art supplies and draw a map of your yoga body. In this way you can use colors, shapes, words, and even textures to record the results of your body scans. You can keep track of changes over time, noticing overlaps or repetition of sensations, new aches and pains, or changes in your existing trouble-spots.
Yoga and Menstruation
Two major questions arise regarding doing yoga during menstruation. One is the question of whether it is safe to practice inversions, and the other is about how vigorous your yoga practice should be. Here is a brief run down of both issues to help support your yoga practice during your period.
Defining Yoga Jargon
We’ve all heard jokes mocking the ‘unscientific’ and ‘vacuous’ new-age yogi. Jargon is a major factor influencing this fluffy yogi label, which often overshadows the solid and ancient wisdom of yoga. That’s why you need to be clear on what popular yoga terms mean.
Is Yoga Feeding Your Ego?
Once we are deeply entrenched in yoga, we can fall victim to yoga ego-mania. Has this happened to you? Do you find yourself judging others because they don’t practice yoga, or perhaps because they live contrary to certain yoga philosophies that you hold dear?
What is Om?
Om has its origin in the ancient Indian Vedic system as an incantation to be recited at the beginning of ceremonies, rites or readings. It can be found in the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Yoga.
Why Yoga Makes You Taller
Did you know that doing yoga makes you taller? While yoga won’t alter your true height by miraculously bestowing you with an extra vertebra, everyone who practices this pliable art grows taller, sometimes gaining up to a full inch.
How to Avoid Yoga Injuries
It’s very common for people to start practicing yoga as a way to recover from an injury. Yoga is a fantastic and effective tool to support and enhance physical and mental healing. If unchecked, however, your poor habits may lead you towards a new injury or re-injury.
How to Use Your Yoga Strap
Just like learning how to use your yoga block, using your yoga strap can be as fresh or repetitive as you make it. It’s up to you to stretch your imagination. Pause for a moment to ask yourself, “How could this yoga pose feel better?” A yoga strap just might help.