(Less than) 5 Minute Abs

Confession: I don't love doing abdominal work. (Does anyone?) But I have found that since working on my abs a bit more in recent weeks, I've been finding ease in certain yoga poses like plank and balancing asanas. If you're a runner, having strong abs will help to stabilize your pelvis and torso as you run and help with posture. Now, I don't know about you, but if i haven't been working on abs lately the last thing I want is a long video. I like to start small. So here's a (less than) 5 minute ab video I made this morning. Hope you enjoy.

PS- The deadline to register for our Yoga and Zumba Girls' Getaway Weekend is October 10th. We'd love to have you, so if you're down to meet us in Prague, send in your registration! More info here.​

Yoga Tips: Choose A Focus

Practicing yoga often is ideal but sometimes I find myself in a rut doing nearly the same thing every time. Doing what you always do in yoga renders both your physical practice and mental practice stagnant. A good way to get out of that funk is to pick a focus for your yoga practice. Spend a little extra time and energy on certain poses or themes and then focus on something different in your next practice..

Currently I've been focusing more on a couple different things. One, arm balances like the one shown above. It's called astavakrasana, or eight-angle pose and while it's not perfect (is any pose?) I am pretty proud of myself because a year ago I was still battling lyme disease and having trouble with my joints- my wrists especially. Arm balances are great to build core and upper body strength and it tests your concentration and balance as well.

Bound lotus​

​baddha parsvakonasana - bound side angle pose

The other aspect of my practice I've been focusing on lately is binding. Basically binding is wrapping your arms around your body in some way and grabbing on to something else. It just gets a little deeper into the pose and is great for ​massaging internal organs, straightening the spine, and opening the body. 

I'd love to know- what have you been focusing on in your practice? ​

Movement: Wheel Variation

Playing around the other day with wheel pose. What a test of balance to lift your arm! ​A pose can always "go" somewhere- so any time you feel like you're getting bored with a pose try lifting a limb and see what happens. :)

3 Yoga Poses for Sciatica

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Sciatica is a common problem among both men and women and it can be maddeningly uncomfortable. Luckily, there are a couple yoga poses ​that really help. Here are three I put together that can provide relief.

First up, pigeon pose.​

Next up, seated piriformis stretch.​

Last one- laying piriformis stretch.​

What Type of Yoga is Best for You?

In honor of National Yoga Month, I thought I'd give you a rundown of different types of yoga so you can choose what might work best for you. The picture above is from my teacher training in Thailand (can you spot me? i'm in the white on the purple mat). To my knowledge, there isn't a class that is always blindfolded but I'd be down to start one- this was one of the best classes I've ever taken!! Ok, so let's get started. My list is just based on what I'm familiar with. There are many other types of yoga not listed here. 

AcroYoga​

Expect: A partner-based, playful class that combines yoga, acrobatics and Thai massage. Super fun and uplifting (literally), and it challenges you to trust your partner, and be sensitive to his/her/your own needs. ​

Ashtanga

Expect: An athletic and physically demanding practice  based around sun salutations. It is vinyasa style- or a flowing movement. You go from pose to pose, almost like a dance. ​Traditionally, as taught by creator Patthabi Jois, Ashtanga is done Mysore-style, which is individually and silently, with the teacher walking around adjusting. Typically in the states, though, you will most likely have an instructor who leads you through the practice.

Baptiste Power Yoga​

Expect: A heated room and a flowing 90 minute sequence. ​This is a physically demanding practice. Each teacher's sequence will be different, but the overall class is designed to strengthen and tone the entire body.

Bikram​

Expect: A heated room at 105 degrees. You'll do a series of the same 26 postures in each class, no matter what studio or who the teacher is. You repeat most of the postures twice. Expect to sweat A LOT.​

Iyengar ​

Expect: This type of yoga focuses on alignment of the body. Especially great for people with posture problems, back issues, etc. You may only do a few poses per class with the focus on the subtle body and the importance of alignment in postures.​

Jivamukti​

Expect: An emphasis on spiritual development along with a physical practice. Sanskrit chanting and spiritual readings are common during class. There's a focus on linking yogic lifestyle both on and off the mat.

Kripalu ​

Expect: The focus in Kripalu yoga is prana (breath), and you'll do meditation, breathing exercises and relaxation practice to awaken the observation of breath. Classes can be either gentle or more physically demanding depending on the teacher and the class needs. 

Movement: Fish

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Matsyasana, or fish pose, is traditionally known as the destroyer of all disease, and I mean, who are we to argue with that? I usually do this as a counterpose to shoulder stand, and breathe in it for at least 10 breaths. Benefits include a good stretch in the stomach, deep hip flexor muscles and the muscles between the ribs. Unless you're familiar with getting in and out of the pose, look for a full guide on how to do it first (I'll post one soon), as there is potential for neck and low back injuries. ​