Tips for Parsvakonasana

Recently I've been going to this boot camp class with my cousin. The instructor is this awesome 63 year old woman who is a former body builder and has something like 3% body fat. Her classes are INTENSE (gross understatement), and I've been feeling extra achy and stiff. If you're feeling the same and need some relief this is the pose to try. Extended side angle pose (aka parsvakonasana) is great for relieving low back pain and sciatica. It also strengthens and stretches the legs, knees and ankles, and helps open up the shoulders, chest, and groin. And, my personal favorite benefit is that it strengthens the obliques. ​Breathe in it for 5-7 breaths and move on to the other side. Hope it helps! 

PS- Father's day is coming up. ​

PPS- Tomorrow I'm hosting yoga on the beach - come join us!​

A Practice

I'm convinced that the moments just before the sun comes up are the most beautiful. I filmed this yesterday, and while I'm not used to getting up at 5:30am I will admit that it was worth it. The beach is quiet, empty, and the perfect place for a yoga practice. This time lapse yoga sequence is cut down from 45 minutes and it isn't perfect by any means, but that's why it's called a practice. And I'm so grateful to be able to practice. Just eight weeks ago I was dealing with arthritic issues from Lyme disease that left me in so much pain and barely able to walk, and now I feel zero pain. If this disease has taught me anything it's that our health is truly our wealth, and our bodies deserve our gratitude. 

PS- If you enjoy this video and others I've created, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. ​

PPS- If you're local, come to Yoga on the Beach this Saturday! More info here.​

How to do Wild Thing Pose

Wild thing hasn't always been a favorite of mine. At first I found it sort of awkward, but the more I worked with it the more I came to enjoy it. Wild thing is a great pose to do in the middle of the day when you're hitting the afternoon slump, as it helps fatigue. It stretches the chest, shoulders, and hip flexors and strengthens the upper back, and shoulder muscles. If you've got shoulder issues or wrist problems, I probably would skip this one (or at least be very careful). If you wanna give it a try, here's how to do it:

​Three legged dog 

Start in downward dog, and lift the right leg for three legged dog. See the pointers above. From here, bend the right leg, open up the right hip and reach the foot behind you as your right hand comes off the ground.​ 

​Wild thing

See the pointers above for wild thing. Breathe 3-5 breaths in wild thing and then flip (with control!) back over into three legged dog and then downward dog. Hope that helps! Feel free to get in touch via twitter, facebook or the comments below if you have any questions!

Yoga for the Feet

Our poor feet. We stuff them into socks and tights and then squeeze them into uncomfortable shoes while we run around all day. This can lead to flat feet, plantar fasciitis, and other problems, so I put together a little yoga sequence to wake up the small muscles in the feet. It'll stretch out the muscles, strengthen them, and hopefully prevent or reverse these problems. Hope it helps! Have a wonderful weekend!

PS- Seven ways to quickly clean up your diet, no pasta lasagna, and splits.

Tips for Chaturanga

Chaturanga dandasana, aka reverse push up, is one of those poses you see again and again in a vinyasa yoga class. It's pretty easy to do it the wrong way (which can lead to injuries), so I wanted to take a moment to get back to basics with some tips for the pose. ​

​Tips for Chaturanga 

​I can't emphasize enough how important it is to come forward on the toes. It helps to keep everything light and lifted, helps to prevent you from sinking your hips, and helps to charge the shoulders forward.

​Tips for Chaturanga

If you find yourself collapsing into the shoulders, then do this on your knees until you build the upper body strength and core strength to do it. Your back shouldn't dip below your arms. Because you're so high on the toes, it is then easy to transition and roll over the toes for upward facing dog, which is usually the next pose in a vinyasa class after this one. Hope that helps! ​

Yoga for Better Sleep

Yeah! It's Friday! The sun is shining and I'm looking forward to a run on the beach, and maybe a hot yoga class later on. If you're local, I'd love for you to join me for yoga on the beach - thinking of starting it up this week. Stay tuned on facebook for more details.

I made this short yoga video for better sleep this morning. Give it a try if you find yourself struggling with quality sleep. The sequence moves slowly, and releases tension in the hips, hamstrings, feet, and back. Hope it helps!​ 

Please feel free to comment below or on facebook or tweet me if you've got a yoga question, or video suggestion. Have a wonderful weekend!​