Lean Into a Brick in Baddha Konasana: Five-Minute Yoga Challenge
Lately I’ve come to have a whole new appreciation for my shoulder blades, and in particular, for the thick part at the very top rim. In the past, I always imagined my shoulder blades to be light and fragile, part of a gossamer shoulder girdle meant to float on top of my ribcage. Now I […]
Sadhana: the practice for day two
The first day of Sadhana went off without a hitch. In fact, from where I sat, it felt comfortable and familiar. I know I wasn’t the only one. On her way out the door, Rosaria said: “It feels like we just picked up where we left off last year.” Savasana was short, and for reasons […]
First day of the Sadhana: forward bends
Tomorrow is officially the beginning of summer. It’s also the beginning of the second annual 10-day Summer Sadhana at Yoga on 7th. At 6:15 tomorrow morning, 18 of us will meet at the studio and begin to practice together. We’ll repeat a sequence of forward bends (days 1, 4 and 7), back bends (days 2, […]
Five-Minute Yoga Challenge: twist in a chair to free your back
When something feels as good as a deep twist, how is it we forget to do it when we need it most? We sit at desks, shoulders tense and upper backs gripping, then get up and walk away, carrying our tension with us, when we could, with a few minutes of twisting, leave them behind […]
Television yoga for tight front thighs
One of the most fruitful areas for a new yoga practitioner to explore is something I call television yoga. It’s not a formal practice. You don’t have to put on special clothes, roll out a mat or light a candle. And if you watch TV, talk on the phone, or sit and listen to music, […]
Sit Like a Pretzel to Stretch Your Hips
Rob a bank and you are likely to be punished by losing your freedom of movement. But for no greater crime than getting older, or sitting too much, or both, you can lose the freedom of movement in your hips. Even some otherwise beneficial acts, like running, cycling and playing team sports, can put you […]