Looking back on a year of yoga
A heap of jewel-bright Iyengar bracelets.It was cookie night last night, by which I know that it’s officially Christmas time, and year’s end. We made Cappuccino Shortbreads, Peppermint Patties, Gingerbreads, Clove Snaps (a clove-and-citrus take on Ginger Snaps), Lemon-Lime Butter Wafers, Kris Kringle chocolate cookies that you roll in either cocoa or icing sugar before […]
Every breath you take
If you are a fan of heavy-metal clothing brand Affliction – admittedly not really likely if you’ve found yourself on this page – then you might believe that affliction is “the passion that drives us to reach for greatness,” or something that “makes you build when others buy.” Well no. Since at least Roman times, […]
Break out of your computer body while there’s still time
Do you ever find yourself hunched over your keyboard, shoulders up around your ears and a dull ache taking hold in your upper back? Yeah, me too. That’s why this simple chest opening is one of my favorite five-minute yoga breaks, and also one of my favorite ways to ease into a practice. The older […]
Sweet Sorrow? A yoga fix for Christmas baking back pain
Cute mice, and very Christmasy, but making them can be a pain in the back. I love to make Christmas cookies, the more intricate the better. This means long periods of standing on a tile floor, leaning forward to perform the delicate, focused work of creating mushrooms out of meringue, painting chocolate eyes on sugar-cookie […]
Five-Minute Yoga Challenge: Kitchen Counter Series, part one
This week’s Five-Minute Yoga Challenge is spinal stretch at the kitchen counter. It’s an easy one to tuck into your day – come into the kitchen, put the kettle on, and while the water boils, put your hands down on the counter and step back into spinal stretch. It has a special meaning for me, […]
Five-Minute Yoga Challenge: reverse the curve
A normal curve and a hyper-kyphotic curve of the spineWe all have a kyphosis, or at least we ought to – it’s the natural outward curve of the upper back, which balances the inward curves of the neck and the low back. Hyper-kyphosis is different. The outward curve becomes exaggerated, and we lose our ability […]