I stumbled upon the following question while browsing quora.com (which also happens to be my new favorite pass time).
“I’ve been trying to implement yoga and meditation in my life for a while but somehow it doesn’t work as I expect it to. Do I need someone to teach me or does it take time to see significant results?”
The spine is designed to perform the following 4 movements: flexion, extension, axial rotation and side-bending. If you want to keep your back happy, try to perform these 4 movements daily. There’s no need to be a specialist in anatomy to enjoy a healthy and flexible spine.
Here are some recommendations to help you move intelligently: (more…)
Sometimes, the challenge of teaching anatomy to yoga teachers is conveying the idea that, despite sharing the same anatomical blueprint, each person’s body is unique. The anatomical map offers us detailed portrayal of the human structure, however it is still only an approximate representation of the actual body we inhabit. (more…)
It was very exciting to run into Natalia recently, at a yoga workshop, of course! During our breaks, Natalia told me all about the low pressure fitness training she’s been studying and teaching and about how it helps with a variety of pelvic floor problems. (What better topic to be discussed over lunch?) Of course, I loved listening to all this new and exciting information and I think you’ll find it quite interesting as well. (more…)
Scoliosis is a lateral curvature of the spine which involves certain consequences for the health and posture of the person affected by it. According to Elise Browning Miller -a senior Iyengar teacher specialized in back and sports related injuries- there are 2 main types of scoliosis: structural or functional. (more…)
When I trained with Mitchell Bleier I learned that verbal cues can be broken up into two categories: form and action. When we teach we begin with giving instructions that describe the form of a pose (where you place your feet and hands, how to position the pelvis, etc..) after that we use words that evoke action. This is the most important part as the action piece is what holds the asana together. (more…)