Happy New Year, yogis! I absolutely love planning and dreaming up new possibilities for our community. Each December, I spread out my notebooks and a big calendar, brew a cup of tea, and spend hours thinking about how to make our yoga practice even more meaningful and supportive in the year ahead. As I sat…
Recently, a student asked me if yoga could help her friend who has lupus. (Spoiler alert: yes, it can!) As I started sharing my thoughts, I realized this topic deserved more than a quick response – there was so much I wanted to say about how yoga can support people living with autoimmune conditions that…
You know what strikes me as slightly ironic? I spend my days teaching yoga as a form of movement, but the longer I teach, the more I realize that the most powerful thing I offer isn’t movement at all—it’s stillness. This insight didn’t come easily to me. My natural tendency is to live two steps…
You know how it goes in yoga class – we have a tendency to get caught up in the little things. Can I touch my toes today? I hope no one looks at me trying to balance in Tree Pose. Ugh, why can’t I reach my back foot? Sometimes we need to zoom out and…
You’re only as young as your spine is flexible! Join me for this 5 minute bite-sized yoga practice that focuses on movement of the spine in all its different directions (flexion, extension, rotation, side bending, and axial extension) so that we can decrease pain and stiffness and maintain overall health and vitality! Did you know…
Want strong and stable legs? Then this gentle yoga class is for you. We’ll work strengthening the muscles in the lower body. Watch your balance, stability, and body awareness improve! When we talk about staying independent and active as we age, leg strength and balance are absolutely necessary! The type of mindful, strength-building movements we…
If your mid or upper back (or that area in-between your shoulder blades) feels tight, stiff, or even painful, you’re in the right place! Today’s simple yoga routine will mobilize your thoracic spine and strengthen your back muscles while opening up the front of your body. This will hopefully give you some relief from your…
Have you ever come across headlines like “5 Yoga Poses to Cure Your Back Pain!” or “One Simple Stretch to End All Your Aches!”? If you’re dealing with chronic pain, I bet these catchy titles have caught your eye more than once. And why wouldn’t they? The promise of a quick fix is so tempting…
Have you ever wondered why we pause so often in our yoga classes? Why I ask you to “check in” with your body before we begin, during those moments of stillness between poses, and again at the end of our practice? If you’ve been to my classes, you know what I’m talking about. We start…
What is the most effective way to improve balance and prevent falls as we age? As a yoga therapist and experienced yoga teacher specializing in healthy aging, I strongly believe that yoga is the best tool we have to prevent falls and keep ourselves steady on our feet. Now, you might be wondering, “Yoga? Really?”…
“How often should I practice yoga to get the benefits?” I hear this question all the time from my students: “How often should I do yoga to really make a difference?” If you’re asking this, you’re not alone! Yoga is all about the process and not the end result. But that said, many of us…
If you’re over 50, there are a few specific things you should be doing every single day to stay mobile and strong as you get older. Today I’ll explain WHAT these three things are, WHY they’re each important, and I’ll demonstrate each movement or pose so you can give it a try as you’re reading…
Rounded shoulders are a common issue these days. From long hours at a desk, to gardening, to too much time on our phones, many of us end up with this less-than-ideal posture. In this blog, I’ll go over how rounded shoulders can be harmful to your health, I’ll walk you through a quick posture test,…
4 Core Pillars for Optimal Health and Vibrance At Lifelong Yoga, there’s a focus on 4 Core Pillars for Optimal Health and Vibrance: Alignment, Functional Movement, The Breath, and Therapeutic Sequencing. These four pillars are present in every group class I teach, every 1:1 yoga session, and every online program. Pillar #1: Alignment Find YOUR…
Balance matters as we get older! Balance isn’t just about standing on one leg. It’s about moving confidently through life. Working on your balance helps to prevent falls and enhance your overall health, independence, and quality of life, and it becomes increasingly more important as we age. Preventing falls One of my first jobs as…
Group yoga classes aren’t for everyone, especially if you have unique goals or limitations. Enter private yoga therapy—a tailored approach that focuses solely on you! In this post, I’m highlighting four reasons to consider yoga therapy for a truly personalized yoga practice. You’ll see how this individualized attention can be a game changer for your…
Kyphosis, hunchback, dowager’s hump, text neck…the excessive rounding of your thoracic spine goes by many names! Not only does this hump affect our appearance, but it also takes a toll on our overall health. Explore how three simple yoga poses can work wonders in counteracting poor postural habits that lead to kyphosis, bringing relief and…
Wondering what yoga therapy is, what a yoga therapy session involves, and if yoga therapy might be helpful for you? Here’s all the information you need to know – and how to get started. What is yoga therapy? As a growing number of people seek out alternative treatments to address their health concerns, yoga’s popularity…
Do you love how yoga makes you feel but still struggle to stay consistent with your daily home yoga practice? Follow these 5 simple steps to finally build a regular yoga habit, once and for all! What’s holding you back from getting on your yoga mat each day? By now, you’re aware of the many…