YogaPaws Blog for Beginner Poses and Postures
Overcoming Your Fear of Inversions
Posted on January 21 2019
Let’s be honest – inversions are mesmerizing! In the age of Instagram and Pinterest, there is no shortage of amazing images of yogis doing gravity-defying handstands all over the world. However, they are often some of the most challenging postures. They can also be terrifying. Inversions literally flip your world...
Practicing Yoga at Home
Posted on January 16 2019
In this modern day world of hustle and bustle, it’s tough enough finding the time to practice, let alone the space in your house. Think outside the room. A place for yoga at home is more about the space in your mind than a room in your house.
5 Ways Yoga Can Help Beat the Winter Blues
Posted on January 14 2019
It’s very common to experience low energy, physical tightness or pain, drops in motivation, and even sadness during the coldest months of the season. Fortunately, we can use yoga to combat some of these winter blues and seasonal lows!
Using the Chakras in Yoga
Posted on January 07 2019
If you’ve read anything about the history of yoga, chances are you’ve heard of the chakras. But what exactly are the chakras and how do they apply to yoga?
Tips for a Successful Yoga Photo Shoot
Posted on January 03 2019
Have you ever been interested in doing a yoga photo shoot but didn’t know where to start? Whether you need professional images for your yoga studio’s website, or just want some pictures for “the gram” – photo shoots don’t have to be scary. Here are some tips to help you nail your next yoga photo shoot.
Yoga and Meditation
Posted on December 28 2018
Meditation is a practice of being in the now: the present moment. It’s a constant observation of the mind that requires a stillness in order to perceive the true self.
New Year’s Intentions for Your Yoga Practice
Posted on December 28 2018
New Year’s resolutions seem to have a bad reputation, lately – mostly because people don’t stick to them after a few months (or even days!) So instead of considering them “resolutions”, I prefer to set intentions that create more of a mindful approach, rather than just a setting a specific goal.
Benefits of Practicing Yoga While Traveling
Posted on December 27 2018
Are you one of the 108 million Americans traveling for the holidays this year? Yoga brings us back to center in the midst of chaos and allows us to calm the stress we gained from traveling. Plus, you can do it virtually anywhere!
5 Holiday Gift Ideas for The Yogi in Your Life
Posted on December 10 2018
Are you struggling to figure out what to give that friend or family member who loves going to yoga classes? Whether they are an occasional yoga visitor or a hardcore devotee, here are some great (and budget-friendly) ideas for the yogi in your life!
How Yoga Helps with Self-Care During the Holidays
Posted on December 03 2018
It’s that time of year again! Between juggling endless to-do lists, decorating, hosting gatherings, family, events, and your job, it can definitely be overwhelming. That’s why it’s so important to keep up with your yoga practice, especially during this time of year. Here’s how your practice helps with self-care during the holiday season
Yoga for Stress Management is Possible Anywhere with YogaPaws
Posted on October 27 2018
Because they are only a fraction of the size of standard yoga mats, YogaPaws are the ideal travel exercise equipment. They fit easily into a suitcase, and you can enjoy your yoga workout right in your hotel room.
Is Goat Yoga For You? (yes)
Posted on September 26 2018
Animals, especially the ones we're used to spending time with, from tiny kittens to majestic horses, are a powerful tool for keeping us stressed-out bipeds together. Both science and common sense agree: cute, fuzzy, four-leggers are good for you. That goes some way to explain the current craze (as in 80,000 Instagram results) for goat yoga. But, why goats?
Perfect Doesn't Make a Yoga Practice
Posted on June 13 2018
Yoga is balance. It works at creating balance not only in your body but also in your mind to get you back to being who you really are. So for me, right now – perfect doesn’t make practice!
How Yoga helps to discover Painless Truth.
Posted on June 13 2018
You are responsible for your own actions and you can’t blame someone else. If someone hurts or attacks you and you become angry – you are choosing anger. If you vent that anger, you are choosing to. And then that anger becomes part of you; it becomes the colour that you have chosen to wear that day.
Unlock Your Heart in Backbends
Posted on May 29 2018
Backbending poses are powerful reminders that you have to open your heart to be fearless. So why are these asanas so scary for so many yoga practitioners? Acknowledging that you need do some mental/spiritual homework before making peace with backbends is an important part of learning to love this aspect of your practice. The next step is to start exploring the physical movement in a non-threatening way.
New Moves: Enter into the Dance of Yoga
Posted on May 17 2018
Finding stillness is a major draw for many people who practice yoga. But, as with all things relating to yoga, there is also another side to consider. The classically linear approach to asana practice is just one tool for finding balance and unity. Even the most loyal Hatha practitioner can benefit from the occasional class that jumps off the grid and starts everyone moving.
From the Bottom Up: Yoga for Your Feet
Posted on May 10 2018
You know that your yoga practice is good for your whole body — head to toe. That’s especially true for areas of the body that are easy to neglect off your mat. Even though you stand on them every day, your feet are probably underappreciated. The best — but not often the easiest — way to get back in touch with what your lower extremities is simply to think about them as you practice.
Welcome to the Jungle: Yoga for Your Wild Side
Posted on May 06 2018
The aim of yoga is Moksha, or, liberation. The path toward that kind of blissful detachment is hard, and traveling it is often a profound experience. But, as the first yogis discovered, tapping into your inner child may be one of the best tools for becoming a fully realized “adult.”
Vital Force: Yogic Tips To Rev Up Your Inner Energy
Posted on May 04 2018
As the world wakes up to life and color, spring offers a great opportunity to feel freer and more open in your body. It feels natural to want to put yourself in harmony with what’s around you. All the stress of hunkering down against winter winds and the tension of driving through ice and snow melts away with the first warm, sunny days. Yoga can help you take that feeling deeper. As you move into your practice, think about how each pose can help clear the energy lines within the body—coordinating your breath with movement to renew and rejuvenate from the inside out.
Play with Your Yoga Body’s Tool Kit
Posted on May 04 2018
Every time you come to the mat, you have the opportunity to play. Think of your body as a tool kit. Explore it. Take out each layer and look around for the tools to bring to each asana. Build the confidence to let you body fill the poses as only you can.
Living Well: Yoga to Boost Immunity
Posted on May 03 2018
Stress is a key factor in lowering your resistance to any disease, from the common cold to life-threatening ones like cancer and heart disease. Yoga tackles stress head-on, moving your mind and body from a state of dis-ease into one of a balance of ease and stimulation.
Off The Grid: Yoga For a New Direction
Posted on May 02 2018
Your body spends most of the time “on the grid.” And, it’s good at doing that. Walking, moving forward and back, or side to side, all seem pretty effortless. So, when you first attempt to find your balance in yoga, whether flying along in arm balances or anchored on one leg, it can come as a surprise to all of the muscles and ligaments that are used to gliding along.
Go Off the Grid: Side Bends to Open Your Practice
Posted on May 01 2018
Some parts of your body have a way of telling you when they are tight. Your hamstrings, for example, feel stiff and achy when they’re in need of a relaxing stretch. But, with muscle groups that you work less often in daily life, it can be hard to even notice there’s a lot of room for expansion. The muscles that lie on the side of your torso are especially easy to ignore.
Yoga For Men Made Easier With YogaPaws
Posted on May 01 2018
Learn all about why YogaPaws are a male yogi's best friend.
One for the Road: Yoga for Travel
Posted on May 01 2018
The weather is warming up, school is out, and it’s time for your vacation. If you are like most yoga students, you can’t wait to get away and have fun. But, you can most definitely wait for the process of getting there — long hours cramped in a car or plane, and the upheaval of being away from your usual yoga studio, teacher, or home practice. But, you don't have to abandon your practice when you travel. The most important thing to remember is that your yoga practice is a state of mind as much as a physical pose.
Explaining the Yoga Transformation cliché
Posted on April 30 2018
It may be cliché, I know, but yoga has changed my life. Somebody recently asked me how and I realized that it is has been a slow and steady process, one which is vast and deep and profound. I struggled for a quick and easy description. It got me thinking... How has yoga really changed my life, or more to the point, changed me?
Topsy-Turvy: Yoga Inversions for a Fresh Perspective
Posted on April 30 2018
There are few asanas that students either love or hate as much as inversions. You might be clamoring to get to that part of class or you might dread even thinking about trying to kick your legs over your head. Whatever camp you fall into, looking at the world from a 180-degree rotation is a great learning opportunity, not just in your practice but in your life.
iHeartYoga: Yoga for Cardiovascular Health
Posted on April 30 2018
Every time you begin your practice, you take a big step toward keeping your heart healthy. Yoga’s emphasis on relaxation adds to the impressive array of benefits — increased lung capacity, better respiratory function, and overall strength — that any activity offers.
Loving Where You Are: Acceptance in Yoga
Posted on April 30 2018
Sometimes, it’s not that easy to look over at the next student, see them doing the “harder” variation and not want to copy that, even if you know you shouldn’t. Resisting that urge is probably the most familiar aspect of acceptance you explore in your practice. Appreciating your current capabilities, however, doesn’t mean that your limits are set in stone. Acceptance means not only embracing where you are now, but where you can possibly go in the future.
Injuries, Injuries, injure me
Posted on April 27 2018
Surely when we are injured, either emotionally or physically, we should be extra specially nice to ourselves. We should take care of ourselves more: not less. Now, just try convincing yourself this.
YogaPaws Blog for Beginner Poses and Postures
Posted on April 26 2018
How you meditate can be different every day. Your needs will set your meditation practice. Feel free to experiment with different ways of finding your mental center -- there is no right or wrong here. Just do it.
Steady On: Yoga Poses to Fight Nervousness
Posted on April 26 2018
You’ve just found a new hot yoga studio you can’t wait to try or maybe you’ve finally crossed the bridge from wanting to try yoga to taking your first class. You can’t wait to dive into that new experience. Then comes that moment when you open the studio door, see all of the other mats, and walk to your place. Suddenly, your monkey mind is chattering about whether you’ll be able to take the heat. Just know, hitting your mat helps you find that confident, stable place you've been striving for.
Be the Change: Yoga for Inspiration
Posted on April 26 2018
A samskara can be a repeated pattern of thinking or acting. The more you repeat those thoughts and deeds, the more ingrained they become. The end result? You find yourself in a rut. That’s where inspiration comes in. Before you can look up and over the rut to find a better path, you have to clear away the circular thinking that got you into these negative routines.
Your Yoga Workshop: Hanumanasana (Monkey Pose)
Posted on April 25 2018
Like arm strength and balance, flexibility might be the subject for a lot of stories you tell yourself. Thoughts patterns like, “I’ve always been so tight” or “My hamstrings just don’t stretch” can become unwelcome mantras every time you come to your mat. Let those thoughts go and welcome Hanumanasana, or, Splits.
Looking Up: Yoga for Depression
Posted on April 25 2018
Everybody wants to be happy, every day, all year round, all their lives long. The reality is that your life path probably has had more than its share of bumps, twists, and turns, and sometimes these obstacles drive us into a relentless state of sadness. Regardless of the level of sadness or depression you fall into, yoga can help you out of that grayness.
Learn to Bend: Yoga for Your Neck
Posted on April 25 2018
Neck issues aren’t just for the sedentary or the elderly. From office workers to headbangers, many people start to suffer from degenerative neck issues as early as their 30’s. Fortunately, if done correctly, your yoga practice is a great way to fix the underlying causes of neck problems.
Break Down the Walls: Yoga to Help You Dissolve That Trapped Feeling
Posted on April 24 2018
Use your yoga practice to help you change your thinking and teach you how to look for ways to get out of physical and mental traps. You already know how much your yoga mat can be a place for you to go inside and find serenity under stress, or optimism, in a bad time. You can also apply that to the feeling of being trapped.
Rest Break: Yoga for Insomnia
Posted on April 24 2018
Sleep is supposed to be a routine part of your life — the time when your body and mind rest and repair themselves. But, a good night’s rest can be elusive. Because yoga isn’t necessarily aerobic, it’s a particularly good choice to help release physical tension. And, many yoga poses trigger physiological calming responses in your brain that help send the message to your body to sleep.
Shh: The Power of Silence in Yoga
Posted on April 23 2018
It’s a noisy world. Sometimes all that sound is welcome. At other times, the various noises get so loud that it’s hard to tune out. Your yoga practice can be a portal to that "noiseless" experience that easily works within your lifestyle.
Hands On: Yoga Mudras to Sharpen Your Focus
Posted on April 20 2018
Your hands are incredibly articulate. In yoga and meditation, mudras (hand gestures) are almost like a sign language. They allow you to deepen the dialogue with yourself. Your hands become a way to help turn your inner voice to be a helpful one.
Strong and Centered: Yoga for Menopause
Posted on April 20 2018
Menopause used to be referred to as “the change.” It’s hard not to chafe against that term. But, as yoga demonstrates, learning to work through those tough places in order to make change happen can be truly liberating.
Tap Into Your Roots with the Eight Limbs of Yoga
Posted on April 19 2018
In the Western world, many are drawn to the physical practice of yoga. Just by wanting to come to yoga, you are already deepening your mind-body connection. You can choose how much, if at all, you want to develop a more spiritual side to your practice.
Being Present: Exorcising Your Yoga Ghosts
Posted on April 19 2018
One of the keys to growing in your yoga practice — and your life — is to learn to leave the past in the past. No matter how long you’ve been practicing or what style you prefer, every time you come to your mat (in class or at home) is a step on a journey toward a deeper understanding of your body and a wider range of abilities.
Yoga Workshop: Dog Days
Posted on April 15 2018
You probably think of Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose) as part of the routine of your practice. But, that’s just the beginning of what Down Dog has to offer. Changing your physiological approach to the pose — what muscles you use and how — can open up new opportunities to play in your body and explore new goals for your practice.
How to do Bakasana Pose | Your Yoga Workshop
Posted on April 14 2018
On a purely physical level, poses like Bakasana can empower you to move out of your comfort zone and redefine what you are capable of (in this case, standing on your hands). Looking at it in a more metaphysical context, it gives you the chance to fly over your own doubts and fears toward what is ahead.
4 Ways to Make Yoga Travel-Friendly
Posted on April 14 2018
It’s vacation time! And, while summer means lots of fun, beaches, and sun, it also means long car trips, waiting around in airports, packing and unpacking. All of that stress just makes it even more important to keep up with your yoga practice.
Neutral Territory: Align Your Pelvis to Protect Your Back and Free Your Practice
Posted on April 13 2018
Your pelvis is much more than just a bony cradle that holds and protects your reproductive organs, bladder, and rectum. This sturdy girdle at the base of your spine is the connection point between your upper and lower body. As the place where your legs attach to your trunk, your pelvis is what makes movement possible.
Release, Repeat: Yoga Poses to Reduce Anxiety
Posted on April 13 2018
Your mind and body work together in all areas of your life. When you’re on the mat, don’t dwell on stress that may come from the poses or the practice. Instead, observe it, work out where it came from, and let it go.
Confidence vs. Comfort: Respecting Your Yoga Body
Posted on April 13 2018
Your yoga practice is all about you. Learning to trust your body to tell you when it can and can’t be pushed will help you connect with it and treat your physical form with more sensitivity and thoughtfulness.
Letting Go: Yoga Hip Openers
Posted on April 12 2018
You know the feeling when your body is tight—you feel locked up and maybe even weighted down. That’s especially true when the legion of muscles and tendons around your hips is tense.