Nadi Shodhana, also called “alternate nostril breathing,” is a yoga breathing exercise that is said to help balance and synchronize the right and left hemispheres of the brain and clear blocked energy channels in the body. It can help to calm and settle the mind, reduce stress levels and also helps

Practicing yoga can help kids learn to enjoy exercise, improve confidence, and even increase a their ability to concentrate. The key is to keep it fun and light, and not to practice for longer than the child is interested. Children love poses with names that make sense to them or invoke a sense of play

Barre workouts -- it's the hot new trend in the world of yoga! But as great as these classes are for working the core and tightening up your physique, do they really qualify as yoga? Here's what you can expect when you step inside the welcoming environment of your average barre studio: Incorporation

Bhujangasana (say “boo-jang-GAHS-anna”) is a yoga pose in which the participant mimics a cobra lifting its head and spreading its hood—hence the English translation of “cobra pose.” It is a stimulating and invigorating pose that stretches shoulder, chest and abdominal muscles while also toning

In yoga, Uttanasana or forward bending posture helps lengthen the hamstrings while providing a sense of peace. The key to getting all the benefits of the forward bend is in the legs. Here's how it's done. Mechanics of the Forward Bend Begin by standing with your feet side by side. The balls of the

Many of today's most popular yoga trends depart radically from the original practice that proved so mentally and physically beneficial. While hybrid classes such as aerial yoga and barre yoga can provide you with an additional challenge, thus staving off that dreaded workout plateau, there are times

Yoga is an inclusive activity. Every pose is designed to help you maximize your personal potential in every movement you make. As you move from pose to pose you are encouraged to let your focus shift from reality to your mat. Worldly stressors, interpersonal concerns and work issues are left behind as

In yoga, foam blocks are essentially brick-shaped blocks made of dense foam that is soft to the touch but firm enough to support the body's weight. Traditional blocks are shaped so that you can place a block flat for a slight elevation or on its side for a taller elevation from the level of the floor. Using

Iyengar yoga was founded and is still taught by yoga guru B.K.S. Iyengar, who began his practice in the 1930s. Iyengar designed his signature Hatha yoga practice while battling tuberculosis and studied with Indian yogi Krishnamacharya, B.K.S. .This style of yoga stresses precision, alignment, and standing

Tadasana, or “mountain pose” is the basic standing posture and beginning point for all standing yoga poses. If you can master the refreshing, rejuvenating mountain pose, you will be optimizing the posture of your whole body, which improves overall health. It strengthens your core: the abs, thighs

If you are brand new to yoga, learning to navigate etiquette and knowing what to expect from your first class may be overwhelming. Fortunately, most yoga communities are quite welcoming and will be glad to incorporate you into the fold. Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about yoga. Why

Satchidananda Maharaj (Sri Gurudev), the founder of Integral Yoga, was a spiritual master and yoga adept. He became famous during his time in New York, which led to the birth of an entirely new system of yoga. After a life full of soul searching and studying with various yoga masters, Sri Gurudev created

Yoga itself is often thought of as meditation in motion -- your asanas will quiet your mind and encourage inner peace. Meditation can also be practiced without yoga. While learning to sit quietly with yourself in meditation can seem a surprisingly daunting task in the beginning, with some practice you

Ashtanga yoga is a form of yoga that aligns both breath and movement in synchronization of asanas (poses) into a rigorous flow sequence. The name Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga stands for the eight limbs mentioned in Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The eight limbs are Yama (moral observance), Niyama (inner integrity),

Yoga and meditation are inseparably linked. In fact, all forms of yoga can be thought of as meditation in motion; focusing on each breath and the movement into each pose (asana) focuses and quiets the mind from whatever is going on outside. In fact, for those who struggle with meditation on its own,

Often referred to by experts as marjaryasana, the cat is a standard yoga pose used both in introducing yoga beginners to the concept of deep breathing, as well as a means of warming up the core for more advanced yogis. The posture is often used in conjunction with the cow, a pose also aimed at encouraging