by guest blogger Holly Walck, devoted Iyengar yoga student and teacher “I just went to for my annual checkup and I was a half-inch taller than last year, before I started to practice yoga!” Yoga teachers near and far often hear this exclamation by surprised students. It speaks of one of those moments when, as […]
Yoga
Yoga for Promoting Patience
by guest blogger Holly Walck. What follows is a sequence designed to bring you into what TS Eliot calls “the still point of the turning world”, the state of Yoga. The seated poses loosen tense hips and bring a sense of connection to the stability offered by the earth while the forward extensions quiet, soothe and heal frayed nerves.
A Yoga Sequence for Gardeners
by guest blogger Holly Walck. Every spring, I’ve seen my students come in with the “tricky low back” that resurfaces after hours spent bent over flower pots and vegetable beds (with the errant “football knee” or “tennis elbow” flare-up to sweeten the deal). Fortunately there are yoga postures that stretch the arms, legs, and spine and put muscles that have been revolting back into a state of deep rest.
Yoga Twists to Strengthen and Cleanse
by guest blogger Holly Walck. Once, after reaching into the backseat of may car resulted in days of back spasms, I discovered how essential twisting postures were for the health of my back. As a bonus, twists cleanse the liver and kidneys. They strengthen the digestive system and give the body a much-needed wringing out after the heavier meals of winter and the rainy days of early Spring.
Yoga to Still the Head
and Open the Heart
by guest blogger Holly Walck. This yoga sequence is designed to cultivate a profound stillness in the body and the mind and open the doorway to the heart. Go on, walk inside; it’s a very nice place to visit and you can stay as long as you desire. As my husband says regularly, “Every day with yoga is like a vacation.”
Yoga to Clear Away Old Stale Energy
by guest blogger Holly Walck. Yoga teaches us that we have the freedom to choose the thoughts we think and, therefore, our responses to the “highs and lows” of life. It is winter, and spring is still weeks away. Now, I could bemoan this fact or accept it as truth and empower myself by practicing yoga poses designed to offer all of the gifts of a sunny spring day. What follows is a sequence that will stretch and strengthen a cold, winter body and uplift a dull mind.
4 Yoga Moves to Jumpstart
the New Year
by guest blogger Kathryn Budig. I absolutely love seeing people set intention. Yogis (people who practice yoga) set intention at the beginning of every practice. It’s a way of keeping us inspired even when we don’t feel it. I’ve chosen four “New Year Jumpstart” poses from my Women’s Health Big Book of Yoga because each pose creates strength, confidence and potential. Physically speaking they will all make you stronger.
Top 3 Yoga Poses to Build Strength
by guest blogger Kathryn Budig. Yoga calms the mind, strengthens the body, and gives you amazing strength! Say good-bye to dumbbells or heavy machinery and welcome in the power of your own body and the ability to hold it up! The yoga practice creates long, lean muscles without adding bulk by teaching you how to control and lift your own body weight. I’ve picked out three of my favorite postures to help you build awareness and strength in your upper body. Remember, there is no rush and the key to a long, successful relationship with your strength is being honest with where you are with it. Some days you’ll feel like a rock star and other days, more like a rock. Either way, you can still practice—just don’t be afraid to adjust.
Scratch
Raised on America’s first organic farm, Scratch author Maria Rodale learned how to make everyday favorites from, yes, scratch — the way you remember them; the way they turn out best.
Order NowOrganic Manifesto
Drawing on findings from leading health researchers as well as conversations with both chemical and organic farmers from coast to coast, Maria Rodale irrefutably outlines the unacceptably high cost of chemical farming on our health and our environment.
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