Before I was a yoga teacher, for many years I was a personal trainer. As such, I've seen many versions of high plank yoga pose. Some make me laugh, and others make me cringe and cry. Honestly, I could spend hours talking about planks, alignment, modifications, variations, progressions etc. But today I want to share a short tutorial along with tips and tricks to make the pose actually work the core, to be safe and effective! Plank is a core yoga pose, so we're aiming to work all the …
Search Results for: core
Dancer Pose Yoga Flow 15-Min Class
When people think of yoga as a movement practice they seem to focus on flexibility. However, a yoga practice incorporates so much more. Things like strength, stamina, stability, mobility, core, and balance. All of these can be explored in this dancer pose yoga flow. Dancers pose is a common, yet challenging yoga pose. It requires being open and flexible in the hips. While also needing strength and stability in the standing leg. Core strength, and endurance. In this 15-minute class we'll …
How and why you should use a yoga headstand bench
One pose in yoga that gets heralded as a "bucket list" pose is the headstand. A challenging balancing strength inversion and meditative pose. The problem is that not everyone should be attempting headstands, but that doesn't mean they cannot enjoy the benefits of inversions. Simply that they need to use props, like a yoga headstand bench. Disclaimer: Links in this post may be affiliate links. Meaning I earn a small commission on purchases made through those links. This is a way to …
5-minute body scan lying down
Many times when we step on the mat we can find that we're in our practice in body only. Our minds have this tendency to hold onto the millions of things on our to-do list. And this is exacerbated by the distractions of a busy household during home yoga practice. This is why one thing I always do at the beginning, and end of a yoga session is grounding myself into the practice. Occasionally I will do this seated, or with the breath, but the majority of the time it's with a body scan lying …
20 Minute yoga for lower back and hips
This week I tweaked my back getting my dog into the car, aggravating an old injury. When this happens my instinct is to get on my mat and assess. Do I need rest, or do I need movement? On this occasion I needed movement. As I began doing some somatic exercises yoga for lower back and hips, I figured it was a good time to film and share. I've suffered from a couple of back injuries in my life, but the last one laid me out for weeks. Seriously, if you've never had a back injury you have NO …
Tips for down dog to lunge transition
A question I got recently was about the transition from down dog to lunge. It seems to be a common query, and I've taught classes on this topic. The problem seems to be that some people struggling to bring the foot forward enough to come into a lunge. So, I'm going to discuss how to transition from downward dog into a lunge, plus modifications if the foot doesn't come through. Modifications using the hands or blocks are great for working with where you are now in your practice. But, also …
Dolphin Pose Tutorial & Tips for Beginners
Each month for my Patreon community I release two exclusive long-format yoga classes. The community voted this month to have a 60-minute class focused on Dolphin pose. It's a strong inversion, so let's do a deep dive into a Dolphin Pose tutorial. There is so much going on with this pose. Strength, balance, core, and flexibility. We'll discuss who shouldn't do the pose, prep poses to nail before attempting dolphin. A step-by-step tutorial, and tips & tricks. Either read on or press …
Yoga to sleep well at night – 25-minute class
For the longest time, I was a super sound sleeper, and an early bird. Since the pandemic hit my sleep has been sporadic with periods of insomnia. During these times of unrest, I learn heavily on my yoga practice to relax. Specifically, the poses included in this yoga to sleep well at night routine. Whether you are doing this before bed, or even IN bed it's a great way to relax, restore, and renew. On the days where I've had little sleep, this class can give me a much-needed mid-afternoon …
Bow Pose Tutorial for beginners & modifications
This month for my Patreon community I released a 45-minute yoga class all about bow pose. It's one of my favorite poses as it falls into my wheelhouse as a back-bender. However, for many, it's a challenging pose so I wanted to share a bow pose tutorial for beginners. Plus modifications, and alignment tips & tricks. You can view the video on YouTube. Maybe add it to a playlist? Above all, remember to subscribe to my channel. New videos are uploaded every Tuesday and …