3 ways to practice free-flow breathing
As we release deep tension in restorative yoga, we create the conditions for our breath to flow more freely. We create space for the breath to come and go on its own, in a free flow, in as deep of a capacity as it can at that moment.
savasana—one of yoga’s most advanced practices
This restorative yoga pose helps relax your psoas, reduce anxiety and improve your sleep.
winter wellness rx
A winter yoga focuses on the stomach, lungs, heart and head; combining a warming practice with slow deep breathing and relaxation can keep most systems healthy by balancing the nervous system, optimizing digestive function and boosting immune response.
4 big benefits of restorative yoga plus a free restorative practice to ease your mind and body
Here are four of the main benefits of restorative yoga, and why it's an essential antidote for our fast-paced, stressed-out lives. Enjoy a free restorative practice to feel more at ease in your mind and body.
inner smile: an enlightening ancient healing practice
I love when during meditation, Master Teacher Tara Brach offers the que, "imagine a smile in the heart". She clarifies that this inner smile is 'not as a way of cover up anything, but rather to make room for what is.' This is very true for me. When I 'imagine' a smile, I feel an opening, a softening, a somatic expansion in my body. I feel more spacious.
support your practice with my top reads and favorite gear to feel nourished, grounded and at home in your body, mind & soul
Best literature to explore the subtle side of yoga.
yoga, meditation, and creativity: a conversation with jillian pransky and dani shapiro
How does our practice help stoke our creative process? In my inspiring conversation with my friend, New York Times best-selling author Dani Shapiro, we talk about the ways that yoga and meditation help Dani tap into her voice and imagination, in order to fuel her writing.
10 simple Ayurveda inspired daily habits for a great new year!
Set your intention to build a daily routine that supports your health and happiness. These tips are shaped for keeping yourself healthy throughout winter, but can be easily adjusted for year round wisdom and health.
two expansive listening meditation practices for spaciousness and clarity
Bring relief to our busy, bombarded, and preoccupied mind.
Listening meditation is simple, and anyone can do it anywhere. Essentially, we are training in being open and receptive. Eventually, listening meditation becomes an opportunity not only to cultivate a spacious attitude but also to be able to wait quietly for the unknown without expectations or fixed thinking.
restorative yoga flow: constructive rest practice
This potent 6-minute restorative yoga flow practice is a simple sequence that weaves together Constructive Rest, with mindfulness meditation and breath-based movement. It's just enough to leave you feeling gathered: more present, grounded, and open.
the sweet release: meeting our tension
When I was about 12 years old, I had mononucleosis and hepatitis, and I had to have blood drawn practically every week for months. I have tiny veins, and it’s always been difficult for nurses to access them. They’d wind up using a painful procedure called fishing, which involves poking the needle in and spinning it until it makes contact with the vein. In addition to a lot of black-and-blue marks, I wound up with loads of anxiety about needles that persisted into adulthood.
our life partner, the breath. a love story.
Stressful situations will always arise in our life, and sometimes it will feel as if there’s no solid ground to support us. Each time we pause and replace our attention on our breath, our mind comes “home” to our body. Each time we replace our attention on our breath, we grow more grounded. For a moment, we stop thinking about the future or replaying the past. For a moment, we can stop zipping around trying to make things better.
when a panic attack becomes a gift
It was in Autumn 2000, and it wasn't a typical day.
I was coming home from Maryland after helping to clear out the belongings of my beloved sister-in-law who had just passed away from cancer a few months before.
change is inevitable, growth is optional
September races in, pushing us to a starting line. We launch eagerly into new commitments and rededicate ourselves to routine. Yet, along with the excitement of what is to come, we may also experience nostalgia, and sometimes anxiety for what we leave behind. While it is a time of new beginnings, it is also a time of letting go and release.
