Therapy

{"posts":[{"title":"How to Start Doing Yoga at Home","coverUrl":"cqivxw3vkrcihpumlny7.jpg","slug":"yoga-at-home","content":{"text":"There are lots of reasons for doing yoga at home instead of a yoga studio, some of which include distance, busy schedules, kids, financial concerns, and health issues. The good news is you can set up your own yoga practice at home, and still get all the benefits of a regular yoga routine — without the studio. It can also be a great way to integrate yoga into your life on a regular basis, and it’s easy to do in your own home.\\nCan Anyone do Yoga at Home?\\nAnyone can perform yoga at home, and you don’t have to be an advanced yogi to try. Even beginners can practice yoga in a home environment, all you need is adequate floor space, a few (optional) pieces of equipment, and guidelines for practicing the primary yoga poses. \\nIf you’re a beginner, it’s recommended to first learn from a certified yoga instructor, so you can progress with the proper technique and alignment to avoid injury. Thanks to online learning platforms like\\n MyYogaTeacher\\n, you can still practice yoga at home with the help of a qualified teacher.\\n11 Tips on How to Perform Yoga At Home\\nThe idea of starting a yoga practice in your very own living room can seem daunting or intimidating at first, especially if you’re accustomed to attending classes in a yoga studio. But with a little bit of preparation and creativity, you can set up your own yoga space and develop a mindful yoga routine that can benefit your life.\\nHere are some suggestions to help get you started:\\n1. Make Space in Your Home for Yoga\\nIt’s easy (and fun) to make your own yoga space, and you can design it as a temporary space or a dedicated one, depending on your needs. All you need is enough floor space to move around and stretch out the full length of your body — a little more than the length and width of your yoga mat. This can be your living or bedroom floor, your kitchen, or your backyard. Just make sure there isn’t any furniture or objects lying around that could get in your way or cause injury.\\n2. Decorate With Calming Accessories\\nYou can also create a comfortable and inviting space for yoga by hanging calming or inspiring artwork on the wall, lighting a candle or incense, and keeping a few house plants nearby for a pleasing atmosphere. The more you can tailor and dedicate your space for yoga, the easier it will be to motivate yourself to keep up a steady routine. Hanging a mirror in front of your practice space is also helpful in maintaining the correct alignment while performing postures.\\n3. Be Prepared With the Right Equipment\\n\\nYou’ll want to invest in a yoga mat, and it’s wise to also keep modifying props on hand — like blocks, bolsters, blankets, and a strap. If you’re just starting out and you’d like to improvise for props, you can use pillows, blankets, and other items around the house to suit your needs. Just make sure your props are sturdy, supportive, and nearby for when you need them.\\n4. Practice Regularly\\nThe best part about practicing yoga at home is it can be done any time you want. The challenge lies in your dedication and commitment to the practice even when your couch appears more inviting. According to this study, it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days to create a new habit. It’s important to be patient with yourself and identify guidelines for your practice that you can realistically follow through with. \\n5. Schedule Your Yoga Session\\nSet yourself up for success by committing to your yoga practice at a certain time of day, and for a specified number of days per week. It’s best to start out easy with goals that are achievable and progress as you gain momentum. For instance, if you’ve never been an early riser, don’t expect yourself to suddenly start practicing yoga at dawn. If that’s the case, try scheduling your yoga session for late morning, afternoon or evening, and keep your existing schedule in mind when planning a time that works for you.\\n6. Keep it Simple\\nRegardless of your experience or ability level, practicing yoga at home means watching out for your own safety. Make sure you have props handy for when you need them, and avoid overdoing it with strenuous poses. When it doubt, keep your routine simple. Even if you’re an advanced yogi, those basic, primary yoga poses are still an important part of a holistic yoga practice, and may be less likely to cause injury.\\n7. Listen to Your Body\\nThe best way to avoid getting hurt while practicing yoga at home is to listen to your body. If any posture causes you discomfort or pain, stop practicing it immediately — no matter how easy or difficult the pose. Don’t push yourself too hard, and remember to focus on your alignment. If you are unsure of how to execute a specific pose, try learning it from a certified instructor before performing it on your own at home.\\n8. Take an Online Yoga Class\\n\\nBy far the best way to practice yoga at home is with an online class. This way, you get all the benefits of doing yoga at home in your own time, with the added help of an instructor who can make sure you’re performing poses safely and effectively. You can find\\n online group classes\\n for every type of yoga at\\n MyYogaTeacher\\n, with over 42 classes offered throughout the day. Private, 1-on-1 instructors are also available for at-home yoga, giving you plenty of options to get the right kind of training while still practicing in the comfort of your own home.\\n9. Squeeze in a Short Practice\\nThe beauty of an at-home yoga practice means you can squeeze in a quick session when you just have 20-30 minutes of time. Even short yoga routines are beneficial for your body and mind, and performing a few of the primary yoga poses on a daily basis will change your life for the better. Try incorporating the Sun Salutation flow series into your morning routine when you first get out of bed in the morning, or practicing some relaxing poses like Legs-Up-The-Wall or Savasana in the evening. \\n10. Switch it Up and Make it Fun\\nYoga doesn’t always have to be serious, and you can make your home yoga practice fun and spontaneous for you and your family. Practicing with your kids is a great way to help them learn mindfulness and self-awareness, while stretching and strengthening their growing bodies. You can also take your practice to the backyard to enjoy sunshine and good weather, or invite friends over to share in the experience. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box!\\n11. End Every Practice With Savasana\\nWhen practicing yoga at home, it can be tempting to skip important parts of the journey due to time constraints, distractions, or disinterest. If there is one element of yoga you should never skip, it’s Savasana, or otherwise known as Corpse pose. Always end your practice with 5 minutes of relaxation to help your body integrate the routine. Keep a blanket nearby to warm your body after it has cooled down, and consider an eye pillow to help you relax. Your body and mind will thank you as you move on to the rest of your day, having given yourself the gift of healthy movement to better your life.\n⁠\n⁠\nMaybe you’re an experienced yogi who knew this already. Maybe you’re not! Or maybe you are at an age where protecting your spine and preventing spinal problems is more challenging than it was a decade or two ago.\n\nWhatever the case, MyYogaTeacher is here to help! When you sign up for a 1:1 membership with us you get:\\n102 expert\\n, highly qualified yoga instructors to choose from\\nThe ability to switch instructors\\n or take classes with only your faves\\nAccess to unlimited group classes\\n, taught \\nlive\\nPersonalized instruction\\n and work out, diet, and lifestyle plans\\nTo be a member of a HUGE community\\n of happy yogis from around the world\\nYoga teachers who become friends\\n, who truly care about you!\\nIf you haven’t checked us out already, \\ngrab TWO FREE 1:1 sessions with your 2-week free trial here\\n! \n⁠To setup your process with MyYogaTeacher, check out our \\ntest setup\\n!"},"createdAt":"2022-09-14T13:07:13.39269+00:00","author":{"name":"Archana R","pictureUrl":"archana.jpeg","teacherMytSlug":"archana-1"},"category":["yoga","therapy"]},{"title":"11 Morning Ayurvedic Rituals to Start Practicing Now ","coverUrl":"wr5dvjeez6fvbqm45mby.avif","slug":"morning-ayurvedic-rituals","content":{"text":"How you spend your morning can have a huge impact on the rest of your day, dictating your mood, focus, and energy level throughout. In those early hours after waking up, you’re setting the stage for how the next 12-18 hours of your life will go — so why not set yourself up for success? By creating a healthy morning routine, you can provide an easy way to hack your mind and body, and make each day the best ever.\\nThe ancient Ayurvedic yogi tradition provides an actual road map to guide you through a morning ritual that not only prepares your body for the rest of your day, but it establishes grounding, self-care habits that will help you be the best version of you. And once you start making a daily routine of certain Ayurvedic rituals, you’ll start noticing their cumulative effects in just a few weeks. Your skin will look healthier, you’ll have more energy throughout your day, and you’ll experience better focus and balance overall. \\nAyurvedic Rituals to Improve Your Life\\nYou don’t have to be an advanced yogi to start incorporating Ayurvedic rituals into your daily life. Even if you’ve never heard of Ayurveda practice before, you can still use some of the most basic techniques to improve your day-to-day habits and develop a healthy lifestyle. By integrating Ayurveda into your every day, you can start enjoying the benefits of this ancient wisdom.\\nHere are 11 Ayurvedic rituals to help you jump start your day:\\n\\n1. Wake before sunrise\\nAyurvedic wisdom states that the best time to wake up every morning is an hour or two before sunrise, synchronizing your day with the sun and establishing a circadian rhythm for your body. Depending on the time of year, that usually means around 6 a.m. If you’re worried about feeling tired after getting out of bed that early, you shouldn’t — according to Ayurveda, waking after the sun rises is what will cause you to feel sluggish. However, it’s more important to allow yourself adequate sleep, so if you can’t wake up that early, try making it a habit out of waking up at the same time every day.\\n\\n2. Drink water\\nThe first thing your body needs in the morning is water, and you should drink it warm. Try adding some ginger or lemon with honey to help activate and flush your digestive organs. Drinking water after getting out of bed also hydrates your body after a night’s rest, and gives your skin a healthy morning glow. \\n\\n3. Clean your face and sinuses\\nDid you know that splashing water on your face is an Ayurvedic ritual? Rejuvenate yourself physically and mentally by splashing your face with water a recommended seven times to follow this simple custom. Take it a step further and give your sinuses a rinse with Neti Pot for a complete refresh.\\n\\n\\n4. Scrape your tongue\\nAfter a full night of sleep, our tongues are coated with Ama, according to Ayurvedic doctrine. By using a tongue scraper to remove Ama from your tongue, you’re getting rid of accumulated bacteria and helping to kickstart your digestion. It also helps improve your breath and prevents tooth decay.\n\\n5. Oil pulling\\nWhile you’re taking care of your oral hygiene, try incorporating the Ayurvedic practice of oil pulling into your routine. Simply swirl a spoonful of oil in your mouth for about 10-20 minutes. Make sure you do this before eating on a completely empty stomach. You can use coconut, sunflower, or avocado oil.\\n\\n6. Clear your digestive system\\nAyurvedic wisdom tells us that it’s important to have regular bowel movements throughout the day, including one in the morning. This is essential to our health and for setting ourselves up to maintain good energy throughout the day. That glass of lukewarm water along with a healthy diet is key to making a bowel movement a regular morning routine.\\n\\n7. Stretch, breathe, meditate\\nGiving your mind and body a chance to gently wake up is the kind of self-care that Ayurvedic wisdom promotes, with a prescription for a morning yoga and meditation routine designed to give you an optimal start. First, start with a some easy stretching. A few rounds of \\nSun Salutation\\n asanas are a simple flow sequence that will activate your muscles and get the blood moving throughout your body. Next, practice pranayama, or breath work. Use whatever technique feels right for you in the moment. Follow up with a meditation session to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for the day.\\n\\n\\n8. Give yourself a massage\\nA good Ayurvedic morning routine is meant to wake your body up through activation of all of your senses, and with a morning massage, you can help relax your muscles and open up your body’s energy channels. Use warm oil to massage your body, including your legs, arms, face, head, shoulders, etc., to rejuvenate your body and skin, and energize your spirit. In Ayurveda medicine, this practice is called Self-Abhyanga, and it’s considered to be an effective self-balancing technique.\n\\n9. Take a bath\\nThis Ayurvedic ritual will help cleanse your pores, relax your mind and body, and hydrate your skin — giving you that glowing, yogi radiance throughout the rest of your day. Try adding milk, essential oils, herbs, and/or flower petals to your bath for that extra dose of self-care. Make sure to use natural soap and avoid any bath products that contain chemicals. Rinse yourself after under a warm shower.\\n\\n10. Drink some tea\\nTreat yourself to some herbal tea of your choosing in the morning, or keep it light with hot water and lemon. Make a ritual out of the task of making the tea, remaining present through each part of the process, and allowing yourself a quiet moment to relax and sip your brew. Try keeping that meditative stillness here that you’ve cultivated throughout your morning, and mindfully establish an intention for your day. You can also choose this time to write some notes in your journal, or read some inspiring words from your favorite guru or teacher.\\n\\n11. Eat Breakfast\\nEating three, balanced meals every day is a part of the Ayurvedic way of living, and part of a perfect morning routine is making sure you eat breakfast within an hour of waking up. Keep it light and healthy, with foods that nourish your body and fuel your digestive system. Try starting your day with a morning smoothie, granola, yogurt, or some fruit.\\n\\n\\n\nYou can learn more about Ayurveda practice and medicine by visiting\\n MyYogaTeacher\\n and working with a yoga instructor who specializes in Ayurveda, and can help you deepen your practice with this traditional, ancient wisdom. Sign up for a free, \\ntwo-week trial\\n, and access morning yoga classes, as well as instruction on pranayama, meditation, and cleansing workshops online."},"createdAt":"2022-09-08T09:23:18.01003+00:00","author":{"name":"Supriya","pictureUrl":"supriya.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"supriya-1"},"category":["meditation","therapy"]},{"title":"What is Ayurveda? How can Ayurveda enhance your Yoga practice ?","coverUrl":"lyb6uylxsv5tlqxhezb6.jpg","slug":"what-is-ayurveda-yoga","content":{"text":"What is Ayurveda?\\nIn Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “science of life”\\nAyurveda is one of the oldest known medical practices with roots based in India. It’s an alternative type of medicine that believes in using herbs and lifestyle changes for a healthier and more well balanced life. Ayurveda can truly add years to your life even when you’re suffering from major illnesses like cancer or diabetes. Unlike western medicine that loops us all in together, the practice looks at each person separately & helps to find what your body needs to aid in wellness. For example, an Ayurveda practice can ward off the effects of chemo for someone going through cancer treatments. \\nAyurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population report using it. It has survived thousands of years and political values and is currently making its way into western medical practices. \\n\\nWhy should you practice Ayurveda?\\nAyurveda is completely individualized. It believes each person is born with their own health constitution.\\nAyurveda can improve the quality of your daily and overall  life. Just like yoga, Ayurveda is practical for your daily routine because it starts with the routines of your everyday health like a balanced diet, sleep patterns, setting a routine and getting in your vitamins. If you become sick, it targets the root of the issue, not the symptoms. So you can become rebalanced more effectively. \\nAccording to \\nJohn Hopkins\\n, Ayurveda is important because:  “Ayurveda translates to knowledge of life. Based on the idea that disease is due to an imbalance or stress in a person's consciousness, Ayurveda encourages certain lifestyle interventions and natural therapies to regain a balance between the body, mind, spirit, and the environment.”\\n\\nSo how does Ayurveda connect to Yoga?\\nIt is often said that “Ayurveda is considered yoga’s sister science”  Like yoga, Ayurveda uses the same style practices like postures, breathing, mantras and meditation. While some people use yoga to treat physical ailments or mental fatigue, Ayurveda also uses herbal formulas and oils.  Also, just as there are 8 limbs of yoga, there are 8 branches of Ayurveda. The practices are like paternal twins!\\nIn Ayurveda, it is believed that each body has a constitution that falls under three main dosha types. Your constitution will help you discover more about yourself as well as the best kind of yoga for your body and mental health. \\nThe Type of practice that balances each Dosha are as follows: \\nVata - Calming and grounded. Try a \\nrestorative\\n or \\ngentle\\n class. \\nKapa - Stimulating and warm. Try a \\nvinyasa\\n class. \\nPitta - Assertive and intense. Try a \\npower\\n class or \\nashtanga\\n class. \\nWant to know yours? \\nTake this quiz!\\n\n⁠Once you know your dosha, you can find the best asanas for your practice! \\nHow can Ayurveda enhance your Yoga practice\\nYoga and Ayurveda practices are intertwined like tree branches. Quite frankly, connecting the two will create ultimate peace in your life and body.\\nIn the words of Dr. David Frawley, esteemed scholar of Ayurveda, Yoga and Vedanta and director of the American Institute of Vedic Studies:\\n“Using Ayurveda along with Yoga helps us gain complete harmony and balance in body and mind so that we can discover our true self that is one with all. All Yoga teachers should learn the fundamentals of Ayurveda and all Yoga students should seek Ayurvedic guidance to enhance their Yoga practice.” For yoga teachers or those who practice often, it tends to be a lot on our bodies. An Ayurveda practice can help with muscle fatigue, burn out, dehydration and sleep issues.\\nBe Intentional about your “self care”\\nWe can be so focused on the culture of “self care” in our modern lives. We think an expensive coffee or a trip to the salon is what we need for “self care” but if you can be as intentional about your self care practice as you are about your yoga practice, thata Ayurveda. It can be as simple as realizing your body is tired and getting a massage or drinking more water to keep yourself hydrated on a long day. Tuning in to what you need, just like when you set an intention in yoga will help you to achieve a more balanced, happy and healthier life. \\n\\nWhat Yoga Classes pair best with an Ayurveda practice?\\n\\nPranayama and Meditation \\n\\nA pranayama class is great to pair with Ayurveda because pranayama is the science of “self healing” through the breath. It’s an essential part of both a yoga practice and an Ayurveda routine because it promotes physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. \\n\\nAshtanga Yoga\\n\\nAshtanga is a great choice because it forces the yogi to focus on your nervous system. It makes you check in & notice how your body feels and what may be imbalanced. When you discover what’s bothering you, you can apply Ayurvedic techniques to the aliment. \\n\\nKundalini Yoga\\n \\nNo matter what your dosha, kundalini fits all Aryuvedic constitutions. This practice will help you be intentional, set a mantra and meditate. \\n\\nHatha Yoga \\n \\nHatha is actually considered one of the “ Ayurvedic healing modalities. The asanas help all dosha’s to properly align both physically and mentally. \\nNeed help getting started? We’ve got you covered!\\n\\nHere, read about the diet and how to start eating for optimal health.\\n\\nWant to speak with a professional to see if Ayurveda is right for you? \\nContact our staff practitioner! \\n\\nThere’s no time like now to align your practices! If you’re interested in starting an Ayurvedic practice to pair with your yoga practice, all you need to do is look within. Be intentional and listen to your body! It’s had the answers all along! "},"createdAt":"2022-09-01T16:37:46.744669+00:00","author":{"name":"Shelly","pictureUrl":"shelly.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"shelly-1"},"category":["yoga","therapy"]},{"title":"Yoga Nidra for Sleep","coverUrl":"p9x3cqj0uai5aewn58s9.jpg","slug":"yoga-nidra-for-sleep","content":{"text":"Take Charge of Your Sleep Cycle with this Meditation Practice\\nNot sleeping very well? If you’re having trouble with your sleep cycle, you’re not alone.\\n \\nOver 35 percent of Americans\\n get less than seven hours of sleep a night, less than the minimum needed for good health. \\nThere are many causes of sleep disorders which vary based on all kinds of factors — including age, health, and even geographical location. And let’s face it, modern day life is full of stressors that give us lots of reasons to lie awake at night. However, sleep deprivation can negatively affect your health in ways that may actually\\n \\nreduce your life expectancy\\n. It can be a serious health issue if left unaddressed.\\nThankfully, there’s a yogic medicine that can help alleviate sleeplessness and restore your nightly cycle. First introduced by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in 1976, Yoga Nidra can help you relax your mind and body, which in turn allows you to sleep better overall.\\nYoga Nidra for Sleep\\nYoga Nidra, otherwise known as the “yoga of sleep,” is a meditation practice that utilizes that transitional state between sleeping and waking to induce deep relaxation. This state opens up your conscious awareness and connection with yourself.\\nTo enable the most relaxation possible, Yoga Nidra is practiced as a guided meditation. Anyone can practice Yoga Nidra regardless of your ability or experience level. Beginners are welcome in the practice, as well as people who have never meditated or performed yoga before. Yoga Nidra is one of the easiest and most approachable meditations you can try and it’s incredibly good for you.\\nYou can use Yoga Nidra to simply wind down and get ready for bed in the evening, as a tool to decrease stress and anxiety, or to heal trauma. There is no risk in trying it, and you may be surprised at how well Yoga Nidra can restore nervous system functioning and get you sleeping the recommended 7 to 9 hours every night.\\n\\nBenefits of Yoga Nidra\\nOther than getting your sleep cycle back on track, Yoga Nidra has numerous other benefits that impact your health and day-to-day life. Even though this Sanskrit name translates to “yoga for sleep,” it can impact your well-being in a variety of ways. \\n\\nStudies show\\n that meditation reduces symptoms of anxiety and stress, and Yoga Nidra is uniquely effective in decreasing anxiety and increasing your quality of life. If you suffer from trauma, depression, anxiety, or high blood pressure, this meditation can help you find tranquility and boost your sense of well-being.\\nYoga Nidra also stimulates your pineal gland and helps balance your hormones, giving your body the tools it needs to heal itself. Practicing Yoga Nidra regulates your nervous system, which in turn helps calm your body and mind, so that you can sleep soundly and restful\\nSome of the benefits of Yoga Nidra include:\\nImproves sleep\\nEases symptoms of trauma and PTSD\\nReduces stress and anxiety\\nIncreases relaxation\\nReduces depression and addiction\\nCalms the mind\\nIncreases breathing capacity\\nYoga Nidra Meditation\\nSo, how does Yoga Nidra work? It’s often performed as a guided meditation so you can allow yourself to relax as deeply as possible. You can find Yoga Nidra scripts and audio recordings online, or you can try enrolling in a Yoga Nidra class at\\n MyYogaTeacher\\n. It is a meditation that can be practiced at home where you feel most comfortable. \\nYoga Nidra focuses on helping you achieve a delicate state that is neither awake or asleep. This focus is what makes it different from other types of meditation, because you’re trying to reach a state of relaxation that is much deeper than most. In technical terms, Yoga Nidra involves tapping into the delta state of consciousness, whereas most other meditations focus on the theta state — which is a more alert, focused state.\\n\\nHow to Practice Yoga Nidra\\nWhile it’s intended to help you reach a delta state of consciousness, Yoga Nidra can actually make you fall completely asleep, so you can choose to practice this meditation from your very own bed — however, to get the full benefits of this meditation, it’s recommended that you try and maintain that state between waking and sleeping — without falling asleep. The best place to practice Yoga Nidra is on a yoga mat with an eye pillow and a blanket.\\nTypically, a Yoga Nidra script is read by a certified instructor or you can listen to this meditation by downloading it online. If you don’t have an audible script available, you can guide yourself through the process of Yoga Nidra. It’s easy for anyone to try and there is no wrong way to practice.\\nYou can begin each session with an intention for yourself, or a goal of what you’d like to get out of your practice. Make sure you’re in a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed, lying down on your back on your yoga mat or anywhere else you feel comfortable. Use your eye pillow to block out the light and help your face relax, and a blanket to remain comfortable, since your body may cool down. \\nGently close your eyes and allow yourself to breath easily and steadily. Let your entire body relax into the mat. Turn your awareness to your head and your neck, and allow the muscles in your face, neck, and shoulders to completely relax. Continue to move your attention down the length of your body — to your torso, arms, hips, back, legs, and feet — helping each body part fully relax with your awareness.  \\nOnce your entire body is deeply relaxed, allow yourself to remain in this state for as long as you feel comfortable. If you’re new to practicing Yoga Nidra, you may want to start with a short session — anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. As you get more experience, you can lengthen your sessions as you see fit.\\n\\nOnline Yoga for Sleep\\nYoga Nidra often works best if you practice some light yoga asanas before your meditation. In fact, you can try a complete yoga routine to help you sleep by enrolling in an\\n \\nonline class to ease stress and anxiety\\n. Performing easy yoga postures before your Yoga Nidra meditation will help your body relax more fully and allow you to get the maximum benefits from your practice. \\nIf you’ve never tried yoga postures or Yoga Nidra before, you can start by\\n \\nsigning up for a free, two-week trial\\n of MyYogaTeacher. With access to yoga classes online, you can set up a new routine of nightly yoga to help you fall asleep. There are live, group classes available, or you can schedule a private session with a certified instructor who can tailor a session to your Yoga Nidra meditation. \\nYou can get back to sleeping peacefully every night with a regular practice of Yoga Nidra. This meditation works best over time, and with a regular routine you can reduce sleeplessness and get the recommended hours of rest every night — which will improve your day-to-day life immeasurably. "},"createdAt":"2022-08-30T13:10:49.183409+00:00","author":{"name":"Shilpi","pictureUrl":"shilpi4.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"shilpi-1"},"category":["anxiety","therapy"]},{"title":"The Not-So-Secret Benefits of Sound Healing: When Music is Medicine","coverUrl":"yceufd0mdixpbsqnowqt.jpg","slug":"benefits-of-sound-healing","content":{"text":"It’s no secret that music is old, ancient in fact. Humans have been making and listening to music for millenia…\\nthousands\\n of years. While the origins of music may be a bit of a mystery, it is obvious that humans respond to it mentally, emotionally, and physically.\\nMusic is medicine with absolutely no negative physiological side effects.\\nOur bodies emit energy, just like every other thing (living or not) on this planet. And when we are exposed to certain frequencies of music, which is also energy, our bodies respond to it. Sometimes, the vibration from music alone can positively impact our body. \\nScience has proven that sound healing is an effective tool to treat physical pain as well as emotional and mental distress. However, anecdotally, music has shown to be a powerful source of healing for many people in many ways.\\nHere at MyYogaTeacher, we believe wholeheartedly in the power of sound healing. We don’t teach it just because it’s an ancient, traditional practice. It truly benefits our students’ mental, physical, and emotional health!\\nNot a MyYogaTeacher member? Whether you’re interested in teaching yoga, starting yoga, or growing in your yoga journey, MyYogaTeacher is a great place to do it!\\nWhen you sign up for a 1:1 membership with us you get:\\n102 expert\\n, highly qualified yoga instructors to choose from\\nThe ability to switch instructors\\n or take classes with only your faves\\nAccess to unlimited group classes\\n, taught \\nlive\\nPersonalized instruction\\n and work out, diet, and lifestyle plans\\nTo be a member of a HUGE community\\n of happy yogis from around the world\\nYoga teachers who become friends\\n, who truly care about you!\\nIf you haven’t checked us out already, \\ngrab two free 1:1 sessions with your 2-week free trial here\\n!\\nLet’s discuss the benefits of sound healing!\\n\\n\n\\nSound healing meditation helps with pain management\\nThe most common form of pain management, particularly in America, is over-the-counter and prescription medications. Increasingly more people are seeking alternative pain management techniques due to the negative side effects of these medications.\\nAlso known in the scientific world as \\nvibroacoustic therapy\\n, sound healing has been proven to improve physical pain from illnesses and diseases such as:\\nFibromyalgia\\nArthritis\\nCOVID-19\\nBone issues (such as heal spurs)\\nCerebral palsy\\nScience of how sound therapy improves pain\\nSound therapy and sound meditation has also been shown to alleviate menstrual symptoms, postoperative pain, and reduces muscle pain and stiffness. \\nHow? Sound therapy lowers your blood pressure and improves circulation, both of which affect pain intensity. Additionally, sound works through the vibrational tactile sensors in the body, stimulating the touch fibers that affect pain perception.\\nSound vibrations that match the vibration of the energy of healthy cells in the body have also been shown to heal the body and bring it back to a harmonious energy state. Scientists all over the world have created devices of all sorts that emulate the vibrational waves of different parts of the body in order to provide healing.\\nAt MyYogaTeacher, you don’t need any devices to participate in sound healing! Many of our instructors are highly experienced experts in the world of sound healing meditation and provide various types of classes focused on the topic.\\nBesides healing the body and helping with pain management, sound meditations are beneficial in other ways as well.\\n\\n\\nSound meditation improves mental and emotional health\\nRemember how I mentioned that sound therapy reduces blood pressure and increases blood flow? Lower blood pressure means the body is calming down and not releasing as much cortisol, a stress hormone that is bad for you in high or consistent doses. Improved circulation means your body and mind are receiving more oxygen and nutrient-rich blood, which fuels us and makes us feel more relaxed and invigorated.\\nSound  is a powerful and effective tool for changing one’s brain state, improving mood, reducing anxiety and depression, and calming down the central nervous system.\\nScience behind how sound meditation improves mental health\\nOur brains emit four different types of \\nbrain waves\\n at various times of day:\\nBeta waves\\n are emitted when our brains are the most active, usually during the day or during activity\\nAlpha waves \\noccur when the brain is finished with a task or activity or when one meditates\\nTheta waves \\nare associated with REM sleep, daydreaming, or have highway hypnosis when you’re driving for a long time\\nDelta waves \\noccur when you’re having a dreamless sleep and are the slowest of the four types of waves\\nSound waves occur at all different frequencies. But sound meditation and sound therapy involves music made with an instrument or through chanting at a frequency that matches alpha, theta, or delta waves, depending on the goal of the meditation.\\nThis allows your mind and body to relax deeply while still being conscious. When our brains are conscious but in a meditative trance-like state, we are easily able to release negative thoughts, energy, stress, worries. Our minds are suggestable, malleable to change in thought patterns and behaviors.\\nSound therapy also provides such a deep relaxation that you are refreshed and calm, free from many or all of the anxiety and depressive symptoms you suffered from before the session.\\nRegular sound healing meditations are extremely beneficial for mental health and emotional regulation.\\nAre you interested in learning more about the benefits of sound meditation? Maybe you’re ready to try one of the many sound therapy classes we offer at MyYogaTeacher! All are welcome. There is never any judgment if you don’t know or understand something in our classes. MyYogaTeacher classes are safe places to explore, learn, and grow as a human and a yogi!\\nWe offer 1:1 classes with authentic yoga instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India! And if you haven’t experienced virtual private yoga classes yet, MyYogaTeacher makes 1:1 classes affordable and accessible! PLUS, with your membership, you get:\\nRadiance! More energy, peace of mind, and better health & fitness\\n42+ daily group yoga classes, 100% live!\\nDiscounted yoga workshops, all live and interactive!\\nMaking new like-minded friends from around the world\\n\\nGrab your 2-week free trial and check out your membership options here!\\n"},"createdAt":"2022-07-21T19:38:57.229678+00:00","author":{"name":"Will","pictureUrl":null,"teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy","emotional_health","anxiety","mental_health"]},{"title":"The Power of Ancient Pranayama and Meditation Therapy","coverUrl":"khqj05yqx4ahb88hp6pf.jpg","slug":"pranayama-and-meditation","content":{"text":"Are you familiar with the term pranayama? If you practice yoga in a western yoga studio or only use yoga as a physical practice to strengthen, tone, and become more flexible, then the word “pranayama” might not be a word you resonate with.\\nAnd that’s ok! That’s why I’m here!\\nIn Sanskrit, the word “pranayama” means “to have control of your vital life force.” Generally, this refers to yogic breathing and/or breath work. It is the practice of regulating breath.\\nPranayama is a main component of yoga, often practiced in conjunction with traditional meditation sessions but also used in the physical practice of yoga as well.\\nThere are so many benefits to pranayama and yogic breathing that I can’t even get to them all here. But for those of you who are familiar with pranayama and have experience with various forms of yogic breathing techniques, I teach several intermediate and advanced level pranayama and meditation sessions at MyYogaTeacher!\\nIf you’re not a MyYogaTeacher member, I encourage you to grab your 2-week free trial by clicking the link below! No credit card required.\\nWe offer 1:1 classes with authentic yoga instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India! And if you haven’t experienced virtual private yoga classes yet, MyYogaTeacher makes 1:1 classes affordable and accessible! PLUS, with your membership, you get:\\nRadiance! More energy, peace of mind, and better health & fitness\\n42+ daily group yoga classes, 100% live!\\nDiscounted yoga workshops, all live and interactive!\\nMaking new like-minded friends from around the world\\n\\nGrab your 2-week free trial and check out your membership options here!\\n\\nFor those of you who haven’t yet been exposed to the power of ancient pranayama and meditation therapy, let me explain…\\n\\n\nDifferent types of pranayama\\nThere are many different ways to practice yogic breathing. All of them are beneficial in different ways. For beginners, it’s important to learn about the ancient pranayama techniques from a yoga instructor who is experienced in the practices and qualified to teach them!\\nSome of the different types of pranayama include:\\nHumming bee breath\\nVictorious breath\\nAlternate nostril breathing\\nBellows breath\\nHissing breath\\nPranayama is a form of meditation. Meditation is a form of therapy. An ancient form of physical, mental and emotional healing that I’ll discuss here!\\n\\n\\nPranayama and the central nervous system\\nBecause breathing is a natural, unconscious process, we tend to not think about it unless there’s something wrong with our respiratory system. We undervalue the ability of breath to enhance our health and life.\\nHowever, breathing exercises have therapeutic effects on our central nervous system. If anecdotal evidence from ancient times to present wasn’t enough, researchers have now proven in multitudes of studies that purposeful yogic breathwork:\\nIncreases oxygen to your brain and vital organs\\nDecreases cortisol levels that can cause inflammation and compromised immunity\\nImproves sleep quality and quantity while also reducing snoring and sleep apnea\\nReduces high blood pressure\\nImproves lung function\\nEnhances cognitive performance\\nAnd so much more!\\nTraditional meditation and breathing sessions, when practiced regularly, can literally transform your life. Which makes sense since breath is, quite literally, your \\nlife force\\n.\\n\\n\\nThe mental and emotional power of pranayama\\nMany times, our mental and emotional state is a reflection of our physiololgical one. When we’re in chronic pain, struggling with illness or disease, or our bodies are trying to heal from an injury, we may struggle with depression, anxiety, anger. We may not think as clearly or make the best decisions.\\nHowever, mental and emotional struggle can come from other things too. Trauma, abuse, neglect, loss of a loved one, chemical imbalances, life stressors, and not living in the present moment.\\nYogic breathing techniques and meditation practices benefit our mental and emotional wellbeing, whether it’s from physiological problems or not.\\nAncient pranayama sessions (such as the ones I focus on in some of my sessions and workshops) address the five primary currents of breath, or vital force, and these currents are specific to certain regions of the body. They’re called the five prana vayus.\\nPracticing breathing exercises that correspond to these prana vayus is a powerful tool to improve our mental and emotional health. Studies show that yogic breathing:\\nIncreases mindfulness, helping us to stay present and not worry about future or past\\nActivates our parasympathetic nervous system (aka the rest and digest system)\\nHelps our body release feel good chemicals like serotonin and endorphins\\nIncreases self-awareness, which helps us address our emotional health in a positive way\\nDecreases pain and tension, which often contributes to negative mental and emotional states\\nThere is so much that ancient pranayama and meditation does to improve your life! \\nTherapeutic meditation and yogic breathwork isn’t to be taken lightly. If you are just beginning your yoga journey and are interested in how other aspects of your yoga practice, such as breathwork and meditation, will bring healing and harmony to your world, I do recommend seeking out a highly qualified yoga instructor to guide you.\\nMost, if not all, of MyYogaTeacher’s expert yoga instructors are \\nmore\\n than qualified to help you! We value authentic, traditional yoga and truly care about the health and wellbeing of our students. For us, yoga isn’t just a class. It’s the way we live our life.\\nNot a MyYogaTeacher member? Whether you’re interested in teaching yoga, starting yoga, or growing in your yoga journey, MyYogaTeacher is a great place to do it!\\nWhen you sign up for a 1:1 membership with us you get:\\n102 expert\\n, highly qualified yoga instructors to choose from\\nThe ability to switch instructors\\n or take classes with only your faves\\nAccess to unlimited group classes\\n, taught \\nlive\\nPersonalized instruction\\n and work out, diet, and lifestyle plans\\nTo be a member of a HUGE community\\n of happy yogis from around the world\\nYoga teachers who become friends\\n, who truly care about you!\\n\nIf you haven’t checked us out already, \\ngrab two free 1:1 sessions with your 2-week free trial here\\n\\n"},"createdAt":"2022-07-08T00:56:10.86197+00:00","author":{"name":"Bodhi","pictureUrl":null,"teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["emotional_health","meditation","mental_health","therapy"]},{"title":"Top 5 Yoga Poses for Knee Pain Relief","coverUrl":"pfhb9bugt7fkt4nzvcmw.jpg","slug":"yoga-poses-for-knee-pain","content":{"text":"Knee pain affects approximately 20 million people in the United States alone. And that number is going up.\\nOne of the most common reasons I hear from people about why they think they can’t practice yoga is because they have “bad knees.” Arthritis, prior knee injuries, knee surgery or replacement are just a few of the reasons for knee pain.\\nSimilarly to back pain, knee pain can cause significant discomfort and even prevent sufferers from being mobile. This means no exercise.\\nI, like all the other teachers here at MyYogaTeacher, believe yoga is for everyone – even people who have knee pain or extensive problems with their knees. As a matter of fact, the \\nright\\n yoga poses help relieve knee pain.\\nBecause I know that there are so many who suffer from pain in and around their knees, and it negatively impacts their life, I started a Yoga for Knee Pain class at MyYogaTeacher for yogis of all levels and with various different types of knee pain.\\nHere at MyYogaTeacher, we have members from all walks of life, religions, and all ages, shapes, sizes, and abilities! MyYogaTeacher offers 1:1 classes with authentic yoga instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India! And if you haven’t experienced virtual private yoga classes yet, MyYogaTeacher makes 1:1 classes affordable and accessible! PLUS, with your membership, you get:\\nRadiance! More energy, peace of mind, and better health & fitness\\n42+ daily group yoga classes, 100% live!\\nDiscounted yoga workshops, all live and interactive!\\nMaking new like-minded friends from around the world\\n\\nGrab your 2-week free trial and check out your membership options here!\\n\\nNow, let’s go over the top 5 yoga poses for knee pain relief! You may choose to use some props like a foam roller, bolster, blocks, and/or straps.\\n\\n\\n\\n1. Bridge Pose\\nOne way to alleviate knee pain is to strengthen the muscles around the knee, as well as the muscles that support the bulk of your weight (like your glutes and hamstrings). Bridge pose does both of these!  \\nThis yoga pose also helps realign your spine and pelvis, as misalignment of those areas can cause knee issues.\\nSet up for bridge pose by lying on your back, feet flat on the floor about hip’s distance apart, knees up. Then follow the instructions below:\\nPlace a yoga block between your upper thighs\\nSqueeze the block with your inner thighs\\nLift your legs and core, not by pressing your lumbar spine into the floor\\nContinue to squeeze the block, and hold for 10 breaths\\nRepeat several times\\nDo not turn your head in bridge pose! Keep head and neck in a neutral position\\n\\n\\n\\n2. Chair pose\\nThis is another pose that helps strengthen the quads, hamstrings, and glutes, which will relieve some of the pressure placed on your knees by your total body weight.\\nWhile you’re in chair pose, remember to breathe deeply and keep your knees behind your toes and over your ankles.\\nFrom standing, bend your knees, and sit your hips back, weight in your heels. \\nReach your arms up toward the ceiling, palms facing each other. \\nLift your torso away from your thighs as you lengthen. \\nMaintain the natural curves in your spine. Don’t over arch or tuck your spine under.\\n\\n\\n\\n3. Forward Fold\\nForward folds are sometimes hard for people with knee problems because they don’t do it correctly. But when done with proper guidance, forward folds are a great way to stretch out the muscles in the backs of your legs and release tension in the ligaments and tendons surrounding the knees. \\nForward fold also has many adaptations and doesn’t require a lot of flexibility to do.\\nStanding up straight, slowly fold the body in two at the hips.\\nRoll your spine forward until you’re hanging staring at your shins. \\nLet your knees bend generously if needed. Do not lock them or tighten your quads.\\nBend the spine as much as you can, using a chair for support if necessary.\\nStay there for 10 breaths. Repeat if you want to.\\n\\n\\n\\n4. Modified tree pose\\nAnother aspect of alleviating knee pain with yoga is improving your balance! There are tiny muscles around your ankles and feet (as well as your knees) that don’t get the same amount of exercise and strengthening that some of the bigger muscles do. Balance postures help those muscles and improve balance.\\nAdditionally, balance postures help strengthen your hip muscles, which are also important for supporting your knees.\\nFrom standing, slowly begin to shift weight onto one foot. \\nPlace the ball of the opposite foot on the ground or a block, and turn the knee out so the heel can rest on your ankle or shin.\\nPress into your standing leg and keep the hips level.\\nYou may keep your hands at your heart, by your sides, in the air, or use a chair for support.\\nEventually, you may work to bring the foot up higher on the leg, but never place the foot directly on the knee joint.\\n\\n\\n\\n 5. Supported child’s pose\\nEveryone’s favorite! Child’s pose can be hard on the knees if not done using support from a block, bolster, and/or blanket.\\nWhen modified, child’s pose stretches out the quads and muscles around the knees, releases tension in the hips and back that may cause misalignment, and improves circulation to the knee area.\\nIf you have knee pain from injuries, surgeries, arthritis, or for any other reason, I encourage you to try these poses! And, if you need more guidance I’d love to have you in my Yoga for Knee Pain class on MyYogaTeacher!\\nNot a MyYogaTeacher member? Whether you’re interested in teaching yoga, starting yoga, or growing in your yoga journey, MyYogaTeacher is a great place to do it!\\nWhen you sign up for a 1:1 membership with us you get:\\n102 expert\\n, highly qualified yoga instructors to choose from\\nThe ability to switch instructors\\n or take classes with only your faves\\nAccess to unlimited group classes\\n, taught \\nlive\\nPersonalized instruction\\n and work out, diet, and lifestyle plans\\nTo be a member of a HUGE community\\n of happy yogis from around the world\\nYoga teachers who become friends\\n, who truly care about you!\\nIf you haven’t checked us out already, \\ngrab two free 1:1 sessions with your 2-week free trial here\\n!\\n"},"createdAt":"2022-05-27T21:18:02.635375+00:00","author":{"name":"Sandhya","pictureUrl":null,"teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"Yoga for Better Health: What is Therapeutic Yoga?","coverUrl":"lehln3ywumjv20tnra6v.jpg","slug":"what-is-therapeutic-yoga","content":{"text":"We talk a lot about the different types of yoga on the MyYogaTeacher blog, but what makes yoga therapeutic? Besides relieving stress, addressing pain, and helping prevent or cure various medical conditions, therapeutic yoga does even more!\\nAll forms of yoga promote better health. Yoga as therapy benefits the body, mind, and soul.\\nBut \\ntherapeutic yoga\\n is a series of gentle yogic techniques designed to address \\nspecific\\n issues a person may have. It’s an adaptation of a yoga practice to the needs of a person based on persistent health issues that aren’t addressed in a group class.\\nThat’s a pretty general definition so we wanted to dive a bit deeper into what therapeutic yoga is and how it can help you obtain better health.\\nI believe so much in using yoga for therapeutic purposes that I started a class on MyYogaTeacher called Therapeutic Yoga for Wellness! I even have a Bachelors of Science in Yoga Therapy!\\nNot a MyYogaTeacher member? Whether you’re interested in teaching yoga, starting yoga, or growing in your yoga journey, MyYogaTeacher is a great place to do it!\\nWhen you sign up for a 1:1 membership with us you get:\\n\\n102 expert\\n, highly qualified yoga instructors to choose from\\nThe ability to switch instructors\\n or take classes with only your faves\\nAccess to unlimited group classes\\n, taught \\nlive\\nPersonalized instruction\\n and work out, diet, and lifestyle plans\\nTo be a member of a HUGE community\\n of happy yogis from around the world\\nYoga teachers who become friends\\n, who truly care about you!\\nIf you haven’t checked us out already, \\ngrab two free 1:1 sessions with your 2-week free trial here\\n!\\nSo, what does therapeutic yoga \\nactually\\n mean?\\n\\n\\nTherapeutic yoga has specific goals\\nI mentioned above that therapeutic yoga addresses specific, consistent medical problems a person may have. But it does this through a whole body, holistic approach! \\nGoals of therapeutic yoga may include:\\nTo manage symptoms of illness and disease including pain, digestive issues, insomnia, anxiety, and/or depression\\nTo improve a person’s functions at every level - physiologically and psychologically\\nTo create a healthy outlook in the face of life’s challenges\\nThe important thing to remember is that these are general goals. Each person is unique and, with the right yoga instructor, will tailor the goals to the individual. You wouldn’t go to a physical therapist with a shoulder injury and receive physical therapy exercises for your knees, hips, \\nand\\n shoulder, would you?\\nNo.\\nBut the general goal of physical therapy is to heal your body and build your confidence so you can start using the once injured part of your body again and live a full life.\\nThis is very similar to how the goals of therapeutic yoga work!\\n\\nYoga as therapy includes multiple components\\nIf you’re trying to lose weight, you may change your eating patterns, what you eat, and start (or increase) an exercise routine, right? All of those components work together to help you have better health.\\nIn a therapeutic yoga practice, the specific tools for healing include yoga poses (asanas), breathwork (pranayama), and meditation. Sometimes, yoga as therapy might even include hand gestures (mudra) and vocal tones (mantra). All of these tools are tailored to your specific goals and therapeutic needs.\\nIn a general group yoga class, you won’t get the personalized attention and specific instruction you’d need to heal your body mentally, physically, and spiritually. \\nYou especially won’t get that in a pre-recorded class you find on the internet! But at MyYogaTeacher you \\nwill\\n. \\n\\n\\nWhat therapeutic yoga is \\nnot\\nWith this in depth information about therapeutic yoga, you may be wondering what to look for in a therapeutic yoga class! It’s important to understand what therapeutic yoga is, but it’s also important to know what it’s not.\\nHere are some tips to help you seek out a therapeutic yoga class that’s right for you and will help you heal your body, mind, and spirit.\\nTherapeutic yoga is not about talk therapy or physiotherapy.\\nA therapeutic yoga class should be relaxing and nourishing, not vigorous.\\nYour therapeutic yoga instructor should not push or force you into anything in class. Everything is optional.\\nA therapeutic yoga instructor should encourage self-awareness and compassion.\\nTherapeutic yoga should include multiple facets of yoga.\\nTherapeutic yoga is not restorative yoga but may have some restorative forms.\\nIn this day and age of stress, anxiety, burnout, and other mental and physical illnesses, therapeutic yoga naturally heals and provides a respite for those who desperately need it. It is inclusive of all people, shapes, sizes, fitness levels, genders, and ages. \\nHere at MyYogaTeacher, our yoga instructors are committed to helping their students achieve their goals, no matter what they may be. They are truly compassionate, caring, and believe in holistic whole body health and wellbeing. If you’re looking for a yoga community that’s tight knit, MyYogaTeacher is the place to be!\n\nMyYogaTeacher offers 1:1 classes with authentic yoga instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India! And if you haven’t experienced virtual private yoga classes yet, MyYogaTeacher makes 1:1 classes affordable and accessible! PLUS, with your membership, you get:\\nRadiance! More energy, peace of mind, and better health & fitness\\n42+ daily group yoga classes, 100% live!\\nDiscounted yoga workshops, all live and interactive!\\nMaking new like-minded friends from around the world\\n\\nGrab your 2-week free trial and check out your membership options here!\\n\\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n"},"createdAt":"2022-04-29T23:03:27.320332+00:00","author":{"name":"Anuj","pictureUrl":null,"teacherMytSlug":""},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"Yoga for Migraines: The Science Behind How Yoga Helps Ease Migraine Pain","coverUrl":"ttca9mwyaw2pnocq2rvu.jpg","slug":"yoga-for-migraine-pain","content":{"text":"Is there anything more debilitating than the sudden onset of a migraine headache? Definitely. But it doesn’t feel like it when you get one!\\nSensitivity to light and sound, dizziness, throbbing, nausea, excruciating pain, and sometimes even vomiting. You may even hear that classic “whooshing” in your ears. Many people simply can not function with a migraine headache. They are unlike any other headache you have ever experienced.\\nMigraine headaches can be caused by any number of factors, but most people who suffer with them are forced to control their symptoms with prescribed medications that are meant for other conditions. Why? Because, after years and years of being studied, researchers continue to find it hard to pinpoint exactly what causes most types of migraines.\\nThis leaves migraine sufferers filling their body with drugs that have loads of side effects and may not even be effective at treating the debilitating pain of a migraine headache.\\nWhile we never advise you to go against the advice of your doctor, we know for a fact that yoga for migraines is a healthy, holistic intervention for migraine pain! \\nYoga for migraines can be used in conjunction with your doctor’s medical treatment, but we know that yoga cures migraine pain in many cases.\\nHere at MyYogaTeacher, we have yoga instructors who teach yoga classes for migraine sufferers! Our experienced, expert yoga teachers from India are one of the main reasons our members flock to us. \\nNot a MyYogaTeacher member? Whether you’re interested in teaching yoga, starting yoga, or growing in your yoga journey, MyYogaTeacher is a great place to do it!\\nWhen you sign up for a 1:1 membership with us you get:\\n\\n102 expert\\n, highly qualified yoga instructors to choose from\\nThe ability to switch instructors\\n or take classes with only your faves\\nAccess to unlimited group classes\\n, taught \\nlive\\nPersonalized instruction\\n and work out, diet, and lifestyle plans\\nTo be a member of a HUGE community\\n of happy yogis from around the world\\nYoga teachers who become friends\\n, who truly care about you!\\nIf you haven’t checked us out already, \\ngrab two free 1:1 sessions with your 2-week free trial here\\n!\\nRead on to learn about the science behind how yoga cures migraine pain!\\n\\nExactly how does yoga treat migraine pain?\\nBecause migraine pain is disabling and usually requires some form of long-term treatment or care, migraine sufferers spend an extraordinary amount of time and money on making them go away.\\n\\nStudies show\\n that long-term yoga therapy not only reduces or eliminates the pain itself but also reduces the frequency of migraines as well! This is a big deal for migraine sufferers! Those same studies identified how yoga therapy for migraines is an effective treatment.\\nHere are several ways yoga for migraines specifically works to eliminate or reduce migraine suffering:\\nYoga stimulates the vagus nerve, a nerve running down your brainstem, into your facial muscles, wrapping around the organs in your chest and heart, and reaching down into your intestines. Vagus nerve stimulation is shown to reduce and improve migraines. \\nYoga calms the autonomic nervous system by reducing stress, anxiety, blood pressure, and muscle tension, all of which are well-known triggers for migraine sufferers. Yoga for migraines allows the autonomic nervous system to calm down and recover.\\nStudies show that regular exercise can reduce or eliminate migraines. Yoga is a gentle form of exercise that addresses whole body health and proactively helps migraine patients end the cycle of migraine headaches.\\nWhile researchers aren’t exactly sure \\nhow\\n yoga does these things for our bodies, they know that it does!\\n\\n\\nIs there a connection between migraine triggers and the benefits of yoga?\\nWhile doctors and researchers aren’t always sure of the reasons people have migraines, there are certainly migraine sufferers who can identify triggers that may cause one.\\nSome of the most common triggers are:\\nStress \\n- Stress causes tension in the muscles, including the ones around your face, neck, jaw, and in your back. Tension migraines are intense but can often be relieved with over the counter medications. A yoga practice helps tension migraine sufferers by teaching them how to release the tension in their muscles and relax through breath work.\\nExertion - \\nSometimes a migraine may be triggered by heavy physical activity, particularly in environments that are hot. Working out in the heat also raises your blood pressure, constricting the circulation of blood to the brain. Yoga is a gentle, yet effective exercise that migraine sufferers can safely do to build strength, flexibility, and condition your heart, without triggering a migraine.\\nDehydration - \\nMany people aren’t aware of when they’re dehydrated. If you feel thirsty, and your mouth is dry, your body is already dehydrated. Lack of hydration is often a trigger for a migraine headache. A consistent yoga practice helps migraine sufferers develop a sense of self-awareness so they notice more about what is happening with their body and can address it quickly, before a migraine starts to form.\\nThere are other noted migraine triggers as well, such as changes in barometric pressure, eating certain foods, loud music, and even bright lighting. Yoga for migraine sufferers helps alleviate migraine headaches no matter what the trigger may have been or be!\\nWhat are some yoga poses for migraine sufferers?\\nWhile a consistent yoga practice is key to keeping migraine pain at bay, we understand that not everyone is ready for or wanting a regular practice. They just want to get rid of their migraines holistically.\\nFor those of you who need relief fast, we’ve compiled a short list of yoga poses you can do to relieve your migraine headache symptoms. And because the best yoga poses for migraines are ones that are the ones everyone can do, we’ve made sure the ones we include are simple enough that everyone can do them!\\nChild’s pose\\nChild’s pose relieves tension in your neck and back and stretches your spine and upper body, all of which help with migraine pain. By resting your forehead on the floor or a block you’re also activating pressure points that can alleviate headaches. Stay here as long as you feel comfortable and utilize deep breathing to help you relax.\\n\\n\\nCat and Cow\\nThis pose not only releases tension in your back and neck, it increases circulation in your body, pumping freshly oxygenated blood to your head. This yoga pose also makes it easy to do some yogic breathing, which helps relieve pain.\\n\\n\\n\\nStanding forward bend\\nStanding forward bend helps with various types of pain, including migraine pain. Also known as “ragdoll pose,” it stretches out your spine, back and neck muscles and promotes better circulation to your brain. Be sure to hang here for at least 5-10 breaths for maximum benefits.\\n\\n\\nLegs up a wall\\nAn incredibly restorative pose, legs up a wall not only brings more blood flow to the brain, it is just relaxing. You may want to add a pillow under your head or a bolster under your hips for a more intense stretch, which will release tension in muscles that contribute to migraine pain.\\n\\n\\nIf you find these poses helpful, we’d love to have you join us at MyYogaTeacher for more yoga instruction that will ease your migraine suffering without the use of prescription or over-the-counter medications!\\nNot only that, but you don’t even have to leave your house to participate in a consistent yoga practice. And when you’re more relaxed and self-aware, you’re likely to experience fewer migraines.\\nMyYogaTeacher offers 1:1 classes with authentic yoga instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India! And if you haven’t experienced virtual private yoga classes yet, MyYogaTeacher makes 1:1 classes affordable and accessible! PLUS, with your membership, you get:\\n\\nRadiance! More energy, peace of mind, and better health & fitness\\n42+ daily group yoga classes, 100% live!\\nDiscounted yoga workshops, all live and interactive!\\nMaking new like-minded friends from around the world\\n\\nGrab your 2-week free trial and check out your membership options here!\\n\\n\n\n"},"createdAt":"2022-03-29T23:27:22.738659+00:00","author":{"name":"Will","pictureUrl":null,"teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"4 Secrets of How Yoga Prevents Spinal Deterioration As You Age","coverUrl":"ngozsw6y1tjnktrz854l.jpg","slug":"yoga-prevents-spine-problems","content":{"text":"It should come as no surprise to you that joints and bones deteriorate as we age. Mainstream media would have us think that we can look and feel eternally youthful until we die. But that simply isn’t true.\n⁠\n⁠Aging is natural. Aging \\ngracefully\\n takes work!\\nOne of the biggest struggles many people face as they age is back pain due to spinal deterioration and degenerative disc disease. \\nEven long time practitioners of yoga will, eventually, experience back pain and spine limitations.\\nWe love a good group yoga class as much as the next yogi, but sometimes we need more guidance in our yoga practice to help us navigate the physical changes and challenges that present themselves during our later years of life.\\nThe good news? Yoga helps prevent back pain due to spinal deterioration. As a matter of fact, yoga delays – \\nand can prevent\\n – the onset of spinal degeneration. And we’re going to dish the deets on how!\\nIf you’re on the hunt for more guidance on how to cure back pain and prevent spinal deterioration, or just looking for expert instruction and personalized attention, we invite you to \\ncheck out MyYogaTeacher’s 1:1 classes with your 2-week free trial here! \\n\\nWith MYT’s 1:1 Membership Plans, you get private, personalized sessions with your favorite yoga teachers, unlimited group classes (over 35 different ones), and recordings of your 1:1 sessions \\nand\\n group classes! \\nThis is especially helpful for yogis who are experienced but are ready to up their yoga game and experience even \\nmore\\n benefits from their yoga practice.\\nNow, on to the secret sauce to how yoga helps prevent late-life back pain and problems.\\n\\n\\n 1. Yoga elongates your spine.\\n\nOne of the primary sources of degenerative disc disease is spinal compression. Spinal compression increases inflammation in the spine and causes friction in the discs.\\n\\nStudies show\\n that yoga instructors who have been practicing yoga for 10 years or more have significantly fewer signs, if any, of degenerative disc disease compared to those who don’t practice yoga or those who haven’t practiced yoga long or consistently.\\nWith the number of people in the United States spending more and more time sitting for work or leisure activities, it’s a fair assumption that diseases of the spine may well be on the rise.\\nOf particular note, these same studies discuss the importance of proper alignment when practicing yoga and how inadvertently doing poses wrong can harm your spine. \\nSo if you’re unsure about whether you’re aligned or not during your practice, we encourage you to seek out a yoga teacher or advanced yogi who can help with that!\\n\\n\\n2. Yoga decreases weight-bearing on the spine.\\nYour skeleton literally bears a lot of weight, particularly your spine. Think about how much weight your cervical spine holds – an average of 11 lbs!\\nThat’s right. Your neck is composed of 7 vertebrae and is responsible for holding up (and keeping safe) your head, which averages about 5 kg or 11 lbs. While the rest of your spine is pretty sturdy and capable of holding up to about 1,000 lbs, it is still significantly affected by the weight it carries, especially if there is excess weight around your midsection.\\nReducing the weight on the spine allows for more nutrients to diffuse into the discs. Ever wonder why you feel so light and airy and radiant when you finish your yoga practice? \\nYep, it’s because you gave your body more nutrients and oxygen!\\nSounds simple, right? But sometimes you just don’t know all the right moves for \\nyour\\n body to get the most out of your yoga practice.\\nIf that’s the case, regular 1:1 sessions with an experienced yoga teacher (either virtually or in person) might be exactly what you need!\\n\\n\\n3. Yoga increases muscle strength.\\nIf you’ve been practicing yoga for a while, you already have firsthand experience with how yoga improves your strength and mobility.\\nYoga not only strengthens the tiny muscles surrounding your spine, but a regular yoga practice protects your spine from deterioration by building up your core and improving your posture. Two things that definitely impact your spinal health.\\nDegenerative disc disease and spinal deterioration are considered a “normal” part of aging. By the age of 40, most people have at least one degenerative disc. By the age of eighty, 80% of the American population has severe spinal deterioration.\\nExercise of almost any kind is shown to help reduce signs of aging, particularly in your spine. However, yoga has an even greater positive impact on spinal health because of the multi-faceted benefits it provides!\\nWhile Hatha yoga is the most popular form of yoga because it’s gentle and slower, experienced yogis may practice other forms of yoga that benefit spinal health, such as Ashtanga and Iyengar.\\nHowever, if practiced wrong, those practices may injure instead of heal and prevent spinal disease, causing back pain and limited movement.\\nIf you’re interested in growing in your yoga journey but are not sure about the quality of your form, your alignment, or are trying to cure your back pain, \\nwe encourage you to check out the 1-on-1 plans MyYogaTeacher has available!\\n\\nMaking personalized attention from expert yoga instructors affordable and accessible is important to us because we truly believe in the power of yoga to heal!\\nNot all forms of exercise specifically improve posture and muscle strength around the spine like yoga does.\\n\\n\\n4. Long-term yoga practice reduces inflammation\\nWe’ve talked about how yoga reduces inflammation in the body before. But when we think of inflammation, we don’t tend to think about the spine.\\nStress responses produce systemic inflammation, which means no area of the body is immune. Injuries and surgeries also cause inflammation. Pain, in general, emotional, mental, or physical, increases cortisol levels.\\nWhen the muscles surrounding the spine are inflamed, back pain ensues, even if that inflammation isn’t directly from spinal issues.\\nA regular yoga practice reduces back pain. Yoga cures back pain too!\\nOne of the primary benefits of yoga is reduced inflammation in the body, a result of lower stress levels. Spinal deterioration is often more progressive when there is consistent inflammation in the muscles surrounding the spine.\\nThis means that the more you regularly practice yoga, the less back pain you will experience.\\nNot only are you preventing back issues by strengthening your spinal muscles and core, you're relieving tension with stretches and reducing friction between the vertebrae and discs due to reduced levels of inflammation.\\nMaybe you’re an experienced yogi who knew this already. Maybe you’re not! Or maybe you are at an age where protecting your spine and preventing spinal problems is more challenging than it was a decade or two ago.\n⁠\n⁠Whatever the case, MyYogaTeacher is here to help! When you sign up for a 1:1 membership with us you get:\\n102 expert\\n, highly qualified yoga instructors to choose from\\nThe ability to switch instructors\\n or take classes with only your faves\\nAccess to unlimited group classes\\n, taught \\nlive\\nPersonalized instruction\\n and work out, diet, and lifestyle plans\\nTo be a member of a HUGE community\\n of happy yogis from around the world\\nYoga teachers who become friends\\n, who truly care about you!\\nIf you haven’t checked us out already, \\ngrab TWO FREE 1:1 sessions with your 2-week free trial here\\n!\\n\n\n"},"createdAt":"2021-11-24T15:47:15.123194+00:00","author":{"name":"Will","pictureUrl":null,"teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy","restorative"]},{"title":"Improving Lung Function: How Yogic Breathing Helps Asthmatics","coverUrl":"cjsiteos23b0e7wtxfem.jpg","slug":"yoga-breathing-for-asthma","content":{"text":"With the quality of our air decreasing due to climate change, continued use of air pollutants, and worldwide wildfires, breathing can be difficult (even harmful if outside) on a good day for people with perfectly healthy lungs.\\nHowever, the air quality creates distinct problems for people who suffer from asthma.\\nIf you’ve never felt the constriction of your lungs and bronchi due to bronchitis, pneumonia or asthma, there is almost no feeling worse than the struggle to breathe, to bring oxygen into your body. Something that should be easy can be very difficult for a lot of people.\\nBut particularly for asthmatics.\\nThat’s why I wanted to create a class specifically for them, or anyone else who has breathing issues! My class, \\nTherapeutic Yoga for Asthma and Sinus\\n teaches yogis breathwork that will improve lung function and help them breathe better when breathing is hard.\\nYou can find my class and many more on My Yoga Teacher! If you haven’t signed up yet, \\nyou can grab your 2-week free trial here and try mine and 35+ other types of yoga classes\\n. There’s something for everyone!\\nI want to talk about how yogic breathing helps people breathe better, particularly those suffering with asthma.\\nInspiration vs. Expiration\\nFor people with asthma, inhaling is not typically the initial problem with their breathing. Expiration is. The act of exhaling.\\nWhen an asthma patient inhales and an asthma attack is triggered, the bronchi constrict, making force necessary for exhaling. Normally, expiration is a passive process for our body. The pressure inside the lungs releases similar to poking a hole in a balloon.\\nMany things can trigger an asthma attack. Cold air, smoke, foreign particles in the air, pollen, stress, even strong odors or chemical smells.\\nVarious types of yogic breathing help asthma sufferers reduce stress that so often trigger an attack, but also teaches them how to control their breathing, particularly their exhalation. Studies have even shown that different forms of chanting with exhalation are also effective in helping asthmatics breathe better.\\nTypes of pranayama for asthmatics\\nAll forms of yoga incorporate breathwork. That’s because yoga is an all-encompassing practice of bringing harmony to your inner and outer world. Part of that process is how we bring oxygen and nutrients to all parts of our body.\\nBreathing is life.\\nIn yoga, breath is referred to as pranayama, and there are lots of different types. Here are some that studies have shown to be effective in helping treat asthma symptoms.\\nSasankasana pranayama\\nIn patients with mild-to-moderate asthma, this form of breath work is beneficial. \\nTo perform this type of breath, you’ll begin in Thunderbolt Pose, simply sitting on your knees, glutes resting on bottoms of your feet or calves. If this is uncomfortable due to knee issues, you can place a block, blanket, or bolster between your calves and glutes for support.\\nWhile inhaling, raise both arms up, palms facing out. Arch backwards gently.\\nWhen you exhale, bring arms down to the ground, reaching back towards your feet/heels, lifting your body up off your support or calves and bend over so the crown of your head (or forehead) is facing the floor, or touching it (see image below).\\nThere are several variations of this form of breathing, but this is the simplest and easiest to do when an asthma attack occurs.\\n\\n\\nAnuloma viloma pranayama (alternate nostril breathing)\\nOften thought of as the antidote to stress, this form of breath work does take some practice and effort, but has also been shown to be an effective form of breathing for asthma sufferers.\\nBesides creating an almost immediate sense of calm and serenity, which helps panicky asthma sufferers, this type of breathing also:\\nOptimizes lung function\\nReduces snoring\\nHelps with insomnia\\nHelps treat migraines\\nAssists with weight management\\nHere are the steps to perform this type of breathing exercise. You may not be able to do more than a few rounds of this form of breath work in the beginning, but keep practicing! It does get easier the more you do it. And the more you practice, the more you benefit from it.\\nClose your right nostril (following the image below) and inhale through your left to a count of 4.\\nPinch both nostrils closed and hold the breath to a count of 16.\\nRelease your right nostril and exhale fully through it to a count of 8.\\nKeeping this position with your left nostril closed, inhale through your right to a count of 4.\\nNow close both nostrils and hold the breath to a count of 16.\\nRelease your left nostril and exhale fully through it to a count of 8.\\n\\n\\nBhramari pranayama\\nBhramari means the “Goddess of Bees.” Ironically, bees are huge bringers of life to our world! Which makes this practice even sweeter! \\nAlso known as Bumblebee Breath, Bhramari pranayama is a particularly calming form of breath that also includes a buzzing sound (made by you, of course). It also is a way to instantly rid yourself of anxiety, stress, or agitation.\\nWhile making a high pitched buzzing sound upon exhalation may seem strange to you, it is very effective. Bumblebee Breath is focused on forced expiration, which is why we advise it specifically for asthma patients.\\nI highly recommend this breathing technique be taught to you by a yoga instructor who is well-versed in yogic breathing techniques. There are absolutely no contraindications, but if it’s not done correctly, this breathing technique won’t be effective.\\nInterested in learning more about this one? Shoot me a message when you sign up for my \\nTherapeutic Yoga for Asthma and Sinus class!\\n We’ll work on it together!\\nModified Omkar pranayama\\nThis breathing exercise is commonly associated with meditation. But the modified version of omkara is perfect for asthma sufferers, particularly when they are actually experiencing an asthma attack.\\nOmkar pranayama includes the practice of chanting, which is why it is traditionally practiced while meditating. However, in this modified version, the focus is almost entirely on exhaling the breath while simultaneously producing sound. In fact, changes in this form of breath work are made to focus solely on expiration, keeping in mind that asthmatics struggle with expiration the most.\\nThe normal AUM chant that is performed before, or more often, after a meditation practice, is modified slightly to a higher pitched sound with more forceful exhalation.\\nThis is another breathing technique that I advise you consult an experienced yoga instructor about!\\nConscious breathwork improves lung function. So do lots of different types of yoga! Yin yoga, Hatha Yoga, and Power Yoga are three forms of yoga that are particularly effective at helping asthma sufferers build their lung capacity, open their chest, and strengthen the muscles surrounding their lungs.\\nIf you haven’t made the decision to join My Yoga Teacher yet, we’d definitely love to have you! Many of our yoga instructors have higher levels of education in all types of health and wellness on top of their extensive training in yoga and meditation practices. \\nGrab your free 2-week trial here and join us\\n for one or many of the various live group classes offered!."},"createdAt":"2021-08-26T11:36:26.257024+00:00","author":{"name":"Neelami","pictureUrl":null,"teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy","anxiety","restorative"]},{"title":"Allopathic vs. Naturopathic Medicine: Why the Differences Matter for Your Health","coverUrl":"j2twzwxjpwvl5hecvdzj.jpg","slug":"different-types-of-medicine","content":{"text":"You may not know what “allopathic” even means. That’s ok because we’re about to tell you.\\nWhy? \\nHere at \\nMyYogaTeacher\\n we believe the differences between allopathic medicine and naturopathic medicine means the difference in you feeling wholly and completely well and just “not sick.”\\nAllopathic medicine is more commonly known as conventional medicine, traditional medicine, western medicine. You may also hear it referred to as orthodox, biomedicine, or mainstream.\\nBecause all forms of yoga are considered naturopathic medicine, we felt it was important to address the various roles of the two different forms of medicine and why we’re fans of both.\\nAlso, whether you’re a new yogi, advanced yogi, or haven’t started a yoga journey at all, we invite you to learn more about myYogaTeacher and the multitude of different classes our incredibly talented, expert instructors offer. \\n[CTA-DEFAULT]\\nLet’s cover how these two types of medicine differ and why you should care!\\nCore differences in allopathic and naturopathic medicine\\n\n⁠Allopathic vs Naturopathic\\nAllopathic\\n means “opposite of suffering” in Greek. The term was coined by a German physician in the 1800’s and references what traditional medicine does. Treat a symptom with its opposite.\\nFor instance, you may treat a headache with ibuprofen or constipation with a laxative.\\nAllopathy is practiced by doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other medical professionals licensed to practice and treat symptoms of diseases.\\nTypes of treatment may include:\\nSurgery\\nRadiation\\nMedications (over the counter and prescribed or controlled drugs)\\nAnd other therapies\\nThere is certainly a place for some of these treatments. For instance, a trauma victim from a car accident may need surgery to repair the body. A cancer patient may need chemotherapy to kill cancer cells. A person may have a genetic illness that requires medications and other therapies to control it so they can live a normal life.\\nBut almost all allopathic medical treatments come with adverse side effects. Medications to treat symptoms of a disease may, in fact, propagate another disease or cause other terrible symptoms. Radiation has horrible side effects. And, it goes without saying, recovering from surgeries can be extensive and involve toxic medications.\\nHowever, increasingly, doctors are recognizing the value in naturopathic medicine.\\nYou may hear naturopathic medicine referred to as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), holistic medicine, or integrative medicine.\n⁠\\nNaturopathic\\n medicine is commonly used alongside allopathic medicine to treat many types of illness and disease. But where allopathic medicine only treats the symptoms of a problem, naturopathic medicine treats the \\ncause\\n of the problem or prevents the problem to begin with!\\nIn other words, it treats the whole body. And, of course, it’s natural in origin.\\nSome types of naturopathic medicine or treatment include:\\nChiropractic care\\nAcupuncture\\nAyurveda\\nHomeopathy\\nYoga\\nWe’ve talked about many ways yoga improves a person’s whole life, curing back pain, knee pain, reducing blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels. It improves mental health and can even cure mental health problems.\\nSo it goes without saying that each form of naturopathic treatment is also designed to be just as comprehensive!\\nEven better news? Most naturopathic medicine treatments have zero adverse side effects! And they usually don’t interfere with other forms of treatment!\\nAllopathic medicine just doesn’t treat the whole body like naturopathic medicine does, only the symptoms of underlying problems.\\nBut, as we’ve discussed, both forms of medicine are extremely important.\\nPreventative care of allopathic vs naturopathic medicine\\nComplementary and alternative medicine is a key ingredient to preventing many types of illness and disease. \\nTraditional medicine has its own way of preventing various diseases as well. But usually, the methods of prevention come at cost to the patient’s health in other ways. And many of the prevention methods would be completely unnecessary if people focused more on holistic health.\\nFor instance, here are some preventative measures of conventional medicine:\\nVaccines\\n - prevent serious, life-threatening diseases and illnesses in children and adults but also a very controversial topic in the traditional and alternative medicine world.\\nBlood pressure medications\\n - lower blood pressure to prevent heart disease and heart complications, but high or low blood pressure is only a symptom of an underlying problem.\\nAnxiety and depression medications\\n - while helpful in regulating chemicals that prevent harmful thoughts and actions, these do not address the fact that many mental health problems could be fixed with better gut health.\\nThese are just a few examples of preventative care in traditional medicine. There are also less invasive forms, such as cancer screenings, cholesterol tests, blood pressure monitoring, and well-child visits. These types of preventative care do, undoubtedly, save lives. \\nNaturopathic care saves lives too! \\nYou see, some of the preventative care included in allopathic medical practice would be completely unnecessary if people practiced more holistic health.\\nFor example, here are some ways naturopathic medicine prevents illness and disease:\\nMassage therapy\\n - boosts immune system, flushes out toxins, reduces inflammation in the body, zero negative side effects.\\nChiropractic care\\n - boosts immune system, cures headaches, improves energy levels, helps brain and organs communicate better, helps with skeletal problems like arthritis and joint discomforts.\\nYoga and meditation\\n - Improves weight, stress levels, alleviates mental health problems, decreases or cures pain in the body, decreases inflammation, improves gut health, prevents a multitude of illnesses and diseases.\\nNatural supplements and a whole food diet\\n - can help prevent most common illnesses and diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, mental health issues, and even cancer.\\nYou see? If we spent more time on selfcare, doing things that make our whole body, mind, and soul feel better, we’d spend less time seeking out ways to treat the symptoms of our diseases. Because many of them simply wouldn’t occur.\\nAnd that is the biggest difference between traditional preventative medicine and that of naturopathic medicine. \\nOne is \\nstill\\n just treating the symptoms and possibly causing more problems. And the other is treating the whole body.\\nIt’s interesting that so many people prefer conventional medicine practices because they are “backed by science” when thousands of years of history has proven over and over again that holistic medicine is real and valid. And it works.\\nMaybe you only need a natural approach to health. Or maybe you are dead set on conventional medicine alone.\\nMaybe you need both.\\nWe need both \\nAs mentioned above, allopathic medicine is important. It saves lives. There is a time and place for it. It is a reactive form of medicine for times of crisis, acute illness, and injury.\\nNaturopathic medicine focuses on preventing those times of crisis, acute illness, and injury. There are many things that alternative medicine treats. But the goal is to use the most natural methods possible to create homeostasis and connection between the inner and outer world of humans. \\nWhere allopathic medicine is \\nreactive\\n, naturopathic medicine \\nproactive\\n. \\nWhatever your health situation may be, we hope that you allow MyYogaTeacher be a part of your journey to better health and wellbeing. Our \\nonline yoga\\n studio is a judgement free zone where people come together and celebrate how amazing their bodies (and yoga) are. A place where the instructors get to know their students and help them in more ways than just on the mat.\\nIf you haven’t joined yet, we hope you’ll \\ntake advantage of myYogaTeacher’s 2-week free trial\\n, where you’ll have access to over 42 different classes and experienced yoga instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India!\\nJoin us!"},"createdAt":"2021-08-13T17:46:01.516367+00:00","author":{"name":"Will","pictureUrl":null,"teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy","anxiety"]},{"title":"How Yoga Works With Modern Medicine: Medical Yoga Therapy","coverUrl":"jtsbxwjcix1u5emuxe0l.jpg","slug":"yoga-as-medicine","content":{"text":"Modern science is slowly, but surely embracing so many things from ancient Eastern culture. More and more therapists are using yoga as a tool for psychotherapy, a “prescription” for mental health problems.\\nBut what about conventional medicine? \\nCan general practitioners use yoga as a prescription for some illnesses instead of leaning solely on medications?\\nThe correct mix of modern technology and ancient medicine could be just what the conventional medicine world needs to be untouchable!\\nTurns out yoga has been proven to heal all kinds of ailments, which technically makes it an exercise, meditation, \\nand\\n a \\nmedicine\\n. Here at MyYogaTeacher, we think that’s pretty cool and wanted to explore how the modern medicine and yoga worlds are starting to collide.\\nOne of the benefits of being a myYogaTeacher member is that you get to experience all kinds of yoga classes, even ones designed to help treat or prevent medical problems, taught by highly trained and experienced expert instructors. \\nIf you haven’t checked it out yet, click here to enjoy your 2-week free trial!\\n\\nWhat is medical yoga therapy?\\nAccording to the National Institute of Health, medical yoga is defined as “the use of yoga practices for the prevention and treatment of medical conditions.” \\nYoga clearly has therapeutic benefits when it comes to helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and a whole host of other mental illnesses. In many cases, a regular yoga practice can end those debilitating issues completely.\\nThe physical side effects of yoga are what truly makes this ancient practice a “modern miracle” for patients suffering from various medical conditions.\\nStudies show that medical yoga therapy improves (and helps control) glucose levels, musculoskeletal ailments, and helps keep the cardiovascular system in check.\\nMedical therapy yoga includes all the aspects of yoga that one may expect from any other yoga practice: asanas, breath work, meditation. But it is much more comprehensive than that.\\nYoga as a prescription\\nYoga doesn’t just treat and prevent illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, menstrual disorders, heart disease, and hormone imbalances. \\nIt helps people create a state of well being, where they can understand the underlying cause of their conditions. When they can understand it themselves, they are more capable of being proactive in preventing the recurrence of their illness or the development of new ones.\\nThis is huge in the world of modern medicine! \\nMedical yoga therapy is an individualized (and holistic) approach to medicine. This means it doesn’t just incorporate the actual practice of yoga, breathwork and meditation. It involves a patient’s family, work environment, support network, and culture in the treatment plan.\\nYoga alone may not be the best prescription. It’s up to a person’s doctor to decide if other treatments are necessary in conjunction with medical yoga therapy. And we are in no way recommending you abandon your doctor’s treatment plan without speaking with them first. \\nHowever, it is not an unlikely scenario that patients who are at risk of developing certain medical conditions could be prescribed yoga to prevent said conditions from occurring! \\nThis would help people avoid more intense (and costly) medical interventions!\\nWhile we are a long way from doctors prescribing yoga as a medicine over pills, there is room to believe that it’s a possibility in the future.\\nHow medical yoga therapy works\\nThe question many people ask about all of this is “how.”\\nHow can something as simple as yoga actually cure and prevent physical medical problems?! \\nFirst, we’d like to give you a good idea of types of conditions yoga can help with:\\nDiabetes - Yoga reduces fasting insulin levels, which normalizes the insulin-to-glucose ratio. It also increases circulation, which improves nerve damage caused by the disease.\\nHypertension - The various breathing techniques practiced in yoga, along with meditation, alleviates stress, tension, and physical pain in various areas of the body, all of which can be a primary cause of high blood pressure.\\nHeart disease - Yoga is a useful lifestyle intervention for people who suffer from high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, and helps decrease waist circumference. \\nArthritis - The improved strength and flexibility that are associated with yoga also help relieve symptoms of arthritis and chronic back pain, knee pain, and neck pain.\\nThere are many medical conditions that are improved by a consistent yoga practice, but the above illnesses are especially receptive to medical yoga therapy.\\nOn top of that, yoga is an exercise that literally \\nanyone\\n can do!\\nWe know we’ve said it before, but we can’t iterate it enough. Yoga is good for everyone, whether you’re practicing for medical reasons or not. Any size, shape, or age. And it’s incredibly accessible.\\nYoga balances the autonomic nervous system by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. \\nThroughout your day, your body is responding to the outside stimuli it experiences, whether you realize it or not. Stress, a not so healthy diet, pain (physical, mental, or emotional), disease, illness. All of these things stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, the “fight or flight” mode your body has to protect itself against all the bad things it encounters.\\nWhen one practices yoga, the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” system) is activated, lowering blood pressure, releasing endorphins. Your blood vessels dilate, which means better circulation, more nutrients to your organs. \\nHere are some other benefits of a regular yoga practice:\\nIncreased release of hormones such as GABA, serotonin, and dopamine, all hormones that prevent and cure depression and anxiety.\\nIncreased levels of melatonin, the naturally occurring chemical in your body that helps you sleep\\nIncreased levels of oxytocin, the chemical in your body that helps you feel connected, feel seen and heard.\\nIncreased levels of leptin and adiponectin, chemicals that work to alleviate inflammation in the body.\\nYoga means better health. Better immunity.\\nThere are no bad side effects, like you may have with prescription or OTC medications.\\nThe science is there. Yoga can actually save lives. \\nYoga and aging\\nWe thought this topic deserved a section all to itself. The science demonstrates that yoga increases your lifespan.\\nAccording to the National Institute of Health, studies show that regular yoga practice stabilizes, and even lengthens, telomeres. What are those?\\nWe thought you’d never ask. Telomeres are small, repetitive chromosomal sequences found at the end of chromosomes that protect the chromosome from dying. They prevent cell death. The older we get, the shorter the telomeres get. The structural integrity of our chromosomes decreases.\\nThis process is one of the causes of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, cancer, macular degeneration, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, amongst others.\\nPretty impressive that yoga can play such a significant role in our wellbeing and longevity!\\nHere at myYogaTeacher, we are passionate about advocating for the betterment of people. We want to help you feel better, be healthier, and support you on your journey to harmony with your inner and outer world.\\nIf you’re still on the fence about becoming a MYT member, we invite you to \\ngrab your free 2-week trial here\\n and take advantage of the 35+ classes we offer with experienced, expert instructors you can trust. \\nWe can’t wait to see you on the mat!"},"createdAt":"2021-08-06T21:38:11.077476+00:00","author":{"name":"Will","pictureUrl":null,"teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy","yoga"]},{"title":"What Is Yoga Nidra: Deep Relaxation to Combat Insomnia and Improve Overall Health","coverUrl":"mizyluhduef8w9acvtqr.png","slug":"what-is-yoga-nidra","content":{"text":"What Is Yoga Nidra?\\nYoga Nidra is a meditation that guides you to conscious awareness of your body for deep relaxation. Despite sometimes being referred to as \"yogic sleep,\" Yoga Nidra isn't about falling asleep, but instead cultivating relaxation and inner awareness that is just as restorative as deep sleep.\\n\\nWhen you mention \"yoga\" to most people, what immediately springs to mind is flowing movements requiring a certain level of balance and fitness. And that's followed closely by images of hyper-flexible people twisted into pretzel-like poses.\\n\\nBut yoga is about more than movement, physical strength, and flexibility.\\n\\nThere's a meditative aspect to yoga that often gets overlooked. And that's where Yoga Nidra comes in.\\n\\nYoga Nidra was introduced by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in 1976. It was presented as an easy-to-learn meditation practice that anybody from any culture could use without previous \\nknowledge of yoga\\n.\\n\\nThis practice is a guided meditation in which you rest in savasana as you move through deep relaxation techniques. The purpose of Yoga Nidra is to help the physical, emotional, and mental self completely relax and heal.\\n\\nThe practice can help with insomnia, PTSD, trauma, and anxiety, as well as improve overall health, restore energy, and promote creativity. Yoga Nidra soothes the sympathetic nervous system, leaving practitioners with a sense of peace and calm.\\n\\nHow Does Yoga Nidra Differ From Meditation?\\nWhile Yoga Nidra is a type of meditation, there are key differences. For starters, Yoga Nidra is done in savasana with the goal of reaching a deep state of conscious awareness, deeper than most meditations.\\n\\nAccording to Judi Bar, yoga therapist and yoga program manager, meditation is a waking state of consciousness, focusing the mind and letting thoughts come and go. This helps us get into the theta state. Yoga Nidra helps us get to the deeper, delta state.\\n\\nHow to Practice Yoga Nidra\\nMany yoga studios offer Yoga Nidra and you can easily do it at home for free with YouTube or a meditation app. Plus, no need to invest in any equipment. You just need a yoga mat (or even just a blanket) and something to support your lower back, spine, and head.\\n\\nYoga Nidra is best practiced in a quiet space where you'll be able to relax without being disturbed. When you're ready, dim the lights and get comfortable in savasana.\\n\\nAllow your eyes to gently close and take a few deep breaths in and out. Let your body relax completely. From there, you'll go through a progressive relaxation of your entire body, starting with your right foot. Move your attention up to your right knee, thigh, and hip. Then, repeat the process on the left leg.\\n\\nContinue this pattern of awareness and relaxation for your entire body.\\n\\nOnce you've completed this process for your entire body, allow yourself to relax completely. Stay here for as long as you'd like.\\n\\nWhen you're ready, bring awareness back to your surroundings and slowly come up to a seated position before opening your eyes.\\n\\nTo get the most from your Yoga Nidra practice, here are some tips you can use:\\nStart with an intention. Why are you practicing? What is it you're hoping for?\\nUse a sleep mask to block out light.\\nPractice where you're most comfortable. The bed? A recliner? Go for it!\\nUse a blanket to keep yourself warm.\\nStart with shorter sessions of 15–20 minutes.\\nPractice whenever it makes sense for you.\\nDon't give up! Meditation is hard. You're being asked to quiet your mind against the innumerable things competing for your attention. Go easy on yourself.\\nBenefits of Yoga Nidra\\n\\nYoga Nidra works on the autonomic nervous system. This is the system that regulates body processes like your heartbeat, breathing, blood flow, and digestion. Since it's such deep relaxation, Yoga Nidra also stimulates the pineal gland and encourages the \\nrelease of hormones\\n like melatonin. Melatonin helps manage blood pressure, cortisol levels, immune function, and is a common over-the-counter treatment for insomnia.\\n\\nPlus, while meditation is documented to \\nreduce anxiety and stress\\n, in recent studies, Yoga Nidra has been seen as even more effective in reducing anxiety, as well as being a useful tool in reducing anxiety symptoms.\\n\\nA 2020 study of Yoga Nidra found that stress affect and sleep quality saw sustained positive influence thanks to meditation. In addition, practicing Yoga Nidra consistently for just 11 minutes resulted in increased satisfaction with life, sleep quality, and mindfulness while leading to decreases in stress. For some of the study's participants, Yoga Nidra practice was reported to be particularly helpful when it came to acute stress situations (critical life events, exams, relationship problems, etc).\\n\\nHere are some other benefits of a Yoga Nidra practice:\\nConnect with yourself\\nPhysical and emotional healing\\nFlushes toxins\\nEase symptoms of anxiety, PTSD, addiction, and depression\\nThere's no wrong way to practice\\nComplement Your Yoga Nidra Practice With Classes from myYogaTeacher\\nDid you know that 50–70 million adults in the United States alone have a sleep disorder? And it's a good bet that stress and anxiety play a huge role in that number! And, nearly 38% of those with sleep disorders report unintentionally falling asleep during the day at least once a month.\\n\\nIf that sounds like you, Yoga Nidra can help!\\n\\nTo get the greatest benefit from your Yoga Nidra practice, it's recommended that you do some light exercise — like a yoga class — before settling in for your Yoga Nidra session.\\n\\nThat's where myYogaTeacher can be an enormous help! We offer tons of yoga classes to choose from, but our Hatha, Gentle, or Slow Vinyasa classes would be a perfect complement to your Yoga Nidra sessions. We invite you to \\nsign up for a free two-week trial\\n of myYogaTeacher. You'll get access to all of our live online group yoga classes (more than 35 each day) led by skilled and experienced Indian yoga teachers.\\n\\nClasses with myYogaTeacher can be exactly what you need to get the most benefit from your Yoga Nidra practice so you can ease anxiety, get a better connection between your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual selves, and get better sleep."},"createdAt":"2021-06-17T22:13:09.839221+00:00","author":{"name":"Will","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg","teacherMytSlug":"will-1"},"category":["therapy","meditation"]},{"title":"Do This, Not That: 10 Yoga Poses to Avoid if You Have Back Pain","coverUrl":"qmm5qvng3vjs5rggukli.jpg","slug":"yoga-for-back-pain","content":{"text":"A regular yoga routine helps prevent, and even cure, back pain. But only if the routine is full of all the right poses.\\n\\nIf you have a back injury or have had one in the past, some yoga poses cause stress and irritation to the discs and muscles in your back. And yoga is supposed to help, not hurt your body!\\n\\nThis is why, here at myYogaTeacher, we encourage you to do your research before investing in a group yoga class or a private yoga instructor.\\n\\nAn inexperienced yoga instructor may give you the wrong advice or take you through a flow that makes back pain worse.\\n\\nIf you haven’t checked out myYogaTeacher yet, you should! \\nGrab your 2-week free trial here.\\n You’ll have access to tons of online yoga classes, including mine, \\nYoga for Back Pain. \\nI wanted to make sure you have access to high quality yoga instruction for back pain and back issues.\\n\\nJust in case you wonder which asanas are prohibited for back pain patients, though, here are 10 poses you should avoid if you have back pain.\\n\\n1. Bow Pose (Floor)\\n\\nWhen done right, bow pose is an excellent way to work your glutes, stretch your shoulders, chest, and thighs and open your heart. But this pose is too intense for people with sensitive backs or back issues.\\n\\nPlus, it’s too easy to overstretch your back to deepen the pose instead of using your glutes and thighs.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n2. Camel Pose\\n\\nHonestly, any variation of camel pose can be hard on your neck, shoulders, and sacrum. I encourage you to avoid even the easiest variations of this pose if you have any back or neck issues.\\n\\nIf you choose to do any of the modifications for this pose, though, be sure to squeeze your glutes and thighs to help support your lower back and spine.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n3. Upward Facing Dog\\n\\nThis is such a beautiful and beneficial pose, that I hate to tell you not to do it. \\n\\nWith the appropriate guidance and instruction, upward facing dog strengthens your glutes and thighs, stretches and lengthens your core, and tones your upper back.\\n\\nHowever, it’s easy to do this pose wrong, particularly when it’s part of a vinyasa flow so it’s best to avoid it if you’re having any back pain or have known back issues.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n4. Crescent Lunge Twist\\n\\nI usually encourage spinal twists to ease lower back pain due to menstrual cramps, sore muscles, or to safely increase one’s range of motion. However, if you have bulging or herniated discs, this – and almost any other twisting pose – is dangerous.\\n\\nYogis tend to muscle their way into balancing poses such as this one instead of allowing their body to naturally move and stretch to its furthest extent. Muscling your way into any pose is bad and can create even more problems, which is what practicing yoga is supposed to prevent!\\n\\n\\n5. Boat Pose\\n\\nAny pose where you’re balancing on your glutes will put at least some pressure on your sacrum and lower spine. Boat pose is no different.\\n\\nAlso, if you don’t have a strong core, you’ll have a tendency to slouch instead of maintaining good posture. This puts even more strain on your lower back region. This pose can be modified by putting your toes or even both your feet flat on the ground.\\nOr just skip it all together if you’re having back problems.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n6. Bridge and Full Wheel\\n\\nBridge is often a precursor to doing Full Wheel. Either way, both poses put pressure on the spine and neck. Full Wheel is an advanced pose and requires more extension of the back and more strength in the legs, glutes, and arms.\\nBridge can be done safely with back issues, but it doesn’t alleviate back pain. So it’s best to avoid this one as well if you have back pain of any kind.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n7. Fish Pose\\n\\nAhhhh. The beloved Fish pose! \\n\\nThis pose is awesome if you have mild back pain due to menstrual cramps or overworked muscles. It’s a really nice\\n restorative\\n pose and provides a good upper back stretch.\\n\\nHowever, for more serious back issues, you may want to stick to savasana. Fish pose is still a backbend and provides very little support for your hips and sacrum.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n8. Shoulder Stand\\n\\nIt may be obvious to you that shoulder stand is a no when you have back issues, but it’s actually a counter pose to many of the poses I’ve listed here.\\n\\nShoulder stand can put a lot of undue stress on the cervical spine, which affects the lower spine. This is not the pose for yogis with back issues, weak core muscles, or tight shoulders.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n9. Dancer’s Pose\\n\\nAny version of \\ndancer’s pose\\n is an intense back stretch. It is basically a standing backbend. It’s not entirely off limits if you have mild back pain, but if you feel any pinching at all, stop immediately.\\n\\nIf you do choose to proceed with this pose, be sure to lift from your thighs and glutes, not by pulling more on your foot. You can also use a strap to ease the tension of this pose.\\n\\nOr skip it all together if you have any sort of back injury.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n10. Big Toe Pose\\n\\nIf you’ve performed big toe pose before, you’ll understand why I say this is not the pose to do if you have any kind of back problem or pain.\\n\\nThis pose compresses your side body and can cause your pelvis to tilt backwards, both of which puts a lot of strain and pressure on your lumbar spine. Even doing a modified version of this pose isn’t good for lower back issues.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nIf you suffer with a back injury or other back issue that continues to cause pain and discomfort, I encourage you to seek out a professional yoga instructor who can help you address those issues in a way that is helpful, not harmful.\\n\\nNot sure where to start? Please, \\ncome see me in my Yoga for Back Pain class!\\n We have students in there who are all ages, from all walks of life, who have had back issues that are now a distant memory! \\nIf you’re not a member of myYogaTeacher yet, go ahead and grab your free 2-week trial here!\\n You’ll not only get access to my class but 35+ other group classes every day!\\n\\nWe’re here to help you live your best, fullest, most harmonious life!\\n\\nNamaste!\\n\\n"},"createdAt":"2021-06-05T15:18:02.896501+00:00","author":{"name":"Neha","pictureUrl":null,"teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy","pain_management"]},{"title":"Ayurveda, Yoga & Me","coverUrl":"gm9z7y1r9us7yyvvzcdl.jpg","slug":"Ayurveda-yoga-me","content":{"text":"Ancient medicine like Ayurveda, acupuncture, yoga and the traditional way of working on my health has been part of my life since 2017. With Ayurveda, it has been a much longer journey. \\nI am Archana. R from Bangalore, India. I am a Yoga instructor since 2017 and a therapist since 2019. I have been suffering from PCOD for 12+ years. At the beginning of this hormonal imbalance, the doctors could not give me more details on what it means and how should I overcome this? The family members didn’t recognize what it was, as nobody had heard about it. \\n\\nThe Allopathic Gynaecologists kept prescribing oral contraceptives and the extra growth protein powders without explaining what they can do to the body. After which, I moved towards homeopathy medication which did help me for some time to keep my periods in check, but at some point, that too stopped working and finally moved towards Ayurveda and Unani medicine in 2009-10. \\n\\nOver time, I started working for an MNC in the night shift for more than 12 months and moved to a day shift job which was also stressful. All this just added to my woes. The body cycle went through many changes leading to weight gain from 63 kgs to 72 kgs over 6-8 months. 2017 February, on the last day of my job, I met a Yoga & Acupuncture therapist who helped me shed about 5-6 kilos in 6-8 months. \\nIt helped me build my confidence back and become a better & healthier person both inside and outside. My mind & body both felt lighter & much freer. My teacher was pleased with my dedication & transformation, she asked me to handle the classes, but it didn’t feel right for me to start taking classes without knowing much about the background of Yoga, let alone teaching it. \\n\\nThat was the beginning of my Yoga journey, and there has been no turning back ever since. I took up a yoga instruction course with an affiliation center of VYASA called Sudarshan Yoga. Under the guidance of a gold medallist, Mr. Sudarshan Omkar started instructing while pursuing my certification course. Soon after receiving the certificate became a full-time instructor at his Institute. \\n\\nI attended various workshops in Ashtanga yoga & Pranayama/Dharana/dhyana from @1000yoga, PCOS from Adhyatma Yoga to advance my practice. To enhance my knowledge further moved full-time towards Yoga. I signed up for a Post-Graduate Diploma Yoga Therapy course in January 2019 @SVYASA and completed it in July 2020. I am also a certified Garba yoga teacher. \\n\\nWhile pursuing my PG course, I also took up prenatal Yoga because Pregnancy and pregnant women fascinated me. Due to the business-minded hospitals, most of the women were forced to opt for C-sections rather than giving them a choice. I wanted to do my bit to help women to understand their bodies and build confidence in them and prepare them for what women’s bodies can naturally do, just like all the other mammals on this planet. I have worked with six women so far, starting with my sister in law & a neighbor, both of whom had a normal delivery—guided practice for diastasis recti post-delivery. \\n\\nI am currently a Consultant Yoga Therapist and an Instructor with an online platform known as \\nMyyogateacher,\\n catering to North & South America. I have been conducting group classes & personal classes since June 2020. Each person is different, and each class is designed specially to cater to the needs of the students. Every aspect is taken into consideration, from physical to mental health point of view.  I added another feather to my hat with “the Lamaze breathing & relaxation techniques for easy & effective labour\" under the guidance of  Nutan Pandit, founder of Natural childbirth Centre, India.\\n\\nApart from Yoga, I love to travel, pursue languages, read novels, watch movies and sign up for new courses to update myself. I currently train students in level A1 German to improve my speech as I am pursuing level C1.\\n"},"createdAt":"2021-05-25T16:51:27.627836+00:00","author":{"name":"Archana","pictureUrl":null,"teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"What Is Kundalini Yoga: Awaken Your Life Energy for Self-Realization","coverUrl":"eruhm7089a6kndlklogz.png","slug":"what-is-kundalini-yoga","content":{"text":"What Is Kundalini Yoga?\\nKundalini yoga is a combination of Bhakti, Shakti, and Raja yoga. Through Kundalini yoga, practitioners seek to awaken kundalini energy through breathing exercises, mantras, meditation, and physical postures.\\n\\nThere are several different types of yoga that range in intensity from the very gentle poses of restorative yoga to the blood-pumping movements of power yoga. Kundalini is a balance between the physical and spiritual aspects of yoga. It emphasizes rising energy that starts at the root chakra and moves slowly up through all seven chakras to increase prana and create conditions for the energy to exit through the crown of the head and produce a Kundalini awakening (a feeling of euphoric release or bliss that leads to self-realization).\\n\\nA Brief History of Kundalini Yoga\\nThe origin of \\nKundalini Yoga\\n is unknown, but Kundalini philosophy is found in the Upanishads which are ancient Vedic texts dating back at least 2,500 years. Kundalini was introduced in the West in 1968 by Yogi Bhajan from the Punjab region and it's most often associated with him.\\n\\nKundalini comes from the Sanskrit term \\nkundal\\n which means \"circular\" or \"coiled.\" This yoga practice teaches us that life energy lies at your root chakra (the base of your spine), and is there, coiled like a snake, waiting to be awakened.\\n\\nWhen you \\npractice Kundalini\\n, you can awaken this energy through breathing, mantras, mudras, and physical movement, moving the energy through your \\nseven chakras\\n until it is released at the crown chakra (your head):\\n\\nThe release of this life energy is said to promote awakening, enlightenment, and balance.\\n\\n[CTA-DEFAULT]\\nWhat Are the Benefits of Kundalini Yoga?\\nKundalini Yoga benefits are both anecdotal and science-backed. Here are the four benefits of Kundalini Yoga that we're most excited about.\\n\\n1. Reduce Stress and Anxiety\\nA \\n2017 study\\n found that Kundalini may offer immediate stress release and may even be helpful for conditions that are linked to high stress like cardiovascular disease and insomnia. The study looked at a small group of middle-aged women who experienced lower blood pressure and reduced stress after practicing. Additionally, the findings of a \\n2018 study\\n suggest that Kundalini Yoga may reduce symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.\\n\\n2. Improve Emotional Wellbeing\\nKundalini Yoga can increase hormone production in your brain, balancing your parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems and producing a feeling of elation.\\n\\nEnhance Cognitive Function\\nAnother Kundalini yoga benefit is enhanced memory and focus through improved blood flow to your brain. According to a \\n2017 study\\n, older adults were able to improve memory and executive function through the practice of Kundalini.\\n\\nImprove Respiratory Health\\nKundalini can also help increase lung capacity and improve overall respiratory health based on \\nresearch\\n into yogic breathing techniques.\\n\\nKey Characteristics of Kundalini Yoga\\nKundalini Yoga is known as the yoga of awareness. This secretive practice was brought into the spotlight by Yogi Bhajan in the late 1960s. Since then, the practice hasn't quite reached the popularity of other types of yoga, like Hatha and \\nVinyasa\\n, but it has seen a surge in popularity. If you're wondering what to expect from this increasingly popular yoga practice, there are four key characteristics that all Kundalini Yoga classes have.\\n\\nMantra\\nMantra is considered a \"quantum technology\" in Kundalini Yoga. The mantras as designed to be repeated aloud and each mantra has its own vibratory frequency. Mantras in Kundalini are generally spoken in Gurmukhi, an ancient Sikh language. The good news is that you don't have to actually understand the language for the frequency to do its job on you.\\n\\nOne of the more common mantras used in Kundalini Yoga is Sat Nam, meaning \"I am truth.\"\\n\\nPranayama\\nPranayama is known as breath control or breathwork and is a vital component of Kundalini. Breath is seen as life energy and in Kundalini, certain \\nbreathing techniques\\n are tied to different Kriyas to maximize the benefits of the movement.\\n\\nKriyas\\nA Kriya is a grouping of sound, breath, and posture design to alter the state of the body and mind. There are said to be thousands of different Kriyas in Kundalini Yoga, each intended to remove specific blocks and negative energies.\\n\\nRelaxation and Meditation\\nAfter the completion of Kriya, Kundalini practitioners will go into a relaxation stage that then leads to meditation.\\n\\nPractice Kundalini Yoga Safely With myYogaTeacher\\nLike all yoga practices, Kundalini Yoga has contraindications. If you have any of the following conditions, consult your doctor before practicing:\\n\\nHypertension or hypotension\\nCongenital heart defect\\nEpilepsy\\nCholelithiasis\\nFrequent dizziness/fainting\\nAsthma\\nRecent injury or surgery\\nDrug or alcohol use\\n\\nOne of the best ways to minimize the potential for injury during your yoga practice is by working with experienced yoga teachers. With myYogaTeacher, you'll get access to a team of yoga teachers from all around India who have extensive experience both practicing and teaching yoga. And, since our classes are all live and online, you can get cueing help from a real teacher right in the moment.\\n\\nReady to awaken your Kundalini energy through this practice? \\nSign up for a free two-week trial of myYogaTeacher\\n and you'll get access to not only our Kundalini sessions but 35+ live online classes every single day. Deepen your yoga practice, increase your enjoyment, and restore your mind and body with myYogaTeacher!"},"createdAt":"2021-05-11T14:54:27.034481+00:00","author":{"name":"Will","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg","teacherMytSlug":"will-1"},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"Oxygen for India — COVID Relief Yoga Classes","coverUrl":"oxygen_banner.jpg","slug":"Oxygen-for-India-COVID-Relief-Yoga-Classes","content":{"text":"You've probably seen that COVID is rampaging through India, tearing apart families, and leaving hospitals crippled by an overflow of cases.\\n\\n\\nImage from BBC.com - hospitals in Delhi have been forced to display signs saying they have run out of oxygen\\n\\nThe supply of oxygen and ventilators is critically low. Too many people are dying simply because they can't get the oxygen they need.\\n\\nYou might be looking for a way to help our brothers and sisters in India. Right now, what they need more than anything is Oxygen.\\n\\nOxygen Drive: Yoga for Healthy Breathing\\n\\nFor the next few weeks we'll be \\noffering daily Oxygen Drive yoga classes\\n.\\n\\nThese classes are $5 per session and we'll donate 100% of the funds\\n to \\nGive India's Oxygen campaign\\n. MYT Teachers have volunteered to donate their time.\\n\\nNow all we need is \\nstudents like you to sign up for these Oxygen Drive classes (\\nyou can click here to sign up\\n)\\n. And if you really want to make an impact, you can forward this email, or share the classes with your friends.\\n\\nWe'll roll out more classes to our \"Workshop\" page daily, as we organize our teachers and get them up on the site. \\nPlease \\ncheck our Workshop page every day for upcoming \"Oxygen Drive\" classes\\n. You can get your daily yoga fix while helping people who truly need support right now.\\n\\nIf you have family or friends in India, all of us at myYogaTeacher are sending love to you and your family.\\n\\nIn fact, some of these Oxygen Drive classes will even have group meditations for sending health and love to those who are in critical condition or have lost a loved one.\\n\\nWe hope to see you in some of these classes!\\nYou can \\nclick here to sign up for the next Oxygen Drive donation class\\n"},"createdAt":"2021-04-28T20:25:26.117641+00:00","author":{"name":"Will","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg","teacherMytSlug":"will-1"},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"Practice Yoga for Stress and Anxiety Relief","coverUrl":"yoga_for_stress_and_anxiety.jpg","slug":"yoga-for-stress-and-anxiety","content":{"text":"We've all experienced stress and anxiety at some point. It's a natural, human response to stressful situations and can even save us from danger. Sometimes, it can go deeper than that and become a full-blown anxiety disorder that disrupts our lives.\\n\\nMy class, \\nYoga for Stress and Anxiety\\n can help!\\n\\nYoga for Stress and Anxiety: The Research\\nSince the 1970s, researchers have been looking into stress-reduction techniques and tools. Meditation is one such technique that you hear a lot about, but yoga as a whole practice hasn't gotten the same level of attention until recent decades.\\n\\nAccording to researchers at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, a new study from August 2020 found that yoga was significantly more effective for generalized anxiety disorder than simple education on stress management.\\n\\nAnother study from the Ilam University of Medical Sciences (February 2018) found that yoga plays an effective part in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. The study went on to conclude that yoga can be used as complementary medicine for these conditions.\\n\\nYet another study from The Center for Health Behavior Research at the University of Mississippi (2011) found that yoga offers a host of benefits: enhanced muscular strength and body flexibility, improved respiratory and cardiovascular function, recovery from and treatment of addiction, reduction in stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improved sleep patterns, and enhanced overall well-being and quality of life.\\n\\nIf you're not using yoga for stress and anxiety management, now's a great time to start. \\nSign up for a free two-week trial of myYogaTeacher\\n and get access to my class as well as more than 35 other live, online yoga courses every single day.\\n\\nWhat Do Stress and Anxiety Look Like?\\n\\nStress and anxiety can look and feel different for different people. For some, it might be a feeling like waiting for the other shoe to drop. For others, it might be all-consuming. Here are some of the symptoms that typically signal stress and anxiety:\\nPersistent feelings of uneasiness, panic, and fear\\nMuscle tension\\nHeart palpitations or a rapid heartbeat\\nDifficulty sleeping\\nIrritability\\nConstricted breathing\\nCold, sweaty palms\\nRumination on unhelpful, negative thoughts\\nIf your feelings of stress and anxiety are keeping you from living your life, we recommend talking to your doctor about treatment options. But don't forget to practice your yoga!\\n\\nAlleviating Stress and Anxiety Through Yoga\\nOur bodies are pretty miraculous, especially with the body's ability to heal itself. Of course, stress and anxiety can drastically reduce that healing. Fortunately, yoga can help us bring calm, peace, and stillness back into our lives.\\n\\nYoga helps to modulate stress response systems, reducing the stress and anxiety we feel. And, yoga can even help us respond to stress more easily.\\n\\nWe recommend a complete yoga practice that includes more than just asanas. In addition to poses and movement (asanas), you'll want to incorporate \\npranayamas (breathing techniques)\\n, meditation, and yoga philosophy.\\n\\nYoga Practices to Alleviate Stress and Anxiety\\n\\nIn this section, we're going to talk about specific asanas, pranayamas, meditations, and mudras that will help you ease stress and anxiety with yoga. While you can absolutely practice this on your own, I would love to have you join my Yoga for Stress and Anxiety class on myYogaTeacher. You can \\nsign up for a free two-week trial of myYogaTeacher\\n and not only get access to my class but access to 35+ other live, online group classes every single day.\\n\\nYoga Poses\\nThere are several yoga poses that can help alleviate stress and anxiety. Here's a short sequence that you can practice at any time. Start seated in a comfortable position and move through the poses as feels comfortable and soothing for you.\\nSeated neck rolls\\nMarjariasana (cat pose)\\nBalasana (child's pose)\\nAdho Mukha Shvanasana (downward-facing dog pose)\\nUttanasana (standing forward bend)\\nVrikshasana (tree pose)\\nJanu Shirasasana (one-legged seated forward bend)\\nPaschimottanasana (two-legged seated forward bend)\\nSetu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose)\\nSarvangasana (shoulder stand)\\nMatsyasana (fish pose)\\nDhanurasana (bow pose)\\nSavasana (corpse pose)\\nPranayama (Breathing)\\nBreathing is a powerful tool for combating stress and anxiety. Here are a few different breathing exercises you can try when you feel stress or anxiety creeping up:\\nDeep breathing\\nNadi Shodhan Pranayama (alternate nostril breathing)\\nBhastrika Pranayama (bellows breathing)\\nUjjayi Pranayama (ocean breathing)\\nBhramari Pranayama (bee breathing)\\nMeditation\\nMeditation helps you calm yourself, grounding you and producing feelings of stability. There are several different types of meditation to choose from, but research has shown that mindful meditations are great for reducing stress and anxiety. Here's a mindful meditation that walks you through progressive relaxation:\\nFind a quiet place where you won't be disturbed and make yourself comfortable. Close your eyes.\\nStarting with your head, tense the muscles in your face and scalp. Hold this as you inhale for a count of eight.\\nOn the exhale, relax your face completely. Unclench your jaw, relax your forehead and eyes, let everything just fall away. Repeat this clenching and relaxing until your face feels completely relaxed.\\nRepeat this process down your entire body: neck, shoulders, chest, abdomen, right arm, right forearm, right hand, left arm, left forearm, left hand, buttocks, right leg, lower right leg, right foot, left leg, left foot.\\nIf you're short on time, you can focus on just your four main muscle groups.\\n\\nMudras\\nMudras can also help you combat stress and anxiety.\\n\\nA mudra is a symbolic or ritual gesture done with the hands and used in combination with Pranayama. They activate our body's potential for healing and growth, stimulating different parts of the body to improve the flow of energy.\\n\\nHere are five mudras I recommend for stress and anxiety:\\nGyan Mudra: Join the tips of your index fingers and thumbs with the other fingers outstretched and together in a relaxed position.\\nAgni Shakti Mudra: Touch all four fingers on each hand to the palms of the same hand (almost in a fist shape). Then, join the tips of the thumbs together.\\nKalesvara Mudra: Bring the tips of the middle fingers together and the first and middle joints of the index fingers together. Then, bring the thumbs together, creating a heart shape, and gently curl the rest of the fingers in. Connect the thumbs to the sternum and reach your elbows out to the side.\\nApan Vayu Mudra: Fold the index fingers to touch the tip to the base of the thumb. Then, bring the tips of the middle and ring fingers to the tips of the thumbs. The pinky finger stays straight and points outward.\\nUttarabodhi Mudra: Interlock the fingers of both hands together and keep the thumbs and index fingers extended and touching. Point the tips of extended index fingers up and the thumbs down.\\nWrapping Up\\nThere's a lot of research that indicates yoga is a wonderful way to reduce stress and anxiety. But we're all different. If you have stress or anxiety that is debilitating, please be sure to reach out to your doctor.\\n\\nIt's also possible that yoga can reveal strong feelings and emotions that you've been suppressing. Practice yoga in a place that makes you feel safe and secure. And don't forget to \\nsign up for a free two-week trial of myYogaTeacher\\n so you can join my next class!"},"createdAt":"2021-04-13T11:58:36.28949+00:00","author":{"name":"Rohan","pictureUrl":null,"teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy","mental_health"]},{"title":"4 Exercise Mistakes That Cause Knee Pain (and How Yoga Can Help)","coverUrl":"p4_KneePain_W1906_gi1017193182.jpg","slug":"yoga-for-knee-pain","content":{"text":"When you’re young – like little kid young, not like 20-somethings young – you probably never considered how running barefoot on the pavement through the neighborhood affected your knees.\\n\\nYou were invincible. There was no pretzel pose you couldn’t do or sit in. Literally nothing bothered you, much less your knees.\\n\\nSkip forward to your 20’s. Yeah, when you start to exercise to maintain your health, weight, fitness. Not because it’s fun.\\n\\nHow did we treat our knees in our 20’s? How \\ndo\\n you treat your knees? Are you protecting them by doing exercises properly or are you still “running barefoot on the pavement?” \\n\\nDo you think about your knees at all if they don’t hurt? No. Probably not.\\n\\nI’m here to tell you how exercise is hurting or has hurt your knees and how yoga can fix it. If you need more help in this area.\n⁠\n⁠[CTA-DEFAULT] \\n\\n\\n\\n1. Misalignment\\n\\nOne of the most common mistakes people make when working out is doing exercises the wrong way. The alignment of your joints is extremely important when working out. When they’re misaligned, it can cause injury.\\n\\nSquats and lunges are the biggest culprits of misalignment for people when exercising. Your knees should never go past your toes when doing squats or lunges. Even if you’re doing yoga. Knees should always track over top of your shoe but not past your toes.\\n\\nIf you have knee pain from doing lunges and squats incorrectly, the pain will be focused around your kneecap and in front of the knee. Runners and jumpers also tend to have this kind of pain.\\n\\nSome yoga asanas to help relieve runner’s knee pain are:\\n\\nDownward facing dog with calf stretches\\nLow lunge and its different variations\\nHamstring stretches like seated forward bend\\nQuad stretches\\n\\nDone properly, these yoga stretches will improve your knee flexibility and decrease or get rid of your knee pain. Yoga is magical like that.\\n\\nEach stretch should be held for at least a minute (more if tolerated) and should be repeated two to three times on each side.\\n\\nWhich leads me to talk about another common exercise mistake.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n2. Skipping single-leg exercises\\n\\nAre you only doing exercises with both legs? Squats, leg presses, jumps. Plyometrics are often performed using both legs at the same time.\\n\\nMuscle imbalances are normal. We use one leg more than the other. We carry a purse, bag, or backpack on one shoulder more than the other. We lean to one side when we sit. But when you work out, you should be incorporating unilateral exercises into your routine.\\n\\nIf you haven’t been, you may experience knee pain or tightness, as well as tight hips, hamstrings, and glutes. Mostly because you’ve been overusing the stronger side of your body when only doing exercises with both legs.\\n\\nThe best remedy for this type of pain? Yoga for knee pain, of course! Here are some moves that will specifically help:\\n\\nPigeon pose, either sitting or reclined\\nHalf splits\\nThread the needle.\\nDownward facing dog\\nButterfly pose\\n\\nTake a break from plyometrics, squats, leg presses, and jumps for a while. Any exercises where you’ve been using both legs simultaneously. And replace those movements with yoga moves instead! You’ll feel the difference!\\n\\nAnother common mistake?\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n[CTA-GC]\\n3. Lifting too much weight\\n\\nI’m not knocking weight lifting. Providing load to your joints does help keep them strong. But if the muscles around those joints aren’t strong enough to handle the weight you’re lifting, the overload can lead to joint pain.\\n\\nAnd your knees notoriously take the brunt of the overload like the superheroes they are.\\n\\nThe safest type of weight lifting is your own body weight. If you want to safely lift weights that are outside your own body weight, the best way is to start very light and work your way up. Progressive resistance is what the trainers call it.\\n\\nIf you’re experiencing knee pain due to weight overload, try these yoga moves:\\n\\nCrescent lunge\\nLow lunge\\nHalf pigeon or reclined pigeon\\nDancer’s pose\\nStanding splits\\n\\nThe idea here is to use your own body weight to strengthen the muscles around the joints while also stretching them. Yoga for knee pain specifically helps with this!\\n\\nA regular yoga practice is excellent for using your own body weight to strengthen and tone. myYogaTeacher offers 35+ classes each day! \\nTry a 2-week free trial and feel the difference yoga makes in your body and life.\\n\\n\\n4. The wrong shoes\\n\\nBear with me here. Choosing the wrong shoes does count as an exercise mistake!\\n\\nImproper footwear may not cause direct pain or injury, but it is a cause of misalignment and poor form when exercising. And we already know that poor form and misalignment cause knee pain and injury.\\n\\nA good tip is to choose a shoe that supports your foot shape. If you have high arches or flat feet, this will be even more important. The stiffer the shoe, the better.\\n\\nIf you work out in a private setting, I recommend doing strength training barefoot. Yes, for real!\\n\\nStudies have shown that many exercise routines are easier on your joints and knees if done barefoot! I’m not suggesting you start showing up at the gym barefoot or revert back to your childhood days when you ran everywhere barefoot as long as it wasn’t snowing. But barefoot exercise is definitely something you may want to look into!\\n\\nOne of the great things about \\nyoga\\n is that it’s always done barefoot! \\n\\nYoga doesn’t just help heal knee pain. It helps prevent it. By doing yoga barefoot, you are strengthening all the tiny muscles in your feet and ankles that are responsible for keeping you stable. In turn, your knees don’t bear all the weight - pun intended!\\n\\nSo let’s recap. A regular yoga practice isn’t just amazing for reducing or eliminating knee pain, it’s a great way to prevent it. Especially yoga for knee pain, specifically. If you’ve injured your knees due to the common exercise mistakes I talked about above, please be sure to see your doctor about it.\\n\\nThen come see me! My Yoga for Knee Pain Class is designed for people who have all kinds of knee pain for various different reasons. I’m happy to talk with you about your specific pain, give you specific yoga poses or modifications to help reduce your pain. \\n\\n\\n\\nSee you on the mat! \\n"},"createdAt":"2021-03-25T16:33:31.657286+00:00","author":{"name":"Pranjal","pictureUrl":null,"teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy","pain_management"]},{"title":"Therapeutic Yoga for Thyroid: Helpful Poses and Breathing Techniques","coverUrl":"therapeutic_yoga_for_thyroid.png","slug":"therapeutic-yoga-for-thyroid","content":{"text":"Thyroid disorders are common for people around the world. Fortunately, there are yoga asanas and pranayama that are beneficial for those with thyroid disorders to relieve the symptoms. In fact, a clinical trial found that women with hypothyroid disorders saw the quality of life scores improve after just 30 days of yoga, indicating that yoga may be considered as supportive or complementary therapy in conjunction with medical therapy for the treatment of a hypothyroid disorder.\\n\\nWhile yoga won't cure thyroid disorders completely, it provides several benefits to overall health and well-being. Yoga can help you increase flexibility and mobility, relieve stress, and balance your energy.\\n\\nIn this article, I'm going to share several asanas and pranayama that can help alleviate the symptoms of thyroid disorders. To enjoy the full experience and get feedback on your form, I invite you to \\nsign up for a free two-week trial of myYogaTeacher\\n. You'll not only get access to my Therapeutic Yoga for Thyroid class but more than 35 other live, online yoga classes every single day.\\n\\n[CTA-DEFAULT]\\n\\nWhat Is the Thyroid?\\nThe thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the front of the neck, just below the Adam's apple. It produces two hormones—triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4)—that have a huge impact on your metabolism and health. These hormones help your body regulate heart rate and body temperature, among other functions.\\n\\nAnybody can develop hypothyroidism, but you're at increased risk of hypothyroidism if you:\\nAre older than 60\\nAre a woman\\nHave a family history of thyroid disease\\nHave an autoimmune disease like type 1 diabetes or celiac disease\\nHave been pregnant or had a baby within the past six months\\nHave been treated with radioactive iodine or anti-thyroid medications\\nReceived radiation to your neck or upper chest\\nHave had thyroid surgery\\nYoga Poses and Pranayama for Thyroid Function\\nAsanas and pranayama can help maintain proper thyroid function, minimizing symptoms and preventing additional issues. Different asanas work for different needs. Some asanas improve circulation, others nourish the thyroid. Pranayama helps regulate hormones and prana in the body.\\n\\nLet's explore a few asanas and a breathing exercise that will help reduce the symptoms of your thyroid disorder. The asanas here are perfect for those with hypothyroid disorders. If you suffer from hyperthyroidism, you should avoid neck-stretching and thyroid-stimulating asanas.\\n\\n1. Salamba Sarvangasana (Supported Shoulderstand)\\n\\nSupported shoulderstand is an inversion that stimulates blood flow to the glands in the upper body—including the thyroid gland. Additionally, the chin lock position (chin tucked into the chest) is understood to improve thyroid function.\\n\\n2. Halasana (Plow Pose)\\n\\nSimilar to shoulderstand, plow pose increases blood flow to the glands in the upper body and stimulates the thyroid gland. Some practitioners may find this pose easier to do than a shoulderstand.\\n\\n3. Matsyasana (Fish Pose)\\n\\nFish pose is an excellent counterpose to shoulderstand or plow pose. It's a much easier pose to do and will be accessible to most practitioners.\\n\\n4. Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall Pose)\\n\\nLegs up the wall pose is an inversion often seen in restorative yoga. Unlike shoulderstand, plow, and fish pose, this pose doesn't put stress or pressure on the neck. It's a wonderful passive pose you can use to restore balance.\\n\\n5. Bidalasana Marjariasana (Cat-Cow Pose)\\n\\nWith the repetitive chin lock to neck stretching movement, cat-cow is a way to stimulate your thyroid and increase blood flow to your neck and thyroid.\\n\\n6. Navasana (Boat Pose)\\n\\nBoat pose isn't only great for core strength, but the position of your neck in this pose can also have a positive impact on thyroid function.\\n\\n7. Ustrasana (Camel Pose)\\n\\nCamel pose includes a pretty intense neck extension. This increases circulation to the front of the neck and stimulates the thyroid gland.\\n\\n8. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)\\n\\nCobra pose includes a less intense stretch to the front of the neck and offers gentle thyroid gland stimulation. If you're comfortable with it, you can also release your neck back further to create a more intense stretch at the front of the neck.\\n\\n9. Chakrasana (Wheel Pose)\\n\\nWheel pose is a heart-opening backbend that gives you an energy boost and stimulates the thyroid with the neck extension.\\n\\n10. Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)\\n\\nBridge pose is another great pose in therapeutic yoga for thyroid function. It stretches the back of the neck, improving circulation. Plus, the chin lock position is believed to stimulate the thyroid. This pose is also useful for strength, reducing headaches, and treating asthma.\\n\\n11. Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)\\n\\nBow pose helps reduce stress, relieve menstrual pain, strengthen your back muscles. The neck position also stimulates the thyroid.\\n\\n12. Sasangasana (Rabbit Pose)\\n\\nRabbit pose is a slight inversion that offers a wonderful stretch of the upper spine and neck. It helps relax the nervous system and the chin lock of the pose benefits thyroid and parathyroid glands.\\n\\n13. Savasana (Corpse Pose)\\n\\nSavasana is a pose for complete relaxation and is a beautiful way to reduce stress. The position of your neck in this position is helpful to the thyroid gland, but the benefits of resting in this pose go well beyond that.\\n\\n14. Ujjayi Pranayama\\nOcean Breath, or Ujjayi pranayama, is a breathing technique that benefits those with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. This breathing technique triggers the thyroid gland and is done by producing friction in the throat with your breath.\\n\\nThis pranayama messages your throat and can be practiced 10–11 times.\\n\\nTo practice Ujjayi pranayama, sit in any comfortable meditative posture and close your eyes. Keep your spine long and take a long, deep breath in through the nose. As you're inhaling, try to contract the throat and feel the air touching your throat.\\n\\nKeep the breath light and relaxed. You'll notice that the sound produced by this breathing technique sounds like ocean waves breaking on the shore.\\n\\nContraindications\\nWhile the yoga poses we've included here are beneficial for hypothyroid disorders, if you have a severe thyroid problem like an enlarged goiter or lack of physical strength, you should avoid these poses and Ujjayi pranayama.\\n\\nThose with hyperthyroid can do practice Ujjayi pranayama but should avoid any poses that stretch the neck or stimulate the thyroid.\\n\\nPregnant yogis should avoid poses that place their abdomens on the floor and should consult their doctor before attempting any yoga practice.\\n\\nIt's important to remember that yoga is not a substitute for treatments and medications recommended by your doctor. However, yoga has several well-documented benefits that can help reduce the occurrence of or minimize the effects of thyroid disorders.\\n\\nWrapping Up\\nThyroid issues can arise for anyone at any age. They can be the result of genetics, an autoimmune disease, or even some other underlying health condition. Yoga is an excellent tool that can combat the symptoms of thyroid disease and when combined with treatments and medications from your doctor, can greatly improve the quality of life for those dealing with a thyroid disorder.\\n\\nIf you suffer from a thyroid disorder, please \\nsign up for a free two-week trial of myYogaTeacher\\n and take my live, online Therapeutic Yoga for Thyroid class. You'll also get access to 35+ live yoga classes each day."},"createdAt":"2021-03-23T12:33:17.685263+00:00","author":{"name":"Neelmani","pictureUrl":"neelmani-pro.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"neelmani-1"},"category":["therapy","restorative"]},{"title":"Restorative Yoga: A Practice for Deep Relaxation","coverUrl":"restorative_yoga__ckli3sc2gctet0c85549pmyiw.png","slug":"restorative-yoga-deep-relaxation","content":{"text":"If you've never experienced restorative yoga, you're in for a treat! This type of yoga is suitable for everyone—from beginners to advanced yoga practitioners. Restorative yoga is a restful yoga practice in which poses are held for longer periods of time for deep, passive stretches. Restorative yoga typically involves the use of props like bolsters, yoga blocks, cushions, and blankets.\\n\\nIn this 60-minute restorative yoga practice, I'll help you relax, relieve tension, and build communion between your body and mind. If you enjoy this practice, please find more classes with me on \\nmyYogaTeacher\\n.\\n\\nBenefits of Restorative Yoga\\nRestorative yoga offers several wonderful benefits:\\nIt's gentle on the body and can help \\nstrengthen the connective tissues\\n around your bones and joints when practiced consistently.\\nThe deep breathing that accompanies restorative yoga \\ncalms the nervous system\\n, promoting relaxation.\\nIncreased relaxation from restorative yoga can \\nimprove sleep and sleep quality\\n.\\nAll types of yoga are associated with \\nimproved mental and physical well-being\\n and can even help people who experience \\ndepression, anxiety, stress, and other mood disorders\\n.\\nRestorative yoga (along with other styles of yoga) is an excellent way to \\nreduce and manage musculoskeletal pain\\n.\\nRestorative Yoga Practice for Deep Relaxation\\nLet's start our restorative yoga practice with a gentle warm-up. Come to your hands and knees with your knees hip-distance apart and your toes tucked. Press your palms into the mat directly below your shoulders with your fingers spread wide. From here, we're going to flow through cat and cow 5 times.\\n\\nCome to a comfortable seated position with your legs crossed. Interlock your fingers and gently bring your arms to the ceiling, lengthening your spine. Inhale. On the exhale, keep your spine lengthened and stretch to the right. Inhale back to center and exhale to the left. Repeat this stretch on both sides. Gently release your arms down.\\n\\nPlace your right palm on your left knee and roll your left shoulder back and down, placing your left hand on the mat behind you. Twist gently, looking over your left shoulder. Release to the center and repeat the twist to the right side.\\n\\nMove your arms into eagle pose with your right arm over the left. Flow through cat and cow poses 3 times, keeping your elbows bent at 90º and your arms away from your body. Repeat this with your arms in eagle pose, this time placing your left arm over the right.\\n\\nThat should be enough to wake up your spine and make you ready for restorative yoga.\\n\\nIn this practice, we'll use a couple of different sizes of bolsters, but if you don't have bolsters you can put together two of the pillows you use at bedtime for the large bolster and use one pillow each for the two smaller bolsters. You'll also need two small cushions, a chair, and a small blanket.\\n\\nWe'll start by placing the chair at one end of the mat and placing the blanket, folded, in front of it. Lay down on the folded blanket on your side and roll onto your back, lifting your legs onto the chair. Your calves will be on the chair and your hips slightly away from the chair.\\n\\nPlace your arms by the side of your body, shoulders relaxed, and let your calf muscles melt into your chair (or bed, wherever you're using to hold your legs). Let your legs relax, your knees and feet rolling outward, naturally. Close your eyes and relax here, moving only to breathe with long, deep inhales and long, complete exhales. Consciously relax the back of your neck, relax your legs, keep your eyes closed. Spend the time relaxing and observing your breath. Stay in this pose for 5–10 minutes.\\n\\nBring your awareness back to your body, gently wiggling your fingers and toes. Roll onto your side and lay there for a moment before sitting up.\\n\\nBring your large bolster in line with the center of your matt and put the two cushions at the top of it. Sit with your hips at the base of the bolster. Bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall open. Use your two smaller bolsters to support your knees. Roll onto the larger bolster, keeping your hips grounded. Take a moment to roll your shoulders to the side and dropping your shoulders down. Adjust your hips to your comfort. Elongate your spine. Place your arms to the side of your body and relax in this position. Surrender your body completely to the asana and observe your breath. Stay in this pose for 5–10 minutes.\\n\\nBring your knees back together, keeping the soles of your feet on the ground. Roll to one side and gently come to sitting.\\n\\nKeep the large bolster where it is and remove any cushions you had on top of it. You're going to lean forward onto your large bolster, with your hips supported at its base. If you find that your torso is longer than your bolster, you can bring in cushions to support your face. Make sure they're the same height as your bolster to keep your spine neutral. In this position, rest your palms on the floor with your arms bent and forward. Relax your legs and your feet. If this isn't comfortable, feel free to separate your knees and bend them slightly so you can rest your legs. Let your body melt into the asana. Let go completely and observe your breath. Stay in this pose for 5–10 minutes.\\n\\nGently press your palms down and tuck your toes. Lift your chest up and come up onto your heels to release the pose.\\n\\nNow, we're going to move into a heart opener. Place your bolster perpendicular to your mat. Roll onto the bolster, letting the bolster support your back just below your shoulder blades. Let your head rest back onto a cushion. Your arms will relax over your head, shoulders dropping down and elbows in line with your shoulders. Your palms will face up. Adjust your body as needed for comfort. This position gently opens your chest, bringing you into a small backbend position. Continue breathing in and out, and relax into the pose. Stay in the pose for 5–10 minutes.\\n\\nBring your awareness back to your body. Bend your knees and relax your shoulders and elbows. Roll to one side and gently come up to sitting.\\n\\nBring your large bolster underneath your knees, preparing for savasana. Lie back and let your knees rest on the bolster, falling out to the side. Completely relax your legs. Place a cushion under your head if you need the support. You can also cover yourself with your blanket for added comfort. Relax your body completely with your arms out to your sides, palms up. Relax here for as long as you'd like (we recommend at least 5 minutes).\\n\\nBring awareness back to your body. Feel where your body meets your mat, bringing awareness to each area of your body, starting with your head and moving all the way down to your feet. Gently wiggle your fingers and toes and slowly turn your head on your pillow from side to side. Interlock your fingers and stretch your arms over your head for a nice, deep stretch. Roll to your side and when you're ready, come up to a cross-legged position.\\n\\nBring your palms to your heart center, close your eyes, and take a moment to connect with your breath and your body. Observe your breath. Take a deep breath in and exhale completely. Close your restorative yoga practice with a chant of \\nOm\\n, 3 times. Rub your palms together and place your cupped palms over your eyes. Move your palms back to heart center, \\nnamaste\\n.\\n\\nIf you're interested in more restorative yoga with me, sign up for a \\nfree trial of myYogaTeacher\\n and get access to not only this class but 35+ live classes every single day."},"createdAt":"2021-02-23T14:27:42.840065+00:00","author":{"name":"Gloria","pictureUrl":"gloria-pro-1.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"gloria-1"},"category":["therapy","restorative"]},{"title":"How to Do a Powerful Trataka (Candle Gazing) Meditation","coverUrl":"ckl8t3amwk53k0b75i0e4wek4.png","slug":"trataka-candlelight-meditation","content":{"text":"Trataka is a candle gazing meditation technique that uses sight to bring stillness to the body and mind. You can practice Trataka using any object—a star, a point on the wall, the ground in front of you. Trataka is traditionally practiced using an actual candle flame.\\nIn this meditation, I'm going to take you through six practices to strengthen your eye muscles before we move into a three-part candle gazing meditation. If you enjoy this practice, please find more classes with me on \\nmyYogaTeacher\\n.\\nBefore we start, I want to remind you that candle meditation typically requires a lot of concentration and can not be performed anywhere like other forms of meditation can. Be sure you have a quiet space prepared where you will not be interrupted before beginning this practice.\\n[CTA-TRATAKA]\\n\\nBenefits of Trataka Meditation\\nTrataka meditation has been around for generations. It has survived over time due to several benefits. Specifically, Trataka meditation:\\nAlleviates stress and anxiety\\nImproves concentration and memory\\nStrengthens your eyes\\nPurifies and stimulates the sixth chakra, Ajna, that controls intuition and mental awareness\\n\\nHow to Do a Trataka Meditation\\nFirst, we encourage you to remove your glasses while you're doing a candle meditation. It's also important that you maintain a distance of 1–1.5 meters between you and your candle, and that you don't blink during the candle gazing.\\n\\nPalming Techniques\\nFor this Trataka meditation, you'll need to know three different kinds of palming. Here's what cupping your hands looks like:\\n\\nGentle\\nRub your palms together to generate heat in your hands. Rest your palms in a cupped shape around your closed eyes.\\n\\nPress and Release\\nRub your palms together to generate heat in your hands. With your palms in a cupped position, place them around your closed eyes. As you inhale, apply light pressure around your eyes with your cupped palms. On the exhale, release the pressure (keeping your palms cupped around your eyes. Repeat this for five cycles of breath.\\n\\nConstant Pressure\\nRub your palms together to generate heat in your hands. With your palms in a cupped position, place them around your closed eyes. Apply constant pressure around your eyes with your cupped palms. Maintain the pressure for five cycles of breathing.\\n\\nStretching and Relaxation\\nWe're going to start our Trataka candlelight meditation with a few stretches to bring relaxation into the body.\\n\\nSit up tall in a chair or cross-legged position with your palms on your knees. Roll your shoulders back to open your chest and close your eyes.\\n\\nBreathe normally, allowing a gentle smile to rest on your face. Maintain this smile throughout your practice... And throughout the rest of your life.\\n\\nObserve your breath as it comes in and flows out, noticing the cool air that's coming into your nose and the warm air that's leaving your nose.\\n\\nInhale. On the exhale, lightly twist your torso to the right. Inhale back to the center and exhale to the opposite side. Inhale back to the center and relax for a moment.\\n\\nNext, drop your head to the right side on the exhale. Inhale to return center and repeat on the other side. Continue to warm up your neck, tilting your head back and forward, inhaling each time as you return to center.\\n\\nJoin your palms together at heart center, \\nnamaste\\n, and let's join together in chanting \\nOm\\n.\\n\\nRub your palms together to generate heat in your hands, cup your palms around your eyes, and blink your eyes open.\\n\\nPress your palms into your knees and tilt your head back, eyes looking up, stretching the front of your neck. Exhale your chin to your chest, stretching the back of the neck. Repeat this five more times.\\n\\nBring your palms to your shoulders on either side of your neck with your fingertips pointing down your back. Pull down slightly on your shoulders as you exhale, tilting your head back, your eyes look up towards the ceiling. Hold this stretch for a count of five.\\n\\nNext, bring the fingertips of each hand together and place your fingertips on your shoulders with your elbows touching in front of your body. Start rolling your shoulders, circling your elbows down, out, up, and touching them in front of your body 10 times. Reverse this movement for another 10 counts.\\n\\nNow, swing your arms to the front and back of your body, allowing them to cross in front of your body on the exhale. Do this 10 times.\\n\\nStretch your legs out in front of you and shake them out a bit, moving them side to side. Then, start rapidly bending and straightening your knees. This is a good practice for both relaxation and knee pain.\\n\\nBring your arms out to the side of your body and inhale. On the exhale, bend to the right side, dropping your elbow to the ground and stretching along the left side of your body. Let your left arm reach up and over your body. If you're sitting in a chair, just bend over to the side as far as you can to feel the stretch.\\n\\nInhale, coming back to the center, and exhale to the other side.\\n\\nRepeat this movement several times, keeping your hips square and planted on the ground or chair.\\n\\nInterlace your fingers in front of you and stretch your arms up over your head, inhaling. On the exhale, allow your arms to float down to your side and then behind you, grabbing your right wrist with your left hand. Exhale and bend forward over your legs, keeping your arms behind you. Repeat this a few times, inhaling to come up and exhaling to fold forward.\\n\\nTwist once more to the right and then the left.\\n\\nEye Movements\\nNow we're going to move into six practices to strengthen the muscles around your eyes.\\n\\nPractice One: Eye Movements—Up and Down\\nSit up straight. For focus, you can bring your thumb out in front of you or, if you're comfortable without it, that's fine, too. Inhale, look to the tip of the thumb, and fix your gaze. Begin to move your thumb up and down, following the movement with your eyes without blinking and without moving your head. Remember to smile. Try to keep your eyes in each position for one second (up for one second and down for one second). Do this 10 times and finish with rest palming.\\n\\nPractice Two: Eye Movements—Right and Left\\nThis time, you'll be following the movement of your thumb to the right and left, without blinking and without moving your head. Keep your eyes in each position for at least one second. Do this 10 times and finish with rest palming.\\n\\nPractice Three: Eye Movements—Right-Up and Left-Down\\nFollow the movement of your thumb on the diagonal—up to the right and down to the left. Once again, do this without blinking and without moving your head, keeping your eyes in each position for at least one second. Do this 10 times. This time, you'll finish with press and release palming.\\n\\nPractice Four: Eye Movements—Left-Up and Right-Down\\nRepeat the diagonal eye movements, this time going up to the left and down to the right. Do this without blinking and without moving your head for 10 repetitions, with your eyes in each position for at least one second. Finish with press and release palming.\\n\\nPractice Five: Eye Movements—Clockwise Rotation\\nNow, we're going to move our eyes in a clockwise rotation—right, up, left, and down. Don't blink and don't move your head. Be sure to keep your eyes in each position for at least one second. Complete this clockwise rotation 10 times before finishing with constant pressure palming.\\n\\nPractice Six: Eye Movements—Anti-Clockwise Rotation\\nRepeat the rotational movements, this time going left, up, right, and down. As always, don't blink and don't move your head, just your eyes. Keep your eyes in each position for at least one second and complete the anti-clockwise rotation 10 times. Finish with constant pressure palming.\\n\\nLeave your eyes closed for a few seconds and relax before we move into the meditation. Now you are ready for our candle meditation.\\n\\nTrataka Meditation: Effortless Focusing\\n\\nStart your Trataka meditation by turning down the lights and sitting between 1–1.5 meters from your candle. Sit in a pose that's comfortable for you and that you can hold for the duration of the meditation. Once you're comfortable, close your eyes.\\nWith your eyes closed, observe the lightness around your eyes. Listen to your breath. Slowly, with your head angled down slightly, blink your eyes open, looking softly at the floor.\\n\\nFor the next minute, try not to blink.\\n\\nLook at the base of the stand that your candle is sitting on. Slowly bring your gaze up the length of the candle stand to the base of the candle itself. Then, let your gaze move up the candle to the flame. Look at the flame for the next 30 seconds.\\n\\nClose your eyes and do press and release palming. Release your palms back down to your knees.\\nCandle gazing takes practice. Be patient with yourself as you're learning this process.\\n\\nTrataka Meditation: Intense Focusing\\nBlink your eyes open, looking softly at the floor. For the next minute, don't blink.\\n\\nOnce again, look at the base of the candle stand and slowly move your gaze up the candle stand to the base of the candle. From there, let your gaze continue up the length of the candle to the flame. Look at the flame of the candle and deepen your focus. See the wick inside of the flame. Watch the wick burn inside of the candle flame for 30 seconds.\\n\\nClose your eyes and do constant pressure palming. Release your palms back down to your knees.\\n\\nTrataka Meditation: Bhramari Pranayama\\nBlink your eyes open, again looking softly at the floor. Don't blink for the next minute and a half.\\n\\nLook towards the base of the candle stand, slowly bringing your gaze up to the base of the candle itself before continuing up the length of the candle to the flame. Focus on the flame of the candle for the next 30 seconds. Bring your awareness completely towards the flame, deepen your awareness and focus. Really look at the flame, observing its shape, color, and size. Notice the flame's aura and the particles around it.\\n\\nClose your eyes and do constant pressure palming.\\n\\nThis time, instead of dropping your palms back to your knees, allow them to remain on your eyes as we move into Bhramari Pranayama, or humming bee breath. Take a deep breath in and hum, producing a sound like a buzzing bee, allowing your body to feel the vibration.\\n\\nPlace your hands behind your back, grabbing your right wrist with your left hand, and inhale, arching your back and looking up to the ceiling. On the exhale, fold forward. Return to an upright position with your palms on your knees.\\nObserve the silence within you and find the awareness toward your body. Observe the changes in your body, especially in the eye muscles.\\n\\nContinue with your eyes closed. Move into savasana, laying down on your back with your palms facing up. Feel free to cover yourself with a blanket, if you'd like. If you're sitting in a chair, you're welcome to stay there and relax with your eyes closed.\\n\\nRelax in savasana for several minutes.\\n\\nWhen you're ready, interlace your fingers over your head and give yourself a full-body stretch. Keeping your eyes closed, bring your knees to your chest, roll to one side, and return to a sitting position.\\n\\nJoin your palms together at heart center, \\nnamaste\\n. Take a deep breath in and finish by chanting \\nOm, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti\\n.\\n\\nFinish with rest palming and blink your eyes open. Congratulations on completing your candle meditation! \\n\\nWant to take a guided live class? Sign up for a \\nfree trial of myYogaTeacher\\n and get access to 35+ live classes every single day."},"createdAt":"2021-02-17T02:18:23.420756+00:00","author":{"name":"Anuj","pictureUrl":"anuj-poonia-1.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"anuj-1"},"category":["therapy","meditation"]},{"title":"Beginner's Guide to Clearing Chakras | Benefits, Healing & Chanting Chakras","coverUrl":"clear-your-chakras_72106447.png","slug":"clear-your-chakras","content":{"text":"Maybe you don’t expect to see a chakra clearing session mixed in with yoga classes. The western part of the world tends to be more focused on outward results, and you do yoga because that’s what you want. Results.\\nStrength. Flexibility. Toning. Gentle exercise for an injured or unconditioned body.\\nAnd you know nothing of chakras or chanting or all that other “woo woo” stuff.\\nThe truth is, yoga, chakra clearing, and chanting work together to create harmony with your inner and outer world. They are all forms of meditation!\\n\\nIf you’re new to the woo, then this post will be helpful in understanding why I offer a \\nChakras and Sound Healing class \\nthrough MyYogaTeacher.\\n\\nWhat are Chakras?\\nChakras are energy points in your body that correspond to organs, nerves, and areas of our body that affect our mental, physical, and emotional well-being. We are all made up of energy! Everything is made of energy.\\nSo it is no surprise that energy flows through and around us.\\nWhen your chakras or energy centers are off balance or blocked, you may experience negative emotional or physical symptoms related to a particular chakra.\\n\\nThe 7 Important Types Of Chakras:\\n\\n1. Root chakra (Muladhara): \\n Responsible for your sense of security, stability, and safety.\\n2. Sacral chakra (Svadhisthana):\\n Responsible for sexual and creative energy and linked to how you relate to and connect with others.\\n3. Solar plexus chakra (Manipura):\\n Corresponds to confidence, self-esteem, and helps you feel in control of your life.\\n4. Heart chakra (Anahata):\\n All about our ability to love and show compassion.\\n5. Throat chakra (Vishuddha):\\n Has to do with how we communicate verbally.\\n6. Third eye chakra (Ajna):\\n Linked to intuition and imagination.\\n7. Crown chakra (Sahasrara):\\n Represents your spiritual connection to self, others, and the Universe/God. Also linked to your life’s purpose.\\n\\nHow do you know if you have one or many – or any – blocked chakras? And what does clearing them even mean? Or do?\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nClear Your Chakras and Improve Your Life.\\n\\nHaving balanced chakras (or imbalanced ones) impacts all areas of your life. Chakras are receptors and emitters. They receive and give back energy. You will receive the same frequency of energy back from the world that you emit.\\nAn easily relatable example of this is when you constantly see the negative attributes in someone’s character. The more you talk, think, and explore those negative things, the more you will find. This also works in reverse. When we love someone, we choose to see all the good things in them, which leads us to find more good things. \\nWhen you feel poor, you often act poor. So you receive more of the same. When you are unkind, you are often met with unkindness.\\n\\nThis is energy. Chakra energy.\\n\\nHow to Identify Blocked Chakras :\\n\\n1. Root chakra:\\n Stress about money, digestive issues, arthritis, problems in the legs, feet, tailbone or rectum, prostate issues.\\n2. Sacral chakra:\\n Constant fear of betrayal, sexual or reproductive health issues, hip or lower back pain, urinary or kidney dysfunction.\\n3. Solar plexus chakra:\\n Fear of rejection, digestive issues, chronic fatigue, pancreas or gallbladder problems.\\n4. Heart chakra: \\nFear of being alone, asthma, arm and wrist pain, jealousy or bitterness, upper back or shoulder problems.\\n5. Throat chakra: \\nFear being out of control, thyroid issues, sore throats, ear infections, trouble expressing yourself, neck and shoulder pain.\\n6. Third eye chakra:\\n Moodiness or stubbornness, blurry vision or eye problems, sinus issues, headaches.\\n7. Crown chakra: \\nFear of alienation, rigid thoughts, analysis paralysis.\\n\\nRegularly clearing your chakras through a guided chakra clearing session or by visiting an energy healer will help alleviate many of these symptoms.\\n\\nAnd don’t rule it out as a part of your regular yoga routine!\\n\\nStep-by-Step Beginner's Guide to Clear Chakras :\n\\nChakras are energy centers in your body that are believed to be responsible for different aspects of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. By clearing these energy centers, you can remove blockages that may be preventing you from feeling your best. Here's how to get started:\\n\\nStep 1: Find a quiet, comfortable space where you won't be disturbed. It's important to be able to focus your attention on your body and your breath without distractions.\\n\\nStep 2: Take a few deep breaths and close your eyes. Allow yourself to settle into the present moment and let go of any worries or distractions that may be on your mind.\\n\\nStep 3: Start with the root chakra, located at the base of your spine. Visualize a red ball of energy at this location. Imagine this energy ball expanding and filling your entire pelvic area. As you focus on this visualization, repeat the following affirmation to yourself: \"I am safe and secure.\"\\n\\nStep 4: Move up to the sacral chakra, located just below your navel. Visualize an orange ball of energy at this location. Imagine this energy ball expanding and filling your entire lower abdomen. Repeat the following affirmation to yourself: \"I am creative and passionate.\"\\n\\nStep 5: Next, focus on the solar plexus chakra, located just above your navel. Visualize a yellow ball of energy at this location. Imagine this energy ball expanding and filling your entire upper abdomen. Repeat the following affirmation to yourself: \"I am confident and empowered.\"\\n\\nStep 6: Move up to the heart chakra, located in the center of your chest. Visualize a green ball of energy at this location. Imagine this energy ball expanding and filling your entire chest. Repeat the following affirmation to yourself: \"I am loved and loving.\"\\n\\nStep 7: Next, focus on the throat chakra, located at the base of your throat. Visualize a blue ball of energy at this location. Imagine this energy ball expanding and filling your entire throat area. Repeat the following affirmation to yourself: \"I am honest and expressive.\"\\n\\nStep 8: Move up to the third eye chakra, located in the center of your forehead. Visualize an indigo ball of energy at this location. Imagine this energy ball expanding and filling your entire head. Repeat the following affirmation to yourself: \"I am intuitive and aware.\"\\n\\nStep 9: Finally, focus on the crown chakra, located at the top of your head. Visualize a violet ball of energy at this location. Imagine this energy ball expanding and filling your entire body. Repeat the following affirmation to yourself: \"I am connected and at peace.\"\\n\\nStep 10: Take a few deep breaths and allow yourself to sit in this state for a few minutes. When you're ready, slowly open your eyes and come back to the present moment.\\n\\nCongratulations, you've just completed a chakra clearing exercise! With regular practice, this can be a powerful tool for enhancing your overall well-being. Remember to stay patient with yourself and enjoy the process.\\n\\nMeditation for Clearing Chakras\\n\\nMeditation is a powerful tool that can be used to clear your chakras and bring your mind and body into a state of balance and harmony. By focusing your attention on your breath and your energy centers, you can release blockages and allow energy to flow freely throughout your body.You may not feel comfortable chanting at the end of your yoga practice. Might want to check on your throat chakra about that (jk)!\\nOr maybe it’s just unfamiliar to you. Why do we do it? What’s the point? \\nSound healing is real. \\nThe practice of using vibrations in order to relax and heal the body has been scientifically proven to be effective.\\nTraditionally, the chanting of “Om” (pronounced “AUM”) happens at the beginning and end of a yoga or meditation session. The letters AUM symbolize the divine energy of Shakti. Shakti is referred to as the “Great Divine Mother” in Hinduism. \\nThe three main characteristics of Shakti are creation, preservation, and liberation.\\nThe sound Om, when done correctly, vibrates at a frequency of 432 Hz, the same frequency as everything throughout nature. It’s a universal sound that helps us connect with ourselves and everything around us.\\nChanting not only helps us open and close our practice, separating it from the rest of our day. It also helps slow down the nervous system and calm the mind.\\nJust as chanting helps calm the mind and connect and ground us to the present, “Namaste” shows respect and reverence for the experience, the Universe, and the other people around you.\\nIt may seem weird to you, but think of it as a handshake of gratitude to your body, your instructor, and the planet that supports you both.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nHow do you Chant Chakras?\\n\\n⁠Chanting is a powerful way to activate and balance your chakras. The vibration of the sound can help to clear blockages and promote the flow of energy through your energy centers. Here's how to get started with chanting your chakras:\\n\\nChoose a chant that resonates with you: There are many different chants and mantras that can be used to activate and balance your chakras. Explore different options and find one that resonates with you. .\\nFind a comfortable and quiet space: Choose a quiet and comfortable space where you won't be disturbed. This can be a room in your house, a quiet outdoor space, or anywhere else that feels calming and peaceful to you.\\nFocus your attention on the specific chakra you want to activate: Each chakra has its own unique sound and vibration. As you chant, focus your attention on the specific chakra you want to activate. For example, if you're working on your heart chakra, you might focus on the sound \"YAM.\"\\nUse deep, intentional breathing: As you chant, use deep and intentional breathing to help you connect with your body and your energy centers. Breathe in slowly and deeply, and exhale slowly and fully.\\nRepeat the chant as many times as you like: You can repeat the chant as many times as you like, whether that's for a few minutes or for an extended period of time. The important thing is to stay focused and present, and to allow the sound of the chant to help you connect with your chakras and promote the flow of energy through your body.\\nFAQs about Clearing Chakras\\n\\nAre chakras scientifically proven? \\nWhile the existence of chakras is not widely accepted within the scientific community, there are studies that have explored the connection between the body's energy centers and overall health and well-being.\\n\\nHow do chakras relate to life purpose? \\nAccording to some spiritual teachings, each chakra is associated with a specific aspect of life and can provide insight into one's life purpose. For example, the heart chakra is associated with love and compassion, while the throat chakra is associated with communication and self-expression.\\n\\nHow often should you clear your chakras? \\nThere is no set schedule for clearing your chakras, but many people find it helpful to do so on a regular basis. You might choose to clear your chakras daily, weekly, or whenever you feel like your energy needs a boost.\\n\\nHow to heal chakras? \\nThere are many different techniques that can be used to heal and balance your chakras. Some popular options include meditation, yoga, energy healing, and sound therapy.\\n\\nWhy does my solar plexus feel weird? \\nThe solar plexus is associated with personal power and self-confidence. If you're feeling a strange sensation in this area, it could be a sign that your solar plexus chakra is out of balance. Consider exploring techniques to balance this energy center, such as practicing self-empowerment or visualizing a ball of bright yellow light in this area.\\n\\nWhat is the chakra for digestion?\\n \\nThe third chakra, located in the solar plexus region, is associated with digestion and metabolism. A balanced solar plexus chakra can help promote healthy digestion and a strong metabolism, while an imbalanced chakra can lead to digestive issues and low energy levels. Techniques such as yoga and meditation can help to balance this energy center and promote digestive health.\\n\\n\\nI encourage you to challenge yourself to a\\n Chakra and Sound Healing session\\n. Feel the difference in your heart, mind, and body afterwards. Pay attention to how it makes you feel. Do any parts of your body ache or hurt less? Is your mind more calm and focused? Do you feel more connected to yourself and nature?\\nThese are some of the benefits you may experience!\\nNot sure about it just yet? \\nmyYogaTeacher offers a 2-week free trial\\n where you have access to my class and many more! Group yoga, meditation, sound healing, and chakra clearing classes from the comfort of your own home. \\nAll are welcome here!"},"createdAt":"2021-02-05T21:07:01.067503+00:00","author":{"name":"Abhishek Sharma","pictureUrl":null,"teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy","meditation"]},{"title":"Best Beginner Yoga Poses for Sore Muscles: Feel Better Fast","coverUrl":"istockphoto-1158604393-612x612.jpg","slug":"yoga-for-sore-muscles","content":{"text":"You hurt. Bad.\\n\\nSitting is a struggle. Standing isn’t any better. Lying down is...tolerable.\\n\\nUltimately, everything just hurts.\\n\\nMaybe you overdid it at the gym. Maybe you haven’t worked out in a while and you decided to jump back into it. You know, full steam ahead. Or it could be you tried something new, and you used muscles you haven’t been using on the regular during your workouts.\\n\\nWhatever the case, recovery yoga is your new best friend! Yoga is the perfect sweet relief for sore muscles. Especially if you’re a beginner.\\n\\nAdding yoga for muscle recovery to your workout routine helps your body bounce back from the intense stress of hardcore workouts and helps to prevent injury.\\n\\nCheck out some of these muscle recovery yoga poses when you just need a break from those achy muscles.\\n\\n1. Pigeon Pose\\nThis pose helps release soreness in your hips and lower back by stretching out your hips, glutes, and even your outer quadricep.\\n\\nIf you need quick relief in those areas, this is the pose for you! Here are some tips for correctly practicing this pose:\\n\\n1. Keep your hips square.\\n2. Rotate your rear leg to neutral position (not turned out).\\n3. Don’t collapse onto the hip of your front bent leg.\\n4. Use padding underneath your hip if necessary.\\n5. Avoid this pose if you have knee or hip issues.\\n\\nThis pose can be intense but in a good way! However, there should be no pain.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n2. Reclined Strap Stretches\\n\\nRelease the beast that is tight, sore hamstrings and inner and outer thighs. Use this muscle recovery yoga pose right after an intense workout or the next day...or both!\\n\\nJust lie on your back, legs straight out, and bend one knee into your chest. Wrap your strap around the ball of your foot. Straighten your leg while holding both ends of the strap. Pull the strap straight back, right and then left, gently releasing the muscles in your inner and outer thighs, and hamstrings. Don’t forget to breathe!\\n\\nTips for success with this pose:\\n\\n1. Keep both feet flexed.\\n2. Keep both hips firmly planted on the floor.\\n3. The straight leg on the mat should remain in neutral position, not turned out.\\n4. Don’t overstretch! Modify as needed for comfort.\\n\\nRunners often use yoga for recovery of calves, hamstrings, and even lower back pain. This pose is perfect for all of those!\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n3. Reclined Twist\\n\\nThis pose is the best for relieving lower back pain. With proper technique, the reclined twist contributes to a healthy spine and also releases tight hip muscles.\\n\\nBegin by lying flat on your back. Bring your knees to your chest and stretch your arms out in a T, palms up facing the ceiling. Inhale and release your knees over to one side as you exhale. Lengthen your spine down towards the ground. Press your shoulder blades down towards the floor. Hold this pose on each side for 5-10 breaths.\\n\\nIf the pose is too intense using both legs, try extending one leg out and down towards (or onto the floor). Or, if your bottom knee doesn’t reach the ground, try putting a block or blanket underneath it for support.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n4. Straight Legged Forward Bend\\n\\nThe best yoga for muscle recovery isn’t always complicated. A simple forward bend stretches everything from your Achilles tendon all the way up to your cervical spine.\\n\\nThe best stretch from this pose comes when you relax and “dangle”. Let your head drop. Breathe. Just let everything go!\\n\\nNo need to worry about keeping your legs perfectly straight. Feel free to rest your hands wherever you feel comfortable; thighs, shins, or the floor. You can also use a block.\\n\\nJust make sure your weight rests in the balls of your feet, not back on your heels!\\n\\n\\n5. Child’s Pose\\n\\nThere’s a reason why this is a common pose practiced at the beginning, end and even in the middle of many yoga practices.\\n\\nIt’s restful and easy while stretching out your upper and lower back, arms, and hips. It’s also good for digestion. But then again, all of these poses are!\\n\\nRest easy, friend, your muscles deserve a break! Spend some time in this pose just breathing, relaxing, and deepening your stretch.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nAs a matter of fact, it’s a good practice to hold each of these poses for 5-10 breaths, or longer if you can handle it. A common muscle recovery yoga practice is called yin yoga. A slow yoga practice where each pose is held for longer periods of time, sometimes up to 5 minutes each.\\n\\nIf you love holding these poses and feeling the exhilarating relief from your tired sore muscles, check out MyYogaTeacher’s \\nBeginner\\n class for free with your two week trial!\\n\\nOr if back pain is the source of your woes, we are offering a Yoga for Back Pain program now! You can click here and sign up for more information!\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n"},"createdAt":"2021-01-21T14:42:38.534163+00:00","author":{"name":"My Yoga Teacher","pictureUrl":null,"teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy","restorative"]},{"title":"5 Yoga Poses for Back Pain to Add to Your Practice","coverUrl":"yoga_poses_for_back_pain_1.png","slug":"yoga-poses-for-back-pain","content":{"text":"If you're dealing with back pain, you're not alone. More than 16 million adults experience persistent or chronic back pain according to Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute. Healthcare costs and indirect costs resulting from this pain total upwards of $12 billion per year. Fortunately, there are ways to relieve back pain with yoga!\\n\\nIn this article, we're going to share five yoga poses for back pain that you can do throughout the day as well as a short practice you can add to your daily routine. For even better results, sign up for a two-week free trial of our \\nYoga for Back Pain program\\n where you'll get three free one-on-one sessions with our expert yoga instructors as well as group classes focusing on yoga for back pain and core strengthening. Plus, you'll have access to 30+ other daily yoga classes!\\n\\n5 Yoga Poses for Back Pain You Can Do Throughout the Day\\nExperts recommend incorporating yoga poses into your daily life for the best results. This doesn't mean that you have to spend 90 minutes every day on a comprehensive yoga practice. Even getting up once an hour and doing some stretching or a yoga pose will go a long way towards minimizing or even eliminating your back pain.\\n\\nOur bodies are meant for motion, after all. Given that many of us spend our days at a desk, taking short breaks to regularly change position and get some movement into our lives will not only make our bodies feel better but will also \\nimprove our mental outlook\\n. Here are five poses you can add to your day to relieve back pain with yoga.\\n\\n1. Cat-Cow Pose\\n\\nCat-cow pose offers a gentle spine stretch and is a great way to start off your workout or yoga practice. This pose helps increase flexibility and stretch out your neck, shoulders, and torso.\\n\\nTo perform this yoga pose, start in a tabletop position. On the inhale, let your stomach drop and lift your sit bones upward and bring your chest forward. Your gaze should be slightly elevated. On the exhale, arch your back, bring your belly button towards your spine, and shift your gaze to your knees. Move through these two positions 5–10 times.\\n\\n2. Child's Pose\\n\\nChild's pose is a delightfully relaxing yoga pose that can help you stretch out your wrists and ankles, thighs, neck, and lower back. Plus, it helps alleviate stress.\\n\\nStart from a kneeling position with your bottom resting on your feet. Spread your knees wide, keeping your big toes touching, and bend your body forward with your arms stretched out over your head. Rest your forehead on the floor or a yoga block and keep your arms extended. Rest in this pose for up to 5 minutes.\\n\\n3. Downward-Facing Dog\\n\\nDownward-facing dog helps strengthen your back and shoulders while alleviating back pain and sciatica.\\n\\nStart in a tabletop position. Press your hands firmly into the ground while tucking your toes and lifting your knees off the ground, pressing your sit bones towards the ceiling. Feel free to keep a slight bend in your knees and your heels off the floor if that feels best for you. Focus on lengthening your back and keep your head in line with your upper arms with your chin slightly tucked. Hold this position for 1–3 minutes.\\n\\n4. Bridge Pose\\n\\nBridge pose will help strengthen the glutes and abs as well as the muscles along your spine. This pose can also help correct your posture.\\n\\nStart on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, in line with your knees. Your arms will stay at your sides. Raise your hips and pelvis off the floor, squeezing your glutes to press them towards the ceiling. Continue raising your hips until your shoulders and feet are supporting your body. Hold this position for a few seconds before gently rolling your torso down to the ground, ending with your hips. Repeat 10–15 times for up to 3 sets.\\n\\n5. Standing Forward Bend\\n\\nStanding forward bends help stretch out your spine and just feel really good. Be sure to initiate the movement from your hips and not your lower back.\\n\\nStart by standing with your feet together or hip-distance apart. Keeping your knees slightly bent, fold your upper body forward and over your legs (moving from your hips). Place your hands on the ground in front of you or on yoga blocks. As you inhale, lengthen your spine and open your chest. On the exhale, bring your torso forward again, keeping your back straight. Repeat as desired.\\n\\nYoga Asanas for Back Ache: A Complete Practice\\nYoga is a beautiful and beneficial practice. Not only is yoga great for your mental wellbeing but it can help you stretch and strengthen areas of your body that are largely ignored by most workouts. As such, yoga, when done correctly, is a wonderful solution to both preventing injury and healing from injury.\\n\\nHere is a short yoga practice you can do to relieve back pain. To get even more benefit, sign up for a two-week free trial of our \\nYoga for Back Pain program\\n!\\nWind Release Pose Flow:\\n Start on your back with your hands on or behind your knees and your arms straight. Exhale and draw your knees towards your chest. Inhale and return to the starting position. Repeat 6 times then hold your knees to your chest for 6 breaths.\\nReclining Bound Angle Pose:\\n Start on your back with your knees out to the side and the soles of your feet together. Slightly tuck your pelvis toward your bellybutton and lengthen the lumbar spine. As you exhale, slowly bring your knees toward one another. Repeat several times, increasing the number of exhales and breaths it takes to bring your knees together.\\nBridge Pose:\\n Start out on your back with your feet hip-distance apart and flat on the floor. Inhale and bring your hips up towards the ceiling, engaging your glutes and abs. Inhale at the top then slowly roll back down to the ground, keeping the abs engaged. Repeat several times.\\nCat-Cow & Child's Pose Flow:\\n Start in a tabletop position. Inhale into cat pose and exhale into cow. At the bottom of the exhale, push back into child's pose. Take a breath in child's pose and on the next inhale come back into tabletop position. Repeat several times.\\nCrocodile Pose:\\n Lay on your stomach with your forehead resting on your hands. Feet can be apart or together. Start taking large, deep breaths. On each inhalation, bring space into your back. On the exhales, relax the muscles along your spine and low back.\\nCobra Pose (Arm Variation):\\n While laying on your stomach, place your hands under your shoulders. On the inhale, stretch and lengthen your spine while moving into cobra. Exhale your forehead back to the floor. Repeat 3 times, staying in the final cobra pose for 3 breaths.\\nChild's Pose:\\n From a kneeling position, spread your knees wide while keeping your big toes touching. Bend forward, resting your head on the ground in front of you or on a yoga block or bolster. You can stretch your arms out in front of you or leave them along your sides. Breath into your lower back. Stay in child's pose for up to 5 minutes.\\nLegs Up The Wall Pose with Bolster:\\n Use a bolster or folded blankets until you sacrum and bring your legs up a wall or onto a chair. Spread your arms wide to the side. On each exhale, allow your body to feel heavier and heavier. Stay here as long as you'd like.\\nMountain Brook Pose:\\n This is a restorative yoga posture. Place a weighted blanket or something comfortably heavy on the abdomen (or chest, if it's comfortable). Breathe deeply using your diaphragm for several minutes.\\nCorpse Pose:\\n Lie on your back, letting your feet and arms fall out to the side. Breath normally and relax in this position for as long as you'd like.\\nRelieve Back Pain With Yoga\\nBack pain is a common problem for millions of people. Yoga can help with this. A regular yoga practice can help you stretch and strengthen your body, reducing the risk of injury from your workout and helping to prevent, reduce, or eliminate back pain.\\n\\nA 2-week free trial of myYogaTeacher's \\nYoga for Back Pain program\\n is the perfect way to get started on your path to a healthier, happier back. You'll get access to our expert yoga instructors—including three free one-on-one sessions—along with unlimited access to group classes like Yoga for Core Strengthening, Gentle Yoga, Yoga for Back Pain, Chair Yoga, and a whole lot more!"},"createdAt":"2021-01-20T15:58:10.193164+00:00","author":{"name":"Will","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg","teacherMytSlug":"will-1"},"category":["therapy","yoga_poses"]},{"title":"6 Ways Yoga Provides Natural Back Pain Relief","coverUrl":"pexels-cliff-booth-4056723.jpg","slug":"yoga-back-pain-relief","content":{"text":"If you’ve ever experienced any sort of back pain, you’ll know exactly how debilitating it can be. After all, your back and all its parts are what keeps all the rest of your body parts moving.\\n\\nWhether it’s from an injury, osteoporosis, \\narthritis\\n, muscle atrophy, job related, or due to poor core strength, back pain is...well, a pain.\\n\\nRelief from that sort of pain can be hard to come by and may require multiple types of treatment options.\\n\\nYoga for back pain is almost certainly a safe and good one. \\n\\nRestorative and recovery yoga poses can help alleviate ongoing back pain without you ever leaving your house (or spending any money).\\n\\nLet’s talk about how yoga can provide natural, safe pain relief.\\n\\n1. Yoga is mind-body therapy\\n\\nYoga isn’t just physical. It’s also mental. \\n\\nYoga movements are designed to bring harmony to your inner and outer self. By using your breath and moving through recovery yoga asanas, you will naturally release tension from many areas of your body, including your back. Those muscles will relax. And you will experience less pain.\\n\\nLess pain equals less stress because of the pain.\\n\\nAnd less stress creates an even more meditative, relaxed state. It’s like a circle where all the parts of your yoga practice work together for a common goal.\\n\\nPracticing yoga for back pain even a few minutes a day will create body awareness and help you notice where you’re holding tension that might be contributing to your discomfort.\\n\\n2. Tight hamstrings contribute to back pain\\n\\nYour legs may not be the first thing you think of being the cause of your pain, but often they are a big contributor to it. \\n\\nTightness in your hamstrings creates increased stress on your lower back and can lead to sciatica and lower back pain. Your hamstring muscles are attached from your hips, down the back of each thigh and stop behind your kneecaps.\\n\\nYoga is an excellent way to cure back pain that is a result of tight hamstrings!\\n\\nIf you sit for long periods of time or are primarily sedentary, your hamstrings are probably pretty tense and would benefit from a consistent yoga practice.\\n\\n3. A stronger core is key to back pain relief\\n\\nWe know you’ve heard it before, but we’re saying it again. Strong abdominal muscles are imperative to back health.\\n\\nThere’s a reason core strength is a part of almost any exercise regimen you hear or read about.\\n\\nWeak core muscles mean your back and spine are doing all the heavy lifting to keep your body upright. Over time, this puts a ton of undue stress on your back causing...you guessed it. Back pain. Or even i\\nnjury\\n.\\n\\nThe good news is yoga isn’t just about stretching. It’s about strengthening and toning. As a matter of fact, increasing core strength is an integral part of almost any yoga class. \\n\\nYou don’t have to do an endless number of monotonous crunches to develop excellent core strength.\\n\\nYoga combines poses and breathwork that require you to use your core muscles consistently throughout the flows.\\n\\n4. Sleep better, hurt less\\n\\nHave you ever done a nice calming yoga practice before bed? If you have, you’ll understand why we believe a yoga for back pain session will help you sleep better.\\n\\nWhen you sleep, your brain and body recover from the stress and tension of the day. That’s kind of the point. But if you’re in pain, it’s hard to sleep. And if you’re not sleeping well, your body (and back) aren’t healing.\\n\\nIt’s a vicious cycle.\\n\\nWe encourage you to seek out a nice, calm, meditative yin yoga practice with a focus on relieving back pain and make it a part of your nightly routine. \\n\\n5. Yoga releases endorphins\\n\\nIf you’re not familiar with endorphins, they are the feel good chemicals that are released into your body when you exercise, get excited about something, or eat something yummy!\\n\\nEndorphins have also been shown to block pain signals from entering your brain. They help relieve stress, anxiety, and depression, all of which can contribute to back pain. So it makes sense that doing things that release this important hormone as much as possible will benefit you.\\n\\nYoga is one of those things. There is nothing like finishing your yoga practice in corpse pose and experiencing that natural and safe high that comes from the release of all the tension in your body.\\n\\nNot to mention, yoga is probably THE safest and most natural way to relieve back pain. \\n\\n6. Happiness is a pain killer\\n\\nHave you ever noticed when you’re happy, you don’t notice pain as much? That’s because your pain levels are probably lower.\\n\\nBeing unhappy affects your mental, physical, and (obviously) emotional health. Relationships, immunity, gut health, pain levels. Unhappiness makes focusing on tasks and making good decisions harder.\\n\\nIt just wreaks havoc on your life.\\n\\nAny kind of physical pain detracts from you happiness. We’ve already discussed how stretching, toning, meditating, and sleeping reduce stress on your back and body, and provides pain relief. Which, in turn, will make you happier.\\n\\nHowever, a consistent regular yoga practice is just...well, fun. It’s an activity that just feels good. \\n\\nDoing activities that make you happy are, themselves, helpful for pain relief!\\n\\n\\nThis isn’t an exhaustive list of how yoga cures back pain. It’s just the beginning! Yoga is safe for all ages, all fitness levels and can be practiced almost anywhere you feel comfortable. And while it’s not a cure all for every ache, pain, or injury you may have, it certainly is an excellent way to help you feel better fast.\\n\\nAre you looking for the perfect yoga class to ease your back pain? Free yourself from discomfort with myYogaTeacher’s experienced yoga instructors. They have a long history of success! You can \\nget your free trial here!\\n No credit card required!\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n"},"createdAt":"2021-01-16T14:16:50.985153+00:00","author":{"name":"Will","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg","teacherMytSlug":"will-1"},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"Recovery Yoga: How to Use Yoga for Lower Back and Muscle Pain","coverUrl":"yoga-for-back-pain.jpg","slug":"recovery-yoga-for-lower-back-and-muscle-pain","content":{"text":"If you suffer with lower back pain or muscle pain, recovery yoga is exactly what you need. Yoga is a mind-body practice that's often recommended to treat both stress and body pain, using specific poses to strengthen and relax the body. When you practice yoga, you become more attuned to what's going on in your body and will be better equipped to notice where your body holds onto stress and tension, or where you're experiencing pain and discomfort. Then, you can use yoga to treat those issues.\\n\\nUsing yoga for lower back pain or yoga for muscle pain is nothing new, but still many believe that yoga is only about \\nflexibility\\n. Specifically, many believe that in order to practice yoga effectively you have to already be flexible and capable of bending yourself into knots.\\n\\nFortunately, we're here to let you know that \\nyoga is for every body\\n (not just the bendy ones) and if you're experiencing lower back pain or muscle pain, yoga may be just what you need for recovery. And, you don't have to just take our word for it—we have the research to back it up.\\n\\nDoes Yoga for Lower Back Pain Really Work?\\nYoga has been practiced for thousands of years as meditation, moving meditation, and, more recently, strictly for exercise. Among the many mental and physical benefits of yoga, certain yoga poses have been found to improve moderate to severe back pain.\\n\\nIn a small study from 2017, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers looked at the effects of a yoga practice or physical therapy in participants with chronic back pain over the course of a year. Both groups showed improvements in pain and activity and both groups were less likely to continue using paid medications after three months.\\n\\nAnother study from 2017, published in the same journal, found that yoga practitioners showed small to moderate decreases in pain intensity over the short term. Not only that, but those who practiced yoga also enjoyed a slight increase in both short- and long-term function.\\n\\nThe American College of Physicians also released clinical guidelines recommending yoga as a non-drug option to treat chronic low back pain. Other non-drug options included tai chi, multidisciplinary rehabilitation, and other \\nrelaxation and stress-reduction techniques\\n.\\n\\nYet another study published by the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that Hatha yoga helped relieve back pain.\\n\\nIn addition to the benefits yoga has for sufferers of low back pain, you can also use yoga for muscle pain recovery.\\n\\nYoga for Muscle Pain\\nMuscle pain can be caused by just about anything: nerves and joints, excessive stretching, certain medicines, and even dehydration can send you crawling for an ice pack. Before freezing those sore muscles, though, we recommend trying yoga.\\n\\nCertain yoga poses help stretch the superficial muscle tissues in your hamstrings and connective tissues. This means that doing yoga can not only help with \\nrecovery\\n but can also get your body ready for your workout (and minimize the likelihood of getting injured from that workout).\\n\\nFor weightlifters, yoga can be one of the best things to add to your regimen. Practicing yoga will help relax the shortening of your muscles that happens naturally during weightlifting, helping you stretch your muscle to its normal state without losing the impact of your weightlifting.\\n\\nRecovery Yoga: Poses to Try for Easing Low Back Pain and Muscle Pain\\nHere are four of our favorite yoga poses to ease low back and muscle pain. Hold the poses for at least 90 seconds each, unless noted. It generally takes about that long for your muscle to relax into a stretch. These four recovery yoga poses will help you find relief from low back and muscle pain.\\n\\n1. Mountain Pose\\n\\nMountain pose (Tadasana) is a great pose to alleviate chronic low back pain, reduce rotator cuff discomfort, and decrease headaches or migraines. Standing or sitting in a hyper-erect posture all day is not only unrealistic, but can also exacerbate existing back and muscle issues. Performing mountain poses a few times over the course of the day, though, can help you slowly and naturally create the muscular structure and mental awareness needed to shift your regular posture to something a bit more upright.\\n\\nTo do mountain pose, stand tall on your yoga mat or the floor with your feet either together or hip-distance apart with your arms at your sides. Keep your legs straight without locking out your knees and distribute your body weight evenly across your feet. Keep your thigh muscles tight and tuck your tailbone in.\\n\\nTake a deep breath in while lifting through your body from the waist, pushing the top of your head toward the ceiling. You'll feel your spine straighten and lengthen and may even get a few gratifying \"pops\" from your back for your efforts.\\n\\nOn the exhale, drop your shoulders downward and reaching your hands towards the floor. On the next inhale, raise your arms out to the side and over your head with your palms facing one another. Hold this position for a few breaths before exhaling your arms down by your sides.\\n\\nReady to kiss back pain goodbye? Sign up for a two-week free trial of our \\nYoga for Back Pain program\\n where you’ll get three free one-on-one sessions as well as group classes that focus on yoga for back pain and core strengthening. Plus, access to 30+ other daily yoga classes!\\n\\n2. Bridge Pose\\n\\nBridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) is a backbend and inversion that stretches the spine and can relieve both backaches and headaches. This pose can be either restorative or stimulation and works the hamstrings, erector spinae, rectus and transverse abdominis, and gluteus muscles. You'll do three rounds of this pose, holding for at least 30 seconds each time.\\n\\nFrom a supine position with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor and hip-width apart. Place your arms down along your sides, pressing your palms into the mat. On the inhale, lift your hips off the floor and up into the ceiling, tucking your sacrum and relaxing your glutes. Keep your weight distributed evenly across both feet.\\n\\nHold the pose for 30 seconds, finding space in your upper chest before slowly lowering your hips to the floor. On the way down, roll through each vertebra. Repeat twice more.\\n\\n3. Cat-Cow Pose\\n\\nCat-cow pose (Bitilasana Marjaryasana) is a brilliant recovery yoga pose for those of us who sit at a desk much of the day. This pose can lengthen the spine and neck to reduce compression of the vertebrae, alleviate chronic low back problems, headaches, and shoulder tension, improve organ function, and even help with chest congestion. You go through cat-cow for five rounds.\\n\\nStart from a tabletop position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. On the inhale, drop your stomach and lift your chest, pushing your heart forward and looking up for cow pose. On the exhale, round your spine while pulling your stomach in and stretching across your back, gazing towards your knees for cat pose. Continue for four more rounds, inhaling for cow and exhaling for cat.\\n\\n4. Child's Pose\\n\\nChild's pose (Balasana) is a gentle pose that will help you relax and release any tension you're holding in your neck and back. In this pose, your spine will stretch and lengthen along with your ankles, hips, and thighs. Child's pose works your hamstrings, rotator cuff muscles, gluteus maximus, and spinal extensors.\\n\\nTo go into child's pose, kneel on your mat, sitting on your heels. Spread your knees apart to hip distance while keeping your big toes touching each other. Your arms will rest by your sides. On the inhale, lengthen your spine. On the exhale, bend forward and extend both arms forward, resting your torso on your thighs and resting your palms on the floor.\\n\\nModifications and Poses to Avoid\\nWhen you're dealing with low back pain and muscle pain, listen to your body. If a pose doesn't feel good, modify it or just don't do it at all. Your yoga practice is yours and should make you feel great, not cause you pain or stress.\\n\\nWe recommend skipping poses that combine bending and twisting movements or backward bends if you have back pain. This would be poses like triangle, any spinal twists, camel, and cobra, among others. For corpse pose, try keeping your knees bent and feet on the floor or put a bolster under your knees to avoid causing low back pain (or making it worse).\\n\\nWrapping Up\\nWhile yoga for low back pain and yoga for muscle pain are supported by research, it's important to remember that your body is unique to you. Listen to it. Start easy if you're experiencing pain, just 10 minutes (or even less) per day can make a huge difference.\\n\\nAs always, we at \\nmyYogaTeacher\\n are here for you. We offer one-on-one instruction and \\ngroup classes\\n that you can use to start a powerful \\nyoga practice in the comfort of your own home\\n while still getting important feedback on your form and developing the community relationships that draws many yogis to group yoga classes.\\n\\nAnd don’t forget about our \\nYoga for Back Pain program\\n! Sign up for a two-week free trial and you’ll get three free one-on-one sessions and unlimited access to group classes like Yoga for Core Strengthening, Gentle Yoga, Yoga for Back Pain, Chair Yoga, and a whole lot more!"},"createdAt":"2021-01-14T18:12:07.744284+00:00","author":{"name":"Will","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg","teacherMytSlug":"will-1"},"category":["therapy","pain_management"]},{"title":"Yoga - A Journey to your Own Inner Self","coverUrl":"shellycover.jpg","slug":"yoga-a-journey-to-your-own-inner-self","content":{"text":"By Shelly Piplani\\n\\nPracticing yoga is a tool that sharpens the mind so that you can see the reality clearly. It is not just a stretching routine that helps you get limber. In essence the yoga practice seeks to answer the question of what defines the present moment and help root your consciousness directly in it.\\n\\nHere is my journey to Yoga. I was always a person who was involved in different forms of workout. I loved to do any kind of workout. BE it dance , aerobics or CrossFit, there was always a feel  good factor post workout. \\n\\nYoga was part of my workout.  I used to love holding the asanas for longer. Till that time I was not aware how incredible an art and science Yoga is.\\n\\nThen started the urge to learn more in Yoga. Initially it was about mastering the Asanas and as I learnt the philosophy behind the practice there was no looking back. Then it was a mix of intense personal Sadhana  and study of Yoga Philosophy. Then started the journey of teaching. Teaching Yoga is what started bringing happiness to me. Understanding the goals of the student's in one to one sessions and helping them reach there is what I started loving. \\n\\nI strongly believe  \"We as humans have unlimited potential. All we need is to look inward and move forward\". Yoga is the journey which really helps you to understand your inner self. Yoga is the holistic approach of movement, breath, mindfulness and introspection.\\n\\nYoga can be addictive. That’s both good and bad. It’s good when yoga takes over your life and replaces old destructive habits with new helpful ones instead. When you crave a deep long \\nyoga session\\n instead of a drink after a stressful day, then yoga has successfully rewired your brain, at least to some level. But, when yoga becomes an obsession with asana for asana sake, the addictive mind is still present and, unfortunately, can still be quite damaging.\\n\\nWhen asana is your addiction instead of yoga, the danger is that you aren’t actually participating in a change of paradigm. We practice asana not to get better at asana. We practice asana as a tool to delve into the deepest reaches of the body and mind. The unique combination of breath and movement allows one to enter the operating system of the mind and make some updates. We get a chance to practice a radical new way of being—that is being at peace with yourself.\\n\\nFor me a practice session is something that can flow with ease, from posture to posture with breath. The structure of each session is  based on every student’s requirements and goals.  \\n\\n“Lets set the intention to \\nlive yoga\\n as a lifestyle. Lets be open to receive the inner guidance and let it steer the course of our life towards peace and happiness.”"},"createdAt":"2020-06-30T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Shelly","pictureUrl":"shelly.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"shelly-1"},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"My Therapy- Yoga","coverUrl":"shilpi1.jpg","slug":"my-therapy-yoga","content":{"text":"During an agitated and confusing time in my life, I glimpsed in \\nasana practice\\n the possibility of refuge. As the practice became consistent over the years, that refuge has gone to open something deeper inside me. Yoga became the therapy session I spent with myself, the mat became my world creating a space to reclaim the mind-body connection that the difficult phase of my life had severed.\\n\\nWith qualifications having nothing to do with yoga, a BE (Computer Engineering) and an MBA, I found the next natural transition to train to \\nteach yoga\\n. I completed my Yoga Alliance certified 200 Hr Teacher Training under the guidance of Regeesh and Mrinali at Aayana Yoga Academy, Bangalore. The seeds of this desire to share this practice have sprouted, taken root, and now gradually developing baby shoots in my teaching journey. I take group, personal and corporate classes in Vinyasa, Hatha and Prop Yoga. I also manage the operations of a \\nyoga studio\\n and this has given me the opportunity to interact and work with diverse teachers and learn from them, deal with myriad students and get a perspective from both the teacher and students end.\\n\\nI believe creativity is not about compartmentalising or remaining in a neatly labelled box. With interests in all things to do with art, craft, handmade, homemade, go-green, recycle-reuse-refuse, veganism, healthy eating, baking, minimalism, zero waste, animal compassion - the list goes on - I am one busy yogi, welcome to my chaos! Yoga remains my anchor to this essence, my steady ship amidst seas of change. I believe that yoga gives you the tools to make your own raft to navigate the stormy seas of life and once steady you can also board on others on your raft to take along the way.\\n\\nEven though the category reads ‘instructor’, I believe I will always be a student attending classes to fine-tune my practice and find my teaching style true to the saying 'you can't pour from an empty cup'. I am grateful to all my teachers - without them, I wouldn't have been a student and to all my students - without them I wouldn't have been a teacher. I love the experience that comes with seeing people experience the goodness that yoga brings on the mat. Who needs yoga? Honestly, we all do. If you can breathe, you can do yoga! Every last one of us can benefit from building strength, gaining flexibility, and finding a bit of calm in the day. So let’s make that happen…hop on to your mat!\\n"},"createdAt":"2020-05-15T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Shilpi","pictureUrl":"shilpi4.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"shilpi-1"},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"Yoga: Your gift, to Yourself, of Awareness!","coverUrl":"Abh1.jpg","slug":"yoga-your-gift-to-yourself-of-awareness","content":{"text":"This is what yoga means to me:\\n\\nAfter spending 14 months studying yoga (900 hours advanced Teacher Training Course), I believe I have discovered what it feels like to be truly alive. My experience with The Yoga Institute, the oldest institute of yoga in the world, changed my life forever.\\n\\nWithout joyfulness and gratitude, life is shallow. Things like happiness, smiling, laughter, good relationships, and gratitude mean more than money ever would. Beyond this, self-love is vital-- though many today neglect it. I believe that self love is the greatest gift I have received since dedicating myself to a life of yoga. \\n\\nA while ago, I was in a tunnel. I suffered from depression for a year – though I didn’t have a name for it. I didn’t have the awareness or the knowledge to realise the seriousness of how I felt. Until, thankfully, I met someone who would plant the seeds of my awakening. He taught me how to chant mantras in Sanskrit. Being inclined towards Shiva, I requested that he teach me Shiva-specific mantras, and he complied. This helped me overcome my insomnia and other depression-related ailments. After a few months with my spiritual guru, he made me aware that the first yogi of this universe was Shiva himself – that is why Shiva is known as Adiyogi.\\n\\nI decided to commit to yoga, and started looking for a yoga teacher training course. I asked my parents to finance it, but they refused - and told me to rather look for a course in a more conventional profession. It was very challenging for me, as I believed I had found the purpose of my life and had to convince them so. Eventually, after a few months of discussion, they agreed - but only for a 7-day yoga camp, to satisfy my desire.\\n\\n\"As is your desire so is your will,\\n\\nas is your will so is your deed,\\n\\nas is your deed so is your destiny,\\n\\nand you are what your deep driving desire is\".\\n\\nIt was a magical week in my life.\\n\\nLike most people, I had false preconceptions about \\nyoga\\n – thinking it was only a physical practice, and that the only aim was the impressive poses that look good on Instagram.\\n\\nHowever, The Yoga Institute taught us that yoga is a way of life; a lifestyle, an art, a tool that enables you to be aware of your mental and physical actions. Every day I found that I was opening new compartments in my head. I came back to my parents’ house as a new person - completely refreshed, and with clarity about life. I knew what I wanted. And I have pursued it ever since.\\n\\nWhat I have learnt about the difference between \\nyoga asana\\n and other physical exercises: \\n\\nAsana movements can be stress relievers if done with the right attitude.\\n\\nDharma (duty) – meditative postures practice\\n\\nJnana (right knowledge) – balancing postures and \\npranayama\\n\\n\\nVairagya (detachment) – forward-bending postures \\n\\nAishwarya (confidence) – backward-bending postures \\n\\nOnly when we have a complete understanding about such attitudes can we get the full, beautiful results of a practice. Otherwise, it's just physical movements.\\n\\nI always look forward to sharing my wisdom with all my students and bringing them an authentic knowledge of yoga.\\n"},"createdAt":"2020-05-12T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Abhishek","pictureUrl":"abhishek.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"abhishek-1"},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"Excellence in Action is Yoga","coverUrl":"Bhavnita-blog-pic-1.jpg","slug":"excellence-in-action-is-yoga","content":{"text":"Bhavnita Sharma\\n\\nThe best way to live life is to be the best version of ourselves. If we can truly believe that there are no limitations to our potential, then this is really possible. Yoga has given me this understanding & the more I learn, the more aware I become.\\n\\nInitially, I began practicing \\nYoga\\n for its physical significance but as I got to know the philosophical aspects behind it, my entire thought process has changed. Yoga is a holistic approach, working on multiple aspects at the same time, from the physical to the subtler to the subtlest. It changes you completely, not just for the good, but for the best.\\n\\nThe reality that we live in is conditioning of our minds, the way we perceive & experience the world around & Yoga begins at the core characteristic of the existence of this universe, which is ‘to act’. Nothing, that exists, is deprived of action. It is the basic trait & necessity for all beings to act.\\n\\nWithout action there is no existence, to exist is to act.\\n\\nIt is for all of us to understand that action is not only at the physical level, but it begins & happens right at the mental level. The process of thinking & feeling associated with any action is an action in itself. This signifies the need to act right. This relates to the aspect of ‘\\nKarma Yoga\\n: The Yoga of Action’, as given in the Bhagavad Gita, which says:\\n\\n“Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam”: Excellence in action is Yoga\\n\\nThis rightly summarizes the entire context of how an action should be & this is the core value which I have adopted in my \\njourney of Yoga\\n. Our actions make us & define us. So, if every action is backed by a yogic perspective, our entire life will become simple & fruitful. This is what the universe & nature around us, clearly shows. Every element & thing is acting in the right way it should, thus the process of existence is possible. Being a part of this existence, it becomes our duty & responsibility to excel in\\n\\nOur actions by doing them mindfully & with full dedication. And this is how I practice Yoga.\\n"},"createdAt":"2020-05-05T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Bhavnita","pictureUrl":"bhawnita.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"bhavnita-1"},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"Using Yoga to Treat My Back Pain","coverUrl":"cnge5u8ffo4ya0e557o9123.jpg","slug":"using-yoga-to-treat-my-back-pain","content":{"text":"I started my Yoga journey in the year 2008 when I joined Omshantidhama Gurukula (Traditional school). There, I was introduced to yoga by Swami Ramdev. I started my practice with traditional hatha yoga, yoga philosophy, Pranayama, and cleansing techniques (Shatkarmas). \\n\\nI then learned Vedic chanting in the Gurukula alongside my  normal schooling. I started exploring the meanings of the mantras and learned Patanjali yoga sutras with Swami Brahmadev Ji.\\n\\nWhen I started teaching yoga, I began through one on one sessions. This spiked my interest in yoga even more. Soon I devoured several yogic texts and joined the \\nyoga instructor\\n cours at Svyasa University, learning about yoga as a spirituality and a science. I also  continued with my bachelor in yoga therapy (BSc). While working towards my BSc, I started exploring more aspects of therapy to treat my back pain.\\n\\nBecause of my own experience using yoga to treat my back pain, clients often come to me to treat theirs. In many cases, I’ve given patients relief after just 15 days of \\nyoga practice\\n. Along with yoga therapy, I also learned about the simple meditation technique developed by Dr. H R Nagendra, helpful in calming the mind. \\n\\nDuring the time of vacation and Arogyadhama student training in university, I took special interest and took a variety of yoga classes. I also did several personality development camps for kids and taught them yoga and its benefits. After the BSc, I did Yoga Alliance 200 hours course in the Aayana yoga academy where I learned the Vinyasa and \\nHatha yoga\\n teaching style. Currently, I am doing my Master's degree in Yoga (MSc.) and working with Ruh yoga as a lead Yoga teacher.\\n"},"createdAt":"2020-04-30T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Akshay Bhat","pictureUrl":"cnge5u8ffo4ya0e557o9123.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"akshay-1"},"category":["therapy","pain_management"]},{"title":"Why Everyone Should Try Alternate Nostril Breathing","coverUrl":"Social-post-13.png","slug":"why-everyone-should-try-alternate-nostril-breathing","content":{"text":"If you’ve ever practiced yoga, you likely noticed that there is a strong focus on \\npranayama\\n, or the regulation of breath. Most people know the classic, “breathe in, breathe out” structure— but those who’ve practiced for a while might have tried alternate nostril breathing, also known as Nadi Shodhana. This practice involves a little more focus than most breathing exercises, but offers heaps of benefits in return.\\n\\nNadi Shodhana has been proven to:\\n\\nActivate the parasympathetic nervous system, meaning release the “fight or flight” mode our bodies gravitate towards in favor of calmness and serenity. It also lowers blood pressure, which is key to living healthfully.Restore the energetic balance between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. By alternating consciously between the left and right sides of our body, it syncs our brain chemistry, improving our ability to focus our minds while rejuvenating our nervous systems. Support our lungs and enhance respiratory functions. It teaches us to consciously breathe deeper, which can aid in endurance for those who like cardio-forward activities including running, cycling, dance, and more.Naturally reduce stress. This bears little introduction— who doesn’t want less stress?\\n\\nWith all these benefits, you might be wondering how to get started. Alternate nostril breathing is great to start your day with, to center you in times of stress, and even to help you fall asleep. I especially like to use it before work, to make sure I put my best foot forward for the day. Regardless of when you choose to use it, here’s how to try \\nNadi Shodhana\\n:\\n\\nFind a nice and comfortable seat somewhere. Imagine a thread pulling the crown of your head to the sky. Let your shoulders relax and release your tongue from the roof of your mouth.Relax your left hand into your lap, and bring your right hand in front of your face. The fingers we use for alternate nostril breathing are the thumb and ring finger. Anchor them by placing your pointer and middle fingertips on your forehead, around your third eye center.With your thumb, close your right nostril. Inhale for a count of four through your left.Briefly close both nostrils.Open your right nostril and breathe out four a count of six.Breathe in through your right nostril for a count of four.Briefly close both nostrils.Open your left nostril and breathe out for a count of six.Continue through this cycle 6-8 times. You should feel yourself growing calmer with each cycle. Go back to your regular tasks with a bit more mindfulness and peace. \\n"},"createdAt":"2020-04-02T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Amanda","pictureUrl":"amanda-pro.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"amanda-1"},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"What Is Three Part Breath?","coverUrl":"Social-post-10-1.png","slug":"what-is-three-part-breath","content":{"text":"Yogis tend to view breath differently, and no story greater sums up this concept than hearing about the tests police offers have to take in the academy. In one of the tests, contenders are strapped in to a lie detector and asked several questions. They are also asked something every yogi hates to hear:\\n\\n“Just breathe normally.”\\n\\nI have taught yoga for four years, and any time someone tells me to focus on my breathing I snap into Three Part Breath. It is hardly conscious, but as the soon-to-be-frustrated LAPD testing assistant would attest to, it is far different from “breathing normally.”\\n\\nThree Part Breath stems from the Pranayama concept of \\nyoga\\n— the idea that through controlling our breath we can control our minds and, potentially, tap into a higher power. In Sanskrit, Prana means life force, or breath sustaining the body; Ayama translates as “to extend or draw out.” Extending and lengthening our breaths calms and quiets the mind, which is the goal of yoga as a whole. \\n\\nThrowing poses in the mix was designed for us to challenge that control— an expert yogi can control their breath even in handstand or with their feet behind their head. The struggle of that breath control, for most of us, is a reminder that we are human, and thus we are all works in progress. \\n\\n[CTA-DEFAULT]\\nWhere do we start with\\n Pranayama\\n? Three Part Breath. \\n\\nSenior yoga teacher Swami Karunananda states, “three-part deep breathing is the foundation of all the yogic breathing techniques. Studies have shown that you can take in and give out seven times as much air— that means seven times as much oxygen, seven times as much prana— in a three-part deep breath than in a shallow breath.” \\n\\nIn yoga, you are encouraged to flow through your practice maintaining this three-part breath to the best of your ability. It helps you focus your mind, relieve stress, and move inward, deepening your poses and strengthening your practice. Sounds amazing, right? It also sounds nearly impossible once you’ve held chair pose for a minute straight and the teacher is still going. Because truthfully, in challenging poses, three-part-breath is hard. And the best way to get better at it is to practice.\\n\\nHere’s a little Three Part Breath practice you can try right now:\\n\\nFind a comfortable spot, sitting or lying down. Sitting is a great choice if you’re looking for energy; lying, on the other hand, might help you feel your breath deeper and relax more. Without changing anything, notice how you’re breathing now. Let your thoughts pass you by— do not cling to them.Begin to deepen your inhales and exhales.Start imagining that your belly is a balloon, or a ball— something to be filled with air. Comfortably fill it on your inhale, and empty it on your exhale. Repeat this a few times, growing accustomed to it.On your next inhale, when your belly is full, take another sip of air, filling your rib cage. You may feel some expansion and opening in your upper back— this is great. On your exhale, let your chest empty of air first, then your stomach. Continue this for several more breaths.On your next inhale, fill your belly and your rib cage— then breathe just a little bit more into your upper chest. Feel your heart rise with your breath. This is the third part.On your exhale, empty your upper chest and throat, then your ribcage, then your belly. Continue this for 8 to 10 rounds, and start to feel your body relax. Note that this shouldn’t feel like you’re filling your lungs to burst, but rather that you are moving through levels as if your breath was an elevator. This should feel comfortable and deep. \\n\\nThe more you practice Three Part Breath, the more natural it will feel. It is a great way to get your breathing practice started, and a great way to move inward during your next \\nonline yoga class. \\n\\n"},"createdAt":"2020-03-30T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Jitendra","pictureUrl":"jitendra1.png","teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy","meditation"]},{"title":"Got 5 Minutes? Try this 5 Sense Meditation!","coverUrl":"elijah-hiett-umfpFoKxIVg-unsplash.jpg","slug":"got-5-minutes-try-this-5-sense-meditation","content":{"text":"Having one of those days where the world feels like it is moving too fast and you can't keep up? Or maybe you are preparing for something that makes you nervous (or excited!). \\n\\nTake a few minutes and try out this groundig \\nmeditation\\n using your very own senses. \\n\\n\\n\\nCurious to learn more \\nmeditation techniques\\n? Try a meditation session with one of your teachers!\\n"},"createdAt":"2020-03-13T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Will","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg","teacherMytSlug":"will-1"},"category":["therapy","mental_health"]},{"title":"The Science of the Stress Response (and how to reign it in)","coverUrl":"eli-defaria-vCzh1jOyre8-unsplash.jpg","slug":"the-science-of-the-stress-response-and-how-to-reign-it-in","content":{"text":"How many scientific studies have backed up how relaxation can improve your health? More than we can count.\\n\\n\"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it.\"Sidney J. Harris\\n\\nBut what is relaxation? What is stress? When scientists talk about these terms they don't mean face masks and massages. They talk about the relaxation and stress response of the body.\\n\\nPhysical responses in our body create feelings of stress and relaxation.\\n\\nStress is your body’s response to what it perceives to be danger. Here’s an interesting example from Stanford Professor Richard Sapolsky.\\n\\nYou are on the safari. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a tiger licking his chops. At that moment, what do you need? You need to be RUNNING. \\n\\nYour body hears the call. It sends extra energy into your legs. Your heart pumps faster. Your brain releases a huge wave of hormones, including adrenaline.\\n\\nLuckily, you make it to safety.\\n\\nOk, imagine that you are a zebra. The same thing happens, and you make it to safety. What happens then? You shake it off and then go about your day.\\n\\nSigh.\\n\\nHumans are different. If this happened to you, you would retell the story over and over. You'd think about it the rest of the day. It might keep you up at night.\\n\\nHumans have trouble shaking things off. \\n\\nIn science terms, this is the anticipatory response. You are no longer in danger, but you still think you are.\\n\\nWe experience psychological stress.\\n\\nFor example, you are in traffic and will be late to work. Are you in danger? No. Does your body still elevate your heart rate and release stress hormones? Yes.\\n\\nThis stress response is less strong than if it was a tiger. But, the stress response uses resources. It is expensive for the body to keep up.\\n\\nYour body needs the opposite of the stress response to replace those resources.\\n\\nYou need the relaxation response.\\n\\nWhen in the relaxation response, your heart rate slows, your energy goes towards digestion and repair. Your brain releases hormones that relax your blood vessels. Your muscles let go of tension.\\n\\nTake 10 seconds to scan your body. How do you feel right now?\\n\\nIn this fast-paced world, many of us live in a low-level of the stress response all the time. We may forget what relaxation feels like.\\n\\nThis is where \\nYoga\\n comes in.\\n\\nThe practice of yoga teaches relaxation techniques. Yoga reduces muscle tension, slows your breathing and lowers your heart rate. This creates a gentle and calm feeling in the body and mind.\\n\\nYour health improves the more time you spend in the relaxation response. Studies have shown improved immune response, reduced blood pressure, better sleep and more.\\n\\nYou will experience the feeling of peace and calm both on and off your mat. That traffic jam will feel less stressful. You'll sleep better.\\n\\nYou might be thinking \"But, I am only starting. These benefits will take too much time.\" We have good news.\\n\\nThe \\nbenefits of yoga\\n are available to beginners and advanced yogis.\\n\\nA study showed that only 10 sessions of yoga created significant improvements. Only 4 weeks of yoga improved heart and lung performance in another study.\\n\\nTo truly fight back against the stress response, you have to know its opposite. You can learn how to create the relaxation response by using the centering, grounding and breathing techniques taight in yoga. These are often techniques that youcan use anywhere (includng that traffic jam!)\\n\\n\"The only joy in the world is to begin\"Cesare Pavese\\n"},"createdAt":"2020-03-02T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Jitendra","pictureUrl":"jitendra1.png","teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy","mental_health"]},{"title":"Burned out - it happened to me","coverUrl":"paromita.jpeg","slug":"burned-out-it-happened-to-me","content":{"text":"Growing up, my dream was to tell stories, make people think & make a difference in the society. \\n\\nThat's how I joined the Indian Film & TV industry as a Creative Producer & Director! Well, 12 years & many disillusionments later . . .  I realised that I was nowhere close to my dream. Even worse -  I was completely burned out. \\n\\nMy sedentary lifestyle was killing me slowly and mentally I was on the verge of a BREAKDOWN. \\n\\nSomehow I knew - I reconnected with Yoga. One day at a time, \\nYoga\\n brought me back to myself. \\n\\nI had known Yoga for a long time, but in the last 5 years, I have sincerely dived into this 5000 year old wellness-science. It has completely changed my life. \\n\\nI am a happier, stronger & healthier person today and it's all because of Yoga. And that's exactly why I am here today - to spread the magic of Yoga & watch people transform.\\n\\nI teach & practice traditional \\nHatha Yoga\\n, Meditation, Pranayama & \\nrestorative yoga\\n. I am also an ardent animal lover, nature warrior, amateur manadala maker & trekker.\\n"},"createdAt":"2020-02-20T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Paromita","pictureUrl":"paromita-pro.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"paromita-1"},"category":["therapy","mental_health"]},{"title":"Pain in the neck? Try these 3 desk checks to spot the culprit","coverUrl":"lucija-ros-FzQiiLqcRtE-unsplash.jpg","slug":"pain-in-the-neck-try-these-3-desk-checks-to-spot-the-culprit","content":{"text":"How many hours a week do you spend at your desk, driving a car, or looking at your phone? \\n\\nIntroducing TECH NECK! This is a fun term that \\nYoga teachers\\n call that forward position your neck is in for those activities. \\n\\n\\nSee that slight forward lean of the head?  Thats what we are talking about. You hold this position for a long time (think 40+ hours a week!) and you're gonna have neck issues. \\n\\nIf you have neck pain, ask your teacher for the right yoga practice to LOOSEN UP YOUR WHOLE SPINE. He or she will be able to share the most effective \\nyoga postures\\n to benefit your whole body. \\n\\nIn the meantime, here are three checks you can do to see if TECH NECK is the cause of your neck troubles!\\n\\nCheck your monitor height. \\n\\nSit up straight, ears aligned over your shoulders. When you look straight ahead, can you see your monitor? If not, adjust it so you can.\\n\\nMake sure your feet are supported. \\n\\nYoue feet should be on the ground with a 90-degree angle at your knees. You can adjust your seat height or get a foot rest to help!\\n\\n\\nGet up and move!\\n\\nThis might sound like a cop-out, but really! Getting movement in throughout the day is super important. Check in - how long are you sitting at one time? Aim for getting up and moving every 15 to 20 minutes. \\n"},"createdAt":"2020-02-20T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Jitendra","pictureUrl":"jitendra1.png","teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy","pain_management"]},{"title":"5 Ways To Open Your Mind to a New Healthy Habit","coverUrl":"ivan-torres-SVITzHh1Cdg-unsplash.jpg","slug":"5-ways-to-open-your-mind-to-a-new-healthy-habit","content":{"text":"1. The 5 Whys: Your inner toddler\\n\\nA goal is high-level but if it was easy, you'd have it done by now. To get a goal to stick, you have to understand why you haven't done it already.\\n\\nSo channel your inner toddler and ask the 5 (or as many as you want!) Whys.\\n\\nI want to lost weight.\\n\\n#1 Why?\\n\\nBecause I don't feel good in my body.\\n\\n#2 Why?\\n\\nMy clothes don't fit and I run out of breath going up the stairs.\\n\\n#3 Why?\\n\\nBecause I don't exercise and we order take-out all the time.\\n\\n#4 Why?\\n\\nBecause I don't have time to go to the gym or go food shopping.\\n\\n#5 Why?\\n\\nI work long hours and my commute is exhausting.\\n\\nSo, you want to lose weight so that your clothes fit and you don't lose your breath going up the stairs but your commute and hours make it hard to exercise and food shop.\\n\\nNow! You make a plan.\\n\\n2. Be SMART - and we mean the opposite of genius!\\n\\nHave you heard of SMART goals? Businesses use them but you can use them in your personal life too.\\n\\nSpecific or Simple\\nMeasurable or Meaningful\\nAchievable\\nTime-based\\nReasonable\\n\\nHere are two examples to get you started from real students:\\n\\nI will \\npractice yoga\\n two times a week for the next 3 weeks.\\nI will take 5 deep breathes before walking into my office for the next 5 days.\\nTo save time, I will use a grocery delivery service. I will place my food order on Sunday for the next 3 weeks.\\nI will book two \\nyoga sessions\\n a week for the next three weeks.\\n\\n3. Make a contract with yourself - seriously\\n\\nAll sorts of studies have shown that you actually write something down it helps anchor it in your mind. So write your SMART goal on a piece of a paper, or as a sticky note and then SIGN it.\\n\\n4. Find a Partner in (Good) Crime!\\n\\nI don't know about you, but whenever I've made promises with my best friend to go to yoga, we always end up getting nachos instead. So, she's not the kind of partner I need on this fitness journey!!\\n\\nFind someone who will be disappointed if you don't keep your promises. Someone who will notice when you are not sticking with it.\\n\\nWhen you schedule a session, your teacher is waiting for you. She or he has set aside this hour just for you and will notice if you cancel or don't show.\\n\\nThere are tons of scientific studies that prove this again and again. But better yet – just find out for yourself. \\nYou can book a session with a teacher right now. \\nthe \\n\\n5. Plan it out in advance\\n\\nIt's so simple but so powerful! Seeing it on your calendar can give a little extra motivation boost!\\n\\nRight after you sign your contract is step 3, plan it out! Add it to calendar, book your sessions in advance, set reminders on your phone! Anything small that can help reduce the friction.\\n\\n \\n\\n \\n\\n \\n"},"createdAt":"2020-02-01T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Jitendra","pictureUrl":"jitendra1.png","teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"Try it! Humming Bee Breath (Bhramari Pranamaya)","coverUrl":"matthew-t-rader-ohygdzgWbr4-unsplash.jpg","slug":"try-it-humming-bee-breath-bhramari-pranamaya","content":{"text":"Think of how your mind feels when you've got too much going on . . . you're trying to manage too many things . . .you're stressed or you're tired.  Now, imagine that feeling has a sound. Maybe, for you, it would have a low-grade or a high-pitched hum - like a car in overdrive.  Do you know what I mean? \\n\\nWhen our thoughts are bustling and just moving non-stop, they create chatter in the mind. These thoughts can drain us even more or put us into freeze mode. \\n\\nA great rule of thumb is to match like-with-like. And that is how this breathing technique works. You make a low-grade humming sound during your exhale. Not only does this sound create a vibration in your jaw and temples (which is soothing!), it also creates a steady backdrop for your mind. Your mind can relax and calm down with this sound and vibration. \\n\\nBut enough reading - this is definitely one of those techniques you just have to try to really understand it. \\n\\n\\n\\nBhramari Pranamaya\\n\\n\\nFind the right hum that makes you feel better. Traditionally, this technique calls for a loud hum, but feel free to find the right sound and frequency for you. \\n\\nFind a comfortable seat. Take a moment to feel your bones settle and your joints relax. \\nBring a little straightness into the spine but keep the shoulders relaxed. \\nYou may close your eyes, or soften your gaze. \\nDraw your breath in your nose and exhale out of your mouth once or twice.\\nTake a deep inhale. Keeping the mouth closed, exhale smoothly through the nose while making a humming sound, like a bee, in the back of your throat. \\nRepeat this at least 5 times. \\n\\nThen, most importantly, check in with your body and mind directly afterwards. Take about a minute noticing if the mind feels different, the nose or the throat. Even check in with your shoulders and ears. \\n\\nTo amplify the vibrations and the internal experience, you may close your ear by placing your index finger on the cartilage flap and pressing it against the opening of your ear. \\n\\nAdditional Benefits of Humming Bee Breath\\n\\nAs with most things Yoga, the benefits of this \\npranamaya\\n are far-reaching. Here are just a few: \\n\\nHelps migraines\\nRelaxes the mind and body for sleep\\nReduces tension in the jaw\\nLowers blood pressure\\nCreates grounding in the mind\\n"},"createdAt":"2020-01-10T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Jitendra","pictureUrl":"jitendra1.png","teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy","meditation"]},{"title":"Science of Inner Balance and Harmony","coverUrl":"adarsh-cover.jpeg","slug":"science-of-inner-balance-and-harmony","content":{"text":"by Adarsh\\n\\nNamaste.\\n\\nMy journey with Yoga has been interesting and fascinating. I grew up hearing stories of great Yogis and Rishis, and I always thought \"I want to be a Yogi when I grow up!\"\\n\\nI spent a lot of time as a child chanting, praying and \\nmeditating\\n. It was mostly because my mother was very spiritually inclined. Chanting and praying always helped me feel calm and relaxed. \\n\\nIn school, I was constantly bullied for my interests and attitude. I used to feel anxious all the time, and lived in constant stress. I didn't know how to understand the situation, and felt that it was never going to get better. \\n\\nEvery challenge is a blessing in disguise. \\n\\nLuckily I attended a Yoga Camp in SVYASA Institute, and found my love for Yoga and Spirituality again. It was a great experience waking up early, being close to nature in the beautiful campus, doing my own chores and managing myself. I was constantly engaged and connected.\\n\\nPracticing the postures and breathing left me with a feeling of peace and calm. It made me feel inspired, energetic and connected to myself. I was able to stay positive and strong despite the bullying. I continued to practice by myself because it helped me. \\n\\nI learnt the importance of discipline, how conscious breathing can help in dealing with anxiety, stress and worry. Yoga helped me understand and appreciate my body, mind and spirit.\\n\\nMy life took a strange turn when I was robbed and mugged in college. It left me feeling weak and defenseless, and I decided to start learning martial arts for self defence. Martial Arts helped me feel confident and strong.\\n\\nBut on the inside, I still felt anxious and scared sometimes. I was missing a huge piece of the puzzle. I knew how to physically handle a conflict with a person, but my own inner conflicts left me utterly defeated. Until I started practicing Yoga again.\\n\\n\\nYoga\\n was instrumental in learning how to deal with myself. It helped me find some balance and peace within myself, despite what challenges I faced. It taught me how to look inward, reflect and understand how to face conflict  with calm. It also taught me the importance of awareness and presence, and understand how to respect my body.\\n\\nI feel blessed to be able to share my love, passion and knowledge of this beautiful ancient science. I believe it can be a major positive influence in our present world, and help us all relate to ourselves and others with presence, respect and love.\\n\\nThere is so much to learn and experience. I feel in 10 years of teaching, I have just scratched the surface. I'm excited about what lies ahead, and look forward to sharing my journey with my students.\\n"},"createdAt":"2020-01-09T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Adarsh","pictureUrl":"adarsh-cover.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"adarsh-1"},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"Get Your Voice Back Fast When You Have Laryngitis","coverUrl":"jason-rosewell-ASKeuOZqhYU-unsplash.jpg","slug":"get-your-voice-back-fast-when-you-have-laryngitis","content":{"text":"Lost your voice? Full blown case of laryngitis where all the sound you can make is a long drawn out squeak? Here are some quick remedies that you can do from anywhere to get your voice back.\\n\\n\\nTurmeric is easy to find at any grocery store. This remedy is super simple and fast-acting. \\n\\nAdd ¼ tsp of turmeric to 6 oz of hot water.  \\nStir and sip slowly. \\n\\nIf you’d like personalized help in recovering from laryngitis (or nearly any other illness) you can try a 1-on-1 session with one of our amazing yoga teachers. They’re experts in helping you to bring your body back into balance naturally. Right now, we’re offering 2 free private sessions with expert \\nIndian yoga\\n teachers, \\n[CTA-DEFAULT]\\n\\n\\nThis one is a breeze to add into any healing practice. You can even snag some honey packets to keep in your bag. Take a spoonful before bed, add it to hot tea or even plain hot water! Not only is it absolutely delicious, but has antibacterial and soothing properties.\\n\\n\\nWarm water helps break up congestion and opens circulation. Plus, the steam prevents your throat and sinuses from drying out. If there is one thing inflamed vocal cords hate, it’s being dry!\\n\\n\\nIf you are near an herbal shop or even a Whole Foods, you can find these in the supplements aisle. Each of these soothes swelling on contact - so great to chew or drink. \\n\\nSlippery elm: Soothes sore throats and reduces coughs. Add the powder to warm water. Black Licorice: Chewing tablets work best. Make sure it is actually licorice. Anise oil is often used as a substitute and doesn’t work the same way.Marshmallow Root: As a tea or as a lozenge, this helps hydrate the throat and has antioxidant effects.\\n\\nSimilar to the first remedy, this one adds milks to help coat the throat and help the turmeric sink in. \\n\\nAdd turmeric to milk (or your milk substitute of choice). Warm the milk gently. You can cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger to taste. \\n\\nWhen you’re not feeling well, carving out a few hours to focus on healing is a gift.  This remedy starts by clearing out mucus, firing up your immune system and letting your body relax. It’s followed by steam to rinse the sinuses and closes with a soothing milk-based tonic.\\n[CTA-GC]\\nAbout an hour or two before bed:\\nBoil water. Add your favorite decaf \\ntea\\n (ginger tea is really good here). Sprinkle some (or a lot) of black pepper on top. Add Tulsi leaves if you have them. If not, add sliced or powdered ginger. Wrap yourself in blankets or bed. Keep yourself very warm.Inhale and exhale the steam. Inhale smoothly and deeply and exhale completely to bring the steam in and out of the lungs.Sip slowly to let the warm pepper coat the throat.Rest for at least a half-hour.Take a warm shower. Follow with Spiced Milk (recipe above). \\nEat, drink mindfully\\n and slip into a restful sleep.\\n\\nIf you have trouble sleeping, you can listen to a \\nYoga Nidra\\n \\nmeditation\\n to prepare the mind and body for a restful sleep.\\n\\nNow, if you have any questions, or would like personal 1-on-1 help to get healthy fast. You can sign up for 5 free sessions with an expert Indian \\nyoga teacher\\n. \\n\\nThese are live 2-way video sessions with a real human being. Your teacher will help you to bring your body into balance, feel healthier and happier fast, and reach your fitness goals! \\n\\nWe can’t offer these free sessions to everyone and spaces fill up lightning fast. So if you think you might benefit from personalized \\nonline yoga\\n sessions with an awesome teacher!\\n\\n"},"createdAt":"2019-11-07T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Jitendra","pictureUrl":"jitendra1.png","teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy","restorative"]},{"title":"Everlasting Smile","coverUrl":"10_55.jpeg","slug":"everlasting-smile","content":{"text":"An ardent learner and a dedicated guru, Dhakaram ji is a prominent personality who lives his Yoga. He made his mark by being an international gold medalist twice and has earned many national awards. \\n\\nHe realized that he was made for Yoga when he came in contact with his Yoga Guru Shri Suraj Karan Jindal Sahib of Jaipur.\\n\\nSince the year 1993, he has dedicated his life to healing through yoga. His sadhna is continuously appreciated and acknowledged nationally and globally  with awards, certificates, medallions,  and appraisals. \\n\\nHis personality adds to his art of teaching yoga. He takes personal interest in each and every student. His teaching method is unique which he formulates as per the progress and understanding of his student to avoid boredom and develop insight and depth of the subject. He has trained thousands of people to change their life along with helping them get rid of ailments they thought were not possible to be cured.\\n\\nIn year 2008, Dhakaram ji was fortunate to seek the blessings of Yogacharya Shri Karunakar ji, a disciple of Yogacharya Sri B.K.S. Iyengar. Since then Yogacharya Shri Karunakar ji has been giving his valuable time, knowledge and \\nTherapeutic Yoga\\n guidance to Dhakaram ji.\\n\\nMr. Dhakaram, being a curious learner, keeps upgrading his own knowledge. Apart from yoga, he is also trained in various fields of alternative medicines such as Acupressure, Su Jok Therapy, Twist Therapy, Smile Meditation, \\nSmile Yoga \\nand Naturopathy etc.\\n\\nTeaching gives me a great deal of satisfaction and the opportunity of self-realization through the process of yoga. It allows me to contribute to society in the best way I can and enjoy Mr. Dhakaram\\n\\nHe is excellent \\nYoga teacher\\n and healer with everlasting smiles on his face which makes him and his teaching very special.\\n"},"createdAt":"2019-09-26T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Dhakaram","pictureUrl":"dhakaram-pro.jpg","teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"Remain Calm","coverUrl":"aparna-cover.jpeg","slug":"remain-calm","content":{"text":"My journey into yoga began as a child.\\n\\nYoga was part of our school curriculum and the regular practice was fascinating and fun. Fast forward a few years, the keen interest rekindled and I wanted to pursue learning yoga from a guru. I am grateful to my guru, from whom I not only learnt the asanas but also philosophy of yoga. During the process of daily classes and practice, I was absolutely in love with yoga and the yogic way of life. I felt an immense change with a sense of physical well-being and mental calmness.\\n\\nAfter years as a Montessori teacher, I constantly struggled with acute body pains. With long days on my feet and managing a roomful of children, my body felt broken. After a few false starts, I found a \\nyoga instructor\\n, who put me on a path to healing my body. I could feel the benefit of regular yoga classes with reduction of the pains and the energy I found to continue as a teacher. \\n\\nDuring the years as I practiced yoga, I have had to deal with various life events including my child’s health. But, having continued practicing yoga and following the philosophy of yoga in my daily life – I found the ability within me to face the pulls and pushes of life. The ability to maintain my mental and emotional equilibrium has been a life changing learning.\\n\\nMy journey with yoga took an unexpected but serendipitous turn, when a friend asked me to teach her yoga. I had recently moved to Boston and was figuring out my life’s calling. Teaching my friends yoga and sharing the bounty that I have received from practicing yoga gave me immense satisfaction. I decided that it was my life’s calling to become a yoga instructor. I also continued increasing my knowledge through regular sessions with my guru.\\n\\nI \\npractice yoga\\n and continue on the path to increase my knowledge and achieve complete liberation. \\n"},"createdAt":"2019-09-26T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Aparna","pictureUrl":"aparna-cover.jpeg","teacherMytSlug":"aparna-1"},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"Yoga transformed my life","coverUrl":"viral-cover.jpg","slug":"yoga-transformed-my-life","content":{"text":"I vividly recall when my mom went through a surgery and the doctor asked her to start practicing yoga &\\n meditation\\n. I left my corporate job to look after her and we appointed a yoga teacher for her. I had a passion for fitness & I practiced yoga consistently since I was a teenager. My mom’s yoga teacher would see me practice yoga daily. I was also preparing for IELTS as I was planning for my double master’s degree in New Zealand. My mom’s yoga teacher was impressed with my dedication & discipline towards my \\nyoga practice\\n and advised me to do a Teachers Training Course from The Yoga Institute. \\n\\nInitially, I did not consider it as an option. But, as I witnessed the change in my mother’s health and how Yoga worked wonders for her, I began to rethink my decision. All her medication had been stopped and she was living a healthy life. That’s where I decided to join the Level 1 programme at The Yoga Institute in the year 2017.\\n\\nThere are so many people who are unaware of the miracles yoga can do and I want to let everyone know that miracles do happen.\\n\\nThe union of body & breath along with the deep relaxation at the end of class began to teach me how to switch off my overactive mind & connect to my inner self. As I started practicing meditation, it brought me closer to my real nature & I began to enjoy the silence within.\\n\\nAs my respect for the practice grew, I enrolled for the advanced Level 2 Teachers Training Programme and I dropped my plan to study in New Zealand. Over the last few years my relationship with yoga has grown in multi-dimensional directions. It has enhanced my mental, spiritual, physical & \\nemotional well-being\\n.\\n\\nThe attitude of gratitude is the highest Yoga.\\n\\nYoga has brought a sense of deep gratitude towards everything big and small. I now find myself on a journey where learning is bliss & I love enhancing people’s life in a positive way.\\n\\nThe path of yoga is not a destination, it’s a journey & it’s one that I’m blessed to be taking. \\n"},"createdAt":"2019-09-09T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Viral","pictureUrl":"viral-cover.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"viral-1"},"category":["therapy","myYogaTeacher"]},{"title":"Yoga as Personal Therapy","coverUrl":"shilpi4.jpg","slug":"yoga-as-personal-therapy","content":{"text":"During an agitated and confused time in my life, I glimpsed in asana practice the possibility of refuge. As the practice became consistent over the years, that refuge has gone to open something deeper inside me. \\nYoga\\n became the therapy session I spent with myself, the mat became my world creating a space to reclaim the mind-body connection that the difficult phase of my life had severed.\\n\\nWith qualifications having nothing to do with yoga, a BE (Computer Engineering) and an MBA, I found the next natural transition to train to teach yoga. I completed my Yoga Alliance certified 200 Hr Teacher Training under the guidance of Regeesh and Mrinali at Aayana Yoga Academy, Bangalore. The seeds of this desire to share this practice have sprouted, taken root, and now gradually developing baby shoots in my teaching journey. I teach group, personal and corporate classes in Vinyasa, Hatha and \\nProp Yoga\\n. I also manage the operations of a yoga studio and this has given me the opportunity to interact and work with diverse teachers and learn from them, deal with myriad students and get a perspective from both the teacher and students end.\\n\\nShilpi\\n\\nI believe creativity is not about compartmentalising or remaining in a neatly labeled box. With interests in all things to do with art, craft, handmade, homemade, go-green, recycle-reuse-refuse, veganism, healthy eating, baking, minimalism, zero waste, animal compassion - the list goes on - I am one busy yogi, welcome to my chaos! Yoga remains my anchor to this essence, my steady ship amidst seas of change. I believe that yoga gives you the tools to make your own raft to navigate the stormy seas of life and once steady you can also board on others on your raft to take along the way.\\n\\nEven though the category reads ‘instructor’, I believe I will always be a student attending classes to fine tune my practice and find my teaching style true to the the saying 'you can't pour from an empty cup'. I am grateful to all my teachers - without them I wouldn't have been a student and to all my students - without them I wouldn't have been a teacher. I love the experience that comes with seeing people experience the goodness that yoga brings on the mat. Who needs yoga?  Honestly, we all do. If you can breathe, you can do yoga! Every last one of us can benefit from building strength, gaining flexibility, and finding a bit of calm in the day. So let’s make that happen…hop on to your mat!\n⁠\n⁠Check out our latest \\nMud therapy\\n workshop!\\n"},"createdAt":"2019-09-09T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Shilpi","pictureUrl":"shilpi4.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"shilpi-1"},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"Yoga grounds me","coverUrl":"Kanica-Sud.jpg","slug":"yoga-grounds-me","content":{"text":"My bond with Yoga stems from how it grounds me.\\n\\nI’ve been practicing yoga since my school days; my sister and I were enrolled in Iyengar Yoga classes during our vacations and we thoroughly enjoyed them. A year later or two, my mother and I started practicing Yoga every morning at home following RamDev Baba on TV. My father got us a CD of Ramdev Baba, and I would watch and practice that every evening.  \\n\\nI have been an overweight child with hypothyroidism, so my evening yoga practices helped me lose weight, normalize my thyroid levels and perpetuate a general sense of calm. \\n\\nCut to college, I on and off practiced yoga but always experienced the mental, physical, emotional benefits of when I did practice. \\n\\nAs I completed my third year, I felt pulled to join the Art of Living Program after attending one of their sessions on mind management. I joined their Youth Empowerment Seminar, did their Advance programme in the Ashram, followed by other courses, and really enjoyed the Sudarshan Kriya, yoga asanas, pranayama, \\nmudras\\n they taught us.  \\n\\nDuring my interaction with others who’ve been a part of Art of Living (AOL), I came to know the healing experiences people underwent because of Yoga, Sudarshan Kriya, and Pranayamas taught at the AOL courses. I was regularly practicing the techniques which lead to a deepening bond with Yoga. \\n\\nMy attachment to Yoga stems from how it grounds me, acting as my anchor while sailing through my life. \\n\\nA few years later, I was thinking of pursing a Yoga certification programme, as I wanted to teach others what I benefited from Yoga. The Art of Living Ashram had announced that it will open a school of Yoga, by the name of Sri Sri School of Yoga. Sri Sri Yoga teacher training course teaches about and integrate all paths of yoga including Hatha yoga (effort), Raja yoga (effortless, royal) Gyana yoga (wisdom), \\nKarma yoga\\n (service & action), Bhakti yoga (love & devotion) and more. The primary elements of our training were asanas (postures), pranayamas (breathing techniques), \\nmeditation\\n and the experience and application of yoga beyond the yoga mat. \\n\\nAs I continued my practice, I felt a deeper connect with Yoga. While correct posture, improved range of motion because of flexibility is beneficial, yoga is more than that. It is an approach one adopts beyond the mat, enabling us to maintain equanimity. \\n"},"createdAt":"2019-09-04T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Kanika sud","pictureUrl":"kanika-sud-pro.png","teacherMytSlug":"kanika-1"},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"When Yoga Heals","coverUrl":"blog_42.jpg","slug":"when-yoga-heals","content":{"text":"My journey to be a yoga teacher was completely unplanned. I was studying music and working as a photographer when my health started to deteriorate. I wasn’t able to keep up with my hectic schedule anymore. Constant antibiotics that the doctors would give me actually made my health worse and lowered my immunity. This led to me becoming depressed. \\n\\nI could hardly get out of the house. I reached a stage where I would do anything to fix my body.\\n\\nI started researching ways to heal myself and came across a meditation course and joined \\nyoga classes\\n. During my journey, I realized that all the physical symptoms I felt were just a manifestation of my anxieties and insecurities. \\n\\nMy health became better with regular practice and Ayurveda. Once I figured this out I wanted to help people, heal people and let them know there is an alternative way where one isn’t dependent on medication - which has so many side effects. \\n\\nThere are so many people who go through what I went through and I wanted to let them all know - there is another way.\\n\\nDuring one of my \\nmeditation classes\\n, a friend came up to me and said, “you have been practicing yoga for so long and are good at it. Why don’t you do a teachers training?” And somehow I ended up at a Teacher Training Certificate program, then to a course in Reiki and then to a training in Ayurveda!\\n\\nMy teachings started focusing on keeping a balanced mental health to keep the body healthy. The deeper I get into the practice and teaching, I have learned so much more on holistic living which I incorporate in what I teach. I also noticed that my voice has become better; my creativity has enhanced. Things that were creating blockages in my creativity and ability to sing fully started vanishing too. \\n\\nI found my real singing voice.\\n\\nEveryday in my practice I learn new things about how to heal different aspects of our life and being a \\nyoga teacher\\n for me is the best way to share this.\\n"},"createdAt":"2019-07-17T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Kriti","pictureUrl":"blog_42.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"kriti-1"},"category":["therapy","restorative"]},{"title":"Yoga as a Way of Life","coverUrl":"img_0613-compressed-1","slug":"yoga-as-a-way-of-life","content":{"text":"Yoga was never a \"new\" concept to me. \\n\\nWhen I was a child, I saw my father practicing \\npranayama\\n for his asthma. So, it was natural for me that when I suffered from an acute backache, I turned to Yoga. That was almost 15 years ago when I began practicing a few asanas to strengthen my back. I do not really remember when it became part of my life. \\n\\nFor me, Yoga is not just \\nasanas\\n or getting into a handstand but a way of life. \\n\\nAs I continue to work through my mind, body and breath during each practice, I see how grounded I become as an individual. After seeing positive results in physical and mental health (I can handle stress better), I decided two years ago to become a teacher to share this knowledge with people. I started with friends and family and it has been a journey since then. Even now, I continue to grow in my own practice along with my students.\\n"},"createdAt":"2019-04-05T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Arpita Chauhan","pictureUrl":"img_0613-compressed-1.jpg","teacherMytSlug":"arpita-1"},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"Yoga is Self Love","coverUrl":"bhavika-1.jpeg","slug":"yoga-is-self-love","content":{"text":"“We didn't rise up from mud; we fell off from the stars”\\n\\nMy first step in entering the deep ocean of wisdom called Yoga came during my Master’s in Food and Nutrition from Mumbai University. In the middle of class in 2009, my professor suddenly said “Hey Bhavika! Why don’t you join the yoga institute and learn yogasanas? This will help your clients along with this Master’s.” \\n\\nI joined a teacher training certificate program in 2010 at the Yoga Institute and my spiritual journey began with a devotion to teach. Guess what - I got married in 2011 and this was my second step into the world of devotion, commitment, and love. This second step began with full support from my in-laws and husband to carry my yogic pathway with determination to my students across Mumbai, India.\\n\\nMy third step to Yoga was in 2014 when my daughter was born. She became my soul inspiration and expanded my compassion. My loving and caring nature motivated me to carry forward my yogic pathway with divine guidance.\\n\\nWhen we become silent & empty, the process of self-realization takes place.\\n\\nBut throughout these years, my goal remained to completely surrender to a higher reality - come what may, under any circumstances, situations or hurdles. I always chant my all-time favourite Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.33: Maitri, mudita, upeksha, sukh, dukh, punya, apunya, vishyanam bhavanatas citta prasadanam. This means “By constant feeling and thinking of friendliness, compassion, goodwill and equanimity in happiness and misery, virtue and vice, respectively the CHITTA (mind) becomes pure.”\\n\\nMy motto: Sharing knowledge across the world by collective consciousness.\\n\\nBhavika\\n"},"createdAt":"2019-02-11T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Bhavika","pictureUrl":"bhavika-pro.jpg","teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy"]},{"title":"When Outside Tech Meets Our Inside Minds","coverUrl":"tech-crunch12.png","slug":"when-outside-tech-meets-our-inside-minds","content":{"text":"Technology changes all the time; human nature, hardly ever. - Evgeny Morozov\\n\\nHabit is habit, and not to be flung out the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time. -Mark Twain\\n\\nDo you have a tracker installed on your phone to tell you how often you’re on it? Or maybe one of those nifty apps that locks your phone after a specified time? Generally, we all know that the excessive time spent on the phone or the computer looking at glamorous travel photos or fancy \\nyoga poses\\n isn’t exactly great for our mental health. \\n\\nBut what if it’s \\nnot screen-time but more of how we engage with our technology\\n? Instead of fighting the ever-developing dependency we have on our devices, what if we join forces? It seems that might be the current of change happening right now on the tech scene. \\n\\nAccording to TechCrunch, \\nmental well-being took “center-stage”\\n at the 2019 International Consumer Electronic Show (CES), the biggest event for tech companies to showcase new developments and future products. Evolving from the fitness app and wearables of last year, this \\nmental wellness\\n focus seems to make sense. \\n\\nIs it that easy? Can we just turn on an app and download mental health?\\n\\nWhile technology is helpful, an algorithm is not going to guarantee we get the result we are seeking especially when we are dealing with our all too-human ambivalence and inertia - two biggest impediments to meaningful change. \\n\\nAn app or technology might notify us or even nudge but it cannot help us overcome the ambivalence each of us encounter when trying to wake up in the morning for an exercise session or when we try to decide between going for a run or just lounging around. To make real, long-lasting change we need to form new habits. \\nBehavioural Change theories\\n consistently cite continuing motivation as the key factor to successful habit formation. \\n\\nWhen building a new habit, a human connection can help overcome ambivalence and inertia and can be the difference between success or stalling. This is why people who can afford it, hire personal trainers and coaches. It’s easy to ignore your app and do something else. But - if you know someone is waiting for you, ready to help you keep going, wouldn't you be more inclined to keep at it?\\n\\nJoining forces\\n\\nTo truly unleash the power of technology that helps us build healthier and happier habits, we need to make sure the human connection is a part of the solution. Just as \\nYoga\\n is a union of mind and body, what is needed is a union of technology that provides ease of use and our very human capacity of building connection, helping each other and making changes. \\n\\nWe are looking forward to all the innovations in the space and are excited to be a part of the landscape. "},"createdAt":"2019-01-22T00:00:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Jitendra","pictureUrl":"jitendra1.png","teacherMytSlug":null},"category":["therapy"]}],"categories":[{"name":"Fitness","value":"fitness","display":"fitness"},{"name":"Therapy","value":"therapy","display":"therapy"},{"name":"Yoga","value":"yoga","display":"yoga"},{"name":"Anxiety","value":"anxiety","display":"anxiety"},{"name":"Pain Management","value":"pain_management","display":"pain management"},{"name":"Mental Health","value":"mental_health","display":"mental health"},{"name":"Emotional Health","value":"emotional_health","display":"emotional health"},{"name":"Weight Loss","value":"weight_loss","display":"weight loss"},{"name":"Meditation","value":"meditation","display":"meditation"},{"name":"Restorative","value":"restorative","display":"restorative"},{"name":"Yoga Teacher Training","value":"yoga_teacher_training","display":"yoga teacher training"},{"name":"Workshops","value":"workshops","display":"workshops"},{"name":"Yoga Poses","value":"yoga_poses","display":"yoga poses"},{"name":"MyYogaTeacher","value":"myYogaTeacher","display":"myyogateacher"}],"search":"","category":"therapy","pageTitle":"Therapy","schema_category":"Therapy"}