Healing for First Responders: How Yoga Helps Them Navigate Life Better
First responders deserve all the awards and accolades we could possibly give them.
If we took all the trophies from all the Oscars combined and gave them to first responders, it wouldn’t even begin to represent the respect, love, and support they deserve. And it certainly wouldn’t make up for how often these amazing superhumans are taken for granted.
Firefighters, 911 dispatchers, EMT’s, paramedics, and law enforcement officers. They’re all on the frontlines for us. Every day.
An estimated 30% of first responders develop behavioral health conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and depression, compared to 20% for the general population.
The mental health resources needed to help first responders process the trauma they see and experience on a daily basis are almost nonexistent.
This is why a regular yoga practice is so important for these superheroes.
If you haven’t checked out one of our recent posts on How Yoga Saves Lives, you may want to read about our thoughts on the healthcare worker crisis in America and across the world right now.
Because for first responders to keep doing what they do best, they need resources to help them navigate their life better, similar to healthcare workers.
Here’s how yoga can help these specific helpers!
Yoga helps first responders handle personal turmoil better.
The on-the-job experiences of first responders is largely responsible for their personal turmoil.
As discussed previously, firefighters, EMS personnel, dispatchers, and police officers are all highly susceptible to PTSD, anxiety, depression, and are more likely to have substance abuse problems or commit suicide.
As such, first responders may exhibit erratic behaviors, sudden onset of rage. They may startle more easily than civilians. They may be subject to more nightmares, sleep disturbances, and they may not be able to control their emotions well in their personal lives.
Yoga for first responders is medicine for their weary souls.
Here are some facts about yoga that make it a perfect resource and tool for first responders:
- It only takes 3 minutes of mindful breath work to calm the nervous system down after a triggering event, which makes it a perfect tool for first responders to use on the go or when they’re short on time.
- Yoga teaches you how to breathe in a way that helps your body stop the production of cortisol and adrenaline, two things that are very unhealthy in large doses but prevalent in first responders.
- Yoga and meditation has been proven to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and symptoms of PTSD.
- Stretching with awareness relieves not only physical tension in the body but emotional and mental tension.
A first responder’s job often affects their personal life, their relationships with others, and their connection to their inner self. Because first responders tend to compartmentalize their work life and what they see and experience on the job (versus processing it), all of that trauma often overwhelms them.
We definitely recommend regular meditation and breathwork for this group of amazing humans.
Yoga helps first responders with the physical side effects of their job.
As we’ve discussed in previous posts, this particular group of people use their bodies a lot. They are sitting, standing, crawling, running, twisting, lifting, squatting. Often while carrying heavy equipment.
Their job puts a lot of strain on their joints, muscles, and frame.
Firefighters, in particular, tend to suffer injury from their job, often in ways people don’t see. Like in their lungs.
While they do wear masks, firefighters are obviously exposed to smoke and air particle debris more than any other type of first responder, and definitely more than a civilian.
A regular yoga practice not only helps first responders stretch, strengthen, and tone their muscles so their bodies can move in all the ways they need it to, the breathwork included in almost every yoga practice helps improve lung function.
Because yoga is so versatile and adaptable, breathwork and meditation (and even some yoga poses) can be done lying down in bed!
In as little as 10 minutes, you can bring more awareness, calm, and harmony to your inner and outer self so that you can function better throughout the day. This kind of convenience is a huge deal for first responders!
Starting out their day in a healthy state of mind with a body that is limber prevents mental and physical injury, whether they’re at work or not. Yoga is just an amazing way to start your day and a regular practice for first responders helps them process their world in a healthier way.
Which means better relationships with others and more inner peace.
Regular mindful breathwork also:
- Increases stamina
- Improves shortness of breath
- Builds endurance
- Increases muscle strength
- Improves digestion
The healthier first responders can keep their bodies, the better!
Why first responders should seriously consider a regular yoga practice
This sounds like it should be a blog post all it’s own. But we definitely wanted to stress the importance of a regular yoga practice for first responders.
And many times there are misconceptions about yoga that lead people to believe that it won’t work for them, or rather that yoga “isn’t for them.”
The truth is, yoga is for everyone, but especially for people in high risk, adrenaline pumping jobs like first responders. So here are 5 reasons why they should seriously consider integrating a regular yoga practice into their routine.
- Yoga helps people make better gut decisions in intense situations where there may not be a lot of time to consider the pros and cons. Yogis rely on their all-knowing intuition more.
- Yoga increases people’s ability to focus and problem-solve, two important aspects of a first responder’s life!
- Breathwork and meditation is simple and effective. It can even be performed in between calls, in a car or truck, and makes a huge difference in your mental health.
- Yoga is multifunctional. It doesn’t just strengthen, lengthen, and tone your body. It helps prevent injury, builds resilience, enhances mental and physical performance, and reduces stress.
- People who practice yoga actually experience positive biological changes such as reduced markers for disease, reduced overall inflammation, and reversal of the onset of diseases.
Here at MyYogaTeacher, we offer a huge variety of of yoga classes and workshops for people from all walks of life, all shapes, sizes, and abilities. Not only that, but all our classes are taught live and virtually (and at all times of day and night) so you can experience them from wherever in the world you may be!
Additionally, our classes are taught by experienced expert instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India. And they all truly care about your health and wellbeing. If you haven’t jumped on the My Yoga Teacher bandwagon yet, we would love to have you! Get your 2-week free trial here and join us!
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{"slug":"yoga-for-first-responders","recentPosts":[{"id":"clbewo8ay2ybd0bjz1b3mku4h","slug":"yoga-for-metabolism-free-event","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Announcing MyYogaTeacher’s Free Yoga for Better Metabolism Event","subTitle":null,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":"Discover more about how your digestive process works, impacts your metabolism, and how yoga can help at the free Yoga for Better Metabolism Event! ","readTime":null,"excerpt":null,"tags":[],"createdAt":"2022-12-08T09:57:36.387359+00:00","coverUrl":"ymmjpuaok6d14lsrhqme.png","content":{"text":"Are you ready to easily improve digestion and boost metabolism (isn’t everyone)? Then this event is for you! \\n\\nYou’re invited to the two-day yoga event from December 13-14 dedicated to improving your metabolism!\\n\\nBetter digestion = better metabolism! Check it out…\\n\n\\nMaybe you’ve heard. Good fats, fiber, healthy proteins, they all improve your gut biome, which impacts how efficiently your body burns calories. Massaging the organs of your digestive system helps activate the good bacteria in your gut! And who does the massaging? YOU do! With yoga. Yoga is one of the best movements to help improve metabolism in this process. \n\\nIntrigued? We hope so! \n\\nDiscover more about how your digestive process works, how it impacts your metabolism, and how yoga can help at the free Yoga for Better Metabolism Event! \\n\\nThe impacts of living a yogic lifestyle are nothing but positive, so we hope you’ll join us!\\n\\nHow to join the Yoga for Better Metabolism Event:\\n\\nMembers\\nJust click the links below to one or all of the classes you’d like to attend and register as you would any other group class! Simple as that.\\n\\nNon-Members\\n\\nClick this link to sign up for your free two week trial\\n to get access to this incredible event! No credit card required.\\n\n\\nAre you a nonmember who signed up for a trial in the past but it’s lapsed?\\nIf you’re not a member but signed up for a free-trial in the past, and it has expired, just reach out to \\ncare@myyogateacher.com\\n to let us know! We'll reset your trial and give you full access to the event.\\n\n\\n[NEW!] Referred friends & family:\\nDid you refer a friend or family member to MyYogaTeacher? We’re so grateful for you!\\n\\nYour family or friend should create a free account (they’ll get 2-weeks of access plus three complimentary 1-on-1 sessions). And if they sign up for membership, you both get $100 off MyYogaTeacher credit.\\n\n\\nDiscover all the best ways yoga improves your metabolism, digestion, and overall health. So you can live your life to the fullest, every day.\n\\nWe've put together an entire schedule of relaxation classes dedicated to helping you boost your metabolism.\\n\n\\nCheck out the educational, inspiring, and exciting event classes and expert yoga instructors making this event happen!\\n(Click the class links to register for any or all of these amazing sessions!)\\n\n\\n\\nActivate Digestive Fire and Boost Metabolism\\n\\nTuesday, December 13 from 5:30 pm PST/ 8:30 pm EST\\n\\n\\n\n\\nMetabolism and digestion are interconnected! This class is designed to teach you about your digestive fire and how you can boost your metabolism and improve digestion with some simple yoga techniques. Everyone is welcome! Join us!\\n\n\\n\\nImprove Your Diet and Boost Metabolism\\n\\nWednesday, December 14 from 3:30 pm PST/ 6:30 pm EST\\n\\n\\n\n\\nNutrition is an important aspect of boosting your metabolism. Discover some simple yoga techniques to boost your metabolism and learn how to improve your diet in a way that positively impacts your metabolic processes!\n\\nMyYogaTeacher makes it easy to improve and maintain your health and wellness. We’re less about surviving and more about thriving! And a yogic lifestyle isn’t just about yoga poses. It’s about a holistic, whole body approach to health. That includes things like diet, digestion, and metabolism!\\n\\nSo join our expert yoga instructors! Feel better about your health while building relationships with yogis who truly care about your wellbeing. \n\\nYou’re not just a student at MyYogaTeacher. You’re a friend!\\n\\nWe offer these events so you have the tools and guidance to live in harmony with your inner self, outer self, and the world. So you can move in the world with peace and good health. \n\\nDon’t forget to check out other yoga classes related to diet, digestion, and metabolism MyYogaTeacher offers as a part of your membership or free trial! Like the ones below…\\n\\nAnd remember: If you’re a nonmember who’s two-week free trial has ended, reach out to \\ncare@myyogateacher.com\\n to have your trial reset so you can easily sign up for these awesome classes!\\n\n\\nWelcome to MyYogaTeacher’s Yoga for Better Metabolism Event!\\nSee you soon!\\n"},"category":["myYogaTeacher"]},{"id":"clb6d7i3dguvb0bkghnequ3yl","slug":"yoga-for-women-with-pcos","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Yoga for PCOS: How a regular yoga practice can help you relieve PCOS","subTitle":null,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":"For women with PCOS, Exercise like pilates and yoga are a great choice for the following reasons! Read the blog to know more","readTime":null,"excerpt":null,"tags":[],"createdAt":"2022-12-02T10:30:33.809654+00:00","coverUrl":"ka5ed2fhlzx6v5coonue.jpg","content":{"text":"PCOS affects 12% of women during their childbearing years. This incurable syndrome can affect many aspects of a womens day to day life as well as their mental health. Yoga can help to take some of the pressure away mentally and physically. While there is no cure, the symptoms can be mangable with lifestyle changes such as effective diet and exercise routines. \\nWhat is PCOS?\\nPCOS is a hormonal disorder which causes the ovaries to be enlarged & small cyst to appear on the outer parts of the ovaries. This syndrome can cause issues with menstruation and fertility. \\n \\nWhat are the PCOS Symptoms?\\n According to John Hopkins University, the most common symptoms are: \\nMissed periods, irregular periods, or very light periods.\\nOvaries that are large or have many cysts.\\nExcess body hair, including the chest, stomach, and back (hirsutism)\\nWeight gain, especially around the belly (abdomen)\\nAcne or oily skin.\\nMale-pattern baldness or thinning hair.\\nInfertility symptoms\\nBenefits of Yoga for Women with PCOS\\nFor women who suffer from weight gain with PCOS, mind-body exercises can help burn calories & reduce stress. Exercise like pilates and yoga are a great choice for the following reasons! \\n1. Reduce Anxiety \\nMood swings, cravings and unbalanced emotions are very common with PCOS. Yoga can help to manage these symptoms by reducing stress and anxiety by reducing testosterone levels and balancing your blood sugar. \n\\n2. Balance Hormones\\nYoga is known to balance your endocrine system which will help to regulate your hormones internally. A regular yoga practice can help improve your period cycle and symptoms as well as stimulate your metabolism. Have you ever tried a hormone balancing yoga class?\\n Try our class with Gomati for free with our two week trial!\\n\n\\n3. Reduce Pain\\n \\nYoga is known to reduce chronic pain in those with inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.When you’re experiencing pain from your symptoms, try these asanas to ease the pain.\\n \\nYoga Asanas to Perform for PCOS Relief\\nBridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)\\n - Bridge pose reduces stress and anxiety while also stretching the lower back. \n\\n\\nReclined Butterfly Pose (Supta Baddha Konasan)\\n - Helps reduce cramping.\n\\n\\nChild's Pose (Balasana)\\n - Child's pose will help to open the hips and bring the body back to a natural state. \n\\n\\nBoat Pose (Naukasana)\\n - Boat pose reduces body fat and improves blood flow. \n\\n\\nLotus Pose (Padmasana)\\n - Resets hormones and reduces period discomfort. \n\\n\\n Other ways to improve PCOS symptoms\\nLifestyle and diet changes can help decrease symptoms and help you to maintain a more normal lifestyle. Try these tips to reduce your day to day symptoms. \\nEat whole foods! For women suffering with PCOS, the best diet is to eat foods in their most natural unprocessed form. When filling your plate, try to introduce lots of color into your meals. Stick to mostly plant based foods when possible but when eating meat, choose chicken or fish. Also make sure to regularly detox your body, Read the article to know more on How to \\nRejuvenate with a Body Detox at Home\\n\\nCreate a routine for balance. Our bodies are most at peace when they're on a schedule. Try to create a routine that works within your lifestyle and stick to it as often as possible. Try your best to keep your workouts and meals around the same time each day! If you need to be more flexible, you can choose time frames instead of an exact time. \\nHere’s an example schedule:\\n6:00 am morning workout.\\n9:00 am breakfast.\\n12:00 pm lunch. \\n3:00 pm snack.\\n6:00 pm dinner\\n9:00 pm night time meditation before bed. \\nGo for a walk! This is something so simple that we sometimes take for granted. Going for a walk is great to get moving & help balance our hormone levels! It’s also a great way to reset during your lunch break or at the end of the day. \\nCreate a mindfulness routine to reduce stress. In a 2015 clinical study, 69% of women with PCOS found meditation helps with PCOS by reducing psychological stress and improving participants overall quality of life. Think about adding a meditation practice to the end of your day or journaling over coffee before work. \\nEven on day’s that feel tough with your symptoms, there are so many benefits to taking time to do yoga or meditate. You don’t have to let PCOS define you, you can be in control when your mind is clear and your body is grounded into its routine. Ready to build a regular yoga routine? Get started with us at\\n Try our hormone balancing yoga class to rev up your system or a gentle yoga class to wind down!\\n MyYogaTeacher!\\n"},"category":["pain_management"]},{"id":"clb52ie0sp5ba0bk78n0v86hv","slug":"yoga-workshops-for-new-year-2023","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Exciting New Yoga Workshops to Jumpstart Your New Year!","subTitle":null,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":"The new year yoga workshops are designed to give you all the tools you need to support your mental, emotional, and physical health! Check now and register","readTime":null,"excerpt":null,"tags":[],"createdAt":"2022-12-01T12:43:19.773552+00:00","coverUrl":"oteegmdl4axpzfhzpsj6.jpg","content":{"text":"Happy New Year!\\nAs each year comes to a close, there is an inevitable sense that the next year will be better. Smoother, less stressful, more joyful. There is \\nhope\\n. \n\\nAnd, there are, of course, resolutions. But what if resolutions were simply called “life changes?” Or better, \\nlifestyle\\n changes.\n\\nWhether your “resolution” this year is to lose weight, get in better shape, practice more selfcare, or improve your mental and emotional health, MyYogaTeacher is here to support you…not just for the year, for life.\n\\nIntroducing our Three New Yoga Workshops :\n\\nWe understand how hard it can be to start and keep a new habit going, even if you’re motivated to do so at the strike of midnight on New Year’s Eve. Somehow, life just gets in the way of progress as the new year passes. And good intentions remain just that. Intentions. \\n\\nThese workshops are designed to give you all the tools you need to support your mental, emotional, and physical New Year’s resolutions in the New Year and beyond! We hope you’ll check them out, register, and join us! \\nEach one is 30 days and begins on January 2, 2023!\\n\n\\n\\nStarting Selfcare in the New Year: A Sustainable Approach\\n\\n\\nMaking time to rest, relax, and reset is vital to our mental, emotional, and physical health. Yoga can play an important role in helping you relax (even during a busy day). A sustainable selfcare routine is a great way to start the New Year and support your whole body health for years to come!\n\\nAt MyYogaTeacher, we are all passionate about this topic and are excited to offer this 30-day workshop which will be led by expert MyYogaTeacher instructors, Preeti and Bodhi! \\nClick the workshop link above to register and learn more about what you can expect at each session of this workshop.\\n\n\\n\\n\n\\n\\nYoga for Weight Loss: Lose Weight & Keep it Off\\n\\n\\nIf you find it hard to start and/or stick to a weight loss routine or don’t know where to begin on your fitness journey, this 30-day workshop is for you! MyYogaTeacher is fortunate to have yoga instructors Anupama and Kanishka leading this workshop, experts in yoga, fitness, and nutrition! \\n\\nTake charge of your health and make it a priority as you learn about a yogic diet, asanas to help you lose weight, and build a fitness routine you will \\nwant\\n to stick with! All of our instructors are there to support you with group and 1-on-1 classes as well once the workshop is over. \\nClick the workshop link above to register and learn more about what you can expect at each session of this workshop!\\n\\n\\n\n\\n\\nGetting Fit for the New Year and Beyond\\n\\n\\nThe wonderful MyYogaTeacher experts leading this workshop, Shweta and Shikha, are dedicated to helping you reach your fitness goals! While this workshop is also excellent for those wanting to lose weight, it is designed for those who want to specifically work on developing more strength, flexibility, and balance!\\n\\nSometimes, we set goals for ourselves in the New Year and don’t have the support we need to reach them. This workshop ends that! Whether you’re already fit and looking to get fitter or you’re not in the shape you’d like to be and want to change that, this workshop will help you reach your goals and continue growing on your fitness journey. \\nClick the workshop link above to register and learn more about what you can expect at each session of this workshop!\\n\\n\\n\n\\nJoin us and let yoga lead you into the New Year (and a new life)!\\n"},"category":["myYogaTeacher"]},{"id":"claw7wcdkpmue0akb2dexmcnb","slug":"yoga-for-weight-loss-dec-22","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Welcome to MyYogaTeacher’s Free Yoga for Weight Loss Event!","subTitle":null,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":"You’re invited to the three-day yoga event dedicated to helping you lose weight and live your healthiest life! Read to know more","readTime":null,"excerpt":null,"tags":[],"createdAt":"2022-11-25T08:04:13.345163+00:00","coverUrl":"hm7hviovmruyz1r1qmie.png","content":{"text":"You’re invited to the three-day yoga event from December 2-4 dedicated to helping you lose weight and live your healthiest life!\\nUse yoga to get fit, stay fit, and feel better!\\n\\nDespite what you may have heard, yoga \\ncan\\n help you lose weight, and lose it fast. The combination of stress reduction, physical exertion, and creation of new habits make yoga a great avenue for weight loss. \\n\\nAnd MyYogaTeacher makes sure you don’t have to do it alone!\\nDid you know that you can burn anywhere from 180-600 calories an hour doing yoga?! That’s a lot! And because a regular yoga practice comes with \\nso many\\n more benefits than weight loss, it’s worth it to try it out if you haven’t already! \\n\\nThe impacts of living a yogic lifestyle are nothing but positive, so we hope you’ll join us for the 3-day Yoga for Weight Loss Event!\\n\\nHow to join the Yoga for Better Emotional Balance Event:\\n\\nMembers\\nJust click the links below to one or all of the classes you’d like to attend and register as you would any other group class! Simple as that.\n\\nNon-Members\\n\\nClick this link to sign up for your free two week trial\\n to get access to this incredible event! No credit card required.\\n\n\\nAre you a nonmember who signed up for a trial in the past but it’s lapsed?\\nIf you’re not a member but signed up for a free-trial in the past, and it has expired, just reach out to \\ncare@myyogateacher.com\\n to let us know! We'll reset your trial and give you full access to the event.\\n\\n[NEW!] Referred friends & family:\\nDid you refer a friend or family member to MyYogaTeacher? We’re so grateful for you!\\nYour family or friend should create a free account (they’ll get 2-weeks of access plus three complimentary 1-on-1 sessions). And if they sign up for membership, you both get $100 off MyYogaTeacher credit.\\n\\nDiscover all the best ways yoga and meditation help you have emotional balance. So you can live your life to the fullest, even during times of stress.\\nWe've put together an entire schedule of relaxation classes dedicated to helping you relax and sleep better.\\n\\nCheck out the educational, inspiring, and exciting event classes and expert yoga instructors making this event happen!\\n(Click the class links to register for any or all of these amazing sessions!)\\n\\n\\nWeight Loss for Beginners: Mindful Movement with Kanishka\\n\\nFriday, December 2 from 5:00 pm PST/ 8:00 pm EST\\n\\nClick here to find out more or book this session\\n\n\\n\\n\\nScared to start a weight loss class because of your lack of fitness or flexibility? This beginner hatha yoga for weight loss class is for you! Join this introductory beginner hatha yoga class designed to help you build strength, flexibility, and stamina and boost your confidence as you pursue your weight loss goals.\\n\\n\\nYoga for Weight Loss: Stretch and Sweat with Ravin\\n\\nSaturday, December 3 from 5:30 pm PST/ 8:30 pm EST\\n\\nClick here to find out more or book this session\\n\n\\n\\n\\nYou can lose weight with yoga! Low impact exercise with a big impact on your health. This intense hatha yoga session for all fitness levels is guaranteed to work up a sweat and improve fitness, flexibility, and endurance. Join us!\\n\\n\\nHealthy and Fit: Yoga Asanas for Weight Loss with Gomati\\n\\nSunday, December 4 from 5:00 pm PST/ 8:00 pm EST\\n\\nClick here to find out more or book this session\\n\n\\n\\n\n\\nYoga makes it easy to prioritize your health! Get started on your weight loss journey in this 90 minute class dedicated to helping you get fit, healthy, and happy! Also, discover the important role your hormones play in your health. Join us!\\n\\nLet our expert yoga instructors guide you on a journey to better health! Here at MyYogaTeacher, we value building relationships with our yogi students and truly care about their health and wellness goals! MyYogaTeacher is unique in that you aren’t just a student when you join our community. You’re a friend! \\n\\nWe offer these events so you have the tools and guidance to live in harmony with your inner self, outer self, and the world. So you can move in the world with peace and good health. \\n\\nExperience weight loss in a way that works for you and \\nwith\\n you and build a consistent habit of making space for your health and wellness! We’re here to support you on your journey now \\nand\\n when the event is over!\\n\\nSo join us for this free event! And don’t forget to check out other weight loss related yoga classes MyYogaTeacher offers as a part of your membership or free trial! Or reach out to the yoga instructors below offering 1-on-1 sessions to address specific issues!\\n\\n\\nKanishka Pandey\\n\\n\\nAnuj Poonia\\n\\n\\nMonica Agarwal\\n\\n\\nAbhishek Bodhi\\n\\n\\nRavin Arya \\n\\n\\nGomati Woli\\n\\n\\nAnd remember: If you’re a nonmember who’s two-week free trial has ended, reach out to \\ncare@myyogateacher.com\\n to have your trial reset so you can easily sign up for these awesome classes!\\n\n\\nWelcome to MyYogaTeacher’s Yoga for Weight Loss Event!\\nSee you soon!\\n"},"category":["myYogaTeacher"]},{"id":"clas104kemz1o0bimrwa5ir7s","slug":"yoga-gift-card","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"10 Reasons To Give The Gift Of Yoga This Holiday Season","subTitle":null,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":"When you give someone the gift of yoga, you’re reminding them how important it is to take time for themselves! Read the blog to know more","readTime":null,"excerpt":null,"tags":[],"createdAt":"2022-11-22T09:40:07.784715+00:00","coverUrl":"eomsfhhpzm6rc4ndnem3.jpg","content":{"text":"As the holiday season takes off, it’s not always easy to find the perfect gift for all the special people in our lives. Trying to be unique or give something that stands out can be difficult. But yoga is the gift that keeps on giving! When you give someone the gift of yoga, you’re reminding them how important it is to take time for themselves. Helping them to create space and routine they may not have otherwise. Thinking of giving a \\nMyYogaTeacher gift card\\n for the holidays? There's so many reasons to give the gift of yoga and mindfulness this season! If you’re a yogi, you know the many benefits of yoga and how helpful it is to your day to day life! But maybe there’s someone in your life who has yet to discover the gift of yoga! \n\n\\nHere are the top 10 reasons to give the gift of yoga to someone you love. \\n It’s good for the environment!\\n Gifting a virtual gift card means no wrapping paper. Even if your recipient lives overseas it’s easy to just email the gift right to their inbox!\\nIt promotes self-care! \\nWhen you give the gift of yoga, you’re giving someone you love the chance to take time out of their busy schedule to practice self-care and self love. It’s such a beautiful way to show gratitude to those around us. \\nIt becomes a routine. \\nDid you know it takes 21 days to build a habit? When you give the gift of a month with \\nMyYogaTeacher \\nto someone, it will become part of their routine and lifestyle. And they’ll be grateful you gave them such a beautiful gift. Which brings us to the next reason….\\n \\nYoga creates a community. \\nFor those of us who are still working from home or may live far from those we love, MyYogaTeacher’s online classes give us a chance to create a yoga community while staying home. We look forward to our weekly classes with expert teachers and the friends we make along the way. \\n It’s good for the body! \\nUsually around the holidays we tend to indulge in the name of celebration. Yoga is a great way to balance out celebrating with mindful movement. \\n \\nIt will last long after the holidays.\\n A lot of times, we buy gifts for the moment and the facade wears off quickly. Rather than another useless gadget, yoga gives you the opportunity to learn something new. \\n Yoga can jumpstart your New Year’s goals! \\nMost of us start our fitness goals after the holiday rush. But by giving the gift of yoga, you give your loved ones a leg up on the gym game! \\n If you’re a member, it’s an opportunity to spend more time together. \\nPurchasing a gift card for a friend or family member means you can take classes together even if you’re apart! \\nYoga improves your outlook. \\nIf your loved one has had a tough year or is moving through a hard season in their life, yoga is a great way to increase happiness and overall outlook by introducing them to a mindful practice.\\n It relieves the effects of holiday stress. \\nBetween the shopping, parties and traffic, the holiday season can be \\nvery stressful\\n. Giving the gift of yoga to a stressed out holiday shopper could be just what they need to reset for the end of the year. \\n\n\\nA\\n giftcard to our virtual yoga platform\\n is great for so many people! Having a hard time knowing if it’s right for your recipient? Here’s our top five list! \\nFor that special someone who needs to relax.\\nFor someone in recovery from an injury.\\nFor someone who loves to workout.\\nFor the college student or teacher on holiday break.\\nFor a busy parent. \\nHead over to our website to grab your \\ngift cards\\n so you can do yoga with someone special in your life this holiday season. \\n"},"category":[]}],"randomPosts":[{"id":"cla8lbvafc0i70ak9u3yp18ji","slug":"yin-yoga-for-arthritis","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Yin Yoga for Arthritis: 10 poses to ease your pain","createdAt":"2022-11-08T19:13:44.482852+00:00","coverUrl":"ipqjb5ugsgcaxzssgbhi.jpg","content":{"text":"When your body is achy and it feels hard to mobilize, you may be suffering from arthritis. This very common inflammation of the joints affects 24% of adults. In a 2019 study on inflammation biomarkers, Research for nursing found that yoga is great for pain intervention, saying “yoga may be particularly effective in reducing inflammation because, unlike exercise or stress reduction alone, yoga has components of both relaxation techniques and exercise.” Yoga can help to ease your pain and help you to go about your day good as new. \\n\\nCommon causes of Arthritis\\nThe most common causes for arthritis are age, genetics, weight gain and previous injury. Even though it can be long lasting, arthritis is treatable with movement therapies like yoga and meditation and lucky for us, Yin combines both! Building a yoga practice into your routine can alleviate joint pain as well as improve flexibility and joint function. Yoga can also help you manage the stress caused by pain which will result in better days and less sleepless nights. \\n\n\\nTypes of Arthritis\\nThere are three common types of arthritis. \\n1. Osteoarthritis, which is the most common cause of arthritis and is known as “wear and tear” on the joints. It most frequently occurs in the hips, hands and knees. \\n2. Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is autoimmune disorder and creates inflammation in the hands and feet. \\n3. Fibromyalgia which causes pain all over the body and fatigue. All three of these can be eased by a yin-yoga practice. \\n\n\\nWhy Yin Yoga for Arthritis?\\nYin yoga is a style of movement based in Chinese medicine. Yin’s specific goal is to rebalance the body and mind. It’s not simply a practice for strength or flexibility but a practice where movement is the medicine. Unlike any other yoga or workout class, yin goes deeper to connect under your skin to your ligaments, deep tissue and bones.\\n\n\\nBuilding your yin-yoga practice online with us at \\nMyYogaTeacher\\n is also beneficial because even on days when the pain seems too intense, you don’t need to leave your home to get to your practice. You can pull up our live classes 24/7 with expert Indian instructors who are ready to help you move through your pain. Our classes are there everyday to help you manage your pain and get in your practice! We make yoga accessible for everyone. A slow yin practice is a great place to start! Yin can relieve pain by reducing physical and mental stress and pressure off the body. Let’s start by finding some moves to get you going! \\n\\n10 Ying Yoga Poses to Ease Your Arthritis Pain\\nWhen practicing these yin yoga poses, it’s best to hold each stretch for 30 seconds to two minutes. These stretches will help bring flexibility into your joints! \\n\\n1. Wide Knee Child’s Pose\n\\n\\n\nThis pose is great for lower back pain and your hip flexors. Also great for pain in the sciatic nerve. \n\\n2. Thunderbolt Pose\n\\n\\n\\nThis pose improves blood circulation and posture easing pain in the spine. \n\\n3. Cobra Pose\n\\n\\n\\nThis pose opens the lungs while stretching the spine and shoulders. This will help you open your chest. \n\\n4. Forward Fold Pose\n\\n\\n\\nFolding the body down is known to calm the mind and lower blood pressure. Come to this pose when you feel anxious or stressed and need to slow down. \n\\n5. Side Angle Bend Pose\n\\n\\n\\nSide angle opens the side body and takes pressure off your hips.\n\\n6. Chair Pose\n\\n\\n\\nChair pose makes your legs stronger, giving you more stability in the knees and more flexibility in the ankles. \n\\n7. Pigeon Pose\n\\n\\n\\nThis pose supports flexibility and mobility in the hip joint. If you’re suffering from osteoarthritis, this pose will help target your lower back and hips. \n\\n8. Bridge Pose\n\\n\\n\nThis powerhouse pose will improve blood circulation and ease stress while also stretching your neck, chest and hamstrings. Come to this pose when you feel stiff. Move through it slowly. \\n\\n9. Wind Reliever Pose\n\\n\\n\nThis pose stabilizes your center of gravity, your pelvis. It also guards you muscles and eases pain along the spine. \\n\\n10. Savasana Pose\n\\n\\n\nFinally, Savasana is so important in your practice. This corpse pose slows down your nervous system while you focus on your breath. It calms the mind and reduces fatigue and anxiety. This is a great place to start or end your yoga practice. \\n\\nOther ways to relieve arthritis pain\\nWant to try other holistic ways to ease your pain? We’ve got you covered! Here are the top five things to add into your routine to feel like your best self!\\nAdd color to your diet! It’s so important to “eat the rainbow” eating lots of fruits and veggies gives you a vitamin boost and helps to naturally fight inflammation. \\nChange up the temp. Adding a hot or cold compress to the affected area is a quick fix when you’re feeling pain. Try a heating pad or an ice pack if you’re short on time. If you have time to relax, try soaking in a warm bath!\\nAdd herbs. Turmeric and ginger can help fight pain and inflammation in the body. Add these herbs to your meals or try ginger tea at night to wake up pain free.\\nAdd more self care to your routine. Book a deep tissue massage or a sauna session so you can relax your body and mind.\\nPractice mindfulness. A meditation practice pairs great with a new yoga practice! You can meditate on your own or get started with us in meditation class! \n\\nTry these classes to get started! \\n\\nStretch and Breath with Shrutika\\n. This class will increase range of motion, control and flexibility in the joints.\\n\\nTotal Body Yin\\n. This slow restorative practice will stretch deep into your joints and facia. This is a great practice to end your day with. \\n\\nYoga for Back Health.\\n This mostly seated class will help you work through any back pain while strengthening your spine and surrounding muscles. \\nIf you’re ready to start your journey to recovery, join us for a practice at \\nMyYogaTeacher.\\n\\nOur expert yoga therapist will help you move through your pain or start a mindfulness practice so you can get back to feeling healthy and pain free! Our 2-Week Free Trial - includes 14 days of unlimited group classes plus 2 complimentary 1-on-1 sessions, that’s a $102 value - for free!\\nThere’s a plan for every yogi! Begin your journey with us today."}},{"id":"cl94951x1tsj40ak30rfjfydh","slug":"yoga-and-buddhism","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Yoga and Buddhism: Are They the Same?","createdAt":"2022-10-11T13:41:44.045964+00:00","coverUrl":"m1ywjkjpa53uc5yy1m5r.jpg","content":{"text":"Both Yoga and Buddhism first originated in India, leading some to wonder how they each came to evolve and whether or not they are related. In fact, it’s common for people to confuse the two, since these ancient systems of philosophy were born thousands of years ago and feature complimentary beliefs. But despite areas of similarities, Yoga and Buddhism do contain some differences from one another. \n\\nTo explain the similarities and differences between these ancient philosophies, we need to first go back in time to when they each started.\\n\\nYoga and Buddhism History\n\\nMore than 2,500 years ago in India, the Buddhist religion was born from an ascetic and spiritual teacher named Siddhartha Guatama. Based on the tenets of the Four Noble Truths, this belief system was organized around mindfulness, meditation, and seeking enlightenment through the liberation from suffering and the ego. \\nHowever, before Guatama became the Buddha (which means “the awakened one”), he was a scholar and practitioner of yoga — which originated long before Buddhism. Yoga has been around for over 5,000 years, and unlike Buddhism, it actually isn’t considered a religion, but rather a practice that is derived from Hinduism. It can also be practiced by anyone regardless of their belief system or values. \\nBuddhist texts were among the earliest to teach the physical practice of Yoga, but Yoga was first mentioned in the “Rigveda,” an ancient collection of Hindu texts that existed long before. Here we see that Yoga influenced Buddhism, but the same can be said for Buddhism influencing Yoga. \\nFor instance, meditation is a yogic technique used in Buddhism to achieve freedom from the ego and attain enlightenment — a shared goal between the two disciplines. And yet, the Hatha yoga technique actually draws its roots from Buddhism, and can be found in early Buddhist texts. \\nThis shows us that even though Yoga and Buddhism are regarded as different, various elements of each are informed by the other.\\n\\nHow Yoga and Buddhism are Similar\\n\\nBoth Yoga and Buddhism contain some similar philosophies, mindsets, and goals, which make these systems complimentary in many ways. More than anything, their similarities show how intertwined they really are. \\nThese are some of the beliefs shared by the Yoga tradition and Buddhist religion:\\nAchievement of enlightenment by awakening energies in the body\\nFreedom from ego and suffering\\nEmphasis on compassion and non-harm of self or others\\nPractice of non-attachment\\nThe concept of karma and rebirth\\nMeditation as a tool to achieve self-realization\\nYoga and Buddhism also both contain sub-varieties and different forms of practice. There are some yogic or Hindu Gods and Goddesses that appear in some Buddhist traditions, and they each acknowledge the principle of dharma as the true reality or cosmic law. \\nIt’s easy to see why Yoga and Buddhism get mistaken for each other. But there are still some pretty important differences between the two.\\n\\nDifferences Between Yoga and Buddhism\\n\\nWhile many of the goals and philosophical beliefs of Yoga and Buddhism share similarities, these two systems have been regarded as fundamentally separate for thousands of years. \\nWhy is that? \\nIt all comes down to the foundations of Yoga and Buddhism. The basic underlying principles of Yoga come from Hinduism, with a belief of an inner Self, or “Atman,” and a God who created the universe. \\nBuddhism, on the other hand, asserts that the Self does not exist, and neither does God — maintaining both are inventions of the mind. \\nThere are also distinctions between the two when it comes to the physical realm. Yoga concerns itself with the body, using it as a tool to energetically align the chakras and achieve enlightenment. It was conceived as a preparation for the body to engage in the act of sitting in meditation for long periods of time. \\nBuddhism focuses on the psychological aspect of enlightenment — what we do and how we transform once we are seated in meditation.\\n\\nSo, is Yoga Part of Buddhism? Or is Yoga Hinduism?\\n\\nIn a nutshell, there are elements of Yoga that are integrated with Buddhism, like meditation and Hatha yoga. But if we look at the history of Yoga and Buddhism, the practice of Yoga was first derived from Hinduism, and maintains its Hindu roots even still today. \\nWith so much crossover between Yoga and Buddhism, is it possible to practice both at the same time? Or must we choose one path over the other?\\nWith such fundamental differences between the two systems regarding belief in the existence of Self and God or creator, it may not be possible to completely adhere to the philosophical contexts of Yoga and Buddhism at the same time. Though following one and completely excluding the other isn’t altogether necessary.\\nBoth Yoga and Buddhism are systems designed to bring you inner peace, harmony, compassion, and forgiveness of yourself and others. These ancient traditions have proved themselves for thousands of years as means to achieve self-realization and enlightenment through the yogic method of meditation. \\nSo, if you’re wondering where to start on your own journey, the simple practice of meditation can help you discover your path. And if it leads in the direction of Buddhism, or if you identify more with the spiritual teachings of Yoga, it is yours to decide. \\n\\nGetting Started with Meditation\\n\\n\\nAll of this discussion of self-realization, enlightenment, non-attachment, and karma can be intimidating if you’re just getting familiar with the spiritual foundations of Yoga and Buddhism. But if we look at the shared, common tool of meditation, we have something concrete and actionable with which to embark on our personal journeys toward freedom from suffering.\\nMeditation in and of itself is the simple act of quieting the mind in order to develop awareness and transcendence of ego. But in our modern day lives of distractions, responsibilities, stress, and trauma, that might be easier said than done. Meditation is called a “practice” because it requires just that — practice. The physical Yoga asanas were first conceived to allow practitioners to sit in practice for longer durations, thereby enabling them to further hone their ability to achieve inner bliss.\\nAnyone can meditate, and you don’t have to be experienced or knowledgable in Yoga or Buddhism to start incorporating this effective tool into your everyday life. Aside from being a core teaching in Buddhism and Yoga, meditation also offers an array of benefits for your physical and mental well-being.\\nHere are just a few of the ways meditation can impact your life:\\nReduces stress and anxiety\\nBuilds self-awareness and connectedness\\nBrings balance and stability to everyday life\\nImproves sleep and relaxes the body\\nReduces depression\\nImproves focus\\nCalms and regulates the nervous system\\nThere are many types of meditation you can try in conjunction with your yoga practice. With\\n online classes available\\n at MyYogaTeacher, you can learn about meditating at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home.\\n Sign up for a free, two-week trial\\n at MyYogaTeacher to discover how meditation can change your life. Once you’ve become familiar with the basics, you can choose a path that aligns with your goals — whether it’s Yoga, Buddhism, a combination of the two, or a completely different set of beliefs.\\nWhat matters most is the journey itself, and the benefits that Yoga, Buddhism, and meditation can bring to your everyday life. \\n\nGet started today at \\nMyYogaTeacher\\n"}},{"id":"ckvtloolko7bw0f85fqw3s4zv","slug":"yoga-for-your-skin","author":{"name":"Kanika","teacherMytSlug":null,"pictureUrl":null},"title":"Yoga For Your Complexion: Reduce Acne, Pigmentation, and Dull Skin With These Moves","createdAt":"2021-11-10T14:11:17.594796+00:00","coverUrl":"cynqi55mnqwrnemn7n2a.jpg","content":{"text":"Let’s be clear. \\nSome\\n forms of skin pigmentation are due to genetics and hereditary factors. And wrinkles are a natural sign of aging. There is absolutely nothing wrong (and everything beautiful) with characteristics of your skin that come with time or are a part of you from birth!\\nThat’s not what we’ll be talking about here.\\nWhat about acne? What about changes in complexion and skin pigmentation that don’t come from those things mentioned above?\\nThe causes of dull skin tone, acne, and other complexion issues may vary. They’ll be discussed below, but you also want solutions, help for skin issues.\\nYoga is an amazing source of renewal and health for your complexion! \\nFace yoga\\n is also a thing. Let’s talk about how yoga helps your complexion and produces glowing, healthy skin.\\nNot familiar with face yoga? Check out my \\nFace Yoga class\\n on MyYogaTeacher! We welcome any and all who are looking to tighten, tone, and improve their complexion. And if you’re not familiar with MyYogaTeacher yet, \\nget your 2-week free trial here\\n and join in on any of the 35+ group classes offered. There is literally something for everyone and so many amazing yoga teachers!\\nReasons for dull skin, acne, and pigmentation\\nWhile yoga improves your complexion, it doesn’t cure all the things you feel are wrong with your skin. Does yoga reduce fine lines and wrinkles? Absolutely! Does it help even out skin tone and improve acne issues? Of course.\\nBut addressing the root cause of your skin issues is an important step to improving your skin. Take a look as some of the causes of dull skin, acne, and pigmentation below:\\n\\n>> Dehydration\\n - Not drinking enough water affects your skin in more ways than one!\\n>> Sun damage\\n - Wearing a daily sunscreen helps prevent this and protect your delicate face skin.\\n>> Hormone changes\\n - Pregnancy, contraceptives, processed foods, and natural aging are all causes of hormone changes that can affect your skin.\\n>> Inflammation\\n - Harsh chemicals, acne, psoriasis, and exposure to toxins in the air can all contribute to skin pigmentation and other skin issues.\\n>> Pollution\\n - Free radicals in the environment damages collagen and stimulate pigment production over time.\\n>> Diet\\n - Lack of nutrients (vitamins and minerals) contributes to unhealthy skin.\\n>> Smoking\\n - The nicotine from smoking constricts blood vessels, reducing the amount of oxygen to the skin, causing fine lines and wrinkles.\\nWe could go on, but these are the most common reasons for skin problems. Yoga for skin and face will help your body release toxins and bring vital nutrients to the surface of your skin, but it certainly helps to also drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen and moisturizer, and eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables.\\nHow yoga benefits your skin\\nIt has been said that what’s going on inside your body shows up on your face – literally. Stress, tension, bad eating habits, dehydration, trauma, mental health issues, not enough sleep. All of those things are reflected through the delicate skin tissues.\\nWhen your overall health is good, your face tends to show it!\\nA regular yoga practice (whether it’s face yoga or not) is a great way to consistently improve and maintain a healthy, glowing complexion.\\nYoga removes skin impurities\\nThe buildup of heat in the body from many forms of yoga causes the body to sweat, which removes impurities from the body and skin.\\nSweat releases a natural antibody called dermcidin that fights bacteria. \\nBecause impurities are a primary source of acne, yoga reduces acne via sweat and internal toxin release\\nYoga heals damaged skin\\nYogic breathing increases the amount of oxygen received by the body and is essential in skin cell regeneration.\\nWhen the blood contains high oxygen levels, it provides vital nutrients to the surface of the skin, preventing and even reversing the damaging effects of free radicals and sun exposure.\\nYoga increases skin elasticity\\nFace yoga, in particular, firms and tones the muscles under the skin, which reduces fine lines and wrinkles\\nYoga also helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, all of which can cause us to frown, scowl, or have many other facial expressions that contribute to fine lines and wrinkles. A regular yoga practice can prevent us from making facial expressions that decrease the skin’s elasticity.\\nYoga regulates hormone production\\nAn over or underproduction of various hormones is a common cause of pigmentation, dull skin, and acne. Causes are often due to stress, anxiety, pregnancy, natural changes in the body, and processed foods.\\nA regular yoga and meditation practice has been scientifically proven to regulate hormone levels over time, thereby improving or even eliminating some of the causes of skin issues.\\nYoga is historically an avenue to holistic health. If you’re tired of trying all the latest and greatest products (natural or not) for your skin, yoga may just be the thing you’re missing! Be patient, though. Nothing gets better overnight. Give your practice some time.\\nYoga poses for glowing skin\\nTry these yoga moves for your skin below to get started on improving your complexion. Warm up your body first by doing a few sun salutation sequences. If you’re not familiar with those, \\nhere’s an article on what they are and how to do them\\n!\\n1. Yoga Mudrasana (Yogic Seal)\\nStay for a minute or two in this pose, breathing normally, and you’ll feel your face become flush with fresh oxygen!\\n\\n\\n\\n2. Vakrasana (Half Seated Spinal Twist)\\nTwisting poses are a great way to help your internal organs release toxins, increase blood flow, and reduce stress, which stabilizes your hormones. Do this pose on each side and hold for 10 deep breaths.\\n\\n\\n\\n3. Matsyasana (Fish Pose)\\nThis pose stimulates your thyroid gland, which regulates hormones. Imbalance hormones can cause acne and dull skin. Fish pose also encourages deep breaths, which brings more oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the surface of the skin. Hold for 10 breaths.\\n\\n\\n\\n4. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)\\nSimilar to upward facing dog pose, cobra pose opens up the chest, allowing more air to enter the lungs with each breath. It also stimulates the thyroid gland and strengthen and tones the neck and face muscles.\\n\\n\\n\\n5. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)\\nYou may already be familiar with this pose, especially if you did a sun salutation sequence before trying these! Inversion poses like this one are anti-gravity and anti-aging poses that also bring oxygen and nutrients specifically to your face and scalp. Stay here for at least 5 breaths and let your head dangle gently, or even sway side to side.\\n\\n\\n\n\nI hope you’ve found this article helpful! Whether you need more guidance on how to use \\nyoga \\nto improve your complexion or you’re an experienced yogi looking to transform your complexion, I’d love to have you try my\\n Face Yoga class\\n on MyYogaTeacher! All are welcome there!\\n\\nAnd if you haven’t yet checked out the MyYogaTeacher platform, \\nI invite you to grab your 2-week free trial here.\\n No credit card required! You can take a few or as many yoga classes as you’d like for free during your trial period. Take advantage of the many different types of yoga classes taught by highly experienced yoga instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India!\\nHope to see you there!"}}],"relatedPosts":[{"id":"clas104kemz1o0bimrwa5ir7s","slug":"yoga-gift-card","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"10 Reasons To Give The Gift Of Yoga This Holiday Season","createdAt":"2022-11-22T09:40:07.784715+00:00","coverUrl":"eomsfhhpzm6rc4ndnem3.jpg","content":{"text":"As the holiday season takes off, it’s not always easy to find the perfect gift for all the special people in our lives. Trying to be unique or give something that stands out can be difficult. But yoga is the gift that keeps on giving! When you give someone the gift of yoga, you’re reminding them how important it is to take time for themselves. Helping them to create space and routine they may not have otherwise. Thinking of giving a \\nMyYogaTeacher gift card\\n for the holidays? There's so many reasons to give the gift of yoga and mindfulness this season! If you’re a yogi, you know the many benefits of yoga and how helpful it is to your day to day life! But maybe there’s someone in your life who has yet to discover the gift of yoga! \n\n\\nHere are the top 10 reasons to give the gift of yoga to someone you love. \\n It’s good for the environment!\\n Gifting a virtual gift card means no wrapping paper. Even if your recipient lives overseas it’s easy to just email the gift right to their inbox!\\nIt promotes self-care! \\nWhen you give the gift of yoga, you’re giving someone you love the chance to take time out of their busy schedule to practice self-care and self love. It’s such a beautiful way to show gratitude to those around us. \\nIt becomes a routine. \\nDid you know it takes 21 days to build a habit? When you give the gift of a month with \\nMyYogaTeacher \\nto someone, it will become part of their routine and lifestyle. And they’ll be grateful you gave them such a beautiful gift. Which brings us to the next reason….\\n \\nYoga creates a community. \\nFor those of us who are still working from home or may live far from those we love, MyYogaTeacher’s online classes give us a chance to create a yoga community while staying home. We look forward to our weekly classes with expert teachers and the friends we make along the way. \\n It’s good for the body! \\nUsually around the holidays we tend to indulge in the name of celebration. Yoga is a great way to balance out celebrating with mindful movement. \\n \\nIt will last long after the holidays.\\n A lot of times, we buy gifts for the moment and the facade wears off quickly. Rather than another useless gadget, yoga gives you the opportunity to learn something new. \\n Yoga can jumpstart your New Year’s goals! \\nMost of us start our fitness goals after the holiday rush. But by giving the gift of yoga, you give your loved ones a leg up on the gym game! \\n If you’re a member, it’s an opportunity to spend more time together. \\nPurchasing a gift card for a friend or family member means you can take classes together even if you’re apart! \\nYoga improves your outlook. \\nIf your loved one has had a tough year or is moving through a hard season in their life, yoga is a great way to increase happiness and overall outlook by introducing them to a mindful practice.\\n It relieves the effects of holiday stress. \\nBetween the shopping, parties and traffic, the holiday season can be \\nvery stressful\\n. Giving the gift of yoga to a stressed out holiday shopper could be just what they need to reset for the end of the year. \\n\n\\nA\\n giftcard to our virtual yoga platform\\n is great for so many people! Having a hard time knowing if it’s right for your recipient? Here’s our top five list! \\nFor that special someone who needs to relax.\\nFor someone in recovery from an injury.\\nFor someone who loves to workout.\\nFor the college student or teacher on holiday break.\\nFor a busy parent. \\nHead over to our website to grab your \\ngift cards\\n so you can do yoga with someone special in your life this holiday season. \\n"}},{"id":"clabcglv4n3fc0ais6yxjyhtq","slug":"yoga-before-and-after-workout","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Yoga Before and After Workout: When is yoga best for you and your body?","createdAt":"2022-11-10T17:28:47.493944+00:00","coverUrl":"dirnebto7s5zxueovsfw.jpg","content":{"text":"Yoga has so many benefits for the body on its own. But if you’re trying to kick your routine into high gear, consider adding yoga onto your other workouts for an extra bang for your buck. If you’re new to yoga and wondering how adding it into your workout routine can benefit you, no worries! We’re here to help! We'll help you figure out where to schedule yoga into your routine.\\n\\nBenefits of Adding Yoga to your Workout:\\n\\n1. Flexibility\\nIf flexibility is one of your fitness goals, yoga is a great way to achieve more physical flexibility. It’s also great to take the place of your stretching routine pre or post workout. Yoga can increase range of motion and help in muscle recovery. \\n\\n2. Conditioning\\nLove HIIT? Yoga is a great way to step up your fitness intensity by helping you condition your body with more stamina and longer breathing patterns for increased cardio abilities. It’s also proven to increase coordination. \n\\n3. Strength\\nLove to go to the gym for cardio but hate to hit the weight rack? No worries, yoga can take the place of strength training by just using your body weight. Through repetition yoga builds muscle and endurance for strength. No weights required!\\n\\n4. Mental Clarity\\nFor most people, working out is a great way to increase endorphins and reduce stress. However, if your workout leaves you too tightly wound or doesn’t do the job of lifting your mental load, a slow flow can help bring you down and help you rebalance. \n\n\\nWhy You Should do Yoga Before Workout? (Pre Workout) \\nIf you’re strength training, or going for an easy walk on your rest day, yoga is great for before your workout. Do you like to get up with the sun and start your day with a workout? Well, starting your day with yoga will bring you clarity and get your body ready to move. \\nMyYogaTeacher\\n is a great place to start your practice and your day. Even if it's gross outside you can still get your practice in. You can pull up our app on your phone or our website right on your computer for 24/7 access to live classes with expert Indian instructors.\\n\\nYou can also use yoga as your warm up! If you’re just waking up or it’s a cold weather season, yoga will help you keep your muscles strong and flexible. If you’re going to the gym for targeted strength training, it can help you focus on balance and alignment to keep your body in check through your workout. Yoga will help you stay balanced and avoid injury by increasing mobility in the body. And finally, Yoga puts your mental health in check. Adding in a moving meditation or some breath work before your workout will keep your body calm, help you align with your goals and avoid the flight or fight symptoms that can come on during an intense or tough workout. \n\\n\\n5 Yoga Poses to Practice Before Your Workout:\n\\n1. Child's Pose\\nThis pose will help you open your hips and reduce injury on core or leg days.\\n\\n\\n2. Cat Cow Pose\\nMoving through your spine slowly with these stretches will help increase mobility in the back. \\n\\n\\n3. Downward Dog Pose\\nPushing up into a downdog to start your day will stretch your entire lower body from your toes to your hips.\\n\\n\\n4. Forward Fold Pose\\nFolding forward increases the blood flow in the body and helps us maintain spine and core stability. \\n\\n\\n5. Mountain Pose\\nThis pose helps us to establish alignment and increase body awareness before a workout! \\n\\n\\n\\nYoga Classes to Try Before your Workout \\n\\nRise and shine 30 min flow\\n : Start your day with this quick flow. This class is meant to increase your physical fitness and help build your stamina so you can workout longer!\\n\\nHatha Vinyasa\\n : Gain mental clarity at the beginning of your workout with this traditional hatha flow. \\n\\nSlow Flow Vinyasa\\n : Start your day slow and steady for your mind and body. The slow pace of this class allows us to connect with our bodies and minds as we focus on our breath and alignment. This class helps to build strength, improve flexibility and stability. \n\\nWhy you should do yoga post workout ?\\nIf your workout is more high energy like kickboxing, zumba, cycling etc, yoga after may be best for bringing your body back to homeostasis. Yoga naturally brings down heart rate and reduces stress on the body and mind . You can use Yoga as a cool down or stretching portion of your workout to bring muscles into recovery while extending your burn a little longer. Are you a nighttime warrior? If you tend to work out at night, ending your routine with yoga will help you get a better night’s sleep. \\n\\n5 Yoga Poses to Practice After your Workout:\\n\\n1. Wide Leg Forward Fold Pose\\nWide leg forward fold releases our lower back. Reaching down towards the floor will give our calves a much needed stretch post workout!\\n\\n\\n2. Pigeon Pose\\nThis pose will help to open tight and tired hips and hamstrings. \\n\\n\\n3. Bound Angle Pose\\nThis hip opener stretches your adductors and quadriceps. Try this pose after a run or cardio workout. \\n\\n\\n4. Seated Forward Fold Pose\\nThis pose provides a full body stretch from your head to your heels! \\n\\n\\n5. Happy Baby Pose\\nThis pose helps to alleviate or avoid lower back pain post workout. It can also reduce any stress or anxiety caused by your workout. \\n\\n\\nYoga Classes to Try After your Workout\\n\\nBreath and Flow\\n : This full body flow will help stretch and rejuvenate your muscles as well as relax your mind with meditation and pranayama techniques. \\n\\nYoga Fusion for Joints\\n : This conditioning class combines light weights and foam roller stretches for an active recovery post workout. \\n\\nBreath and Meditation\\n : Join this class to slow down the body and refocus your breathing. Ideal for end of the day or transitions. \\n\\nNo matter what time of day you choose to workout, adding yoga 2 to 3 times a week will extend the life of your routine and help you maintain a positive outlook on your fitness goals. You can add yoga to your workout anytime with us here at \\nMyYogaTeacher\\n by creating an account, logging in and joining us for class! "}},{"id":"cla8lbvafc0i70ak9u3yp18ji","slug":"yin-yoga-for-arthritis","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Yin Yoga for Arthritis: 10 poses to ease your pain","createdAt":"2022-11-08T19:13:44.482852+00:00","coverUrl":"ipqjb5ugsgcaxzssgbhi.jpg","content":{"text":"When your body is achy and it feels hard to mobilize, you may be suffering from arthritis. This very common inflammation of the joints affects 24% of adults. In a 2019 study on inflammation biomarkers, Research for nursing found that yoga is great for pain intervention, saying “yoga may be particularly effective in reducing inflammation because, unlike exercise or stress reduction alone, yoga has components of both relaxation techniques and exercise.” Yoga can help to ease your pain and help you to go about your day good as new. \\n\\nCommon causes of Arthritis\\nThe most common causes for arthritis are age, genetics, weight gain and previous injury. Even though it can be long lasting, arthritis is treatable with movement therapies like yoga and meditation and lucky for us, Yin combines both! Building a yoga practice into your routine can alleviate joint pain as well as improve flexibility and joint function. Yoga can also help you manage the stress caused by pain which will result in better days and less sleepless nights. \\n\n\\nTypes of Arthritis\\nThere are three common types of arthritis. \\n1. Osteoarthritis, which is the most common cause of arthritis and is known as “wear and tear” on the joints. It most frequently occurs in the hips, hands and knees. \\n2. Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is autoimmune disorder and creates inflammation in the hands and feet. \\n3. Fibromyalgia which causes pain all over the body and fatigue. All three of these can be eased by a yin-yoga practice. \\n\n\\nWhy Yin Yoga for Arthritis?\\nYin yoga is a style of movement based in Chinese medicine. Yin’s specific goal is to rebalance the body and mind. It’s not simply a practice for strength or flexibility but a practice where movement is the medicine. Unlike any other yoga or workout class, yin goes deeper to connect under your skin to your ligaments, deep tissue and bones.\\n\n\\nBuilding your yin-yoga practice online with us at \\nMyYogaTeacher\\n is also beneficial because even on days when the pain seems too intense, you don’t need to leave your home to get to your practice. You can pull up our live classes 24/7 with expert Indian instructors who are ready to help you move through your pain. Our classes are there everyday to help you manage your pain and get in your practice! We make yoga accessible for everyone. A slow yin practice is a great place to start! Yin can relieve pain by reducing physical and mental stress and pressure off the body. Let’s start by finding some moves to get you going! \\n\\n10 Ying Yoga Poses to Ease Your Arthritis Pain\\nWhen practicing these yin yoga poses, it’s best to hold each stretch for 30 seconds to two minutes. These stretches will help bring flexibility into your joints! \\n\\n1. Wide Knee Child’s Pose\n\\n\\n\nThis pose is great for lower back pain and your hip flexors. Also great for pain in the sciatic nerve. \n\\n2. Thunderbolt Pose\n\\n\\n\\nThis pose improves blood circulation and posture easing pain in the spine. \n\\n3. Cobra Pose\n\\n\\n\\nThis pose opens the lungs while stretching the spine and shoulders. This will help you open your chest. \n\\n4. Forward Fold Pose\n\\n\\n\\nFolding the body down is known to calm the mind and lower blood pressure. Come to this pose when you feel anxious or stressed and need to slow down. \n\\n5. Side Angle Bend Pose\n\\n\\n\\nSide angle opens the side body and takes pressure off your hips.\n\\n6. Chair Pose\n\\n\\n\\nChair pose makes your legs stronger, giving you more stability in the knees and more flexibility in the ankles. \n\\n7. Pigeon Pose\n\\n\\n\\nThis pose supports flexibility and mobility in the hip joint. If you’re suffering from osteoarthritis, this pose will help target your lower back and hips. \n\\n8. Bridge Pose\n\\n\\n\nThis powerhouse pose will improve blood circulation and ease stress while also stretching your neck, chest and hamstrings. Come to this pose when you feel stiff. Move through it slowly. \\n\\n9. Wind Reliever Pose\n\\n\\n\nThis pose stabilizes your center of gravity, your pelvis. It also guards you muscles and eases pain along the spine. \\n\\n10. Savasana Pose\n\\n\\n\nFinally, Savasana is so important in your practice. This corpse pose slows down your nervous system while you focus on your breath. It calms the mind and reduces fatigue and anxiety. This is a great place to start or end your yoga practice. \\n\\nOther ways to relieve arthritis pain\\nWant to try other holistic ways to ease your pain? We’ve got you covered! Here are the top five things to add into your routine to feel like your best self!\\nAdd color to your diet! It’s so important to “eat the rainbow” eating lots of fruits and veggies gives you a vitamin boost and helps to naturally fight inflammation. \\nChange up the temp. Adding a hot or cold compress to the affected area is a quick fix when you’re feeling pain. Try a heating pad or an ice pack if you’re short on time. If you have time to relax, try soaking in a warm bath!\\nAdd herbs. Turmeric and ginger can help fight pain and inflammation in the body. Add these herbs to your meals or try ginger tea at night to wake up pain free.\\nAdd more self care to your routine. Book a deep tissue massage or a sauna session so you can relax your body and mind.\\nPractice mindfulness. A meditation practice pairs great with a new yoga practice! You can meditate on your own or get started with us in meditation class! \n\\nTry these classes to get started! \\n\\nStretch and Breath with Shrutika\\n. This class will increase range of motion, control and flexibility in the joints.\\n\\nTotal Body Yin\\n. This slow restorative practice will stretch deep into your joints and facia. This is a great practice to end your day with. \\n\\nYoga for Back Health.\\n This mostly seated class will help you work through any back pain while strengthening your spine and surrounding muscles. \\nIf you’re ready to start your journey to recovery, join us for a practice at \\nMyYogaTeacher.\\n\\nOur expert yoga therapist will help you move through your pain or start a mindfulness practice so you can get back to feeling healthy and pain free! Our 2-Week Free Trial - includes 14 days of unlimited group classes plus 2 complimentary 1-on-1 sessions, that’s a $102 value - for free!\\nThere’s a plan for every yogi! Begin your journey with us today."}}],"blogContent":{"id":"cktel26nk4ypx0b27mkwumqt7","slug":"yoga-for-first-responders","author":{"name":"will","teacherMytSlug":null,"pictureUrl":null},"title":"Healing for First Responders: How Yoga Helps Them Navigate Life Better","createdAt":"2021-09-10T16:37:50.582066+00:00","updatedAt":"2022-10-20T08:04:37.90242+00:00","coverUrl":"ohsommfkjvr9qdvpagmc.jpg","seoDescription":"Explore why yoga is an important practice for first responders and how first responders benefit from a regular yoga practice together or individually.","content":{"text":"First responders deserve all the awards and accolades we could possibly give them.\\nIf we took all the trophies from all the Oscars combined and gave them to first responders, it wouldn’t even begin to represent the respect, love, and support they deserve. And it certainly wouldn’t make up for how often these amazing superhumans are taken for granted.\\nFirefighters, 911 dispatchers, EMT’s, paramedics, and law enforcement officers. They’re all on the frontlines for us. Every day.\\nAn estimated 30% of first responders develop behavioral health conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and depression, compared to 20% for the general population.\\nThe mental health resources needed to help first responders process the trauma they see and experience on a daily basis are almost nonexistent.\\nThis is why a regular yoga practice is so important for these superheroes. \\nIf you haven’t checked out one of our recent posts on \\nHow Yoga Saves Lives\\n, you may want to read about our thoughts on the healthcare worker crisis in America and across the world right now.\\nBecause for first responders to keep doing what they do best, they need resources to help them navigate their life better, similar to healthcare workers.\\nHere’s how yoga can help these specific helpers!\\nYoga helps first responders handle personal turmoil better.\\nThe on-the-job experiences of first responders is largely responsible for their personal turmoil.\\nAs discussed previously, firefighters, EMS personnel, dispatchers, and police officers are all highly susceptible to PTSD, anxiety, depression, and are more likely to have substance abuse problems or commit suicide.\\nAs such, first responders may exhibit erratic behaviors, sudden onset of rage. They may startle more easily than civilians. They may be subject to more nightmares, sleep disturbances, and they may not be able to control their emotions well in their personal lives.\\nYoga for first responders is medicine for their weary souls.\\nHere are some facts about yoga that make it a perfect resource and tool for first responders:\\nIt only takes 3 minutes\\n of mindful breath work to calm the nervous system down after a triggering event, which makes it a perfect tool for first responders to use on the go or when they’re short on time.\\nYoga teaches you how to breathe\\n in a way that helps your body stop the production of cortisol and adrenaline, two things that are very unhealthy in large doses but prevalent in first responders.\\nYoga and meditation has been proven\\n to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and symptoms of PTSD.\\nStretching with awareness\\n relieves not only physical tension in the body but emotional and mental tension.\\nA first responder’s job often affects their personal life, their relationships with others, and their connection to their inner self. Because first responders tend to compartmentalize their work life and what they see and experience on the job (versus processing it), all of that trauma often overwhelms them.\\nWe definitely recommend regular meditation and breathwork for this group of amazing humans.\\nYoga helps first responders with the physical side effects of their job.\\nAs we’ve discussed in previous posts, this particular group of people use their bodies \\na lot\\n. They are sitting, standing, crawling, running, twisting, lifting, squatting. Often while carrying heavy equipment. \\nTheir job puts a lot of strain on their joints, muscles, and frame.\\nFirefighters, in particular, tend to suffer injury from their job, often in ways people don’t see. Like in their lungs.\\nWhile they do wear masks, firefighters are obviously exposed to smoke and air particle debris more than any other type of first responder, and definitely more than a civilian.\\nA regular yoga practice not only helps first responders stretch, strengthen, and tone their muscles so their bodies can move in all the ways they need it to, the breathwork included in almost every yoga practice helps improve lung function.\\nBecause yoga is so versatile and adaptable, breathwork and meditation (and even some yoga poses) can be done lying down in bed!\\nIn as little as 10 minutes, you can bring more awareness, calm, and harmony to your inner and outer self so that you can function better throughout the day. This kind of convenience is a huge deal for first responders!\\nStarting out their day in a healthy state of mind with a body that is limber prevents mental and physical injury, whether they’re at work or not. Yoga is just an amazing way to start your day and a regular practice for first responders helps them process their world in a healthier way.\\nWhich means better relationships with others and more inner peace. \\nRegular mindful breathwork also:\\nIncreases stamina\\nImproves shortness of breath\\nBuilds endurance\\nIncreases muscle strength\\nImproves digestion\\nThe healthier first responders can keep their bodies, the better! \\nWhy first responders should seriously consider a regular yoga practice\\nThis sounds like it should be a blog post all it’s own. But we definitely wanted to stress the importance of a regular yoga practice for first responders.\\nAnd many times there are misconceptions about yoga that lead people to believe that it won’t work for them, or rather that yoga “isn’t for them.” \\nThe truth is, yoga is for everyone, but \\nespecially \\nfor people in high risk, adrenaline pumping jobs like first responders. So here are 5 reasons why they should seriously consider integrating a regular yoga practice into their routine.\\nYoga helps people make better gut decisions in intense situations where there may not be a lot of time to consider the pros and cons. Yogis rely on their all-knowing intuition more.\\nYoga increases people’s ability to focus and problem-solve, two important aspects of a first responder’s life!\\nBreathwork and meditation is simple and effective. It can even be performed in between calls, in a car or truck, and makes a huge difference in your mental health.\\nYoga is multifunctional. It doesn’t just strengthen, lengthen, and tone your body. It helps prevent injury, builds resilience, enhances mental and physical performance, and reduces stress.\\nPeople who practice yoga actually experience positive biological changes such as reduced markers for disease, reduced overall inflammation, and reversal of the onset of diseases.\\nHere at MyYogaTeacher, we offer a huge variety of of yoga classes and \\nworkshops\\n for people from all walks of life, all shapes, sizes, and abilities. Not only that, but all our classes are taught live and virtually (and at all times of day and night) so you can experience them from wherever in the world you may be!\\nAdditionally, our classes are taught by experienced expert instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India. And they all truly care about your health and wellbeing. If you haven’t jumped on the My Yoga Teacher bandwagon yet, we would love to have you! \\nGet your 2-week free trial here and join us!\\n","html":"<p>First responders deserve all the awards and accolades we could possibly give them.</p><p>If we took all the trophies from all the Oscars combined and gave them to first responders, it wouldn’t even begin to represent the respect, love, and support they deserve. And it certainly wouldn’t make up for how often these amazing superhumans are taken for granted.</p><p>Firefighters, 911 dispatchers, EMT’s, paramedics, and law enforcement officers. They’re all on the frontlines for us. Every day.</p><p>An estimated 30% of first responders develop behavioral health conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and depression, compared to 20% for the general population.</p><p>The mental health resources needed to help first responders process the trauma they see and experience on a daily basis are almost nonexistent.</p><p>This is why a regular yoga practice is so important for these superheroes. </p><p>If you haven’t checked out one of our recent posts on <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/articles/yoga-for-healthcare-workers\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/articles/yoga-for-healthcare-workers\"><u>How Yoga Saves Lives</u></a>, you may want to read about our thoughts on the healthcare worker crisis in America and across the world right now.</p><p>Because for first responders to keep doing what they do best, they need resources to help them navigate their life better, similar to healthcare workers.</p><p>Here’s how yoga can help these specific helpers!</p><h2>Yoga helps first responders handle personal turmoil better.</h2><p>The on-the-job experiences of first responders is largely responsible for their personal turmoil.</p><p>As discussed previously, firefighters, EMS personnel, dispatchers, and police officers are all highly susceptible to PTSD, anxiety, depression, and are more likely to have substance abuse problems or commit suicide.</p><p>As such, first responders may exhibit erratic behaviors, sudden onset of rage. They may startle more easily than civilians. They may be subject to more nightmares, sleep disturbances, and they may not be able to control their emotions well in their personal lives.</p><p>Yoga for first responders is medicine for their weary souls.</p><p>Here are some facts about yoga that make it a perfect resource and tool for first responders:</p><ol><li><div><strong>It only takes 3 minutes</strong> of mindful breath work to calm the nervous system down after a triggering event, which makes it a perfect tool for first responders to use on the go or when they’re short on time.</div></li><li><div><strong>Yoga teaches you how to breathe</strong> in a way that helps your body stop the production of cortisol and adrenaline, two things that are very unhealthy in large doses but prevalent in first responders.</div></li><li><div><strong>Yoga and meditation has been proven</strong> to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and symptoms of PTSD.</div></li><li><div><strong>Stretching with awareness</strong> relieves not only physical tension in the body but emotional and mental tension.</div></li></ol><p>A first responder’s job often affects their personal life, their relationships with others, and their connection to their inner self. Because first responders tend to compartmentalize their work life and what they see and experience on the job (versus processing it), all of that trauma often overwhelms them.</p><p>We definitely recommend regular meditation and breathwork for this group of amazing humans.</p><h2>Yoga helps first responders with the physical side effects of their job.</h2><p>As we’ve discussed in previous posts, this particular group of people use their bodies <em>a lot</em>. They are sitting, standing, crawling, running, twisting, lifting, squatting. Often while carrying heavy equipment. </p><p>Their job puts a lot of strain on their joints, muscles, and frame.</p><p>Firefighters, in particular, tend to suffer injury from their job, often in ways people don’t see. Like in their lungs.</p><p>While they do wear masks, firefighters are obviously exposed to smoke and air particle debris more than any other type of first responder, and definitely more than a civilian.</p><p>A regular yoga practice not only helps first responders stretch, strengthen, and tone their muscles so their bodies can move in all the ways they need it to, the breathwork included in almost every yoga practice helps improve lung function.</p><p>Because yoga is so versatile and adaptable, breathwork and meditation (and even some yoga poses) can be done lying down in bed!</p><p>In as little as 10 minutes, you can bring more awareness, calm, and harmony to your inner and outer self so that you can function better throughout the day. This kind of convenience is a huge deal for first responders!</p><p>Starting out their day in a healthy state of mind with a body that is limber prevents mental and physical injury, whether they’re at work or not. Yoga is just an amazing way to start your day and a regular practice for first responders helps them process their world in a healthier way.</p><p>Which means better relationships with others and more inner peace. </p><p>Regular mindful breathwork also:</p><ul><li><div>Increases stamina</div></li><li><div>Improves shortness of breath</div></li><li><div>Builds endurance</div></li><li><div>Increases muscle strength</div></li><li><div>Improves digestion</div></li></ul><p>The healthier first responders can keep their bodies, the better! </p><h2>Why first responders should seriously consider a regular yoga practice</h2><p>This sounds like it should be a blog post all it’s own. But we definitely wanted to stress the importance of a regular yoga practice for first responders.</p><p>And many times there are misconceptions about yoga that lead people to believe that it won’t work for them, or rather that yoga “isn’t for them.” </p><p>The truth is, yoga is for everyone, but <em>especially </em>for people in high risk, adrenaline pumping jobs like first responders. So here are 5 reasons why they should seriously consider integrating a regular yoga practice into their routine.</p><ol><li><div>Yoga helps people make better gut decisions in intense situations where there may not be a lot of time to consider the pros and cons. Yogis rely on their all-knowing intuition more.</div></li><li><div>Yoga increases people’s ability to focus and problem-solve, two important aspects of a first responder’s life!</div></li><li><div>Breathwork and meditation is simple and effective. It can even be performed in between calls, in a car or truck, and makes a huge difference in your mental health.</div></li><li><div>Yoga is multifunctional. It doesn’t just strengthen, lengthen, and tone your body. It helps prevent injury, builds resilience, enhances mental and physical performance, and reduces stress.</div></li><li><div>People who practice yoga actually experience positive biological changes such as reduced markers for disease, reduced overall inflammation, and reversal of the onset of diseases.</div></li></ol><p>Here at MyYogaTeacher, we offer a huge variety of of yoga classes and <a target='_blank' title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/workshops/conscious-healing-turning-anger-to-creativity\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/workshops/conscious-healing-turning-anger-to-creativity\">workshops</a> for people from all walks of life, all shapes, sizes, and abilities. Not only that, but all our classes are taught live and virtually (and at all times of day and night) so you can experience them from wherever in the world you may be!</p><p>Additionally, our classes are taught by experienced expert instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India. And they all truly care about your health and wellbeing. If you haven’t jumped on the My Yoga Teacher bandwagon yet, we would love to have you! <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/dashboard\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/dashboard\"><u>Get your 2-week free trial here and join us!</u></a></p>"},"category":["yoga","fitness","anxiety","mental_health"],"utmCampaign":null,"utmMedium":null,"utmContent":null,"utmSource":null,"utmTerm":null,"utmSearchString":null,"imageHyperlink":[]},"loading":false,"blog_content":[{"type":"HTML","value":"<p>First responders deserve all the awards and accolades we could possibly give them.</p><p>If we took all the trophies from all the Oscars combined and gave them to first responders, it wouldn’t even begin to represent the respect, love, and support they deserve. And it certainly wouldn’t make up for how often these amazing superhumans are taken for granted.</p><p>Firefighters, 911 dispatchers, EMT’s, paramedics, and law enforcement officers. They’re all on the frontlines for us. Every day.</p><p>An estimated 30% of first responders develop behavioral health conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and depression, compared to 20% for the general population.</p><p>The mental health resources needed to help first responders process the trauma they see and experience on a daily basis are almost nonexistent.</p><p>This is why a regular yoga practice is so important for these superheroes. </p><p>If you haven’t checked out one of our recent posts on <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/articles/yoga-for-healthcare-workers\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/articles/yoga-for-healthcare-workers\"><u>How Yoga Saves Lives</u></a>, you may want to read about our thoughts on the healthcare worker crisis in America and across the world right now.</p><p>Because for first responders to keep doing what they do best, they need resources to help them navigate their life better, similar to healthcare workers.</p><p>Here’s how yoga can help these specific helpers!</p><h2>Yoga helps first responders handle personal turmoil better.</h2><p>The on-the-job experiences of first responders is largely responsible for their personal turmoil.</p><p>As discussed previously, firefighters, EMS personnel, dispatchers, and police officers are all highly susceptible to PTSD, anxiety, depression, and are more likely to have substance abuse problems or commit suicide.</p><p>As such, first responders may exhibit erratic behaviors, sudden onset of rage. They may startle more easily than civilians. They may be subject to more nightmares, sleep disturbances, and they may not be able to control their emotions well in their personal lives.</p><p>Yoga for first responders is medicine for their weary souls.</p><p>Here are some facts about yoga that make it a perfect resource and tool for first responders:</p><ol><li><div><strong>It only takes 3 minutes</strong> of mindful breath work to calm the nervous system down after a triggering event, which makes it a perfect tool for first responders to use on the go or when they’re short on time.</div></li><li><div><strong>Yoga teaches you how to breathe</strong> in a way that helps your body stop the production of cortisol and adrenaline, two things that are very unhealthy in large doses but prevalent in first responders.</div></li><li><div><strong>Yoga and meditation has been proven</strong> to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and symptoms of PTSD.</div></li><li><div><strong>Stretching with awareness</strong> relieves not only physical tension in the body but emotional and mental tension.</div></li></ol><p>A first responder’s job often affects their personal life, their relationships with others, and their connection to their inner self. Because first responders tend to compartmentalize their work life and what they see and experience on the job (versus processing it), all of that trauma often overwhelms them.</p><p>We definitely recommend regular meditation and breathwork for this group of amazing humans.</p><h2>Yoga helps first responders with the physical side effects of their job.</h2><p>As we’ve discussed in previous posts, this particular group of people use their bodies <em>a lot</em>. They are sitting, standing, crawling, running, twisting, lifting, squatting. Often while carrying heavy equipment. </p><p>Their job puts a lot of strain on their joints, muscles, and frame.</p><p>Firefighters, in particular, tend to suffer injury from their job, often in ways people don’t see. Like in their lungs.</p><p>While they do wear masks, firefighters are obviously exposed to smoke and air particle debris more than any other type of first responder, and definitely more than a civilian.</p><p>A regular yoga practice not only helps first responders stretch, strengthen, and tone their muscles so their bodies can move in all the ways they need it to, the breathwork included in almost every yoga practice helps improve lung function.</p><p>Because yoga is so versatile and adaptable, breathwork and meditation (and even some yoga poses) can be done lying down in bed!</p><p>In as little as 10 minutes, you can bring more awareness, calm, and harmony to your inner and outer self so that you can function better throughout the day. This kind of convenience is a huge deal for first responders!</p><p>Starting out their day in a healthy state of mind with a body that is limber prevents mental and physical injury, whether they’re at work or not. Yoga is just an amazing way to start your day and a regular practice for first responders helps them process their world in a healthier way.</p><p>Which means better relationships with others and more inner peace. </p><p>Regular mindful breathwork also:</p><ul><li><div>Increases stamina</div></li><li><div>Improves shortness of breath</div></li><li><div>Builds endurance</div></li><li><div>Increases muscle strength</div></li><li><div>Improves digestion</div></li></ul><p>The healthier first responders can keep their bodies, the better! </p><h2>Why first responders should seriously consider a regular yoga practice</h2><p>This sounds like it should be a blog post all it’s own. But we definitely wanted to stress the importance of a regular yoga practice for first responders.</p><p>And many times there are misconceptions about yoga that lead people to believe that it won’t work for them, or rather that yoga “isn’t for them.” </p><p>The truth is, yoga is for everyone, but <em>especially </em>for people in high risk, adrenaline pumping jobs like first responders. So here are 5 reasons why they should seriously consider integrating a regular yoga practice into their routine.</p><ol><li><div>Yoga helps people make better gut decisions in intense situations where there may not be a lot of time to consider the pros and cons. Yogis rely on their all-knowing intuition more.</div></li><li><div>Yoga increases people’s ability to focus and problem-solve, two important aspects of a first responder’s life!</div></li><li><div>Breathwork and meditation is simple and effective. It can even be performed in between calls, in a car or truck, and makes a huge difference in your mental health.</div></li><li><div>Yoga is multifunctional. It doesn’t just strengthen, lengthen, and tone your body. It helps prevent injury, builds resilience, enhances mental and physical performance, and reduces stress.</div></li><li><div>People who practice yoga actually experience positive biological changes such as reduced markers for disease, reduced overall inflammation, and reversal of the onset of diseases.</div></li></ol><p>Here at MyYogaTeacher, we offer a huge variety of of yoga classes and <a target='_blank' title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/workshops/conscious-healing-turning-anger-to-creativity\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/workshops/conscious-healing-turning-anger-to-creativity\">workshops</a> for people from all walks of life, all shapes, sizes, and abilities. Not only that, but all our classes are taught live and virtually (and at all times of day and night) so you can experience them from wherever in the world you may be!</p><p>Additionally, our classes are taught by experienced expert instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India. And they all truly care about your health and wellbeing. If you haven’t jumped on the My Yoga Teacher bandwagon yet, we would love to have you! <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/dashboard\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/dashboard\"><u>Get your 2-week free trial here and join us!</u></a></p>"},{"type":"CTA","value":"[CTA-DEFAULT]"}],"isSlugACategory":false,"searchCategory":"yoga-for-first-responders","showPopUp":false,"popUpType":null,"showedPopup":false,"windowWidth":null,"ctaPath":"signup","redirectURL":"#","current_url":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/articles/yoga-for-first-responders","student_details":"","facebookUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/r/yoga-for-first-responders-GZWpYG","twitterUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/r/yoga-for-first-responders-hfDYhd","copyUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/r/yoga-for-first-responders-tKLfIP","emailUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/r/yoga-for-first-responders-qizMzq","ctaContent":[{"id":"ckxrz2i14tov40c25g1dpicsg","name":"[CTA-DEFAULT]","description":{"html":"<p><strong>Get 2 free private yoga sessions and 2 weeks of unlimited group classes</strong> with authentic yoga teachers. 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And it certainly wouldn’t make up for how often these amazing superhumans are taken for granted.\\nFirefighters, 911 dispatchers, EMT’s, paramedics, and law enforcement officers. They’re all on the frontlines for us. Every day.\\nAn estimated 30% of first responders develop behavioral health conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and depression, compared to 20% for the general population.\\nThe mental health resources needed to help first responders process the trauma they see and experience on a daily basis are almost nonexistent.\\nThis is why a regular yoga practice is so important for these superheroes. \\nIf you haven’t checked out one of our recent posts on \\nHow Yoga Saves Lives\\n, you may want to read about our thoughts on the healthcare worker crisis in America and across the world right now.\\nBecause for first responders to keep doing what they do best, they need resources to help them navigate their life better, similar to healthcare workers.\\nHere’s how yoga can help these specific helpers!\\nYoga helps first responders handle personal turmoil better.\\nThe on-the-job experiences of first responders is largely responsible for their personal turmoil.\\nAs discussed previously, firefighters, EMS personnel, dispatchers, and police officers are all highly susceptible to PTSD, anxiety, depression, and are more likely to have substance abuse problems or commit suicide.\\nAs such, first responders may exhibit erratic behaviors, sudden onset of rage. They may startle more easily than civilians. They may be subject to more nightmares, sleep disturbances, and they may not be able to control their emotions well in their personal lives.\\nYoga for first responders is medicine for their weary souls.\\nHere are some facts about yoga that make it a perfect resource and tool for first responders:\\nIt only takes 3 minutes\\n of mindful breath work to calm the nervous system down after a triggering event, which makes it a perfect tool for first responders to use on the go or when they’re short on time.\\nYoga teaches you how to breathe\\n in a way that helps your body stop the production of cortisol and adrenaline, two things that are very unhealthy in large doses but prevalent in first responders.\\nYoga and meditation has been proven\\n to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and symptoms of PTSD.\\nStretching with awareness\\n relieves not only physical tension in the body but emotional and mental tension.\\nA first responder’s job often affects their personal life, their relationships with others, and their connection to their inner self. Because first responders tend to compartmentalize their work life and what they see and experience on the job (versus processing it), all of that trauma often overwhelms them.\\nWe definitely recommend regular meditation and breathwork for this group of amazing humans.\\nYoga helps first responders with the physical side effects of their job.\\nAs we’ve discussed in previous posts, this particular group of people use their bodies \\na lot\\n. They are sitting, standing, crawling, running, twisting, lifting, squatting. Often while carrying heavy equipment. \\nTheir job puts a lot of strain on their joints, muscles, and frame.\\nFirefighters, in particular, tend to suffer injury from their job, often in ways people don’t see. Like in their lungs.\\nWhile they do wear masks, firefighters are obviously exposed to smoke and air particle debris more than any other type of first responder, and definitely more than a civilian.\\nA regular yoga practice not only helps first responders stretch, strengthen, and tone their muscles so their bodies can move in all the ways they need it to, the breathwork included in almost every yoga practice helps improve lung function.\\nBecause yoga is so versatile and adaptable, breathwork and meditation (and even some yoga poses) can be done lying down in bed!\\nIn as little as 10 minutes, you can bring more awareness, calm, and harmony to your inner and outer self so that you can function better throughout the day. This kind of convenience is a huge deal for first responders!\\nStarting out their day in a healthy state of mind with a body that is limber prevents mental and physical injury, whether they’re at work or not. Yoga is just an amazing way to start your day and a regular practice for first responders helps them process their world in a healthier way.\\nWhich means better relationships with others and more inner peace. \\nRegular mindful breathwork also:\\nIncreases stamina\\nImproves shortness of breath\\nBuilds endurance\\nIncreases muscle strength\\nImproves digestion\\nThe healthier first responders can keep their bodies, the better! \\nWhy first responders should seriously consider a regular yoga practice\\nThis sounds like it should be a blog post all it’s own. But we definitely wanted to stress the importance of a regular yoga practice for first responders.\\nAnd many times there are misconceptions about yoga that lead people to believe that it won’t work for them, or rather that yoga “isn’t for them.” \\nThe truth is, yoga is for everyone, but \\nespecially \\nfor people in high risk, adrenaline pumping jobs like first responders. So here are 5 reasons why they should seriously consider integrating a regular yoga practice into their routine.\\nYoga helps people make better gut decisions in intense situations where there may not be a lot of time to consider the pros and cons. Yogis rely on their all-knowing intuition more.\\nYoga increases people’s ability to focus and problem-solve, two important aspects of a first responder’s life!\\nBreathwork and meditation is simple and effective. It can even be performed in between calls, in a car or truck, and makes a huge difference in your mental health.\\nYoga is multifunctional. It doesn’t just strengthen, lengthen, and tone your body. It helps prevent injury, builds resilience, enhances mental and physical performance, and reduces stress.\\nPeople who practice yoga actually experience positive biological changes such as reduced markers for disease, reduced overall inflammation, and reversal of the onset of diseases.\\nHere at MyYogaTeacher, we offer a huge variety of of yoga classes and \\nworkshops\\n for people from all walks of life, all shapes, sizes, and abilities. Not only that, but all our classes are taught live and virtually (and at all times of day and night) so you can experience them from wherever in the world you may be!\\nAdditionally, our classes are taught by experienced expert instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India. And they all truly care about your health and wellbeing. If you haven’t jumped on the My Yoga Teacher bandwagon yet, we would love to have you! \\nGet your 2-week free trial here and join us!\\n","html":"<p>First responders deserve all the awards and accolades we could possibly give them.</p><p>If we took all the trophies from all the Oscars combined and gave them to first responders, it wouldn’t even begin to represent the respect, love, and support they deserve. And it certainly wouldn’t make up for how often these amazing superhumans are taken for granted.</p><p>Firefighters, 911 dispatchers, EMT’s, paramedics, and law enforcement officers. They’re all on the frontlines for us. Every day.</p><p>An estimated 30% of first responders develop behavioral health conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and depression, compared to 20% for the general population.</p><p>The mental health resources needed to help first responders process the trauma they see and experience on a daily basis are almost nonexistent.</p><p>This is why a regular yoga practice is so important for these superheroes. </p><p>If you haven’t checked out one of our recent posts on <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/articles/yoga-for-healthcare-workers\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/articles/yoga-for-healthcare-workers\"><u>How Yoga Saves Lives</u></a>, you may want to read about our thoughts on the healthcare worker crisis in America and across the world right now.</p><p>Because for first responders to keep doing what they do best, they need resources to help them navigate their life better, similar to healthcare workers.</p><p>Here’s how yoga can help these specific helpers!</p><h2>Yoga helps first responders handle personal turmoil better.</h2><p>The on-the-job experiences of first responders is largely responsible for their personal turmoil.</p><p>As discussed previously, firefighters, EMS personnel, dispatchers, and police officers are all highly susceptible to PTSD, anxiety, depression, and are more likely to have substance abuse problems or commit suicide.</p><p>As such, first responders may exhibit erratic behaviors, sudden onset of rage. They may startle more easily than civilians. They may be subject to more nightmares, sleep disturbances, and they may not be able to control their emotions well in their personal lives.</p><p>Yoga for first responders is medicine for their weary souls.</p><p>Here are some facts about yoga that make it a perfect resource and tool for first responders:</p><ol><li><div><strong>It only takes 3 minutes</strong> of mindful breath work to calm the nervous system down after a triggering event, which makes it a perfect tool for first responders to use on the go or when they’re short on time.</div></li><li><div><strong>Yoga teaches you how to breathe</strong> in a way that helps your body stop the production of cortisol and adrenaline, two things that are very unhealthy in large doses but prevalent in first responders.</div></li><li><div><strong>Yoga and meditation has been proven</strong> to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and symptoms of PTSD.</div></li><li><div><strong>Stretching with awareness</strong> relieves not only physical tension in the body but emotional and mental tension.</div></li></ol><p>A first responder’s job often affects their personal life, their relationships with others, and their connection to their inner self. Because first responders tend to compartmentalize their work life and what they see and experience on the job (versus processing it), all of that trauma often overwhelms them.</p><p>We definitely recommend regular meditation and breathwork for this group of amazing humans.</p><h2>Yoga helps first responders with the physical side effects of their job.</h2><p>As we’ve discussed in previous posts, this particular group of people use their bodies <em>a lot</em>. They are sitting, standing, crawling, running, twisting, lifting, squatting. Often while carrying heavy equipment. </p><p>Their job puts a lot of strain on their joints, muscles, and frame.</p><p>Firefighters, in particular, tend to suffer injury from their job, often in ways people don’t see. Like in their lungs.</p><p>While they do wear masks, firefighters are obviously exposed to smoke and air particle debris more than any other type of first responder, and definitely more than a civilian.</p><p>A regular yoga practice not only helps first responders stretch, strengthen, and tone their muscles so their bodies can move in all the ways they need it to, the breathwork included in almost every yoga practice helps improve lung function.</p><p>Because yoga is so versatile and adaptable, breathwork and meditation (and even some yoga poses) can be done lying down in bed!</p><p>In as little as 10 minutes, you can bring more awareness, calm, and harmony to your inner and outer self so that you can function better throughout the day. This kind of convenience is a huge deal for first responders!</p><p>Starting out their day in a healthy state of mind with a body that is limber prevents mental and physical injury, whether they’re at work or not. Yoga is just an amazing way to start your day and a regular practice for first responders helps them process their world in a healthier way.</p><p>Which means better relationships with others and more inner peace. </p><p>Regular mindful breathwork also:</p><ul><li><div>Increases stamina</div></li><li><div>Improves shortness of breath</div></li><li><div>Builds endurance</div></li><li><div>Increases muscle strength</div></li><li><div>Improves digestion</div></li></ul><p>The healthier first responders can keep their bodies, the better! </p><h2>Why first responders should seriously consider a regular yoga practice</h2><p>This sounds like it should be a blog post all it’s own. But we definitely wanted to stress the importance of a regular yoga practice for first responders.</p><p>And many times there are misconceptions about yoga that lead people to believe that it won’t work for them, or rather that yoga “isn’t for them.” </p><p>The truth is, yoga is for everyone, but <em>especially </em>for people in high risk, adrenaline pumping jobs like first responders. So here are 5 reasons why they should seriously consider integrating a regular yoga practice into their routine.</p><ol><li><div>Yoga helps people make better gut decisions in intense situations where there may not be a lot of time to consider the pros and cons. Yogis rely on their all-knowing intuition more.</div></li><li><div>Yoga increases people’s ability to focus and problem-solve, two important aspects of a first responder’s life!</div></li><li><div>Breathwork and meditation is simple and effective. It can even be performed in between calls, in a car or truck, and makes a huge difference in your mental health.</div></li><li><div>Yoga is multifunctional. It doesn’t just strengthen, lengthen, and tone your body. It helps prevent injury, builds resilience, enhances mental and physical performance, and reduces stress.</div></li><li><div>People who practice yoga actually experience positive biological changes such as reduced markers for disease, reduced overall inflammation, and reversal of the onset of diseases.</div></li></ol><p>Here at MyYogaTeacher, we offer a huge variety of of yoga classes and <a target='_blank' title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/workshops/conscious-healing-turning-anger-to-creativity\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/workshops/conscious-healing-turning-anger-to-creativity\">workshops</a> for people from all walks of life, all shapes, sizes, and abilities. Not only that, but all our classes are taught live and virtually (and at all times of day and night) so you can experience them from wherever in the world you may be!</p><p>Additionally, our classes are taught by experienced expert instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India. And they all truly care about your health and wellbeing. If you haven’t jumped on the My Yoga Teacher bandwagon yet, we would love to have you! <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/dashboard\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/dashboard\"><u>Get your 2-week free trial here and join us!</u></a></p>"},"category":["yoga","fitness","anxiety","mental_health"],"utmCampaign":null,"utmMedium":null,"utmContent":null,"utmSource":null,"utmTerm":null,"utmSearchString":null,"imageHyperlink":[]},"recommendations_group_class":[{"session_uuid":"3dc706ec-1d0b-47b9-a532-3301b12eff2d","student_uuid":"5d7e7eaa-6d15-4f77-8f57-89e4f6f47a22","teacher_uuid":"1c7b53f2-b206-4e80-91cf-57ff0c6081f5","teacher_name":"Amol Kasar","teacher_first_name":"Amol","teacher_slug":"amol-1","teacher_photo":"https://res.cloudinary.com/dgerdfai4/image/upload/v1669739449/teacher/photos/u62ibxca1asurkxxlovn.jpg","group_session_name":"Kriya Pranayama And Meditation","group_session_description":"1Yogic Kriyas are purification practice from the school of Hatha yoga.\nKriyas removes impurities from the body and brings Vitality. \n2. 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