It should come as no surprise to you that joints and bones deteriorate as we age. Mainstream media would have us think that we can look and feel eternally youthful until we die. But that simply isn’t true.
Aging is natural. Aging gracefully takes work!
One of the biggest struggles many people face as they age is back pain due to spinal deterioration and degenerative disc disease.
Even long time practitioners of yoga will, eventually, experience back pain and spine limitations.
We love a good group yoga class as much as the next yogi, but sometimes we need more guidance in our yoga practice to help us navigate the physical changes and challenges that present themselves during our later years of life.
The good news? Yoga helps prevent back pain due to spinal deterioration. As a matter of fact, yoga delays – and can prevent – the onset of spinal degeneration. And we’re going to dish the deets on how!
If you’re on the hunt for more guidance on how to cure back pain and prevent spinal deterioration, or just looking for expert instruction and personalized attention, we invite you to check out MyYogaTeacher’s 1:1 classes with your 2-week free trial here!
With MYT’s 1:1 Membership Plans, you get private, personalized sessions with your favorite yoga teachers, unlimited group classes (over 35 different ones), and recordings of your 1:1 sessions and group classes!
This is especially helpful for yogis who are experienced but are ready to up their yoga game and experience even more benefits from their yoga practice.
Now, on to the secret sauce to how yoga helps prevent late-life back pain and problems.
One of the primary sources of degenerative disc disease is spinal compression. Spinal compression increases inflammation in the spine and causes friction in the discs.
Studies show that yoga instructors who have been practicing yoga for 10 years or more have significantly fewer signs, if any, of degenerative disc disease compared to those who don’t practice yoga or those who haven’t practiced yoga long or consistently.
With the number of people in the United States spending more and more time sitting for work or leisure activities, it’s a fair assumption that diseases of the spine may well be on the rise.
Of particular note, these same studies discuss the importance of proper alignment when practicing yoga and how inadvertently doing poses wrong can harm your spine.
So if you’re unsure about whether you’re aligned or not during your practice, we encourage you to seek out a yoga teacher or advanced yogi who can help with that!
Your skeleton literally bears a lot of weight, particularly your spine. Think about how much weight your cervical spine holds – an average of 11 lbs!
That’s right. Your neck is composed of 7 vertebrae and is responsible for holding up (and keeping safe) your head, which averages about 5 kg or 11 lbs. While the rest of your spine is pretty sturdy and capable of holding up to about 1,000 lbs, it is still significantly affected by the weight it carries, especially if there is excess weight around your midsection.
Reducing the weight on the spine allows for more nutrients to diffuse into the discs. Ever wonder why you feel so light and airy and radiant when you finish your yoga practice?
Yep, it’s because you gave your body more nutrients and oxygen!
Sounds simple, right? But sometimes you just don’t know all the right moves for your body to get the most out of your yoga practice.
If that’s the case, regular 1:1 sessions with an experienced yoga teacher (either virtually or in person) might be exactly what you need!
If you’ve been practicing yoga for a while, you already have firsthand experience with how yoga improves your strength and mobility.
Yoga not only strengthens the tiny muscles surrounding your spine, but a regular yoga practice protects your spine from deterioration by building up your core and improving your posture. Two things that definitely impact your spinal health.
Degenerative disc disease and spinal deterioration are considered a “normal” part of aging. By the age of 40, most people have at least one degenerative disc. By the age of eighty, 80% of the American population has severe spinal deterioration.
Exercise of almost any kind is shown to help reduce signs of aging, particularly in your spine. However, yoga has an even greater positive impact on spinal health because of the multi-faceted benefits it provides!
While Hatha yoga is the most popular form of yoga because it’s gentle and slower, experienced yogis may practice other forms of yoga that benefit spinal health, such as Ashtanga and Iyengar.
However, if practiced wrong, those practices may injure instead of heal and prevent spinal disease, causing back pain and limited movement.
If you’re interested in growing in your yoga journey but are not sure about the quality of your form, your alignment, or are trying to cure your back pain, we encourage you to check out the 1-on-1 plans MyYogaTeacher has available!
Making personalized attention from expert yoga instructors affordable and accessible is important to us because we truly believe in the power of yoga to heal!
Not all forms of exercise specifically improve posture and muscle strength around the spine like yoga does.
We’ve talked about how yoga reduces inflammation in the body before. But when we think of inflammation, we don’t tend to think about the spine.
Stress responses produce systemic inflammation, which means no area of the body is immune. Injuries and surgeries also cause inflammation. Pain, in general, emotional, mental, or physical, increases cortisol levels.
When the muscles surrounding the spine are inflamed, back pain ensues, even if that inflammation isn’t directly from spinal issues.
A regular yoga practice reduces back pain. Yoga cures back pain too!
One of the primary benefits of yoga is reduced inflammation in the body, a result of lower stress levels. Spinal deterioration is often more progressive when there is consistent inflammation in the muscles surrounding the spine.
This means that the more you regularly practice yoga, the less back pain you will experience.
Not only are you preventing back issues by strengthening your spinal muscles and core, you're relieving tension with stretches and reducing friction between the vertebrae and discs due to reduced levels of inflammation.
Maybe you’re an experienced yogi who knew this already. Maybe you’re not! Or maybe you are at an age where protecting your spine and preventing spinal problems is more challenging than it was a decade or two ago.
Whatever the case, MyYogaTeacher is here to help! When you sign up for a 1:1 membership with us you get:
The ability to switch instructors or take classes with only your faves
Access to unlimited group classes, taught live
Personalized instruction and work out, diet, and lifestyle plans
To be a member of a HUGE community of happy yogis from around the world
Yoga teachers who become friends, who truly care about you!
If you haven’t checked us out already, grab TWO FREE 1:1 sessions with your 2-week free trial here !
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{"slug":"yoga-prevents-spine-problems","recentPosts":[{"id":"clfi5maddjflg0bkbot5q89bb","slug":"yoga-for-women's-health-event-march-23","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Celebrating Women: Yoga for Women’s Health","subTitle":null,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":null,"readTime":null,"excerpt":null,"tags":[],"createdAt":"2023-03-21T11:10:10.172786+00:00","coverUrl":"vlezqpj75vmjs0jt9j5o.png","content":{"text":"Don’t miss our free Yoga for Women’s Health Event March 28-30!\\n\\nThis month is all about celebrating women and promoting women’s health! The Yoga for Women’s Health Event is designed for women of all ages to be able to participate. Discover all the ways you can use yoga to enhance and protect your physical, mental and emotional health!\\nDid you know that 8 out of 10 women feel like their doctors, at some point, have ignored them or been dismissive of their health concerns? And over 50% of women in America struggle with some form of mental health issue. Yoga, meditation, and a yogic lifestyle are all ways to significantly improve your health as a woman. \\nAt MyYogaTeacher, expert instructors with higher education in many different fields are available to walk with you on your health journey and help you advocate for your health in ways you may not have otherwise!\\nThis special event\\n focuses on…you guessed it, women!\\nWalk away from these amazing classes feeling energized and empowered and more prepared to take control of your mental, emotional, and physical health!\\n\n\\nHow to join the International Women’s Day 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\\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\\nCheck out the educational, inspiring, and beautiful 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\\n\\nMantra Chanting with Niyata \\n\\nTuesday, March 28 at 6:30 am PST/ 9:30 am EST\\n\nReady to feel calmer, more focused, and more relaxed? Enter a meditative state where you will connect with yourself and nature in this class focused on mantra chanting! This singing form of meditation will have you feeling more alive, present, and less stressed. \\n\\n\\nYoga for Menopausal Women with Gomati\\n\\nWednesday, March 29 at 6:30 pm PST/ 9:30 pm EST\\n\nAre you struggling with perimenopause or menopause symptoms? Hot flashes, hormone imbalances, mood swings, loss of strength and flexibility, and more? Join us in a yoga class designed just for you and walk away feeling better about your mental, physical, and emotional health during this stage of life!\\n\n\\nNritya and Yoga with Umesh\\n\\nThursday, March 30 at 5:00 pm PST/ 8:00 pm EST\\n\\nNritya means “pure dance” and is graceful movement of the body to express emotion! This class combines yoga and Nritya to help you balance your physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. You’ll walk away feeling refreshed and energized!\\nCMaking your health and wellness a priority is something you’ll never regret! Yoga is such an easy and convenient way to honor your physical, mental, and emotional needs and live in alignment with your values and purpose! Which brings harmony to your inner and outer world.\\nAnd don’t forget to check out other 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\\n\\nAnnelise Piers\\n\\n\\nShika Sood \\n\\n\\nSwati Dalvi\\n\\n\\nAbhishek Bodhi\\n\\n\\nPreeti Goswami\\n\\n\\nRohan Shroff\\n\\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 International Women’s Day Event!\\nSee you soon!\\n"},"category":["myYogaTeacher"]},{"id":"clfcfc8ew0zqr0bk4rrjqnxeq","slug":"8-easy-yoga-poses-for-improved-blood-circulation","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"8 Easy Yoga Poses for Improved Blood Circulation","subTitle":null,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":"Yoga improves blood circulation by stimulating blood flow, increasing oxygen, regulating your digestive system, and reducing inflammation in your body.","readTime":null,"excerpt":"Learn the best poses to improve poor blood circulation.\n","tags":[],"createdAt":"2023-03-17T10:55:40.177521+00:00","coverUrl":"pco80fu8hfoyq5rkppxw.jpg","content":{"text":"Do you often feel cold or numb fingers and toes, swelling, weakness, or a tingling sensation in your extremities? You might have poor blood circulation, which can be caused by a number of factors, including various heart conditions, diabetes, obesity, blood clots, or diseases like Reynard’s.\\nThe effects of poor blood circulation can impact your entire body, and while it’s most important to address the cause of low blood circulation, yoga can help keep it from getting worse. And by improving blood flow, you can increase the flow of oxygen, regulate your digestive system, and reduce inflammation in your body.\\n\\nHow Yoga Increases Blood Flow?\\nYoga has been used for centuries for better health, and one of the ways it improves physical wellness is by increasing blood flow. Through various postures (asanas), yoga works to stretch, strengthen, twist, and compress your body to stimulate better circulation. Combined with breathing techniques (pranayama), yoga can also reduce high blood pressure and increase blood flow within your body’s tissue.\\nAll yoga helps improve your body’s ability to circulate blood, regardless of the style or method of movement. And you don’t need to be an advanced yogi or incredibly fit to take advantage of yoga’s benefits for your circulatory system. Through a regular weekly practice of yoga, you can improve blood circulation and your overall health at the same time.\\n\n\\n8 Easy Yoga Poses for Improved Blood Circulation\\n\nAre you ready to get started? Try the poses below to get your body moving and your blood circulating properly. You can also join an online class at \\nMyYogaTeacher\\n, or schedule a private session with a certified instructor who can tailor a yoga routine to your specific needs.\\n\\n1. Downward Facing Dog Pose\\n\\nThis pose encourages blood flow to the brain and upper body. It requires the body to be inverted, which helps to increase circulation to the head and neck.\\nWith your hands and knees on the floor, push your hips upward until you are balancing on your hands and feet, and your body resembles an inverted “v” shape. Reach your heels toward the floor, stretching your hamstrings and activating your thighs. Keep your head between your arms, lengthening your side-body as you stretch. Stay here for several breaths.\\n\\n2. Plow Pose\\n\\nPlow pose regulates your digestive system, strengthens the spine, and increases blood flow to your thyroid gland.\\nLie on your back on a yoga mat with your arms by your side and your legs extended. Lift your legs up toward the ceiling, keeping them straight as you slowly lower them over your head. Use your hands underneath your lower back for support as you touch your feet to the floor behind your head. Once your toes are touching the ground, bring your hands out from under your lower back and place them at your sides. Hold this pose for 20-30 seconds while maintaining an easy breath.\\n\\n3. Shoulder Stand Pose\\n\\nThis pose helps to reverse blood flow to the heart and increases circulation to the brain. It also helps to relieve fatigue and calm the mind.\\nLie down on 1-2 blankets folded underneath your shoulder blades, with the back of your head on the floor. As you inhale, lift your legs and hips, so that your body is balanced vertically from your upper arms and shoulders. Bending your arms, support your body with your hands on your lower back. Stay here for 5-10 breaths.\\n\\n4. Standing Forward Fold Pose\\n\\nStanding Forward Fold improves blood flow to your legs and feet and helps to relieve tension in your back and neck muscles.\\nStand at the front of your mat, feet hip distance apart. Exhale and bend forward from the waist, with your knees slightly bent and touching your hands to the floor in front of your feet. Inhale and exhale, allowing your torso to extend without rounding your back. Lengthen and soften your neck, and let the muscles of your thighs and lower back open and release any built-up tension. Hold the pose for 1-2 minutes.\\n\n5. Cobra Pose\\n\\nThis pose encourages blood flow to your digestive organs, which helps relieve gas and bloating. It also stretches your back muscles and helps reduce stress and anxiety.\\nLie on your stomach with your legs extended, arms folded under your head and your chin resting on your forearms. Place your hands at the level of your chest and press down with your hands. Slightly lift your head off the mat, keeping your head and back aligned, and press your thighs together. Now, steadily pull your elbows towards your ribs and align your hands and shoulders. On a deep inhale, press your hands into the mat, curl your shoulders backward, and lift your upper body off the mat. Hold this position for a few breaths and then rest.\\n\\n6. Warrior II Pose\\n\\nYour legs are an important part of your body’s overall circulation. Warrior II strengthens and compresses the muscle tissue and veins in your legs for better blood flow.\\nMove to the back portion of your mat and step your right foot forward. Your right toes should be pointed forward and your left (back) foot should be kept parallel with your mat. Bend your right knee at 90 degrees, taking care not to overextend. Your right knee should not move forward past your toes. With your hips evenly squared, stretch your arms out to both sides, so that your right arm extends out in front of you and your left arm behind you. Open your chest and focus on activating your legs so that you are grounded into your mat. Hold this pose for 5-6 breaths and repeat on the other side.\\n\\n7. Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose\\n\\nThis half-inverted posture helps drain any excess blood from your lower extremities and relieves stress and high blood pressure.\\nPlace a folded blanket parallel against a wall. Sit sideways in the middle of the blanket, and turn yourself toward the wall, lifting your legs up and propping them against the wall. Lay back comfortably, rest your head and neck on the floor, and fully straighten your legs. Spread your arms out to your sides with your palms facing up. Allow your chest, abdomen, and pelvis to completely relax. Breathe evenly and mindfully while holding this pose for 5-8 minutes.\\n\\n8. Seated Twist Pose\\n\\nSitting with your knees bent and your feet tucked in next to your left butt cheek, inhale with your spine straight, lifting your chest. As you exhale, rotate your torso to your right. Position your right hand on the floor just slightly behind you, and rest your left hand on your right knee. On your next breath, rotate a little more as you exhale, turning your head to look over your right shoulder. Hold this pose for 20 to 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side."},"category":["fitness"]},{"id":"clfce8q050idr0aiombuq99xa","slug":"yoga-for-dancers","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"10 Yoga Poses Every Dancer Should Know","subTitle":null,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":"If you’re looking to become a better dancer, or improve your existing skill set, yoga can help you gain more flexibility, strength, balance, and master your breathing.","readTime":null,"excerpt":"Learn the best yoga poses for dancers to improve strength, balance, and flexibility.\n","tags":[],"createdAt":"2023-03-17T10:24:56.736557+00:00","coverUrl":"rg8yvhhzuzvbnjnqb6qj.jpg","content":{"text":"If you’re a dancer then you already know — dancing requires the kind of full-body muscular control that’s much more involved than just being graceful on your feet. To be a good dancer, you need a high level of body awareness, muscle tone and flexibility. But that’s not all — dancing also requires control over your breathing to execute those delicate moves with ease.\\nIf you’re looking to become a better dancer, or improve your existing skill set, yoga can help you gain more flexibility, strength, balance, and master your breathing. Yoga can also help improve your posture and alignment, and boost your concentration, awareness, and your well-being.\\n\\nThe Best Kind of Yoga for Dancers\\nMost dancers come to yoga with a preset level of flexibility most students don’t have. That’s why it’s important to take it slow if you’re just starting to practice yoga. It may be tempting to push too hard and overdo it. Like dancing, yoga poses require specific alignment — performing poses incorrectly can lead to injury.\\nDepending on your goals, there are multiple styles of yoga that may be right for you. For a flowing practice of yoga that often mimics dancing, Vinyasa yoga can help you gain more flexibility and movement that compliments your dance performance. Like Vinyasa, Power yoga can sometimes involve flowing movement, but it's a style more focused on building strength and balance.\\nHatha, Iyengar, and Ashtanga yoga can also help improve your balance and posture, and these types of yoga typically involve some kind of breath work (or pranayama). If you need to unwind and destress while stretching sore and overworked muscles, Yin yoga or Restorative yoga can help you relax with gentle poses that are held for longer periods of time.\\n\\n10 Effective Yoga Poses for Dancers\\nOf course, you can get started with some basic poses to help improve your dancing skills in the comfort of your own home. Try the poses below for a basic primer on dance-friendly yoga poses, or schedule an at-home session at \\nMyYogaTeacher online\\n.\\n\\n1. Tree Pose\\n\\nTree pose is an excellent pose for improving your balance and posture.\\nStand in Mountain pose with your feet hip distance apart. Keep your arms relaxed at your sides while you focus on an easy, steady breath. Transfer your body weight to your left foot, while softly bending your right knee, pulling it into your chest. Place the sole of your right foot on the inside of your left thigh. Keep your spine and head straight, with your gaze forward. Once you’ve steadied your balance, bring your hands together in Namaste formation. Hold for 5-6 deep breaths.\\n\\n2. Warrior I Pose\\n\\nWarrior I is both lengthening and strengthening, giving your legs a workout while stretching your upper body.\\nStand in the center of your mat with your weight evenly balanced on both your feet. Step your right foot forward with your toes pointed toward the front of the mat. Angle your left (back) foot slightly. Bend your right knee at 90 degrees while keeping your left leg flexed and engaged. Inhale and lift your arms up toward the ceiling. Gently arch your back and lift your chest. You can keep your gaze facing forward, or look up toward your hands to further open your chest. Hold for 30-60 seconds and then repeat on the other side.\\n\\n3. Half-Moon Pose\\n\\nThis pose also improves your balance while strengthening your legs.\\nFrom the center of your mat, step your right foot forward. Drop your left hand to your side while reaching your right hand forward. Touch the tip of the mat with your right hand as you inhale and lift your left leg off the floor. Ground your right foot into the mat, and gently straighten your right leg. Lift and extend your left arm so that it is stretching up toward the ceiling, and lengthen your left leg as it extends toward the back of the room. Keep your head in a neutral position and your gaze facing forward. Hold for 3-4 breaths.\\n\\n4. Dancer’s Pose\\n\\nThe perfect pose for dancers, this posture works on your balance, focus, and alignment.\\nStand in the middle of your mat with your weight evenly balanced on both feet. Shift your weight onto your left foot, while bending your right knee and grabbing your right foot with your right hand. Lift your left arm up toward the ceiling. Bend at your waist and slowly lean forward, lifting your right leg and engaging your core. For better balance, focus your gaze on a fixed point in front of you. Hold for 3-5 breaths, then repeat on the other side.\\n\\n5. Downward Facing Dog Pose\\n\\nOne of the basic primary poses, Downward Facing Dog stretches your calves, hamstrings, and lower back.\\nWith your hands and knees on the floor, push your hips upward until you are balancing on your hands and feet, and your body resembles an inverted “v” shape. Reach your heels toward the floor, stretching your hamstrings and activating your thighs. Keep your head between your arms, lengthening your side-body as you stretch. Stay here for several breaths.\\n\\n6. Plank Pose\\n\\nFor incredible balance and core strength, try practicing Plank pose at least once every day.\\nStart with your hands and knees on the floor in tabletop position, with your hands placed shoulder-width apart. Engage your core and lift the backs of your thighs toward the ceiling until your body is positioned in a straight line from your heels through your crown. Tuck your tailbone and press down with your heels as you hold this pose for 30-60 seconds.\\n\\n7. Locust Pose\\n\\nLocust builds strength in your lower back and spine while stretching your core.\\nLie face down on your mat, resting your forehead on your forearms and your legs stretched straight out behind you. With an inhale, extend your arms to your sides and lift your lower legs off the mat, keeping your upper legs (thighs and core) flat on the mat. Engage your glutes and press both of your legs together while holding them up. Hold this pose for 5-6 breaths.\\n\\n8. Fixed Angle Pose\\n\\nRange of motion in your hips is important for dancing, and Fixed Angle pose stretches your hip muscles while relieving tension in your lower back.\\nSit on your yoga mat with your knees bent and the soles of your feet pressed against each other. With your spine straight, press your hands behind you and gently open up your chest and tuck in your abdomen. Hold the pose for 1-2 minutes.\\n\\n9. Boat Pose\\n\\nAnother great posture for core strength, Boat pose works your abdominal muscles and improves your balance.\\nSit on your mat with your knees bent and your hands at your sides. Engage your core, and gently lift and straighten your legs and your arms together, forming your body into a “v” shape. Keep your gaze focused on a fixed point in front of you, your chest open and your spine straight. Hold for a few breaths.\\n\\n10. Corpse Pose\\n\\nWhile this pose may seem deceptively simple, it’s one of the most important yoga postures you can practice. Corpse pose will help you de-stress, relax, and fully integrate your yoga practice.\\nSit on your yoga mat and lower your body to the floor, relaxing your legs and letting your arms rest on the floor at your sides, palms up. Keep your eyes closed and focus on your breathing. Relax the muscles in your face and neck, and visualize every part of your body letting go of all tension. Hold this pose for 5-7 minutes.\\n\\nFrequently Asked Questions about Yoga for Dancers\\n\\nHow is yoga good for dancers?\\nYoga is an excellent practice for dancers because it helps to improve flexibility, balance, and strength, which are all essential components of dance. Yoga postures are designed to work the entire body, and as a result, they can help dancers to develop the strength and stamina necessary to perform at their best. In addition to the physical benefits, yoga can also help dancers to reduce stress and anxiety, allowing them to focus more deeply on their performance.\\n\\nWhy is yoga good for dancers?\\nYoga is beneficial for dancers in many ways. One of the most significant advantages of practicing yoga is its ability to improve flexibility. Dancers need to be flexible to perform at their best, and yoga can help them achieve a greater range of motion in their movements. Additionally, yoga can improve balance, which is essential for dancers who must maintain precise alignment during their performances. Yoga can also help to prevent injuries and promote overall wellness, making it an excellent complement to any dancer's training regimen.\\n\\nHow to get started in yoga for dancers?\\nIf you're a dancer looking to incorporate yoga into your practice, there are several things you can do to get started. One of the best ways is to find a yoga teacher who has experience working with dancers. They will be able to tailor their instruction to your specific needs and goals. Additionally, you can look for yoga classes that focus on flexibility and balance, as these are areas that are particularly important for dancers. Finally, consider incorporating yoga into your warm-up or cool-down routine. This can be an excellent way to begin incorporating yoga into your dance practice and help you see the benefits of yoga firsthand."},"category":["yoga_poses"]},{"id":"clf85l4cl78em0bkbhopd810t","slug":"yoga-to-overcome-addiction-and-bad-habits","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"How Yoga Can Help Overcoming Addiction and Bad Habits","subTitle":null,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":"Discover how practicing yoga can aid in breaking free from addiction and negative habits. Learn how to cultivate a healthier mindset and lifestyle.","readTime":null,"excerpt":null,"tags":[],"createdAt":"2023-03-14T11:11:33.953263+00:00","coverUrl":"nzclqzjeil5ts2kgfknk.jpg","content":{"text":"Are you struggling with addiction or bad habits that are holding you back from living your best life? You're not alone. Many people find themselves trapped in a cycle of self-destructive behavior that can be difficult to break free from. However, there is a powerful tool that can help you overcome these challenges and reclaim control of your life: Yoga.\\nYoga is more than just a physical exercise. It's a holistic practice that integrates body, mind, and spirit. Through the practice of yoga, you can develop greater self-awareness, cultivate mindfulness, and build resilience to overcome addiction and bad habits.\\nIn this article, we'll explore the ways in which yoga can help you overcome addiction and bad habits. We'll discuss the science behind how yoga affects the brain and body, as well as practical tips for incorporating yoga into your daily routine. Whether you're new to yoga or have been practicing for years, you'll discover how this ancient practice can help you heal and transform your life. So let's dive in and explore the transformative power of yoga for overcoming addiction and bad habits.\\n\\nYoga as a mind-body practice:\\nYoga is a holistic practice that brings together the body, mind, and spirit. When it comes to addiction and bad habits, yoga can be especially helpful because it addresses both the physical and emotional aspects of the issue. By practicing yoga regularly, individuals can develop a greater awareness of their thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. This increased awareness can help them identify the root causes of their addiction or bad habit and develop new coping strategies.\\n\\nMindfulness and self-awareness in yoga:\\nOne of the key benefits of yoga for addiction and bad habits is that it promotes mindfulness and self-awareness. By practicing yoga, individuals can learn to observe their thoughts and emotions without judgment. This can be incredibly helpful for those struggling with addiction or bad habits, as it can help them become more aware of their triggers and make more conscious decisions. Through yoga, individuals can cultivate a greater sense of self-awareness and learn to respond to their emotions in a healthy way.\\n\\nYoga as a coping mechanism:\\nAnother benefit of yoga for addiction and bad habits is that it can be a healthy and productive way to cope with stress, anxiety, and other difficult emotions. By practicing yoga, individuals can learn to manage their emotions in a positive way. This can be especially helpful for those who have relied on addictive behaviors as a way to cope with stress or negative emotions in the past.\\n\\nHow yoga can reduce stress and anxiety:\\nStress and anxiety are common triggers for addictive behaviors. Yoga has been shown to be an effective way to reduce stress and anxiety, which can make individuals more resilient and less likely to turn to addictive behaviors as a way to cope. By practicing yoga regularly, individuals can cultivate a sense of inner calm and develop healthier coping mechanisms.\\n\n\\nYoga as a way to improve physical health:\\nFinally, it's important to remember that addiction and bad habits can take a toll on physical health as well as mental health. Yoga is a great way to improve physical health, which can in turn support addiction and bad habit recovery. By practicing yoga, individuals can improve their flexibility, strength, and overall physical well-being.\\n\\nYoga Practices to Help Overcome Addiction and Bad Habits:\\nNow that we've explored the ways in which yoga can help with addiction and bad habits, let's dive into specific yoga practices that can be particularly beneficial.\\n\n\\n10 Yoga Asanas to Overcome Addiction and Bad Habits:\\nYoga asanas, or postures, can help individuals develop greater physical awareness and flexibility. This can be especially helpful for those who may have neglected their physical health due to addiction or bad habits. Certain asanas can also help individuals release tension and promote relaxation. Some asanas that can be particularly beneficial for addiction and bad habits include:\\n1.Tadasana (Mountain Pose)\\n\\nTadasana is a simple yet powerful yoga asana that can help you develop a sense of grounding and stability. This pose can help you overcome addictive tendencies by strengthening your willpower and focus.\\nTo practice Tadasana, stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms by your sides. Press your feet into the ground and lift your spine towards the ceiling. Hold the pose for a few breaths and then release.\\n\\n2.Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)\\n\\nAdho Mukha Svanasana is a popular yoga asana that can help you release tension and stress. This pose can help you overcome addictive tendencies by calming your mind and reducing anxiety.\\nTo practice Adho Mukha Svanasana, come onto your hands and knees, with your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees hip-width apart. Press your hands into the ground and lift your hips towards the ceiling. Hold the pose for a few breaths and then release.\\n\\n3.Vrikshasana (Tree Pose)\\n\\nVrikshasana is a balancing yoga asana that can help you develop focus and concentration. This pose can help you overcome addictive tendencies by strengthening your willpower and self-discipline.\\nTo practice Vrikshasana, stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms by your sides. Lift your right foot and place it on your left thigh. Press your hands into your heart and hold the pose for a few breaths. Repeat on the other side.\\n\\n4.Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)\\n\\nBhujangasana is a gentle backbend that can help you release tension and stress. This pose can help you overcome addictive tendencies by reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation.\\nTo practice Bhujangasana, lie on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders. Press your hands into the ground and lift your chest towards the ceiling. Hold the pose for a few breaths and then release.\\n\\n5.Ustrasana (Camel Pose)\\n\\nUstrasana is a deep backbend that can help you release tension and stress. This pose can help you overcome addictive tendencies by promoting self-acceptance and inner peace.\\nTo practice Ustrasana, kneel on the ground with your knees hip-width apart. Place your hands on your lower back and lift your chest towards the ceiling. Hold the pose for a few breaths and then release.\\n\\n6.Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II Pose)\\n\\nVirabhadrasana II is a powerful standing pose that can help you develop strength and stamina. This pose can help you overcome addictive tendencies by boosting your confidence and self-esteem.\\nTo practice Virabhadrasana II, stand with your feet wide apart and your arms by your sides. Turn your right foot out to the side and bend your right knee. Extend your arms out to the sides and hold the pose for a few breaths. Repeat on the other side.\\n\\n7.Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)\\n\\nSetu Bandhasana is a gentle backbend that can help you release tension and stress. This pose can help you overcome addictive tendencies by promoting relaxation and inner peace.\\nTo practice Setu Bandhasana, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart. Lift your hips towards the ceiling and hold the pose for a few breaths.\\n\\n8.Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)\\n\\nDhanurasana is a backbend that can help you release tension and increase your energy levels. This pose can help you overcome addictive tendencies by promoting self-awareness and mindfulness.\\nTo practice Dhanurasana, lie on your stomach with your arms by your sides. Bend your knees and reach back to grab your ankles. Lift your chest and thighs off the ground and hold the pose for a few breaths.\\n\\n9.Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)\\n\\nPaschimottanasana is a forward bend that can help you release tension and calm your mind. This pose can help you overcome addictive tendencies by reducing stress and anxiety.\\nTo practice Paschimottanasana, sit on the ground with your legs extended in front of you. Reach forward and grab your feet or ankles. Fold forward and hold the pose for a few breaths.\\n\\n10.Savasana (Corpse Pose)\\n\\nSavasana is a relaxing pose that can help you release tension and promote deep relaxation. This pose can help you overcome addictive tendencies by promoting self-awareness and inner peace.\\nTo practice Savasana, lie on your back with your arms by your sides. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Allow your body to completely relax and hold the pose for several minutes.\\n\\n\n\n\\nPranayama (breathing exercises) for addiction and bad habits:\\nPranayama, or breathing exercises, can be incredibly helpful for managing stress and anxiety, which are common triggers for addictive behaviors. By practicing pranayama, individuals can learn to regulate their breath and promote a sense of calm. Some pranayama techniques that can be particularly beneficial for addiction and bad habits include:\n\\n1. Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana):\\n This technique involves breathing through alternate nostrils, which can help balance the nervous system and promote relaxation.\\n\n\\n2. Bhramari (Bee Breath):\\n This technique involves making a humming sound while exhaling, which can be incredibly calming and soothing.\\n\\nMeditation for addiction and bad habits:\\nMeditation is a powerful tool for cultivating mindfulness and self-awareness. By practicing meditation, individuals can learn to observe their thoughts and emotions without judgment, which can help them make more conscious decisions and develop healthier habits. Some meditation techniques that can be particularly beneficial for addiction and bad habits include:\\n\n\\n1.Body Scan Meditation:\\n This technique involves scanning the body from head to toe and noticing any sensations without judgment.\\n\n\\n2.Loving-Kindness Meditation: \\nThis technique involves directing loving-kindness and compassion towards oneself and others, which can be particularly helpful for those who struggle with self-criticism or negative self-talk.\\n\\nYoga Nidra for addiction and bad habits:\\nYoga Nidra, or yogic sleep, is a guided meditation technique that can be incredibly helpful for promoting relaxation and reducing stress. This technique involves lying down in a comfortable position and listening to a guided meditation. Yoga Nidra can be particularly beneficial for those who struggle with insomnia or difficulty sleeping due to addiction or bad habits.\\nBy incorporating these specific yoga practices into a regular yoga practice, individuals can develop greater self-awareness, manage stress and anxiety, and promote relaxation. Yoga for addiction and bad habits is a holistic approach to healing that can be incredibly powerful and transformative.\\n\n"},"category":["mental_health"]},{"id":"clf6jkhsmy3bl0ak7nevjedbo","slug":"yoga-for-cyclists","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Strengthen Your Cycling Practice with These 10 Essential Yoga Poses","subTitle":null,"seoTitle":null,"seoDescription":"Yoga for cycling can help you recover from long hours on the bike and strengthen your body for better strength, endurance, and overall performance.","readTime":null,"excerpt":"Learn which yoga poses for cycling help boost performance.\n","tags":[],"createdAt":"2023-03-13T08:07:26.994932+00:00","coverUrl":"r6u5ncsafm93cnw8uyya.jpg","content":{"text":"Cycling is a sport that can give you a full body workout, and whether you’re recovering from a long ride or looking to elevate your ability to a new level, yoga can help compliment your days on the bike.\\nBoth indoor and outdoor cycling works your glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves and core muscles. Yoga for cycling focuses on stretching and strengthening those muscles for better performance and faster recovery. \\nKeep in mind, alignment is the most important part of each pose. It’s more beneficial to hold each pose correctly than for a lengthy period of time. So, if you’re just starting out with yoga, take it easy on yourself, pay attention to how your body feels, and work on achieving the right alignment for each posture before you progress to longer holds.\\nThe following are poses you can practice at home in the comfort of your own living room. For extra guidance and support, you can also try working with one of our online instructors at \\nMyYogaTeacher.\\n\\nReady to get started?\\n\\n10 Yoga Poses for Cycling\\n1.Cat-Cow Pose\\n\\nThis simple exercise increases mobility in your spine and torso, and gives your core and lower back muscles a stretch — after miles on the bike it’s a welcome cool down.\\nStart with your hands and knees on the floor. Inhale and look up, lifting your chin and gently arching your back. As you exhale, drop your chin and look down toward your naval as you curl your spine forward. Continue this movement 5-10 times.\\n\n\\n2. Downward Facing Dog Pose\\n\\nDownward Facing Dog efficiently stretches your calves and hamstrings, lengthening the muscles after long periods of contraction on the bike. It’s also a great position for stretching your lower back.\\nWith your hands and knees on the floor, push your hips upward until you are balancing on your hands and feet, and your body resembles an inverted “v” shape. Reach your heels toward the floor, stretching your hamstrings and activating your thighs. Keep your head between your arms, lengthening your side-body as you stretch. Stay here for several breaths.\\n\n\\n3. Bridge Pose\\n\\nThis is a pose that stretches and strengthens your muscles at the same time. While stretching your hips and core, Bridge pose strengthens your knees and quads.\\nStart by lying on your back with your knees bent. On your next exhale, tuck your chin and lift your hips, being careful not to allow your knees to splay outward. Interlace your fingers on the floor underneath you and lift your hips higher, while staying in the pose for 5-10 breaths.\\n\n\\n4. Plank Pose\\n\\nCycling requires a strong and healthy core. With regular practice of Plank pose, you’ll help your body endure long hours on the bike with decreased soreness.\\nLie face down on your mat, and using your palms to push up from the floor, lift your body until you are balanced on your palms and the toes of your feet. In this pose, your body should be positioned in a straight line, with your gaze directed at the floor in front of you. Hold for a few breaths, or for 30-60 seconds if you are feeling strong in this pose.\\n\n\\n5. Triangle Pose\\n\\nBecause cycling is so taxing for your legs, there is no such thing as too many leg stretching poses. Triangle stretches your hamstrings, glutes, hips and calves, as well as the sides of your torso.\\nFrom a standing position at the top of your mat, slowly move one foot back and position it parallel with the edge of your mat, and your other foot pointing forward in a wide-leg stance. Inhale and stretch out both your arms parallel to the ground. As you exhale, bend at your hip and place the fingertips of your forward-pointing arm at the outside of your forward-pointing foot. Rotate your torso and extend your back arm so that it is pointing straight up. Hold for 3-5 breaths and repeat on the other side.\\n\n\\n6. Seated Forward Fold Pose\\n\\nAnother great pose for deeply stretching your lower back, hamstrings and calves, Seated Forward Fold can also be adjusted if you have particularly tight hamstrings. If it feels too intense, try bending your knees and only lowering your torso halfway down.\\nSit on your mat with your legs extended in front of you and your hands resting on your thighs. As you inhale, open your chest and straighten your spine. On your next exhale, bend at the waist, bringing your chest toward your thighs while maintaining a straight spine. Once you’ve lowered about halfway down, allow your spine to round and continue until your forehead touches your knees. Grasp your feet with your hands or you can hook your index and ring fingers around your big toes. Hold this pose for 1-2 minutes.\\n\n\\n6. Locust Pose\\n\\nThis is another pose that performs double-duty. It stretches your abdominal muscles while strengthening your back and shoulders for better endurance on the bike.\\nLie face down on your mat, resting your forehead on your forearms and your legs stretched straight out behind you. With an inhale, extend your arms to your sides and lift your lower legs off the mat, keeping your upper legs (thighs and core) flat on the mat. Engage your glutes and press both of your legs together while holding them up. Hold this pose for 5-6 breaths.\\n\n\\n7. Sphinx Pose\\n\\nAfter so many hours hunched over the bike, it’s important to practice a few stretches that bend your spine and torso in the opposite direction. Sphinx pose increases your spinal mobility and stretches your abdominal muscles.\\nStart by laying on your mat with your belly facing down. Place your palms on the floor next to you, with your elbows under your shoulders, gently lift your upper body. Your legs should be extended straight back behind you as you hold this pose that resembles the Egyptian Sphinx statue. Open your chest and keep your chin level with the floor, with your gaze facing forward. Hold the pose for 1-2 minutes, or longer if you feel comfortable.\\n\n\\n8. Fixed Angle Pose\\n\\nIf you spend a lot of time on the bike, you might have tight hip abductor muscles. Fixed Angle pose, or commonly known as “Cobbler’s pose” stretches your hips and lower back muscles to relieve sore muscles after long rides.\\nSit on your yoga mat with your knees bent and the soles of your feet pressed against each other. With your spine straight, press your hands behind you and gently open up your chest and tuck in your abdomen. Hold the pose for 1-2 minutes.\\n\n\\n9. Supine Figure Four Pose\\n\\nDo you have sore glutes and hips after your rides? This simple stretch can relieve tight glutes and hip abductors.\\nStart by laying down with your back on the floor with both knees bent. Cross your right ankle over your left knee, resembling the shape of a figure four. Place your left hand around your left knee, and thread your right hand through the opening to clasp your hands together around your knee. Inhale, and as you exhale, pull your left knee toward your chest as far as you feel comfortable, and hold for 30-60 seconds. Repeat on the other side.\\n\n\\n10. Pigeon Pose\\n\\n\nThis pose also deeply stretches your quads and hip abductors. It’s also a great pose to release tension and de-stress.\\nStart in Downward Facing Dog. Lift your left leg up behind you, and swing it forward while lowering yourself to the mat. Your left leg should sit bent in front of you with your shin resting on the mat and your right leg extended behind you. With your palms on the floor at your sides for support, inhale and lift your chest. As you exhale, begin to bend forward, rounding your spine as your lower your torso over your left quad. Lower yourself as far as you feel capable, while keeping your hips squared toward the front of your mat. Once your forehead reaches the mat or an otherwise comfortable location, hold this pose for 2-3 minutes. Repeat on the other side."},"category":[]}],"randomPosts":[{"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!","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"}},{"id":"ckxj9p6psv11u0e82wnfnyqjr","slug":"couples-yoga","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":null,"pictureUrl":null},"title":"5 Reasons Couples Should Do Yoga Together","createdAt":"2021-12-23T17:57:28.845262+00:00","coverUrl":"zbirsieovqwbzfavztoh.jpg","content":{"text":"It’s not new news that relationships of any kind can be challenging. Sometimes in good ways and sometimes bad, but either way, we grow and learn.\\nFriendships, relationships with parents, siblings, coworkers. Even the very strongest bonds between humans can face obstacles. But our relationships with husbands, wives, domestic partners, boyfriends, or girlfriends often involve more unique challenges than any other type of relationship.\\nRomantic bonds are very special bonds. These relationships require a significant amount of attention and work to be and stay healthy.\\nThere are many types of activities which promote healthy romantic relationship growth and maintenance, and today we’re going to address one of our faves! You guessed it! Yoga. \\nBecause your yoga journey is (or should be) a uniquely personal experience, we feel that couples yoga is perfect for those who are longing to not only grow in their yoga practice together but also become more bonded to one another.\\nRomantic couples yoga builds trust, connection, intimacy, compassion, empathy, and still fosters better physical, mental, and emotional health on an individual basis.\\nIf you’ve never tried a couples yoga class before, \\nMyYogaTeacher\\n is a perfect place to start! We offer private yoga classes with authentic, expert, traditional yoga instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India! You and your partner can experience personalized attention, individual corrections, and a fun, unique yoga class with instructors that you love and trust and who truly care about you and your partner.\\n\\nGet your 2-week free trial here\\n and also get unlimited access to over 50+ different group yoga classes! You can get your yoga in from anywhere in the world there’s WiFi!\\nFollowing are the reasons why we feel couples should do yoga together : \\n\\n\\n\\n1. Yoga is an opportunity to spend time together.\\nIn this busy, chaotic world, couples prioritize their time together less and less. Notice, we didn’t say they \\nhave less time\\n to spend together. Because that’s simply not true.\\nWe make time for what we truly care about the most. \\nMaking your relationship a priority over almost everything else in your life besides your own selfcare and basic needs is the best way to grow and thrive as a couple. You are still very much individual people. But after that, you’re a pair!\\nYoga is the perfect opportunity for \\ncouples\\n to spend time together, prevents distancing, and helps them learn how to better give and take.\\nYoga for couples create shared moments where they can come together and leave the world behind, create memories, and enjoy their relationship, if only for a brief time in their day.\\n\\n\\n\\n2. Yoga fosters a physical connection.\\nIn a world where we are often met with coldness – blank stares, scowling faces, insincere handshakes, office partitions, and unhappy environments – any chance we get to physically and/or emotionally connect with the warmth and love of our romantic partner is one we should take full advantage of!\\nYoga for romantic couples is a perfect way to connect (or reconnect) physically with your partner.\\nYour skin is your largest organ. When you receive pleasant touches, your brain releases a hormone called oxytocin, which not only lowers feelings of stress, anxiety, and fear but actually helps you build an even stronger emotional bond to your partner.\\nSince touch is an integral part of couples yoga, it makes sense that a regular couples yoga practice will surely strengthen your bond with your romantic partner!\\n\\n\\n\\n3. Couples yoga reduces stress and anxiety.\\nOne of the primary benefits of yoga is stress reduction and relief from anxiety and depression symptoms. \\nAs we’ve discussed, relationships can be stressful. Compromises, disagreements, societal pressures. Being in a romantic relationship requires a certain level of responsibility, which can also be stressful. \\nOn top of that, many people allow the stressors of their work life seep into their personal lives. It’s hard to compartmentalize work life and home life sometimes.\\nExcessive stress and anxiety, if unmanaged, definitely has a negative impact on any relationship, but especially the one with your partner. Couples yoga not only releases oxytocin, a feel good chemical (often called the “love hormone”), yoga allows your body to release other “happiness” hormones.\\nEndorphins, dopamine, and serotonin are all released into the bloodstream during and after your yoga practice. \\nThe connection that comes from doing yoga together plus the mutual release of all of these amazing chemicals helps couples destress, releases anxiety, and allows them to face the world with more peace.\\nThey stay grounded together and lean into each others’ strengths in times of trouble!\\n\\n\\n\\n4. Yoga for couples creates sexual wellbeing and intimacy.\\nIt should come as no surprise that stress and anxiety reduction makes room in your relationship for more intimacy. \\nHowever, couples who are distant, disengaged, out of sync, and have busy lives also usually struggle with maintaining or creating the intimacy and sexual wellbeing many need in their romantic relationships. Additionally, if one or both partners isn’t fit, flexible, or toned, that can affect their self confidence in the bedroom as well as how well they interact physically.\\nCouples yoga (practiced privately) can also include massage, meditation, and mutually beneficial poses that spark intimacy.\\nIt also helps that yoga can be done at home in an area of the house that’s comfortable for you and your partner. Feeling mentally, physically, and emotionally safe is important to creating a healthy sex life, and so if intimacy is your goal, it’s best to practice couples yoga in a place where you both feel very comfortable!\\n\\n\\n\\n5. Couples yoga helps build trust and emotional support.\\nTrust is one of the primary keys to making any relationship work but is especially important to have with your partner. \\nWhen we are romantically involved with another human, we open ourselves up in ways that make us vulnerable. We trust that person to treat us with care, respect, and love when we show them who we truly are.\\nIn this type of partnership, we rely heavily on the emotional support of the other person.\\nRomantic couples yoga requires you to rely partially or entirely on your partner, depending on what pose or poses you’re practicing. The types of poses practiced in couples yoga are often different from those performed in other forms of yoga.\\nIn this process of “letting go,” you will find you and your partner will cling to each other more. The result of this is you and your partner learn more about each other. Strengths, weaknesses, talents, and limitations. \\nNot just physically, but emotionally. \\nWith that knowledge, you both get to create an even deeper bond that allows you both to grow in your practice, your relationship, and as humans in ways you never imagined!\\nAll couples go through ups and downs in their relationship. This is normal! The goal is to have tools to navigate those down times in a way that is not only healthy but brings you closer together. \\nSometimes, you both may just need to do something fun, new, or exciting to make it through those challenging times. Other times, you may need to use couples yoga to reconnect, harmonize, calm down, or build up that much needed trust and emotional support!\\nMyYogaTeacher supports yogis in all walks of life, all ages, all fitness levels. Our yoga teachers always have your wants, needs, and goals in mind during your 1-on-1 and group sessions. \\nWhether you’ve spent your entire life practicing yoga or you haven’t made it to your first forward bend yet, we’d love to see your beautiful face on the mat at MyYogaTeacher! \\nIf you haven’t checked out our affordable 1:1 membership plans,\\n you can sign up for your 2-week free trial and get a look at what’s available to you here!\\n\\nJoin the community of members who are really enjoying the perks of 1:1 instruction at MyYogaTeacher!\\n“Doing yoga 1:1 I get to practice with one teacher who knows what I need and can track progress.” - Erin, MYT member since October 2019\\n“Making a correction with 1:1 yoga is way better than any corrections that are ever made in a group class.” - Michael, MYT member since October 2019\\n“There is more focus on your alignment and you get more personal attention with 1:1. You make progress a lot quicker because the teacher is able to fully focus on you and change the techniques based on your body type and need.” - Kashmira, MYT member since November 2019\\n\\nLearn more and sign up here!\\n"}},{"id":"ckfqz0ig001y80179mxwi01o9","slug":"5-easy-sleep-tips-for-bone-deep-sleep-tonight","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"5 Easy Tips for Bone-Deep Sleep Tonight","createdAt":"2019-12-04T00:00:00+00:00","coverUrl":"5-easy-tips-4.jpg","content":{"text":"Does winter kick your butt? Shorter days hit us really hard - making us feel sleepy all the time. We can’t make the days longer, but here are some tips to get that bone-deep sleep and wake up refreshed. \\n\\nWe’ve crafted this mini-routine below to help you get started.\\n\\nHave a snack\\nKeep the snack small and not too sweet. Maybe a piece of toast or a handful of nuts. Being even a little hungry can keep you up. \\n\\nTry a mini yoga sequence before bed\\nIf you can’t schedule a night-time \\nyoga session \\nwith your teacher, this sequence will do in a pinch. \\n\\nForward Fold\\n\\n\\n\\nSide Bend\\n\\n\\n\\nSeated Twist\\n\\n\\nChild's Pose\\n\\n\\nLegs Up The Wall\\n\\n\\n\\nFind your breathFind a comfortable position in bed. Count your breaths: 1 for the inhale and 2 for the exhale. Do this for at least a minute or two, trying to keep your focus on the breath. \\n\\n\\nYoga pose\\n in bedYou don’t need a mat for yoga! Try reclined butterfly with your hands on your belly or heart. Not into that pose? Ask your teacher for some personalized suggestions.\\n\\nBody scan \\nmeditation\\n begin at the top of your head, moving down to the toes. Name each part of your body, taking one breath. For example, you can start by thinking “Top of the head, back of the head, forehead, eyebrows, nose” and so on. \\n\\nGood luck and always feel free to drop us a line to let us know how it goes!\\n"}}],"relatedPosts":[{"id":"claqtt90v1oog0bimezcei2yq","slug":"yoga-with-your-partner","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":"will-1","pictureUrl":"will.jpeg"},"title":"Practicing Yoga with your Partner : 14 Yoga Poses Practice To Deepen Your Connection","createdAt":"2022-11-21T13:31:03.531635+00:00","coverUrl":"arv0lxzhmqel1ad4vmxv.jpg","content":{"text":"Are you looking to deepen your connection with your partner? Feeling detached? Yoga is a great way to reconnect with yourself and your relationship. If you’ve never practiced yoga with your partner, there's no time like now to get started! And Myyogateacher is the perfect place! You can practice with your partner at home, in your safe and secure place. \\nBegin your journey with us today! \\n\\n\n\\nWhy Should Couples Practice Yoga Together?\\nAccording to a \\n2016 study\\n, a mindfulness practice with your partner can result in a higher quality relationship. Being present in the experience with your partner is key. Yoga can be your form of “couples therapy” and here's why! \\n1. Promotes Happiness\\nWe know your partner already gives you butterflies but on days you're feeling down, connecting together with your movement and breath can boost endorphins. \\n2. Improves your Communication\\nWhen you start to practice yoga together, you and your partner learn to take non-verbal cues as you move. This practice off the mat, will improve communication by learning to read each other's body language and facial expressions. \\n3. Improved Sex\\nYoga teaches us how to move with our partner's body and breath. This will enhance your sex life because our bodies will better understand how to respond to one another physically. \\n4. Reduces Stress, Anxiety and Anger\\nPracticing yoga or physical activities together can help us understand what upsets our partner which will make us more understanding of their triggers and emotional responses. It can also help us learn how to help our partner cope with stress through breathwork. \n\\n\\nWhat are the Benefits of Couples Yoga?\\nWhen you start to practice yoga together with your partner, the effects are long lasting. Here are some of the benefits of joining bodies on the mat. \\nInitiates physical and emotional support. Yoga forces you and your partner to physically lean on one another for support. Like the grown up version of a “trust fall”. \\nCreates shared memories & experiences! There’s nothing more memorable than learning a new skill or trying something scary with the one you love. \\nStrength and stability. If you’re ready to take the plunge into building a practice together, you will emotionally grow together in stability and strength while also using your physical strength to hold each other up. How cosmic and beautiful!\\nAnd of course, MORE LOVE! What could be better than building a deeper connection with your partner? \n\n\\nWhat is Tantric Yoga?\\nTantric yoga is designed to help you build and strengthen your relationship with your partner through connected bodies and energies. When most people hear “tantric” they assume it’s always about sex but the practice is about fostering the relationship between two partners. If you’d like to build a tantric practice into your partner yoga experience, you can end your session with a “Tantric yoga meditation.”\\nWant to give it a try? Here’s a set of beginner steps to start your tantric connection. \\nFocus on your breathing.\\nSlow down. Start to deepen your inhales and exhales together. \\nMake eye contact. Look into your partner's eyes and focus. \\nStart engaging your senses. (hear, feel, taste, smell, see) \\nSee where you end up! \n\\n\\nHow does Yoga Together Promote Intimacy?\\nHave you ever told your partner you’re “not on the same page” as them? When you start doing yoga together, you’ll never say that again. When we practice yoga, we become present in our bodies. We connect our movement to our breath and no matter what’s going on around us, we can breathe and stay focused. When we do yoga with a partner, we fall into sync together. We become one. Your breath, movement and bodies will start to naturally fall into the same rhythm together. This rhythm will create a closeness that will promote more intimacy in everything you do with your partner. The “yoga” you do together off the mat will be more rewarding and fulfilling because you choose to connect with your practice. \n\\n\\nReady to deepen your connection with Yoga? \\nYou can practice with us at \\nmyyogateacher\\n from the comfort of your own home. Try a two week free trial on us! Our classes are live with authentic, expert Indian yoga instructors to guide you through your practice. Looking for a more private experience? Try our 1-on-1 classes where the practice is built just for you and your partner! To start, build your practice at home with your partner using these beginner poses. \n\\n\n\\n14 Yoga Poses to Try With Your Partner\\nThese yoga poses for 2 will help you move together while building intimacy, trust and security:\\n\\n1. Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)\\nDo this pose facing each other. Put your hands on your partner’s knees.\\n\\n2. Chair Pose (Utkatasana)\\nDo this pose back to back. Hold each other up as gravity pulls you down. \\n\\n3. Seated Forward Bend Pose (Paschimottanasana)\\nBring your feet to your partner’s and reach forward to join hands. Pull each other into the stretch. \\n\\n4. Revolved Chair Pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana)\\nHold opposite hands and twist the outside arm open. Switch sides. \\n\\n5. Down Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) \\nEasy: Come to child's pose and have your partner put their hands on your lower back in downdog. \\nHarder: Bring your feet to your partner’s lower back and come up into an L shape. \\n\\n6. Child's Pose (Bālāsana)\\nStack your child’s pose over your partner’s. \\n\\n7. Tree Pose ( Vrikshasana)\\nStand side by side and join hands. Use your strength to hold each other up.\\n\\n8. Standing Forward Fold Pose ( Uttanasana)\\nHinge at the hips and reach for your partner's arms around both your legs or hold hands in your bend. \\n\\n9. Camel Pose (Ustrasana) \\nInstead of reaching back, let your heart open but hold your partner's outer arms. Let your hearts face each other. \\n\\n10. Boat Pose (Navasana)\\nFace one another and connect your feet with your knees bent. Lift your legs straight if you can. When you’re ready to balance, hold hands. \\n\\n11. Side Angle Bend Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana) \\nStand in warrior two opposite your partner. With the arm that's down, grab hands. \\n\\n12. Warrior 3 Pose (Virabhadrasana)\\nWhen hinging at the hips, bring your hands to your partner’s shoulders and lift your back (opposite) leg. \\n\\n13. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)\\nHave one partner stack their feet on the other’s thighs then lift up. You can keep your hands on the ground or hold hands together. \\n\\n14. Savasana Pose\\nCome together to finish your practice!\\nBring one hand to your heart, and one to join your partners. Breathe deeply together and relax.\\n\n\\nIf you’re feeling the love, keep the connection going by making your practice more consistent. Now you have all the tools you need to build a stronger connection with your partner! Join us online and start your at home practice today! \\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":"ckwdpa0u0011t0c23kpyjxwa0","slug":"yoga-prevents-spine-problems","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":null,"pictureUrl":null},"title":"4 Secrets of How Yoga Prevents Spinal Deterioration As You Age","createdAt":"2021-11-24T15:47:15.123194+00:00","updatedAt":"2022-08-01T06:46:52.598316+00:00","coverUrl":"ngozsw6y1tjnktrz854l.jpg","seoDescription":"Yoga prevents and cures back pain. But did you know how it helps prevent and delay spinal degeneration as we age? Learn how yoga benefits your spine here!","content":{"text":"It should come as no surprise to you that joints and bones deteriorate as we age. Mainstream media would have us think that we can look and feel eternally youthful until we die. But that simply isn’t true.\n\nAging is natural. Aging \\ngracefully\\n takes work!\\nOne of the biggest struggles many people face as they age is back pain due to spinal deterioration and degenerative disc disease. \\nEven long time practitioners of yoga will, eventually, experience back pain and spine limitations.\\nWe love a good group yoga class as much as the next yogi, but sometimes we need more guidance in our yoga practice to help us navigate the physical changes and challenges that present themselves during our later years of life.\\nThe good news? Yoga helps prevent back pain due to spinal deterioration. As a matter of fact, yoga delays – \\nand can prevent\\n – the onset of spinal degeneration. And we’re going to dish the deets on how!\\nIf you’re on the hunt for more guidance on how to cure back pain and prevent spinal deterioration, or just looking for expert instruction and personalized attention, we invite you to \\ncheck out MyYogaTeacher’s 1:1 classes with your 2-week free trial here! \\n\\nWith MYT’s 1:1 Membership Plans, you get private, personalized sessions with your favorite yoga teachers, unlimited group classes (over 35 different ones), and recordings of your 1:1 sessions \\nand\\n group classes! \\nThis is especially helpful for yogis who are experienced but are ready to up their yoga game and experience even \\nmore\\n benefits from their yoga practice.\\nNow, on to the secret sauce to how yoga helps prevent late-life back pain and problems.\\n\\n\\n 1. Yoga elongates your spine.\\n\nOne of the primary sources of degenerative disc disease is spinal compression. Spinal compression increases inflammation in the spine and causes friction in the discs.\\n\\nStudies show\\n that yoga instructors who have been practicing yoga for 10 years or more have significantly fewer signs, if any, of degenerative disc disease compared to those who don’t practice yoga or those who haven’t practiced yoga long or consistently.\\nWith the number of people in the United States spending more and more time sitting for work or leisure activities, it’s a fair assumption that diseases of the spine may well be on the rise.\\nOf particular note, these same studies discuss the importance of proper alignment when practicing yoga and how inadvertently doing poses wrong can harm your spine. \\nSo if you’re unsure about whether you’re aligned or not during your practice, we encourage you to seek out a yoga teacher or advanced yogi who can help with that!\\n\\n\\n2. Yoga decreases weight-bearing on the spine.\\nYour skeleton literally bears a lot of weight, particularly your spine. Think about how much weight your cervical spine holds – an average of 11 lbs!\\nThat’s right. Your neck is composed of 7 vertebrae and is responsible for holding up (and keeping safe) your head, which averages about 5 kg or 11 lbs. While the rest of your spine is pretty sturdy and capable of holding up to about 1,000 lbs, it is still significantly affected by the weight it carries, especially if there is excess weight around your midsection.\\nReducing the weight on the spine allows for more nutrients to diffuse into the discs. Ever wonder why you feel so light and airy and radiant when you finish your yoga practice? \\nYep, it’s because you gave your body more nutrients and oxygen!\\nSounds simple, right? But sometimes you just don’t know all the right moves for \\nyour\\n body to get the most out of your yoga practice.\\nIf that’s the case, regular 1:1 sessions with an experienced yoga teacher (either virtually or in person) might be exactly what you need!\\n\\n\\n3. Yoga increases muscle strength.\\nIf you’ve been practicing yoga for a while, you already have firsthand experience with how yoga improves your strength and mobility.\\nYoga not only strengthens the tiny muscles surrounding your spine, but a regular yoga practice protects your spine from deterioration by building up your core and improving your posture. Two things that definitely impact your spinal health.\\nDegenerative disc disease and spinal deterioration are considered a “normal” part of aging. By the age of 40, most people have at least one degenerative disc. By the age of eighty, 80% of the American population has severe spinal deterioration.\\nExercise of almost any kind is shown to help reduce signs of aging, particularly in your spine. However, yoga has an even greater positive impact on spinal health because of the multi-faceted benefits it provides!\\nWhile Hatha yoga is the most popular form of yoga because it’s gentle and slower, experienced yogis may practice other forms of yoga that benefit spinal health, such as Ashtanga and Iyengar.\\nHowever, if practiced wrong, those practices may injure instead of heal and prevent spinal disease, causing back pain and limited movement.\\nIf you’re interested in growing in your yoga journey but are not sure about the quality of your form, your alignment, or are trying to cure your back pain, \\nwe encourage you to check out the 1-on-1 plans MyYogaTeacher has available!\\n\\nMaking personalized attention from expert yoga instructors affordable and accessible is important to us because we truly believe in the power of yoga to heal!\\nNot all forms of exercise specifically improve posture and muscle strength around the spine like yoga does.\\n\\n\\n4. Long-term yoga practice reduces inflammation\\nWe’ve talked about how yoga reduces inflammation in the body before. But when we think of inflammation, we don’t tend to think about the spine.\\nStress responses produce systemic inflammation, which means no area of the body is immune. Injuries and surgeries also cause inflammation. Pain, in general, emotional, mental, or physical, increases cortisol levels.\\nWhen the muscles surrounding the spine are inflamed, back pain ensues, even if that inflammation isn’t directly from spinal issues.\\nA regular yoga practice reduces back pain. Yoga cures back pain too!\\nOne of the primary benefits of yoga is reduced inflammation in the body, a result of lower stress levels. Spinal deterioration is often more progressive when there is consistent inflammation in the muscles surrounding the spine.\\nThis means that the more you regularly practice yoga, the less back pain you will experience.\\nNot only are you preventing back issues by strengthening your spinal muscles and core, you're relieving tension with stretches and reducing friction between the vertebrae and discs due to reduced levels of inflammation.\\nMaybe you’re an experienced yogi who knew this already. Maybe you’re not! Or maybe you are at an age where protecting your spine and preventing spinal problems is more challenging than it was a decade or two ago.\n\nWhatever the case, MyYogaTeacher is here to help! When you sign up for a 1:1 membership with us you get:\\n102 expert\\n, highly qualified yoga instructors to choose from\\nThe ability to switch instructors\\n or take classes with only your faves\\nAccess to unlimited group classes\\n, taught \\nlive\\nPersonalized instruction\\n and work out, diet, and lifestyle plans\\nTo be a member of a HUGE community\\n of happy yogis from around the world\\nYoga teachers who become friends\\n, who truly care about you!\\nIf you haven’t checked us out already, \\ngrab TWO FREE 1:1 sessions with your 2-week free trial here\\n!\\n\n\n","html":"<p>It should come as no surprise to you that joints and bones deteriorate as we age. Mainstream media would have us think that we can look and feel eternally youthful until we die. But that simply isn’t true.<br><br>Aging is natural. Aging <em>gracefully</em> takes work!</p><p>One of the biggest struggles many people face as they age is back pain due to spinal deterioration and degenerative disc disease. </p><p>Even long time practitioners of yoga will, eventually, experience back pain and spine limitations.</p><p>We love a good group yoga class as much as the next yogi, but sometimes we need more guidance in our yoga practice to help us navigate the physical changes and challenges that present themselves during our later years of life.</p><p>The good news? Yoga helps prevent back pain due to spinal deterioration. As a matter of fact, yoga delays – <em>and can prevent</em> – the onset of spinal degeneration. And we’re going to dish the deets on how!</p><p>If you’re on the hunt for more guidance on how to cure back pain and prevent spinal deterioration, or just looking for expert instruction and personalized attention, we invite you to <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup\"><u>check out MyYogaTeacher’s 1:1 classes with your 2-week free trial here! </u></a></p><p><strong>With MYT’s 1:1 Membership Plans, you get private, personalized sessions with your favorite yoga teachers, unlimited group classes (over 35 different ones), and recordings of your 1:1 sessions </strong><em><strong>and</strong></em><strong> group classes! </strong></p><p>This is especially helpful for yogis who are experienced but are ready to up their yoga game and experience even <em>more</em> benefits from their yoga practice.</p><p>Now, on to the secret sauce to how yoga helps prevent late-life back pain and problems.</p><p></p><img src=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=width:6000,height:4000/22GoiOBbReW8hgNAGuVD\" alt=\"Prasarita Padottanasana\" title=\"_TMB4205.JPG\" width=\"6000\" height=\"4000\" /><h2> 1. Yoga elongates your spine.</h2><p><br>One of the primary sources of degenerative disc disease is spinal compression. Spinal compression increases inflammation in the spine and causes friction in the discs.</p><p><a title=\"https://www.yogauonline.com/yoga-for-back-pain/yoga-may-prevent-degenerative-disc-disease\" href=\"https://www.yogauonline.com/yoga-for-back-pain/yoga-may-prevent-degenerative-disc-disease\"><u>Studies show</u></a> that yoga instructors who have been practicing yoga for 10 years or more have significantly fewer signs, if any, of degenerative disc disease compared to those who don’t practice yoga or those who haven’t practiced yoga long or consistently.</p><p>With the number of people in the United States spending more and more time sitting for work or leisure activities, it’s a fair assumption that diseases of the spine may well be on the rise.</p><p>Of particular note, these same studies discuss the importance of proper alignment when practicing yoga and how inadvertently doing poses wrong can harm your spine. </p><p>So if you’re unsure about whether you’re aligned or not during your practice, we encourage you to seek out a yoga teacher or advanced yogi who can help with that!</p><p></p><img src=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=width:6048,height:4024/1KbMbkGQaSvl2ZoAEPVH\" alt=\"Malasana\" title=\"_DSC7984.JPG\" width=\"6048\" height=\"4024\" /><h2>2. Yoga decreases weight-bearing on the spine.</h2><p>Your skeleton literally bears a lot of weight, particularly your spine. Think about how much weight your cervical spine holds – an average of 11 lbs!</p><p>That’s right. Your neck is composed of 7 vertebrae and is responsible for holding up (and keeping safe) your head, which averages about 5 kg or 11 lbs. While the rest of your spine is pretty sturdy and capable of holding up to about 1,000 lbs, it is still significantly affected by the weight it carries, especially if there is excess weight around your midsection.</p><p>Reducing the weight on the spine allows for more nutrients to diffuse into the discs. Ever wonder why you feel so light and airy and radiant when you finish your yoga practice? </p><p>Yep, it’s because you gave your body more nutrients and oxygen!</p><p>Sounds simple, right? But sometimes you just don’t know all the right moves for <em>your</em> body to get the most out of your yoga practice.</p><p>If that’s the case, regular 1:1 sessions with an experienced yoga teacher (either virtually or in person) might be exactly what you need!</p><p></p><img src=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=width:6048,height:4024/MczvTfUOSZKvEUmyKdE7\" alt=\"Chaturanga Dandasana\" title=\"_DSC7496.JPG\" width=\"6048\" height=\"4024\" /><h2>3. Yoga increases muscle strength.</h2><p>If you’ve been practicing yoga for a while, you already have firsthand experience with how yoga improves your strength and mobility.</p><p>Yoga not only strengthens the tiny muscles surrounding your spine, but a regular yoga practice protects your spine from deterioration by building up your core and improving your posture. Two things that definitely impact your spinal health.</p><p>Degenerative disc disease and spinal deterioration are considered a “normal” part of aging. By the age of 40, most people have at least one degenerative disc. By the age of eighty, 80% of the American population has severe spinal deterioration.</p><p>Exercise of almost any kind is shown to help reduce signs of aging, particularly in your spine. However, yoga has an even greater positive impact on spinal health because of the multi-faceted benefits it provides!</p><p>While Hatha yoga is the most popular form of yoga because it’s gentle and slower, experienced yogis may practice other forms of yoga that benefit spinal health, such as Ashtanga and Iyengar.</p><p>However, if practiced wrong, those practices may injure instead of heal and prevent spinal disease, causing back pain and limited movement.</p><p>If you’re interested in growing in your yoga journey but are not sure about the quality of your form, your alignment, or are trying to cure your back pain, <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/\"><u>we encourage you to check out the 1-on-1 plans MyYogaTeacher has available!</u></a></p><p>Making personalized attention from expert yoga instructors affordable and accessible is important to us because we truly believe in the power of yoga to heal!</p><p>Not all forms of exercise specifically improve posture and muscle strength around the spine like yoga does.</p><p></p><img src=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=width:6000,height:4000/T7NmhROS82je6xHsx2BY\" alt=\"Viparita Virabhadrasana\" title=\"_TMB4306.JPG\" width=\"6000\" height=\"4000\" /><h2>4. Long-term yoga practice reduces inflammation</h2><p>We’ve talked about how yoga reduces inflammation in the body before. But when we think of inflammation, we don’t tend to think about the spine.</p><p>Stress responses produce systemic inflammation, which means no area of the body is immune. Injuries and surgeries also cause inflammation. Pain, in general, emotional, mental, or physical, increases cortisol levels.</p><p>When the muscles surrounding the spine are inflamed, back pain ensues, even if that inflammation isn’t directly from spinal issues.</p><p>A regular yoga practice reduces back pain. Yoga cures back pain too!</p><p>One of the primary benefits of yoga is reduced inflammation in the body, a result of lower stress levels. Spinal deterioration is often more progressive when there is consistent inflammation in the muscles surrounding the spine.</p><p>This means that the more you regularly practice yoga, the less back pain you will experience.</p><p>Not only are you preventing back issues by strengthening your spinal muscles and core, you're relieving tension with stretches and reducing friction between the vertebrae and discs due to reduced levels of inflammation.</p><p>Maybe you’re an experienced yogi who knew this already. Maybe you’re not! Or maybe you are at an age where protecting your spine and preventing spinal problems is more challenging than it was a decade or two ago.<br><br>Whatever the case, MyYogaTeacher is here to help! When you sign up for a 1:1 membership with us you get:</p><ul><li><div><strong>102 expert</strong>, highly qualified yoga instructors to choose from</div></li></ul><ul><li><div><p><strong>The ability to switch instructors</strong> or take classes with only your faves</p></div></li><li><div><p><strong>Access to unlimited group classes</strong>, taught <em><strong>live</strong></em></p></div></li><li><div><p><strong>Personalized instruction</strong> and work out, diet, and lifestyle plans</p></div></li><li><div><p><strong>To be a member of a HUGE community</strong> of happy yogis from around the world</p></div></li><li><div><p><strong>Yoga teachers who become friends</strong>, who truly care about you!</p></div></li></ul><p>If you haven’t checked us out already, <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/\"><u>grab TWO FREE 1:1 sessions with your 2-week free trial here</u></a>!</p><p><br><br></p>"},"category":["therapy","restorative"],"utmCampaign":null,"utmMedium":null,"utmContent":null,"utmSource":null,"utmTerm":null,"utmSearchString":null,"imageHyperlink":[]},"loading":false,"blog_content":[{"type":"HTML","value":"<p>It should come as no surprise to you that joints and bones deteriorate as we age. Mainstream media would have us think that we can look and feel eternally youthful until we die. But that simply isn’t true.<br><br>Aging is natural. Aging <em>gracefully</em> takes work!</p><p>One of the biggest struggles many people face as they age is back pain due to spinal deterioration and degenerative disc disease. </p><p>Even long time practitioners of yoga will, eventually, experience back pain and spine limitations.</p><p>We love a good group yoga class as much as the next yogi, but sometimes we need more guidance in our yoga practice to help us navigate the physical changes and challenges that present themselves during our later years of life.</p><p>The good news? Yoga helps prevent back pain due to spinal deterioration. As a matter of fact, yoga delays – <em>and can prevent</em> – the onset of spinal degeneration. And we’re going to dish the deets on how!</p><p>If you’re on the hunt for more guidance on how to cure back pain and prevent spinal deterioration, or just looking for expert instruction and personalized attention, we invite you to <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup\"><u>check out MyYogaTeacher’s 1:1 classes with your 2-week free trial here! </u></a></p><p><strong>With MYT’s 1:1 Membership Plans, you get private, personalized sessions with your favorite yoga teachers, unlimited group classes (over 35 different ones), and recordings of your 1:1 sessions </strong><em><strong>and</strong></em><strong> group classes! </strong></p><p>This is especially helpful for yogis who are experienced but are ready to up their yoga game and experience even <em>more</em> benefits from their yoga practice.</p><p>Now, on to the secret sauce to how yoga helps prevent late-life back pain and problems.</p><p></p>\n <picture>\n <source \n type=\"image/webp\"\n srcset=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=w:930,fit:crop/quality=value:75/output=format:webp/compress/resize=width:6000,height:4000/22GoiOBbReW8hgNAGuVD\" \n alt=\"Prasarita Padottanasana\"\n title=\"Prasarita Padottanasana\"\n \n \n class=\"lazyLoadingImg\"\n />\n <source \n type=\"image/jpg\"\n srcset=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=w:930,fit:crop/quality=value:75/output=format:jpg/resize=width:6000,height:4000/22GoiOBbReW8hgNAGuVD\"\n alt=\"Prasarita Padottanasana\"\n title=\"Prasarita Padottanasana\"\n \n \n class=\"lazyLoadingImg\"\n />\n <img \n srcset=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=w:930,fit:crop/quality=value:75/output=format:jpg/resize=width:6000,height:4000/22GoiOBbReW8hgNAGuVD\"\n alt=\"Prasarita Padottanasana\"\n title=\"Prasarita Padottanasana\"\n \n \n class=\"lazyLoadingImg\"\n />\n </picture>\n <h2> 1. Yoga elongates your spine.</h2><p><br>One of the primary sources of degenerative disc disease is spinal compression. Spinal compression increases inflammation in the spine and causes friction in the discs.</p><p><a title=\"https://www.yogauonline.com/yoga-for-back-pain/yoga-may-prevent-degenerative-disc-disease\" href=\"https://www.yogauonline.com/yoga-for-back-pain/yoga-may-prevent-degenerative-disc-disease\"><u>Studies show</u></a> that yoga instructors who have been practicing yoga for 10 years or more have significantly fewer signs, if any, of degenerative disc disease compared to those who don’t practice yoga or those who haven’t practiced yoga long or consistently.</p><p>With the number of people in the United States spending more and more time sitting for work or leisure activities, it’s a fair assumption that diseases of the spine may well be on the rise.</p><p>Of particular note, these same studies discuss the importance of proper alignment when practicing yoga and how inadvertently doing poses wrong can harm your spine. </p><p>So if you’re unsure about whether you’re aligned or not during your practice, we encourage you to seek out a yoga teacher or advanced yogi who can help with that!</p><p></p>\n <picture>\n <source \n type=\"image/webp\"\n srcset=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=w:930,fit:crop/quality=value:75/output=format:webp/compress/resize=width:6048,height:4024/1KbMbkGQaSvl2ZoAEPVH\" \n alt=\"Malasana\"\n title=\"Malasana\"\n \n \n class=\"lazyLoadingImg\"\n />\n <source \n type=\"image/jpg\"\n srcset=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=w:930,fit:crop/quality=value:75/output=format:jpg/resize=width:6048,height:4024/1KbMbkGQaSvl2ZoAEPVH\"\n alt=\"Malasana\"\n title=\"Malasana\"\n \n \n class=\"lazyLoadingImg\"\n />\n <img \n srcset=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=w:930,fit:crop/quality=value:75/output=format:jpg/resize=width:6048,height:4024/1KbMbkGQaSvl2ZoAEPVH\"\n alt=\"Malasana\"\n title=\"Malasana\"\n \n \n class=\"lazyLoadingImg\"\n />\n </picture>\n <h2>2. Yoga decreases weight-bearing on the spine.</h2><p>Your skeleton literally bears a lot of weight, particularly your spine. Think about how much weight your cervical spine holds – an average of 11 lbs!</p><p>That’s right. Your neck is composed of 7 vertebrae and is responsible for holding up (and keeping safe) your head, which averages about 5 kg or 11 lbs. While the rest of your spine is pretty sturdy and capable of holding up to about 1,000 lbs, it is still significantly affected by the weight it carries, especially if there is excess weight around your midsection.</p><p>Reducing the weight on the spine allows for more nutrients to diffuse into the discs. Ever wonder why you feel so light and airy and radiant when you finish your yoga practice? </p><p>Yep, it’s because you gave your body more nutrients and oxygen!</p><p>Sounds simple, right? But sometimes you just don’t know all the right moves for <em>your</em> body to get the most out of your yoga practice.</p><p>If that’s the case, regular 1:1 sessions with an experienced yoga teacher (either virtually or in person) might be exactly what you need!</p><p></p>\n <picture>\n <source \n type=\"image/webp\"\n srcset=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=w:930,fit:crop/quality=value:75/output=format:webp/compress/resize=width:6048,height:4024/MczvTfUOSZKvEUmyKdE7\" \n alt=\"Chaturanga Dandasana\"\n title=\"Chaturanga Dandasana\"\n \n \n class=\"lazyLoadingImg\"\n />\n <source \n type=\"image/jpg\"\n srcset=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=w:930,fit:crop/quality=value:75/output=format:jpg/resize=width:6048,height:4024/MczvTfUOSZKvEUmyKdE7\"\n alt=\"Chaturanga Dandasana\"\n title=\"Chaturanga Dandasana\"\n \n \n class=\"lazyLoadingImg\"\n />\n <img \n srcset=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=w:930,fit:crop/quality=value:75/output=format:jpg/resize=width:6048,height:4024/MczvTfUOSZKvEUmyKdE7\"\n alt=\"Chaturanga Dandasana\"\n title=\"Chaturanga Dandasana\"\n \n \n class=\"lazyLoadingImg\"\n />\n </picture>\n <h2>3. Yoga increases muscle strength.</h2><p>If you’ve been practicing yoga for a while, you already have firsthand experience with how yoga improves your strength and mobility.</p><p>Yoga not only strengthens the tiny muscles surrounding your spine, but a regular yoga practice protects your spine from deterioration by building up your core and improving your posture. Two things that definitely impact your spinal health.</p><p>Degenerative disc disease and spinal deterioration are considered a “normal” part of aging. By the age of 40, most people have at least one degenerative disc. By the age of eighty, 80% of the American population has severe spinal deterioration.</p><p>Exercise of almost any kind is shown to help reduce signs of aging, particularly in your spine. However, yoga has an even greater positive impact on spinal health because of the multi-faceted benefits it provides!</p><p>While Hatha yoga is the most popular form of yoga because it’s gentle and slower, experienced yogis may practice other forms of yoga that benefit spinal health, such as Ashtanga and Iyengar.</p><p>However, if practiced wrong, those practices may injure instead of heal and prevent spinal disease, causing back pain and limited movement.</p><p>If you’re interested in growing in your yoga journey but are not sure about the quality of your form, your alignment, or are trying to cure your back pain, <a\n class=\"inline-cta\"\n id=38fc0860-4c12-4ce3-9d0a-373ffe4ba664\n href=\"/free-trial-o?utm_source=MYT__article&utm_medium=ckwdpa0u0011t0c23kpyjxwa0&utm_campaign=inline_cta&utm_content=CTA-INLINE&entity_name=4 Secrets of How Yoga Prevents Spinal Deterioration As You Age&entity_slug=yoga-prevents-spine-problems&page_or_popup=/articles/yoga-prevents-spine-problems&entity_location=hyperlink_midst_of_article&article_cta=CTA-INLINE&from_article_page=true\"\n onclick=trigger_mixpanel_sign_up_cta(\"38fc0860-4c12-4ce3-9d0a-373ffe4ba664\")\n title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/\" \n data-title=\"4 Secrets of How Yoga Prevents Spinal Deterioration As You Age\"\n data-slug=\"yoga-prevents-spine-problems\"\n <u><u>we encourage you to check out the 1-on-1 plans MyYogaTeacher has available!</u></u> \n </a></p><p>Making personalized attention from expert yoga instructors affordable and accessible is important to us because we truly believe in the power of yoga to heal!</p><p>Not all forms of exercise specifically improve posture and muscle strength around the spine like yoga does.</p><p></p>\n <picture>\n <source \n type=\"image/webp\"\n srcset=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=w:930,fit:crop/quality=value:75/output=format:webp/compress/resize=width:6000,height:4000/T7NmhROS82je6xHsx2BY\" \n alt=\"Viparita Virabhadrasana\"\n title=\"Viparita Virabhadrasana\"\n \n \n class=\"lazyLoadingImg\"\n />\n <source \n type=\"image/jpg\"\n srcset=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=w:930,fit:crop/quality=value:75/output=format:jpg/resize=width:6000,height:4000/T7NmhROS82je6xHsx2BY\"\n alt=\"Viparita Virabhadrasana\"\n title=\"Viparita Virabhadrasana\"\n \n \n class=\"lazyLoadingImg\"\n />\n <img \n srcset=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=w:930,fit:crop/quality=value:75/output=format:jpg/resize=width:6000,height:4000/T7NmhROS82je6xHsx2BY\"\n alt=\"Viparita Virabhadrasana\"\n title=\"Viparita Virabhadrasana\"\n \n \n class=\"lazyLoadingImg\"\n />\n </picture>\n <h2>4. Long-term yoga practice reduces inflammation</h2><p>We’ve talked about how yoga reduces inflammation in the body before. But when we think of inflammation, we don’t tend to think about the spine.</p><p>Stress responses produce systemic inflammation, which means no area of the body is immune. Injuries and surgeries also cause inflammation. Pain, in general, emotional, mental, or physical, increases cortisol levels.</p><p>When the muscles surrounding the spine are inflamed, back pain ensues, even if that inflammation isn’t directly from spinal issues.</p><p>A regular yoga practice reduces back pain. Yoga cures back pain too!</p><p>One of the primary benefits of yoga is reduced inflammation in the body, a result of lower stress levels. Spinal deterioration is often more progressive when there is consistent inflammation in the muscles surrounding the spine.</p><p>This means that the more you regularly practice yoga, the less back pain you will experience.</p><p>Not only are you preventing back issues by strengthening your spinal muscles and core, you're relieving tension with stretches and reducing friction between the vertebrae and discs due to reduced levels of inflammation.</p><p>Maybe you’re an experienced yogi who knew this already. Maybe you’re not! Or maybe you are at an age where protecting your spine and preventing spinal problems is more challenging than it was a decade or two ago.<br><br>Whatever the case, MyYogaTeacher is here to help! When you sign up for a 1:1 membership with us you get:</p><ul><li><div><strong>102 expert</strong>, highly qualified yoga instructors to choose from</div></li></ul><ul><li><div><p><strong>The ability to switch instructors</strong> or take classes with only your faves</p></div></li><li><div><p><strong>Access to unlimited group classes</strong>, taught <em><strong>live</strong></em></p></div></li><li><div><p><strong>Personalized instruction</strong> and work out, diet, and lifestyle plans</p></div></li><li><div><p><strong>To be a member of a HUGE community</strong> of happy yogis from around the world</p></div></li><li><div><p><strong>Yoga teachers who become friends</strong>, who truly care about you!</p></div></li></ul><p>If you haven’t checked us out already, <a\n class=\"inline-cta\"\n id=389ce4e6-ee3b-43f0-8cf6-3604ecd1c881\n href=\"/free-trial-o?utm_source=MYT__article&utm_medium=ckwdpa0u0011t0c23kpyjxwa0&utm_campaign=inline_cta&utm_content=CTA-INLINE&entity_name=4 Secrets of How Yoga Prevents Spinal Deterioration As You Age&entity_slug=yoga-prevents-spine-problems&page_or_popup=/articles/yoga-prevents-spine-problems&entity_location=hyperlink_midst_of_article&article_cta=CTA-INLINE&from_article_page=true\"\n onclick=trigger_mixpanel_sign_up_cta(\"389ce4e6-ee3b-43f0-8cf6-3604ecd1c881\")\n title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/\" \n data-title=\"4 Secrets of How Yoga Prevents Spinal Deterioration As You Age\"\n data-slug=\"yoga-prevents-spine-problems\"\n <u><u>grab TWO FREE 1:1 sessions with your 2-week free trial here</u></u> \n </a>!</p><p><br><br></p>"},{"type":"CTA","value":"[CTA-DEFAULT]"}],"isSlugACategory":false,"searchCategory":"yoga-prevents-spine-problems","showPopUp":false,"popUpType":null,"showedPopup":false,"windowWidth":null,"ctaPath":"free-trial-o","redirectURL":"#","current_url":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/articles/yoga-prevents-spine-problems","student_details":"","facebookUrl":"","twitterUrl":"","copyUrl":"","emailUrl":"","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. No credit card required when you sign up today!</p>"},"title":{"html":"<p><strong>Online Yoga Classes – </strong><u><strong>Live & Interactive</strong></u></p>"},"linkText":"Start Free Trial","linkUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup"},{"id":"ckxrz37hsu0cj0a76mgb4594m","name":"[CTA-FREECLASS]","description":{"html":"<p><strong>Get 2 free private yoga sessions and 2 weeks of unlimited group classes</strong> with authentic yoga teachers. No credit card required when you sign up today!</p>"},"title":{"html":"<p><strong>Online Yoga Classes – </strong><u><strong>Live & Interactive</strong></u></p>"},"linkText":"Start Free Trial","linkUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup"},{"id":"ckxrz4d5stsye0b75dtlx1w0n","name":"[CTA-TRENDS]","description":{"html":"<p>Get ahead of the next trend and practice with authentic Indian yoga teachers! Sign up today and <strong>get 2 free private yoga sessions PLUS 2 weeks of unlimited group classes</strong>. No credit card required when you sign up today!</p>"},"title":{"html":"<p><strong>Online Yoga Sessions – </strong><u><strong>Live & Interactive</strong></u></p><p><strong>Practice with Authentic Indian Yoga Teachers</strong></p><p></p>"},"linkText":"Start Free Trial","linkUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup"},{"id":"ckxrz6nq0tqdr0c258titvagg","name":"[CTA-REVIEWS]","description":{"html":"<p>Find out what all the hype is about! <strong>Get 2 free private yoga sessions and 2 weeks of unlimited group classes</strong> with authentic yoga teachers. No credit card required when you sign up today!</p>"},"title":{"html":"<p><strong>Online Yoga Sessions – </strong><u><strong>Live & Interactive</strong></u></p><p><strong>103,478 Happy Students & 12,086 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reviews</strong></p><p></p>"},"linkText":"Start Free Trial","linkUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup"},{"id":"ckxrz7nzktu400b752fym6wpw","name":"[CTA-HATHA]","description":{"html":"<p><strong>Get 2 free private hatha yoga sessions and 2 weeks of unlimited group classes </strong>(including tons of daily Hatha yoga classes). No credit card required when you sign up today!</p>"},"title":{"html":"<p><strong>Online Hatha Yoga Sessions – </strong><u><strong>Live & Interactive</strong></u></p><p><strong>with Authentic Indian Teachers</strong></p><p></p>"},"linkText":"Start Free Trial","linkUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup"},{"id":"cky90p88g3zgc0d23yz6taont","name":"[CTA-NASAL]","description":{"html":"<p><strong>Get 2 free private sessions </strong>to relieve post nasal drip and clear out your sinus. </p><p><strong>PLUS, 2 weeks of unlimited group classes </strong>with authentic Indian yoga teachers. No credit card required when you sign up today!</p>"},"title":{"html":"<p><strong>Online Yoga Sessions – </strong><u><strong>Live & Interactive</strong></u></p><p><strong>Relieve Post Nasal Drip & Clear Your Sinus Today!</strong></p><p></p>"},"linkText":"Start Free Trial","linkUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup"},{"id":"ckyirvl8g25ce0c70cldmca2g","name":"[CTA-TRATAKA]","description":{"html":"<p><strong>Get 2 free private sessions </strong>with experienced Trataka teachers. </p><p><strong>PLUS, 2 weeks of unlimited group classes </strong>(like ‘Candle Gazing Meditation) with authentic yoga teachers. No credit card required when you sign up today!</p>"},"title":{"html":"<p><strong>Online Yoga Sessions – </strong><u><strong>Live & Interactive</strong></u></p><p><strong>Learn Trataka (Candle Gazing) Meditation Today!</strong></p><p></p>"},"linkText":"Start Free Trial","linkUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup"},{"id":"ckyisqh482ck60b79rp1r1jcg","name":"[CTA-YIN]","description":{"html":"<p><strong>Get 2 free private yoga sessions</strong>, work with an experienced yoga therapist to reduce (and even eliminate) your back pain. <strong>PLUS 2 weeks of unlimited group classes </strong>(like ‘Yoga for Back Pain’) with authentic yoga teachers. No credit card required when you sign up today!</p>"},"title":{"html":"<p><strong>Online Yoga Therapy – </strong><u><strong>Live & Interactive</strong></u></p><p><strong>Relieve Back Pain Safely & Effectively Today!</strong></p><p></p>"},"linkText":"Start Free Trial","linkUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup"},{"id":"ckyitki4w2liz0b30tqpzhy4i","name":"[CTA-KRIYA]","description":{"html":"<p><strong>Get 2 free private yoga sessions </strong>for Kriya Yoga, Pranayama, and Meditation <strong>and 2 weeks of unlimited group classes </strong>with authentic yoga teachers. No credit card required when you sign up today!</p>"},"title":{"html":"<p><strong>Online Yoga Classes – </strong><u><strong>Live & Interactive</strong></u></p><p><strong>Practice Kriya, Pranayama, and Meditation Today!</strong></p>"},"linkText":"Start Free Trial","linkUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup"},{"id":"ckyitxgyg2pot0b79lu1fcpp1","name":"[CTA-BREATH]","description":{"html":"<p><strong>Get 2 free private yoga sessions </strong>for yogic breathing techniques (pranayama) and <strong>2 weeks of unlimited group classes</strong>, like ‘Stretch and Breathe’, ‘Kriya, Pranayama, and Meditation’, and many others. No credit card required when you sign up today!</p>"},"title":{"html":"<p><strong>Online Yoga Sessions – </strong><u><strong>Live & Interactive</strong></u></p><p><strong> Learn Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Pranayama!</strong></p>"},"linkText":"Start Free Trial","linkUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup"},{"id":"ckykb6i2o1o7f0b368s1m7qow","name":"[CTA-LYMPHATIC]","description":{"html":"<p><strong>Get 2 free private yoga sessions</strong> for lymphatic drainage & immunity enhancement. <strong>PLUS 2 weeks of unlimited group yoga classes</strong> (including daily yin-yoga) when you sign up today! No credit card required to sign up.</p><p></p>"},"title":{"html":"<p><strong>Online Yoga Sessions – </strong><u><strong>Live & Interactive</strong></u></p><p><strong>for Lymphatic Drainage & Boosting Your Immune System!</strong></p>"},"linkText":"Start Free Trial","linkUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup"},{"id":"cl2vqlpyfe3yh0biohgxyx2hg","name":"[CTA-LEAD]","description":{"html":"<p>Lead Form</p>"},"title":{"html":"<p>Lead Form</p>"},"linkText":"Start Free Trial","linkUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup"},{"id":"cl4gnwnrlga640ck37gutx7sn","name":"[CTA-GC]","description":{"html":"<p>CTA-GC</p>"},"title":{"html":"<p>CTA-GC</p>"},"linkText":"Start Free Trial","linkUrl":"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup"}],"post":{"id":"ckwdpa0u0011t0c23kpyjxwa0","slug":"yoga-prevents-spine-problems","author":{"name":"Will","teacherMytSlug":null,"pictureUrl":null},"title":"4 Secrets of How Yoga Prevents Spinal Deterioration As You Age","createdAt":"2021-11-24T15:47:15.123194+00:00","updatedAt":"2022-08-01T06:46:52.598316+00:00","coverUrl":"ngozsw6y1tjnktrz854l.jpg","seoDescription":"Yoga prevents and cures back pain. But did you know how it helps prevent and delay spinal degeneration as we age? Learn how yoga benefits your spine here!","content":{"text":"It should come as no surprise to you that joints and bones deteriorate as we age. Mainstream media would have us think that we can look and feel eternally youthful until we die. But that simply isn’t true.\n\nAging is natural. Aging \\ngracefully\\n takes work!\\nOne of the biggest struggles many people face as they age is back pain due to spinal deterioration and degenerative disc disease. \\nEven long time practitioners of yoga will, eventually, experience back pain and spine limitations.\\nWe love a good group yoga class as much as the next yogi, but sometimes we need more guidance in our yoga practice to help us navigate the physical changes and challenges that present themselves during our later years of life.\\nThe good news? Yoga helps prevent back pain due to spinal deterioration. As a matter of fact, yoga delays – \\nand can prevent\\n – the onset of spinal degeneration. And we’re going to dish the deets on how!\\nIf you’re on the hunt for more guidance on how to cure back pain and prevent spinal deterioration, or just looking for expert instruction and personalized attention, we invite you to \\ncheck out MyYogaTeacher’s 1:1 classes with your 2-week free trial here! \\n\\nWith MYT’s 1:1 Membership Plans, you get private, personalized sessions with your favorite yoga teachers, unlimited group classes (over 35 different ones), and recordings of your 1:1 sessions \\nand\\n group classes! \\nThis is especially helpful for yogis who are experienced but are ready to up their yoga game and experience even \\nmore\\n benefits from their yoga practice.\\nNow, on to the secret sauce to how yoga helps prevent late-life back pain and problems.\\n\\n\\n 1. Yoga elongates your spine.\\n\nOne of the primary sources of degenerative disc disease is spinal compression. Spinal compression increases inflammation in the spine and causes friction in the discs.\\n\\nStudies show\\n that yoga instructors who have been practicing yoga for 10 years or more have significantly fewer signs, if any, of degenerative disc disease compared to those who don’t practice yoga or those who haven’t practiced yoga long or consistently.\\nWith the number of people in the United States spending more and more time sitting for work or leisure activities, it’s a fair assumption that diseases of the spine may well be on the rise.\\nOf particular note, these same studies discuss the importance of proper alignment when practicing yoga and how inadvertently doing poses wrong can harm your spine. \\nSo if you’re unsure about whether you’re aligned or not during your practice, we encourage you to seek out a yoga teacher or advanced yogi who can help with that!\\n\\n\\n2. Yoga decreases weight-bearing on the spine.\\nYour skeleton literally bears a lot of weight, particularly your spine. Think about how much weight your cervical spine holds – an average of 11 lbs!\\nThat’s right. Your neck is composed of 7 vertebrae and is responsible for holding up (and keeping safe) your head, which averages about 5 kg or 11 lbs. While the rest of your spine is pretty sturdy and capable of holding up to about 1,000 lbs, it is still significantly affected by the weight it carries, especially if there is excess weight around your midsection.\\nReducing the weight on the spine allows for more nutrients to diffuse into the discs. Ever wonder why you feel so light and airy and radiant when you finish your yoga practice? \\nYep, it’s because you gave your body more nutrients and oxygen!\\nSounds simple, right? But sometimes you just don’t know all the right moves for \\nyour\\n body to get the most out of your yoga practice.\\nIf that’s the case, regular 1:1 sessions with an experienced yoga teacher (either virtually or in person) might be exactly what you need!\\n\\n\\n3. Yoga increases muscle strength.\\nIf you’ve been practicing yoga for a while, you already have firsthand experience with how yoga improves your strength and mobility.\\nYoga not only strengthens the tiny muscles surrounding your spine, but a regular yoga practice protects your spine from deterioration by building up your core and improving your posture. Two things that definitely impact your spinal health.\\nDegenerative disc disease and spinal deterioration are considered a “normal” part of aging. By the age of 40, most people have at least one degenerative disc. By the age of eighty, 80% of the American population has severe spinal deterioration.\\nExercise of almost any kind is shown to help reduce signs of aging, particularly in your spine. However, yoga has an even greater positive impact on spinal health because of the multi-faceted benefits it provides!\\nWhile Hatha yoga is the most popular form of yoga because it’s gentle and slower, experienced yogis may practice other forms of yoga that benefit spinal health, such as Ashtanga and Iyengar.\\nHowever, if practiced wrong, those practices may injure instead of heal and prevent spinal disease, causing back pain and limited movement.\\nIf you’re interested in growing in your yoga journey but are not sure about the quality of your form, your alignment, or are trying to cure your back pain, \\nwe encourage you to check out the 1-on-1 plans MyYogaTeacher has available!\\n\\nMaking personalized attention from expert yoga instructors affordable and accessible is important to us because we truly believe in the power of yoga to heal!\\nNot all forms of exercise specifically improve posture and muscle strength around the spine like yoga does.\\n\\n\\n4. Long-term yoga practice reduces inflammation\\nWe’ve talked about how yoga reduces inflammation in the body before. But when we think of inflammation, we don’t tend to think about the spine.\\nStress responses produce systemic inflammation, which means no area of the body is immune. Injuries and surgeries also cause inflammation. Pain, in general, emotional, mental, or physical, increases cortisol levels.\\nWhen the muscles surrounding the spine are inflamed, back pain ensues, even if that inflammation isn’t directly from spinal issues.\\nA regular yoga practice reduces back pain. Yoga cures back pain too!\\nOne of the primary benefits of yoga is reduced inflammation in the body, a result of lower stress levels. Spinal deterioration is often more progressive when there is consistent inflammation in the muscles surrounding the spine.\\nThis means that the more you regularly practice yoga, the less back pain you will experience.\\nNot only are you preventing back issues by strengthening your spinal muscles and core, you're relieving tension with stretches and reducing friction between the vertebrae and discs due to reduced levels of inflammation.\\nMaybe you’re an experienced yogi who knew this already. Maybe you’re not! Or maybe you are at an age where protecting your spine and preventing spinal problems is more challenging than it was a decade or two ago.\n\nWhatever the case, MyYogaTeacher is here to help! When you sign up for a 1:1 membership with us you get:\\n102 expert\\n, highly qualified yoga instructors to choose from\\nThe ability to switch instructors\\n or take classes with only your faves\\nAccess to unlimited group classes\\n, taught \\nlive\\nPersonalized instruction\\n and work out, diet, and lifestyle plans\\nTo be a member of a HUGE community\\n of happy yogis from around the world\\nYoga teachers who become friends\\n, who truly care about you!\\nIf you haven’t checked us out already, \\ngrab TWO FREE 1:1 sessions with your 2-week free trial here\\n!\\n\n\n","html":"<p>It should come as no surprise to you that joints and bones deteriorate as we age. Mainstream media would have us think that we can look and feel eternally youthful until we die. But that simply isn’t true.<br><br>Aging is natural. Aging <em>gracefully</em> takes work!</p><p>One of the biggest struggles many people face as they age is back pain due to spinal deterioration and degenerative disc disease. </p><p>Even long time practitioners of yoga will, eventually, experience back pain and spine limitations.</p><p>We love a good group yoga class as much as the next yogi, but sometimes we need more guidance in our yoga practice to help us navigate the physical changes and challenges that present themselves during our later years of life.</p><p>The good news? Yoga helps prevent back pain due to spinal deterioration. As a matter of fact, yoga delays – <em>and can prevent</em> – the onset of spinal degeneration. And we’re going to dish the deets on how!</p><p>If you’re on the hunt for more guidance on how to cure back pain and prevent spinal deterioration, or just looking for expert instruction and personalized attention, we invite you to <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/signup\"><u>check out MyYogaTeacher’s 1:1 classes with your 2-week free trial here! </u></a></p><p><strong>With MYT’s 1:1 Membership Plans, you get private, personalized sessions with your favorite yoga teachers, unlimited group classes (over 35 different ones), and recordings of your 1:1 sessions </strong><em><strong>and</strong></em><strong> group classes! </strong></p><p>This is especially helpful for yogis who are experienced but are ready to up their yoga game and experience even <em>more</em> benefits from their yoga practice.</p><p>Now, on to the secret sauce to how yoga helps prevent late-life back pain and problems.</p><p></p><img src=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=width:6000,height:4000/22GoiOBbReW8hgNAGuVD\" alt=\"Prasarita Padottanasana\" title=\"_TMB4205.JPG\" width=\"6000\" height=\"4000\" /><h2> 1. Yoga elongates your spine.</h2><p><br>One of the primary sources of degenerative disc disease is spinal compression. Spinal compression increases inflammation in the spine and causes friction in the discs.</p><p><a title=\"https://www.yogauonline.com/yoga-for-back-pain/yoga-may-prevent-degenerative-disc-disease\" href=\"https://www.yogauonline.com/yoga-for-back-pain/yoga-may-prevent-degenerative-disc-disease\"><u>Studies show</u></a> that yoga instructors who have been practicing yoga for 10 years or more have significantly fewer signs, if any, of degenerative disc disease compared to those who don’t practice yoga or those who haven’t practiced yoga long or consistently.</p><p>With the number of people in the United States spending more and more time sitting for work or leisure activities, it’s a fair assumption that diseases of the spine may well be on the rise.</p><p>Of particular note, these same studies discuss the importance of proper alignment when practicing yoga and how inadvertently doing poses wrong can harm your spine. </p><p>So if you’re unsure about whether you’re aligned or not during your practice, we encourage you to seek out a yoga teacher or advanced yogi who can help with that!</p><p></p><img src=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=width:6048,height:4024/1KbMbkGQaSvl2ZoAEPVH\" alt=\"Malasana\" title=\"_DSC7984.JPG\" width=\"6048\" height=\"4024\" /><h2>2. Yoga decreases weight-bearing on the spine.</h2><p>Your skeleton literally bears a lot of weight, particularly your spine. Think about how much weight your cervical spine holds – an average of 11 lbs!</p><p>That’s right. Your neck is composed of 7 vertebrae and is responsible for holding up (and keeping safe) your head, which averages about 5 kg or 11 lbs. While the rest of your spine is pretty sturdy and capable of holding up to about 1,000 lbs, it is still significantly affected by the weight it carries, especially if there is excess weight around your midsection.</p><p>Reducing the weight on the spine allows for more nutrients to diffuse into the discs. Ever wonder why you feel so light and airy and radiant when you finish your yoga practice? </p><p>Yep, it’s because you gave your body more nutrients and oxygen!</p><p>Sounds simple, right? But sometimes you just don’t know all the right moves for <em>your</em> body to get the most out of your yoga practice.</p><p>If that’s the case, regular 1:1 sessions with an experienced yoga teacher (either virtually or in person) might be exactly what you need!</p><p></p><img src=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=width:6048,height:4024/MczvTfUOSZKvEUmyKdE7\" alt=\"Chaturanga Dandasana\" title=\"_DSC7496.JPG\" width=\"6048\" height=\"4024\" /><h2>3. Yoga increases muscle strength.</h2><p>If you’ve been practicing yoga for a while, you already have firsthand experience with how yoga improves your strength and mobility.</p><p>Yoga not only strengthens the tiny muscles surrounding your spine, but a regular yoga practice protects your spine from deterioration by building up your core and improving your posture. Two things that definitely impact your spinal health.</p><p>Degenerative disc disease and spinal deterioration are considered a “normal” part of aging. By the age of 40, most people have at least one degenerative disc. By the age of eighty, 80% of the American population has severe spinal deterioration.</p><p>Exercise of almost any kind is shown to help reduce signs of aging, particularly in your spine. However, yoga has an even greater positive impact on spinal health because of the multi-faceted benefits it provides!</p><p>While Hatha yoga is the most popular form of yoga because it’s gentle and slower, experienced yogis may practice other forms of yoga that benefit spinal health, such as Ashtanga and Iyengar.</p><p>However, if practiced wrong, those practices may injure instead of heal and prevent spinal disease, causing back pain and limited movement.</p><p>If you’re interested in growing in your yoga journey but are not sure about the quality of your form, your alignment, or are trying to cure your back pain, <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/\"><u>we encourage you to check out the 1-on-1 plans MyYogaTeacher has available!</u></a></p><p>Making personalized attention from expert yoga instructors affordable and accessible is important to us because we truly believe in the power of yoga to heal!</p><p>Not all forms of exercise specifically improve posture and muscle strength around the spine like yoga does.</p><p></p><img src=\"https://media.graphcms.com/resize=width:6000,height:4000/T7NmhROS82je6xHsx2BY\" alt=\"Viparita Virabhadrasana\" title=\"_TMB4306.JPG\" width=\"6000\" height=\"4000\" /><h2>4. Long-term yoga practice reduces inflammation</h2><p>We’ve talked about how yoga reduces inflammation in the body before. But when we think of inflammation, we don’t tend to think about the spine.</p><p>Stress responses produce systemic inflammation, which means no area of the body is immune. Injuries and surgeries also cause inflammation. Pain, in general, emotional, mental, or physical, increases cortisol levels.</p><p>When the muscles surrounding the spine are inflamed, back pain ensues, even if that inflammation isn’t directly from spinal issues.</p><p>A regular yoga practice reduces back pain. Yoga cures back pain too!</p><p>One of the primary benefits of yoga is reduced inflammation in the body, a result of lower stress levels. Spinal deterioration is often more progressive when there is consistent inflammation in the muscles surrounding the spine.</p><p>This means that the more you regularly practice yoga, the less back pain you will experience.</p><p>Not only are you preventing back issues by strengthening your spinal muscles and core, you're relieving tension with stretches and reducing friction between the vertebrae and discs due to reduced levels of inflammation.</p><p>Maybe you’re an experienced yogi who knew this already. Maybe you’re not! Or maybe you are at an age where protecting your spine and preventing spinal problems is more challenging than it was a decade or two ago.<br><br>Whatever the case, MyYogaTeacher is here to help! When you sign up for a 1:1 membership with us you get:</p><ul><li><div><strong>102 expert</strong>, highly qualified yoga instructors to choose from</div></li></ul><ul><li><div><p><strong>The ability to switch instructors</strong> or take classes with only your faves</p></div></li><li><div><p><strong>Access to unlimited group classes</strong>, taught <em><strong>live</strong></em></p></div></li><li><div><p><strong>Personalized instruction</strong> and work out, diet, and lifestyle plans</p></div></li><li><div><p><strong>To be a member of a HUGE community</strong> of happy yogis from around the world</p></div></li><li><div><p><strong>Yoga teachers who become friends</strong>, who truly care about you!</p></div></li></ul><p>If you haven’t checked us out already, <a title=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/\" href=\"https://www.myyogateacher.com/\"><u>grab TWO FREE 1:1 sessions with your 2-week free trial here</u></a>!</p><p><br><br></p>"},"category":["therapy","restorative"],"utmCampaign":null,"utmMedium":null,"utmContent":null,"utmSource":null,"utmTerm":null,"utmSearchString":null,"imageHyperlink":[]},"recommendations_group_class":[{"session_uuid":"37131afc-912a-4fcd-8bc7-72c0ab0a06de","student_uuid":"9319f08d-cbc7-485b-84be-fd550dd61808","teacher_uuid":"ddc9449c-2656-43a3-98df-fc5c85c30d8c","teacher_name":"Prakash Chandra Bhatt","teacher_first_name":"Prakash","teacher_slug":"prakash-1","teacher_photo":"https://res.cloudinary.com/dgerdfai4/image/upload/v1677307037/teacher/photos/oatsgjraiv5zuhf946mr.jpg","group_session_name":"Chair Yoga: Improve Your Mobility and Strength","group_session_description":"Experience the benefits of yoga without getting down on the floor with Chair Yoga. 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