Yoga Tips

One of the things I love about half lord of the fishes pose (also known as seated spinal twist) is how adaptable the pose is. You can keep your bottom leg extended if you knee bothers you or you can take the bind if you are able to. When it comes to the bind, make sure that you don’t throw off the whole pose by leaning too far forward just to get the bind. It’s more important to keep a nice, upright spine.

“As a certified Anusara yoga teacher, I feel fortunate and delighted to be a part of Friend’s vision and elegant system.”

Every August, my family vacations in the same sleepy, slightly run-down, east-coast beach town. I always think someone should start up a yoga studio there, but no one has. Until now! Imagine my delight when I saw the yoga studio just off the main street! Imagine my disappointment when I discovered the teacher was out of town herself and the studio closed down for the week! If you are planning an end of summer trip, make sure to read up on how to take yoga on vacation, either by finding local yoga studios or packing what you need to practice on your own.

Or should it be your period on yoga? Either way, there are a number of opinions on how women should modify their yoga practices during menstruation, ranging from no changes at all to no yoga at all. As with most things, a flexible, middle ground approach makes the most sense to modern women. Weigh in with your take: how do you modify your practice during menstruation?

Legs up the wall is a great restorative yoga pose that makes the benefits of an inversion possible for those who can’t fully invert. (Hint: It’s a good one if you want to avoid inverting while menstruating.) It’s also a great rejuvenator for anyone that spends a lot of time on their feet at work.

Restorative yoga, in which the body is allowed to stretch passively while supported by props, is a lovely alternative to a more active practice on days when you are feeling like you need a little TLC. If you have never tried it, you’ll be surprised how much stretching you can do when it seems like you are just lying around. Read more about restorative yoga and check out a class at your local yoga studio.

Or should I say my old nemesis? When a pose like revolved half moon pose rears its head in three yoga classes in a row, it’s time to take notice. I don’t have too many tips for this pose, since I struggle with it every time, but a block under the hand does help a bit. Aside from my physical discomfort, the real challenge here is to stay present in the pose without giving in to the dark thoughts about the teacher who put me here and to resist the temptation to come out just a tiny bit early.

Seems a lot of my teachers have warrior III on the brain- it has popped up in almost every class I’ve taken lately, usually as part of a standing balances sequence. Though I’m generally not a big fan of mirrors in yoga classes, they do come in handy with this pose, as it is very difficult to sense whether your body is parallel to the floor and your hips level. If there isn’t a mirror around, placing your hands on your hips helps with the later problem, which in turn helps with the former problem.

Dear Aunt Yoga,

My teacher used to use an “intention” for each class, such as grace, self-love, forgiveness, compassion, etc. She would work the intention into the entire class. It really helped me to have something positive to focus on while doing the poses. Is this a common practice? Is there a list of recommended intentions?

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Stefanie Syman’s book examines how yoga, the centuries-old spiritual discipline, became a fitness routine for American athletes, C.E.O.’s, movie stars and soccer moms.