#yoga

#yoga

Sammy, a three-and-a-half-foot-long ball python, is beautiful with deep brown and gold patches. His skin is cool and smooth, providing a unique experience during yoga.

Hatha Yoga is one of the most popular yoga styles currently. The term 'Hatha' comes from two Sanskrit words: 'Ha' means sun, and 'Tha' means moon. It represents balance between opposing energies in the body.

"When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you." This African proverb encapsulates the essence of overcoming internal fears to achieve personal goals.

On a cool, rainy afternoon in the wilds of Laikipia, Kenya, I am lying in savasana, or corpse pose, beside a log fire in the pool house of Enasoit Camp. The teacher, Laura Bunting, gently intones a yoga nidra to our small, all-female group, during which I slip in and out of a hypnotic half-light state, only vaguely aware of the sound of rain on the thatched roof and the percussive efforts of a nearby woodpecker.

Turning on a yoga practice on YouTube was my method of choice for slowing down. I quickly scrolled through the overwhelming number of options for "slow" and "gentle" yoga practices, a task which was almost enough to dissuade me from taking a break. "I can rest later," I thought. But I knew better. Later usually turns into late at night which turns into tomorrow which easily turns into never.

The winter blues are very real. The lack of light and cold temperatures can pull you into a slump-but practicing yoga can help you feel more like yourself and help you overcome some of the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. All it takes is a willingness to commit to some movement, even-or especially-when you're feeling a bit blah. This grounding morning flow helps you overcome winter sluggishness with some breath-guided stretching and slow activation.

Perhaps everyone else in class is twisting while you're skipping it, avoiding eye contact with the teacher, and thinking, "My rib cage does not move that way." You're not alone. Twisting poses, by definition, rotate the spine, which can make it feel like your midsection is being squeezed waaay too tight. That makes it trickier to take a deep breath because of the pressure twisting places on the abdomen. The result? A not-so-calming stretch you'd rather avoid than attempt.

On the list of things my girlfriend likes to do, yoga falls somewhere beneath scrubbing her kitchen floor and somewhere above listening to me explain Game of Thrones. Kate (an alias since my girlfriend agreed to this experiment only if I kept her anonymous) has tried yoga a few times and recognizes the physical benefits although it's not exactly something she gets overly excited about.

At some point when I was running around doing a bunch of people's work for a project that was supposed to be supported by an entire group, I thought, "Wait a minute. Why am I in this by myself?! Then I remembered something that I'd heard from someone a few years prior that basically asserted non-reciprocal relationships are abusive relationships.

At thirty years old, I have been teaching yoga for a third of my life. In my corner of the world, it's almost like a clique. Everyone knows who's who, and what's more menacing is that everybody seems to know each other's business. Of course, there are pluses and minuses, but for the most part, it feels more like a popularity contest than a viable career.

What's especially helpful about these is that you can incorporate them into your existing yoga practice or gym workout. They also bring a surprise factor in that they're not things that you might normally think to try on your mat. Even better, it's not an entire 30-minute strength conditioning workout. It's simple drills you can rely on every single day to strengthen your shoulders.

As defined by brands and advertisers, the holidays mean socializing, decorating, gift buying, cooking, traveling, and forced socializing. For many of us, that feels like barely contained chaos. Yes, it can be lovely to partake in the spirit of giving and gratitude and all that comes with it. But it's entirely too easy, amid the endless tasks and commitments, to lose yourself and forget about the things that keep you grounded.

In Indian philosophy, few concepts are as profound and transformative as Maya. Often translated as "illusion," Maya is not merely a false reality but a complex force that shapes how we perceive the world. It influences our emotions, decisions, attachments, and spiritual journey. For seekers, yogis, and students at Nada Yoga School in Rishikesh, understanding Maya is essential for inner clarity and self-realization.

Brain fog is very real. According to a recent study, "cognitive disability"-defined as difficulties concentrating, remembering, and making decisions-is on the rise in the U.S. The phenomenon is most dramatically affecting those between the ages of 18 to 39, with the self-reported impairments doubling over the course of the decade-long analysis. Potential culprits include stress, Covid, and digital overload. Fortunately, banishing-or at least minimizing-brain fog is within your power.