Crow pose (bakasana) is the entrance to more challenging arm balances. (Check out this video on my favorite way to get into the pose.) When practicing crow pose, you need a few key elements: aware and educated hands cat back core and inner legs squeezing hip flexion The combination of these four component parts will […]
Bird of Paradise is a bound standing pose, where you balance on one leg and try to look like a stork. But, you know, an elegant stork. It’s a doozy of a pose, requiring balance, open hamstrings, external rotation, and deep hip flexion. Let’s take a closer look at how you can get your students […]
Natarajasana – Dancer’s Pose – is a beautifully challenging yoga pose. It’s a complex pose with a lot of benefits: Opens the chest and front line of the body Works your balance (ankle and hip stability) Increases focus The component parts (parts of the body that need to be warmed up or educated in order to […]
This class yoga pose is complex! Requiring deep opening through the hips and shoulders, wheel uses the strength of the arms and legs to leverage the practitioner into the pose. Make sure to use stages for the peak, starting with bridge pose. Here’s a look at how I may sequence this pose for a flow […]
I taught this delightful little power sequence in YYoga’s 3-Day Principles of YYoga Teacher Training as a demonstration of sensibly sequencing to peak poses. Keep in mind that access to Dragonfly is limited by the joint of the hip – not just the muscles. For more info on skeletal variation, check out Paul Grilley’s outstanding […]
“Stack your hips.” Oh, friends, how many times have I heard this oh-so-convenient (and oh-so-terrible) cue? The problem with cuing stack your hips in Ardha Chandrasana is that most students can’t actually do it. It’s like asking students to “square the hips” in Virabhadrasana II. You simply can’t square the hips (or stack the hips) in […]
To do this pose well, you need open outer hips, coupled with hip buoyancy (from the core and back leg activation) coupled wtih a willingness to reach the chest forward to counterbalance the lifting of the back leg. Component Parts: Sequence: Props needed: Strap, two blocks, chip foam block Want more? Check out my […]
Congratulations! You’ve got a bun in the oven and rapid changes are on the way. Not only is your body undergoing marvelous and radical transformation, but most likely other areas of your life (career, relationships, home) are shifting to make room for this new being. Whether you’re a novice or veteran yogi, practicing yoga during […]
Okay, okay, we’ve all heard it in yoga class: “Don’t squeeze your glutes,” or “Relax your buttocks,” or something poetic like, “Allow the tissue of your ahem, buttocks flesh, to melt and soften…” However you’ve heard it, the message is the same: don’t squeeze your ass. Where “don’t squeeze your butt” started Now […]
A good – if slightly claustrophobic way – of keeping the arms from splaying out in the ascent to Wheel (Urdhva Dhanurasana). Tips: I’d be less likely to use this on a really tight guy (who may need a little extra room to find full flexion of the arms) than on a flexible but instable […]
Here is a two person partner assist for Full Wheel (Urdhva Dhanurasana). This assist is perfect for those needing more space and stability through their lower back. Tips: place the straps at the bra line and sacrum line guard your own body position (hinge at your hips, not your low back) pull the straps diagonally […]
Anyone with wrist issues or tight shoulders knows that Wheel (Urdhva Dharusasna) can be hard to do. Here’s a simple and easy partner assist that you can do (keep it simple by not using straps and just using the ankle hold) to help your tighter students find their way into this complex pose. For a […]
A marvelous doozy of a pose, Forearm Stand (pincha mayurasana) invites into a full inversion and a backbend a the same time. Here are clear and easy steps for safely instructing your students into the pose. Tips: finding the backbend in the upper back will help you to effectively balance in this pose using props […]
Teach your students to find the necessary stability for their upper backs with this simple block assist in Headstand. By placing the block at the level of the shoulder blades, you will help them to find the necessary scapular stability to get move their hips over their shoulders, which will eventually lead them to a […]
Step by step guide into handstand. Here are some tips: Straight arms: Keeping the arms straight will keep you and your students out of “nose to floor” danger Midline: Hug the inner thighs together to maintain a neutral alignment in the hips Straight legs: Keeping the legs straight makes your students safer, more supported, and […]
How to do and teach a safe and effective shoulderstand. Learn about why shoulderstand can be risky, why we prop, and how to make this pose safe for your students. How To Prop How To Teach
Learn to do and teach an excellently positioned Chaturanga. Use props to find your best alignment and protect the delicate shoulder joint for repetitive stress injury. Check out as we do this is in the YYoga 200-hour Teacher Training.
This is a challenging transition for the best of us! Check out these options that you can use to help both do this transition – as well as teach it to your students. Avoid “cheating” and be kind to your rotator cuff 🙂
Join and and the YYoga 200-hour teacher trainees as we look at how to do and teach Handstand Prep. The secret is in the bent knees and the shoulder blades…. 🙂
An awesome way to teach Supta Hasta Padangustasana – the floor gives you great feedback for your spine and the wall allows you to feel the turn out that tends to happen as our leg takes the path of least resistance.
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