One of the great aspects of yoga is paying attention to how you breath and connecting your breath to movement in your body. I often give cues in class to inhale or exhale. This isn’t a cue to take the biggest breath
A longer but not deeper breathe
The small things in plank pose
Plank is an essential part of every yoga class, as it’s in every sun salutation. But that’s not the only reason it’s important. It’s a great way to strengthen the arms, shoulders and upper body and believe it or not,
Variations in chair pose to challenge balance
Balance isn’t just about standing on one leg. Often when we do chair pose, we’re so focused on how hard the big muscles in our legs (thighs and calves) are working, that we forget how much work our feet do
The small things in Warrior II pose
We do warrior 2, virabhadrasana 2, in class all the time. There are two very important alignment cues in this pose. The first one you’ll regularly hear me say – to make sure the knee is going straight ahead, not drifting
Chair pose with a twist
Utkatasana, or chair pose, is rarely anyone’s favourite yoga pose, but it is an excellent way to build strength in your legs. If you’ve spent much time in this pose, you’ll understand why it’s also known as powerful pose. This
Down dog 101
One of the essential asanas or physical poses in every yoga class is down dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana. It stretches hamstrings, calves and shoulders while also providing strength in your arms and back. Start on your hands and knees,
Finding a thigh or quadriceps stretch in lunges
Sometimes it’s easier to find the quadriceps or thigh stretch in a lunge with the back knee down. Start from standing with your feet hip-width apart. Step your left foot back to a lunge keeping the front knee over the
Lunge with a gentle twist
One of my favourite variations for the lunge is adding a twist. It can be a gentle option to move your upper spine. Start from standing with your feet hip-width apart. Step your left foot back to the lung keeping
Basic lunge 101
Every yoga class I’ve taught has had a few, if not several lunges in them. The lunge is a simple and easy way to stretch several muscles in your legs including the thigh and groin muscles including the psoas. There
Arm stretch in eagle pose
Speaking of shoulder stretches, the arm position from garuda or eagle pose is an easy way to stretch your shoulders and upper back – even while you’re sitting at the desk, in front of the TV or on the ferry. While sitting