If taking yoga was one of your goals for 2011, let me introduce you to Downward Facing Dog. It's probably the most basic yoga pose, and no matter what style of yoga you study, you'll end up in this pose more than a handful of times in one class. Even though it looks pretty straightforward, it's a challenging position to hold since most of your weight is in your upper body. It's also difficult if Read more

Downward Facing Dog is a total body workout. It stretches your hamstrings and strengthens your upper body. If you do the Partner Yoga pose Double Dog, the person on the bottom gets even more of a deep stretch, and the person on the top gets a killer upper body and core workout. What happens if you do Triple Dog with three people? It feels amazing to be physically connected to two other people Read more

I'm sure you all have your favorite yoga poses. We love ones that help you stretch out and increase your flexibility. Or the ones that help us heal or rehabilitate injured muscles. We also love the ones that relieve tension and stress. Then there are the poses are all about strength. They're challenging to do, so when you finally get into them, you feel confident, safe, and stable. Sage is one Read more

Doing yoga can be so much fun, especially when you do it with people you care about. Why not designate a half hour this weekend to practicing with your entire family? Ideally you should do it around 10:30 or 2:30, so you are in between mealtimes (yoga doesn't feel very good on a full or completely empty belly). Pick a spot in your home or outside if weather permits so you all have enough space Read more

We've finally learned all the poses that make up Sun Salutation A, so we can link them all together. The Sanskrit word for Sun Salutation is Surya Namaskar. Surya means "Sun," and "Namaskar" is a greeting of honor and respect to the divinity present in each one of us. In case you were curious, the word "Namaste" comes from the word "Namaskar," and is used as a greeting and a way to give Read more

We've reached the last pose in the Sun Salutation A. Downward facing Dog, or Down Dog as I usually call it is one of the toughest poses to hold in yoga. It works every part of your body, and when you first begin to do yoga, you have a hard time holding this pose for more than 2 breaths. After you practice for a while, you'll build up the muscles and strength in your arms to hold yourself up, Read more

Do you fear that you are a yoga "poser"? If so, we're here to help you bone up on a few of the yoga basics. Downward Facing Dog, aka - Adho Mukha Svanasana (the name of the pose in Sanskrit), is a staple of every yoga class. Plus it is a major part of Sun Salutations, often done at the beginning of a yoga class as a warm up to prepare you for what is ahead. It is also a great calf Read more