No matter how much moola you dropped on your yoga mat, you want it to last and offer you a smooth and injury-free yoga practice. There's not a whole lot that goes into caring for your mat, but here are three things you should never do. Lather up: New mats often come with a rubbery or plastic-y odor, so of course your first instinct is to give it a thorough cleaning. Using too much soap can Read more

In yoga, pranayama is considered the art of breathing, and knowing different pranyama techniques will help support a strong practice and get you feeling all kinds of awesome. Because the Sanskrit can be a little confusing, here are explanations of four pranayama techniques to help you on your way to better breathing. Ujjayi pranayama: Integral to Ashtanga and many a Vinyasa class, ujjayi Read more

Child's Pose (Sanskrit: Balasana) is a comforting and rejuvenating asana that sometimes gets a bad rap. I am here to set the record straight: there is absolutely nothing weak about taking Child's Pose when you need to take a break — there is great strength in knowing exactly what your body needs. If you've ever had a strange internal dialogue where you wouldn't allow yourself to take Child's Read more

Adele answers her critics and talks body image and cleavage — Blisstree Before your workout, to eat or not? — Real Simple Get inspired by celeb before and after weight-loss pics — Shape Get a leg up! Three steps to stronger thighs — HuffPost Health and Fitness SFO just got a little more chill: yoga room opens at airport — Newser A handful of ways to lose weight at Walmart — Read more

Bob Harper's must-do moves to get you bikini ready — Shape Strawberries in a sandwich? You betcha! — DailySpark Cool off with frozen desserts under 250 calories — Health How to freeze those brown bananas for future smoothies — Peanut Butter Fingers Proving 30 is the new 15: celebs over 30 rockin' their bikinis — Blisstree Airport asanas to keep you flexible in flight — Read more

Sweating it out in yoga class could result in a case of the sniffles, and not because you're sweating out toxins. You get sick because you're coming in contact with germs and your immune system is losing. Here are four ways to effectively battle germs during yoga class. Borrowing a studio mat: I don't know what's more gross: how many people have sweat on those mats, or when was the last time Read more

So many ways to enjoy Greek yogurt, so little time. Start with the chocolate frosting! Scarlett Johansson runs in Vibram Five Finger shoes — do you? Popular with celebs and royalty, here's the lowdown on the Dukan diet. Work your asana to tone your backside with these seven yoga poses. Don't skip breakfast! It really is the most important meal of the day. Find out if you're more like Gwyneth Read more

Your first yoga classes can be pretty overwhelming. There's a different vibe than other exercise regimens, and there's literally a whole new language talking you through the experience. While you're contorting your body into a new crazy pretzel, or trying to focus inward to calm your mind, the last thing you want to worry about is the definition of a word your teacher keeps on throwing out Read more

Having heard many yoga enthusiasts with diverse practices praise Shiva Rea, I looked forward to taking her Fire and Flow: Agni Namaskar class at the San Francisco Yoga Journal Conference a couple of weeks ago. I must admit, I was a little skeptical too and feared her style would be overly spiritual, pedantic, or judgmental (I have been lectured about the evils of cheese by yoga instructors and Read more