Eye of the Needle Pose – Sucirandhrasana

Type of Pose: Hip opener Benefits: Stretches the hips. Instructions: 1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and the soles of your feet on the floor. 2. Hug your left knee into your chest. 3. Cross the left ankle over your body and rest it on the right thigh. 4. Let the left […]

Bachelorette Parties Move to the Barre From the Bar

Emily Berl for The New York Times Alyson Luck, 29, in veil and sash, with her friends at Flywheel Sports studio in the Flatiron district, where Ms. Luck celebrated part of her bachelorette party. JUST after 2 p.m. on a September Saturday, the heavy drinking began at Alyson Luck’s bachelorette party. “I’m already in pain,” […]

Yoga Props Illustrated

Although it is certainly possible to do yoga without a mat, it is nice to have one to provide a little cushioning and traction. Many mats are made from synthetic materials, although natural rubber mats are available. Mats can cost as little as $20, so it makes sense to buy your own since the communal […]

Drishti

Definition: Drishti is a point of focus where the gaze rests during asana and meditation practice. Focusing on a drishti aids concentration, since it is easier to become distracted when the eyes are wandering all over the room. Each yoga pose has a specific drishti, which also aids in alignment. For instance, in Extended Side […]

Ear Pressure Pose

Type of Pose: Inversion Benefits: Aligns the spine, opens the shoulders Instructions: 1. From Plow pose, bend your knees and bring them to the floor on either side of your head. 2. Rest the tops of your feet on the floor. 3. Allow the knees to apply light pressure to the ears, momentarily cutting off […]

Yogitoes Skidless Towel

Walk into a vinyasa-style yoga class these days, and you will see a lot of brightly colored Yogitoes Skidless towels adorning the mats around the room. These mat-size towels (a hand-size version is also available) are especially popular with people who practice Ashtanga and hot yoga. But what benefits can they offer your practice? Reduced […]

Find Yoga Poses

There are so many yoga poses that it is helpful to have multiple ways of finding a pose when you need it. Here, you can find poses by level of difficulty (beginning, intermediate, advanced), the area of the body you want to work on, and pose name in English or Sanskrit. Finally, you can use […]

Yoga for Cyclists

Cyclists often experience tightness in the major muscle groups used in riding a bike: the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hips, shoulders, and neck are particularly in need of regular stretching. This short series of yoga poses is designed for the recreational cyclist and should be done when the muscles are already warm. It’s useful to […]

Forrest Yoga

Forrest Yoga is the invention of west-coast yoga teacher Ana Forrest. Known for her acrobatic, dance-like yoga demonstrations, Forrest drew upon her personal history of abuse, epilepsy, alcoholism, and bulimia to create an intensely physical vinyasa-style practice that aims to heal psychic wounds. Forrest incorporates elements of Native American healing, encouraging students to go deep […]

Mysore

Definition: A self-led variation of Ashtanga yoga, done without a teacher calling out the poses. Students practice at their own pace and level of ability, but in the company of other students and with the encouragement and advice of a teacher as needed. The name Mysore comes from the city in India where Ashtanga yoga […]

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