Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

Yoga has made me curious about my body for more than 20 years. When I feel restriction in my outer hips during Pigeon Pose, I wonder what exactly is holding me back—is it my gluteus maximus, my piriformis and external rotators, my posterior capsule… or my questionable karma? Hey, I’m a Virgo, I don’t like surprises, and teaching yoga is my passion, so I like to understand these things. That’s fair, right?

Yoga has been practiced in India for some 5000 years by yogis, but it is only now being regarded as a universal solution for all health issues. I bet you know that June 21st is World Yoga Day, and millions of people across the globe converge every year to celebrate this day. However, have you ever wondered why are we talking about yoga now, even though it has been around for thousands of years? Maybe because more and more people are getting to know about this form of exercise and are experiencing its many benefits. Here are some benefits of yoga that are probably responsible for its fame:

Recent events and the turn of season have landed on many like a celestial wet blanket, casting a hue of funk and resignation. Even just a quick glance at any news feed bombards us with what seems to be insurmountable suffering, injustice, and ignorance. Governments and institutions appear at a loss to stem the tide. As individuals, we have no choice but to either give in to hopelessness or garner our intrinsic resources.

Last night was the last time I’ll ever sleep in my childhood bedroom. Tonight, I’ll sleep in a “guest room” in my parent’s new house. I don’t live in the same state anymore (and haven’t for the past 5 years), so I don’t really get a room in their house.

People often ask us if we could only do one thing for our health everyday what would it be.

We stretch our hamstrings in yoga A LOT, but we don’t necessarily work on strengthening them. If you’re familiar with the ‘yoga butt’ injury, you know that injuries at the hamstring tendon located, well, in your butt, are more and more common with regular practitioners.

I was having a discussion with some epic yogis the other day and we were talking about karma .. and what karma yoga “is”. And we were talking about how karma yoga can be something as simple as being nice to people you don’t know. Picking up trash that’s not yours. Buying coffee for the person in line behind you without them knowing. That sort of “pay it forward” attitude. And while I love this idea, I mean who wouldn’t? This world needs more of that for sure!

The universe likes to inspire me for content. This is a great way to receive content ideas, except that it requires patience. I’ve been thinking about doing a yoga for knee pain video for a while, but wasn’t positive I even knew what to teach for this particular condition.

I’m definitely dealing with a little Peter Pan syndrome as I face the stigma of turning the big 4-0. I certainly don’t feel old, but when my father turned forty I remember buying old fart pills from Spencer’s at the mall, and giving him a card with a picture of an old man using a walker. I have watched the movie This is Forty many times and deeply identify with Leslie Mann’s character when she says, “I don't wanna shop at old lady stores. I don't wanna go to J. Jill and Chico's and Ann Taylor Loft. I’m not ready yet."

The continued rise of Instagram-influenced yoga has led to a new wave of criticism among East-Indians and academics alike. Accusations of cultural appropriation are being levied just as long-held myths are being debunked. Many earnest practitioners find themselves confused by the discord between what they see and read in the media and the experience they have of Yoga in their lives.

Fear can feel painful, overwhelming, even paralyzing. Whether you’re facing a major life change like an illness or a break-up, or a more specific fear like giving a presentation to colleagues or standing in front a group and teaching a yoga class, I hope this post gives you some idea for navigating fear with more ease.

It’s Vata season (fall), which means all of Vata’s wonderful qualities become heightened until Spring. As a quick recap, Vata is made up of the elements air and ether (space) and its qualities can include digestive irregularities, feelings of anxiety and overwhelm, creativity, and movement. Think wind, dryness, and cool air – all properties present in autumn.

As a beginner, among the many confusions of learning yoga, is figuring out your stance for standing poses (meaning Warrior II, Side Angle, Triangle, etc.). How long from the front foot to the back foot? How much width between the heels? What are the angles the feet are turned? Is there an absolute right way? And it’s also highly probable you haven’t given this a second thought and just step your feet apart and do your best to make the shape. Here’s a step by step guide to keep it simple and increase the power of your postures.

Happy Autumn Equinox! I don’t know about you, but it’s slowly starting to feel like fall around here. Cooler weather. Pumpkins on display at the grocery store. Cravings for soup and hot tea. Northface jackets. And of course, football!

One day during savasana (the relaxation pose at the end of a yoga class) I basically ‘woke’ up. In that moment, I felt completely content, possibly for the first time in my life. I began to clearly see the suffering I was putting myself through in relationship to my body and eating.

Like eating a healthy breakfast, doing yoga before you start your day can raise your energy levels and boost your metabolism. It also reduces anxiety by letting you start off each day with a clean slate, free of distractions and in touch with yourself.

The unforgiving trajectory of real estate markets poses the greatest challenge for independent yoga centers. In order to survive, smaller centers need to locate in popular areas where residents can afford the service they provide. But there seems to be an unmistakable time limit on how long the profitability of a yoga class can keep pace with ever rising rents.

Sukhasana, or easy pose, or cross-legged sitting, is one of the fundamental poses I teach in my beginner’s courses. I usually make some remark about how the title ‘easy pose’ used to piss me off because it’s not necessarily an easy pose. For me as a beginner it was hard, uncomfortable, and eventually painful to sit cross-legged on the ground. But I think, in a way, I’ve been missing the point.

At my recent wedding, my dad mentioned in his toast how the Herzberger family is not particularly skilled at how to deal with change. This is kind of like one of those running jokes in the family where it’s funny, but not really.

It’s the height of zucchini season and for those of us with a veggie garden (or a nice neighbor who likes to share), we’ve got “zukes” (and “cukes” for that matter) coming out of our ears!

I’m having a really hard time adjusting to this “default-world” that you hear Burners talk about. What a flipping default world it is. That phrase holds so much meaning and makes me laugh out loud now. And as I transition myself from an existence where people hug, connect, love, kiss, share infinite time, help each other, share truths, and fly by their intuition, into this “default reality” of schedules and work and kids and sports and “to-do’s” really has this recovering Type-A annoyed.

The $30 billion yoga industry might stand to take a lesson from Apple and Taylor Swift and pay their teachers even if they offer a discounted introductory package.

Community is a loaded word where I come from in Denver, CO. Community is thriving, but real connection is getting more difficult to create as of late…

In golf, every detail matters. Having a slight advantage can make the difference between an enjoyable day on the course or a disappointing one. Golfers want to eliminate strokes as well as pain so they can continue playing the game they love for many years. Yoga can offer this advantage by increasing flexibility, range of motion in the joints and honing mental concentration.

Many of my yoga students are cyclists who practice yoga to alleviate muscle tightness from logging long hours in the saddle. A yoga practice focused on flexibility, core strength and balance can be a perfect cross-training workout for the avid cyclist. Competitive triathlete Molly McCorkle used to suffer pain in her lower back and hips when she took long rides training for half-Ironman triathlons.