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How to Lift the Arch of the Foot

lift the arch of the foot, flexor hallicus brevis, posterior tibialis, tibialis posterior, yoga, yoga teaching, cues, medial arch

One of the most common cues heard in yoga classes is “lift the arch of the foot”. To some, this action comes naturally, and / or makes kinesthetic sense. To others, not so much. We’d like to clear something up before going on: there are all kinds of learners out there, and all kinds of […]

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Should Your Spine Be Shaped Like a J?

yoga anatomy workshop lumbar spine, SI joints, and pelvis - sacroiliac stability, alignment

Should we have a J-shaped spine? NPR aired this story back in June: “Lost Posture: Why Some Indigenous Cultures May Not Have Back Pain,”. It went viral (at least in the Facebook feeds of physical therapists, yoga teachers and the like). The piece shares the perspective of Esther Gokhale, an acupuncturist who, after suffering severe back pain […]

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What’s so special about Psoas?

Psoas is a deep lumbo-pelvic muscle that can curl us into the protective fetal position or quickly engage to hurl us forward in a run. There are fascinating articles out there on the emotional role of this muscle, but I’m here to talk about its biomechanics in yoga asana. Psoas is a multi-articulate or multiarticular muscle — one that […]

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6 Tips for Teaching Yoga to Hypermobile Students

ehlers-danlos, hypermobile, hypermobility, hyperflexible, too much flexibility, yoga

As a physical therapist (or physiotherapist, for those outside of the USA), this is how I most frequently work with patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS): In addition to skilled hands-on techniques to improve boney alignment and specific muscle fiber recruitment, I prescribe very specific strengthening exercises that stabilize joints, and I teach patients self-myofascial release. An […]

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