Close

Muscles

Is Navasana a Core Pose? 

Is Navasana (Boat Pose in yoga) a core pose?

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yoga Anatomy Academy (@yogaanatomyacademy) As an avid student of yoga since the mid-90s, I have heard many yoga teachers say that boat pose, also known as navasana or paripurna (full) navasana, was a core pose.  This always confused me because, in my own body during navasana, […]

Read More

What is (and is not) the “Core”

After recently hearing a yoga teacher insist that foot strengthening exercises were “core exercises”, it got us thinking: what exactly is the core? And how can we help the yoga community apply this term more precisely? “Core” is not a medical term, and does not have a universal, clear definition. It can (and will) be […]

Read More

Strong is the New Stretch

Reimagining bendy poses for strengthening purposes. What is it about stretchiness that is so intoxicating? I recently responded to a question on Instagram: “Are side splits a worthy goal? Or is that kind of range [of motion] unnecessary?” I’m a physical therapist. One of the foundations of physical therapy is functional movement,  movement practices that […]

Read More

Why Anatomy is Not “Just” About Anatomy

One of the questions we receive occasionally about the Yoga Anatomy Academy Online Yoga Anatomy mentorship is: “Is this mentorship just about anatomy, or do you also talk about things like biomechanics [or kinesiology, physiology, etc] ?” The answer is we talk about all the things. We do not talk and teach ‘only’ about anatomy. […]

Read More

Sustainable Strength for Side Plank + 3 Myths About Side Plank Broken Down

Ariele Foster demonstrates side plank with legs stacked

A pose that comes up frequently in yoga classes, yet seems to be quite challenging – even defeating –  for many is side plank, vasisthasana. Many people simply don’t have the strength for side plank, and don’t know where to begin. This post will break down three myths about side plank, and offer you a […]

Read More

Tackling Tight Hip Flexors

Supine psoas strengtheners with yoga block

The most common request heard by yoga teachers is “hip openers, please!”. After all, students come to yoga most of the time after sitting. For hours on end. They feel the need to stretch out the stiffness. If you teach yoga, know this: sitting is a passive stretch.  As you sit, most of the posterior […]

Read More

Two Tips for Rotator Cuff Strengthening in Yoga

The rotator cuff (RTC) is a well-known group of muscles that are important in stabilizing the shoulder, basically no matter the activity. When it comes to keeping the arm bone centered in the “socket”, these are the guys for the job. The larger the weight or force that an arm lifts, the more important the […]

Read More

Posterior Chain Awakens: 5 Poses to Overcome Yoga Butt

Many patients who seek treatment in my physical therapy practice are yogis. Because I am both a physical therapist and a long time interdisciplinary yoga teacher, yoga practitioners trust me with their injuries and physical challenges. I see one yoga-related challenge (sometimes I see it before it becomes a full injury) more frequently than any […]

Read More

Announcing New Online Course with Yoga Journal: Fascia Release for Yoga

fascia release yoga, yogis, myofascial release, online self myofascial release, online course yoga fascia

  Fascia Release for Yoga and Yogis I’ve been loving self-myofascial release (SMFR) for many years now. My “Way of the Happy Fascia” workshops regularly sell out, I assign SMFR to nearly all my patients, and am sometimes “guilty” of spending more time on my mat rolling on balls than doing conventional yoga asana.  Well, […]

Read More

A Wake-Up Call for Your Posterior Chain

A few weeks ago I taught the first iteration of my new workshop, Posterior Chain Awakening. “Posterior Chain” is a favorite term in the personal training world and in physical therapy clinics, but it’s less known in the yoga sphere.   What is a Posterior Chain? “Posterior chain” indicates the muscles (or myofascial network) on the […]

Read More