“Balance is the state of the present – the here and now. If you balance in the present you are living in eternity.” . ~ BKS Iyengar Center of gravity All objects have a center of gravity (CoG) – […]
Yoga & Balance: The Three Inner Balance Sensors
“What I dream of is an art of balance.” . ~ Henri Matisse The three inner balance senses Though most people don’t develop balance problems until well into their 50s, the optimal age range to begin developing our balance abilities is in our 30s and 40s. This is because balance is controlled by the brain […]
Yoga & Balance: Static vs. Dynamic Balance
“Happiness is not a matter of intensity, but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony.” . ~ Thomas Merton Static balance Static balance is the ability to balance while stationary. It’s what most people think of when they picture a balanced position. To be able to balance statically your body’s center of gravity must […]
Yoga & Balance: Feet & ankles for balance
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” . – Albert Einstein The feet & ankles in balance The feet provide a relatively narrow base for walking, and the ankles are quite slender when you consider that they carry the entire weight of the body for many hours each […]
Yoga & Balance: Brain Benefits
“So divinely is the world organized that every one of us, in our place and time, is in balance with everything else.” . – Johann Wolfgang von Goeth There are many good reasons to want to improve one’s balance, with prevention of falls being high on the list. However, an often overlooked benefit […]
Yoga for Healthy Knees
Healthy knees depend upon strong and flexible feet, ankles and hips Our internal kinetic chain All of our joints are interconnected along an internal kinetic chain that begins at our feet and reaches all the way through our body. Because of their chain like properties, our joints are able communicate with one another via posture […]
The Knee Joint
The knee joint The knee is the largest joint in the body and essential to many of our daily activities including standing, walking, running and sitting. We wouldn’t get far without it! Unfortunately, it’s also prone to injury, causing millions of Americans to visit their doctors with knee complaints each year. Anatomy The knee is […]
Understanding how you stand
This article is part of a series discussing the biomechanical connections between the feet, ankles, knees and hips and how they all impact knee health. What are your standing tendencies? To find out how your feet affect your ankles, knees, hips and spine, the first thing to do is observe how you tend to stand. […]
Yoga for Healthy Feet & Knees Part 1
This article is part of a series discussing the biomechanical connections between the feet, ankles, knees and hips and how they all impact knee health. Foundational feet Our feet form the foundation for our upright body. Whether standing or in movement, whatever happens at the feet reflects all the way through the leg joints to […]
Yoga for Healthy Feet & Knees Part 2
This article is a continuation of Yoga for Healthy Feet & Knees Part 1, and part of a series discussing the biomechanical connections between the feet, ankles, knees and hips and how they all impact knee health. Sole triangles After you figure out your personal standing tendencies, the next step is to build strength and encourage […]