Why We Develop Poor Posture Posture is impacted by many aspects of our daily lives, some physical and others psychological. Physical factors include how we habitually stand or sit at home or at work. Long hours stuck in the same position can cause joints to stiffen, and muscles to tighten and become weak. Injuries which […]
Psoas Anatomy
Location of the psoas The psoas muscle is buried deep in the front core of our body. It’s traditionally been considered a hip flexor muscle due to it’s powerful ability to flex the leg towards the trunk. However, many of it’s attachments are anchored to the vertebrae and vertebral discs, so now more anatomists and […]
Yoga & Balance: Strength & Flexibility
“In art and dream may you proceed with abandon. In life may you proceed with balance and stealth.” . ~ Patti […]
Yoga & Balance: Center of Gravity
“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 […]