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Every living being breathes. This includes all animals—even single-celled ones—and all plant life. Human beings take an average of 23,000 breaths each day. Our breath is,...

Human beings breathe an average of 23,000 times a day. That’s about 8.5 million breaths a year. These millions of breaths are literally keeping us alive....

When we think of pranayama (breathing practice), our minds often conjure up a vision of someone sitting in Padmasana (Lotus Pose) or Sukhasana (Cross-Legged Pose). While pranayama has...

Do you practice pranayama? The fourth limb of yoga—coming just after asana—pranayama is an essential part of Hatha Yoga practice. Practicing with attention to the breath...

One of the first bolster-type pillows that Hugger Mugger made back in the 1980s was the pranayama bolster. Made to BKS Iyengar’s specifications, the pillow is...

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali outline an eight-limbed framework for yoga practice. These limbs, in their written order, include: Yama: Ethical precepts, including non-harming, truthfulness, non-stealing,...

Back in January, I wrote a post about my resolution to practice pranayama every day this year. As my third month comes to an end, I’m...

I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions. I’ve never felt the beginning of a calendar year was sufficient reason to commit to anything, so the...

For the first time since last fall, I’m sitting next to an open window as I write. The spring air, with its occasional hints of blooming...

Most of us would probably agree that our lives are filled to the brim. When we’re super busy, what often drops off our schedule are the...

Forward bends are some of yoga’s most common, and iconic, poses. You can practice forward bends from standing, sitting or even lying down. Forward bends promote...

Introduction Growing up, I was never very athletic. I never really enjoyed team sports. I was average at baseball, soccer, and basketball—scrawny and uncoordinated. I didn’t...

I haven’t gotten fully into the texting habit. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the convenience. It’s that I don’t want to have yet another device...

If you’ve taught yoga for any length of time, you’ve probably heard this question: What should I be feeling in this position? My best answer to...

When you get really busy and stressed, what is the first thing you drop from your schedule? I’m guessing that for most of us the answer...

Hanuman, the monkey god, is one of yoga mythology’s most celebrated characters. His story is prominent in the Ramanayana, and he also plays a brief role...

In the Insight meditation tradition, breath awareness is the first technique we practice. Observing our breath creates an anchor for the restless mind. Of course, practicing...

On January 22nd, a bright light gently flickered out. Vietnamese Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh, 95, left his body. Nhat Hanh was known as a meditation...

Everybody wants to be happy. So why do so many of us feel dissatisfied? There’s a variety of reasons that we might feel unhappy or unfulfilled....

Our breath is like the flywheel that controls and regulates all our physiological processes. The rhythm of our breath regulates our heartbeat, among other things. This,...

Years ago, I attended a yoga teacher training with a well-known teacher. The teacher shared lots of helpful information about alignment and adjustments. Early in the...

For my first 10 years of yoga teaching, I followed popular alignment orthodoxy. In standing poses such as Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) and Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II...

There’s nothing easier than lying down on the floor for Savasana, right? In many cases, the answer is yes. But in some ways, Savasana demands more...

In the past two weeks the pile of unopened mail in my kitchen has grown taller and more unruly. Every so often I try to neaten...