The secret formula that will grow your yoga business
I don’t know a single yoga teacher who chose to teach yoga to make money. Some yoga studio owners, maybe, but usually not individual yoga teachers. This is not a[...] The post The secret formula that...
View ArticleRestore your confidence yoga practice
Over the past few weeks I find myself alternating between the states of calm confidence and barely-restrained anxiety (that usually comes after watching the news). Should I try to deal[...] The post...
View ArticleWho are your yoga students and what problems do they face?
How’s your transition to teaching yoga online going? Are you finding that you have enough of a student pool to keep you busy, or do you need to find more?[...] The post Who are your yoga students and...
View ArticleTwo main qualities that define a good teacher and attract new students
Several years ago, I went to an ophthalmologist’s office for a vision check. At one point the doctor said with slight irritation: “Your cornea can get scarred if you wear[...] The post Two main...
View ArticleHow to make it easier for potential yoga students to sign up for your services
A few years ago, I received an email from an avid blog reader who was considering a private yoga session with me. She was struggling with back pain and was[...] The post How to make it easier for...
View ArticleHow to motivate students to engage your services
Have you ever seen one of those late-night infomercials with the host screaming at the screen that you should “Buy now!” that this is an “Exclusive offer for the next[...] The post How to motivate...
View ArticleWhat’s at stake for your potential yoga students?
What is your favorite TV show right now? What is at stake for the main character of that show in every episode? What kind of tragic outcome might befall on[...] The post What’s at stake for your...
View Article“Elevator pitch” for yoga teachers: How to quickly communicate to anybody...
For the last several weeks, my neighborhood has been having Happy Hour get-togethers on Thursday evenings to check in and make sure everybody was doing OK. We keep safe distance[...] The post “Elevator...
View ArticleLazy yoga practice
Lately, I find myself juggling more projects and responsibilities than ever, which often means that I usually don’t have enough energy or brain power left to be creative and ambitious in[...] The post...
View ArticleWhat do your students need in their yoga right now?
Yesterday morning I was trying to do my pranayama practice, as my 9-year old was bouncing on furniture around me, my puppy was chasing his tail knocking over everything in[...] The post What do your...
View ArticleHappy Body: Yoga from Head to Toe
Over two decades of practicing and teaching yoga, I discovered that certain movement combinations work every time to release tension in specific body areas, and simple yoga practices based on[...] The...
View ArticleBreath: A path to stability in uncertain times
Over the past several months the subject of breathing had become particularly charged. We keep hearing about breathing everywhere: the phrase ‘I can’t breathe’ became a symbol of police brutality,[...]...
View ArticleNose vs mouth breathing: Which one is better for your health?
In 2004 a documentary called Supersize me made quite a splash. In it, an independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock committed to eating at McDonalds for 30 days and documenting his experience.[...] The post...
View ArticleYour vital lung capacity: Why is it important and how can you improve it with...
The last time I went to visit my mom, she asked me to show her some yoga moves because she wasn’t feeling too well. Once we got down to the[...] The post Your vital lung capacity: Why is it important...
View ArticleDual roles of your diaphragm and why they are essential in your yoga practice
A diaphragm is the primary muscle of inhalation; it is responsible for about 75% of the air movement in normal breathing at rest (external intercostal muscles are responsible for the[...] The post Dual...
View ArticleExercise your diaphragm yoga practice
Your diaphragm is the primary muscle of respiration; it contracts like any other muscle and can be controlled voluntarily. It is important for your diaphragm to maintain tonicity, so that[...] The post...
View ArticleThe mechanics of inhalation and the proper way to inhale in yoga
In college I majored in Russian literature, and I remember being fascinated by the sheer number of heroines in the Russian classics who would faint at the slightest sign of[...] The post The mechanics...
View ArticleGas exchange within the body: Don’t rush to get rid of carbon dioxide
Two years ago, my family and I went to the beautiful San Juan Islands. The San Juan Islands are an archipelago of about 170 islands in the Pacific Northwest between[...] The post Gas exchange within...
View ArticleWhat is your optimal breathing rate and why it matters
Many of your body’s physiological processes have a rhythmic nature: your heartbeat, blood pressure, digestive peristalsis, breathing rate and many others proceed in pulsating (or wave-like) fashion....
View ArticleThe mechanics of exhalation and the preferred way to exhale in yoga
The normal unconscious exhalation is a passive process, as one simply relaxes the muscles that were engaged on the inhale. However, in our yoga practice we purposefully augment the natural[...] The...
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