Goodbye 2017, hello 2018!
As 2017 is drawing to a close, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for reading my blog and contributing to the conversation. Thank you! I read every[...] The post Goodbye 2017, hello 2018! appeared...
View ArticleResilience: whole body yoga practice
Many years ago I used to have a remarkable student who came to my classes twice a week. He was a blind man who taught ballroom dancing. He was a[...] The post Resilience: whole body yoga practice...
View ArticleWhy do some yoga classes make you feel good and others do not?
You know how sometimes you go to a yoga class and you come out feeling “This is exactly what I needed! I feel great!” and other times you end up[...] The post Why do some yoga classes make you feel...
View ArticleDoes the intensity of your yoga practice match your life stage?
Over the years I’ve discovered that as teachers we have to make a choice of what kind of intensity to cultivate in our yoga classes: internal or external intensity. We[...] The post Does the intensity...
View ArticleHow does your posture impact the way you feel?
A neighbor said to me few weeks ago: “You have such a great posture – you stand up so straight.” What was meant as a compliment actually reminded me that[...] The post How does your posture impact the...
View ArticleWho is driving your chariot? The traditional view of the relationship between...
For the longest time I’ve been wondering: where do emotions belong in the Panchamaya model? An argument can be made that emotions show up on every level of our systems.[...] The post Who is driving...
View ArticleAre emotions universal? Do they show up in the same way for everyone?
A few years ago I got hooked on this show called “Lie to me”. The main character of the story, Cal Lightman, is portrayed as the world’s leading expert on[...] The post Are emotions universal? Do they...
View ArticlePredictions: How your yoga students’ brains respond to your class instructions
Any yoga teacher knows that it feels very different to teach regular students that have been coming to your classes for some time and brand-new students, especially the ones that[...] The post...
View ArticleHow to challenge your brain’s predictions for better focus
When I ask my son, who is six, how many times he had been outside during his school day, he often says: “I don’t know, 3 or 2 times.” My[...] The post How to challenge your brain’s predictions for...
View ArticleThe power of perception: How your brain constructs the environment in which...
I have this big tree in front of my office window. Not long ago I remember looking at the tree in the morning and thinking – “Wow, what a beautiful[...] The post The power of perception: How your brain...
View ArticleSensation granularity: How your mind interprets your inner state
When my son was little, he was a very restless baby. He wouldn’t nap for longer than 40 minutes, woke up many times during the night and overall was very[...] The post Sensation granularity: How your...
View ArticleHow to get out of the bubble of your preconceived notions
Have you ever rehearsed an upcoming conversation in your head? “If he says this, I will say that. And then I need to make sure to mention that other thing.”[...] The post How to get out of the bubble...
View ArticleHow to improve your students’ experience with yoga visualizations
Our brains store huge amounts information that needs to be kept organized and ready so that we could pull it up quickly. The brain keeps this information organized in categories,[...] The post How to...
View ArticleBalance your “body budget” through movement, thoughts and relationships
I went skiing over the winter break and since I don’t do it very often or very well, every day on the slopes took a lot of effort. I could[...] The post Balance your “body budget” through movement,...
View ArticleHow aware are you of the impact that your daily activities have on your body...
I got an electric car few months ago and last week for the first time experienced what’s called “range anxiety” – wondering whether I would have enough battery power to[...] The post How aware are you...
View ArticleThe main difference in Western and Eastern views of physiology
Both Western and Eastern way of thinking recognize that it is essential for the body to maintain the state of internal equilibrium when it comes to physiology. In Western medicine[...] The post The...
View ArticleAre you in sync with your body clock?
Many years ago I used to have a student who was blind. He came to my afternoon yoga classes regularly and sometimes we got to talking about this and that.[...] The post Are you in sync with your body...
View ArticleWhat can caffeinated spiders teach us about our sleep habits?
About 70 years ago a zoologist who studied spiders got tired of waking up at 5am to watch them build their webs, so he asked his pharmacologist friend if he[...] The post What can caffeinated spiders...
View ArticleWhat happens in your brain when you sleep?
Did you know that your body becomes completely paralyzed several times every night? It happens because of the signal that gets sent down your spine and makes your postural muscles[...] The post What...
View ArticleThe meaning of Om: Four states of human consciousness
There are three main states of consciousness that you reliably cycle through every 24 hours: waking state, dreamless sleep and dream state. Each of those states is characterized by a[...] The post The...
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