Best Yoga Blogs.

Menopause Belly: Why It Appears And What Iyengar Yoga Does About It

Kim in Half Moon Pose, Ardha Chandrasana, with her lower hand on a block

By Chris Lalor, Certified Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and Certified Yoga Therapist, and Dr Stuart McGill, Yoga Teacher, Flametree Yoga Darwin Menopause belly: the short answer A menopause belly is real, and it is not your fault. In a large US study that followed women through the change, the rate of fat gain doubled when […]

Deep Core Exercises: Six Iyengar Moves That Work With Your Breath

By Chris Lalor, Certified Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and Certified Yoga Therapist, and Dr Stuart McGill, Yoga Teacher, Flametree Yoga Darwin Deep core exercises: the short answer Your deep core is a team, not a single muscle: the breathing muscle (the diaphragm) on top, the pelvic floor below, the deep tummy muscles in front and […]

Yoga Blocks: What They’re For, How To Use Them, And How Many You Need

By Chris Lalor, Certified Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and Certified Yoga Therapist, and Dr Stuart McGill, Yoga Teacher, Flametree Yoga Darwin Yoga blocks: the short answer Yoga blocks are firm foam or cork bricks that bring the floor up to you. They lift your hips, hold your hands, rest your head and support your knees, […]

Forward Head Posture: How To Fix It, Starting With The Upper Back And Legs

Chris Lalor smiling in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) with a yoga block between her thighs, caption: "If only my mother could see me now!"

Forward head posture means the head sits ahead of the shoulders. What causes it, what the reviews found for shoulder blade, neck and breathing exercises, and the Iyengar way to bring the head back over the body.

Tech Neck: What It Is, What The Reviews Say, And The Yoga That Undoes It

Why is my neck so stiff? Chris Lalor in Mountain Pose, chin level, shoulders back and down, in the studio

Tech neck is the head-down habit of phones and screens. What it is, what the reviews have and have not shown, and the Mountain Pose, chair and Warrior 2 resets that undo it.

Butterfly Stretch: How To Do It When Your Hips Are Stiff, With Props

The butterfly stretch (Cobbler Pose) made easy for stiff hips: sit on a blanket, support the knees, or lie back over bolsters. Why the knees will not drop, how long to hold, and what to avoid.

Yoga Bolster: What It Is, What It’s For, And Whether You Need One (Or Just Blankets)

Kim lying in a supported relaxation pose with a bolster under her legs and a blanket under her head

By Chris Lalor, Certified Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and Certified Yoga Therapist, and Dr Stuart McGill, Yoga Teacher, Flametree Yoga Darwin Yoga bolster: the short answer A yoga bolster is a firm, long cushion that holds part of your body up so a pose can be rested in rather than worked at. It lifts the […]

Psoas Stretch: How To Release A Tight Psoas, With Yoga Lunges And A Chair

A psoas stretch that works: why sitting shortens the deep hip muscle, the low lunge, chair lunge and Warrior 1 that give the hip its backward reach, and how long to hold.

Golf Stretches: Six Slow Ones For A Fuller Turn And A Happier Back

Yoga for golfers: Stuart in Triangle Pose on the beach at sunset, legs straight, one arm reaching to the sky

By Chris Lalor, Certified Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and Certified Yoga Therapist, and Dr Stuart McGill, Yoga Teacher, Flametree Yoga Darwin Golf stretches: the short answer The best golf stretches work on the parts a swing asks most of: the hips, the spine, the back of the legs and the shoulders. Do them slowly, with […]

Stretches For Runners: Why They Stay Stiff, And Six Yoga Stretches That Help

Yoga for sore back: Chris Lalor in a standing leg stretch with one heel on a chair and a belt, Iyengar style

By Chris Lalor, Certified Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and Certified Yoga Therapist, and Dr Stuart McGill, Yoga Teacher, Flametree Yoga Darwin Stretches for runners: the short answer The best stretches for runners are slow, held stretches for the back of the thigh (hamstrings), the hips and the calves. A chair, a belt or a wall […]

Glute Stretches For Tight Hips And A Sore Lower Back: Chair Yoga That Works

Chris Lalor in Triangle Pose with her hand on a chair, on rocks at sunset

Glute stretches that release tight hips and a sore lower back, using a chair and a block. Why a day of sitting tightens the buttock muscles, how long to hold, and the Iyengar poses that work.

Frozen Shoulder And Menopause: Why It Strikes At Midlife, And The Gentle Yoga That Keeps You Moving

Chris Lalor in Cow Face Pose arms with a belt, seen from behind

Frozen shoulder most often arrives for women between 40 and 60, the same years as the menopause change. Why the timing matches, and the gentle, supported yoga that keeps a stiff shoulder moving.