Yoga Backbend Tips & Tricks: YOGABODY Way

Timeline Photos

[NEW SHOW: Where Are All the Guys in Yoga?] Many yoga teachers will tell you that their class is for everyone - all sizes, ages, backgrounds, and genders - and yet the actual students that turn up to class tell a different story. They tend to be a very similar group of people. In most parts of the world, women represent 70-90% of the yoga communities, and this puts off some men from staring, and it's frustrating to some men who love the practice. Where are all the guys in yoga? In this week's Yoga Talk Show we address the somewhat controversial topic of gender and fitness preferences. Dean Pohlman founded Man Flow Yoga in college in order to promote yoga with guys. After experiencing huge benefits himself from yoga, he wanted to make the practice more accessible to men, athletes, and physical fitness-minded individuals. Dean took out the Sanskrit and the meditation and inserted terminology that is familiar to people with sports backgrounds. Instead of focusing on the more spiritual side of yoga, he focuses entirely on the physical aspects. -------- LISTEN: http://www.yogabody.com/episode-215 NEW SHOW: Where Are All the Guys in Yoga? -------- What You’ll Learn: ⭐ How masculine people often prefer solo practice and feminine people often prefer group classes ⭐ Why removing religious and spiritual undertones from yoga classes might be the best way to show respect for diversity ⭐ How athletes can benefit from yoga and how yoga students can benefit from athleticism ⭐ Why the future of yoga needs to be more inclusive

Timeline Photos

[Lifted Bridge Pose] The Yoga Trapeze is so much more than a simple inversion device...really the sky is the limit! Here are some simple step by step instructions to follow on how to work on the glutes, shoulders and back with your Yoga Trapeze: Before you begin, slide the clips on the lowest handles up. Next, lie on your back with the main Trapeze sling just in-line with your knees. Hook your heels into the fabric on the longest handles, and then place your hands flat on the floor. With an exhale, press your heels and hands down and lift your hips as high as they will go. Keep your shoulders on the ground and your head and neck relaxed. Practice Tips: • Depending on your height, you may need to move your body forward or backward to find the right positioning • Your chest should move toward your chin as your entire back goes into a gentle backbend • Keep your fingers spread and press firmly into your heels for support • Be sure your shoulders stay on the ground with no tension in your head or neck Modifications: • If your lower back or neck hurt, reduce the height of the pose • If you are unable to hold, then lift up with an exhale and lower down with an inhale 5x’s in a row to build up strength and mobility

Timeline Photos

[Inverted Cobra] The Yoga Trapeze is so much more than a simple inversion device...really the sky is the limit! Here are some simple step by step instructions to follow on how to open up the shoulders with your Yoga Trapeze: Start in position one facing your trapeze and remove the main sling. Reach up and take the highest handles with a parallel grip. Lean back and lift your legs straight up into the air. Once inverted, tuck your chin and gently look up toward your toes. Flex your feet, separate your legs and press your ankles into the ropes for stability. Rotate your hands from a parallel grip to an underhand grip (so your palms face forward), drop your head back, and allow your body to slide down so you come into an inverted cobra position. Hold here for 1 minute. Practice Tips: • Take this in steps or you’ll find it very difficult to get into • Make sure to press your ankles firmly out into the ropes to give you stability and control • Hand position is crucial here, so remember parallel grip to underhand grip • Where your eyes and head go, your body will follow, so gently lift your head and gaze forward behind you to initiate the backbend Modifications: • If you’re unable to lift and invert, simply lift as high as you can and then release in sets of 5 to build strength • If the backbend causes lower back pain, reduce the extension or simply return to an inverted dip position and hold there

Yoga Trapeze on the terrace...

Hypopressive exercises...

Timeline Photos

[NEW SHOW: Corrective Exercise] We often think of “exercise” as the yoga class after work, the morning job, or a weightlifting session. But there are many more ways to exercise, and one way often overlooked is Corrective Exercise, or the fitness practices designed specifically to correct weakness, tightness and imbalance in the body. On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, you’ll learn about simple self-care techniques that can make a huge difference in your health. Brendan won World and National Collegiate powerlifting championships during his studies and went on to attain his Corrective Exercise Specialty from The National Academy of Sports Medicine. Brendan invented Posture PT back support that launched on Kickstarter recently. He is a practicing meditator under guidance of Sadhguru of the Isha Foundation, schooled in classical yoga and mysticism. -------- LISTEN: http://www.yogabody.com/episode-214 NEW SHOW: Corrective Exercise -------- What You’ll Learn: ⭐ Why Correct Exercise is a great choice for healing injuries ⭐ Why stronger rather than gentler rehab routines might just be the best choice ⭐ Why tight hip flexors can cause lower back pain ⭐ What “autogenic inhibition” is and how it can help you with corrective exercise self-care ⭐ How “the couch stretch” can help counteract the effects of chronic sitting ⭐ How “the doorway stretch” can help open your upper body ⭐ Why 1 minute of mobility per 30 minutes of sitting can make a huge difference

The Day My Hamstring Bled: How to Heal a Torn Hamstring

Timeline Photos

[Titanic Jack Instructions] The Yoga Trapeze is so much more than a simple inversion device...really the sky is the limit! Here are some simple step by step instructions to follow on how to open up the chest with your Yoga Trapeze: Start in position two with the trapeze at your back and your feet planted hip’s width apart. Bunch up the main trapeze sling and hook it right under your middle back, just under your shoulder blades. Lean back slowly and allow your upper back to go into a deep extension. Relax your head back, turn your palms out and spread your fingers wide. Breathe deeply here and hold for 1minute. Practice Tips: • The trapeze sling will want to slide down to your lower back—make sure to keep it up high in your middle back area • Keep your legs strong, lean back and open your heart • Focus on expansive energy, allowing your energy to move out from your heart center toward your fingertips and toes Modifications: • If the back bend is too deep, bring your legs closer to shorten the stance • If you experience neck pain, keep your neck in line with your body instead of dropping your head all the way back

10 Plant Based Proteins

Timeline Photos

[NEW SHOW: Minimal Footwear for the Modern Yoga Student] Yoga students invest hours on functional flexibility, strength, and mobility, but the moment they leave the studio, most lace up restrictive footwear. Modern shoes squish your toes, damage your arches, and contribute to dysfunctional movement patterns leading to chronic pain and injury upstream including: knee pain, back and hip pain. The solution? You need to learn about minimal shoes. On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, Lucas meets with Steve Perna of Lems Shoes, a niche manufacturer and innovator in the minimal footwear scene to learn about the why and the how behind this type of shoe. Steve Perna is one of the early team members at Boulder, Colorado-based Lems Shoes, and currently heads up wholesale distribution. Lems Shows was founded in 2011 and creates YOGABODY-recommended active, office, and casual footwear. -------- LISTEN: http://www.yogabody.com/episode-213 NEW SHOW: Minimal Footwear for the Modern Yoga Student -------- What You’ll Learn: ⭐ What the terms “zero drop” and a “wide toe box” mean, and why you should insist on them in your shoes ⭐ Why you might need to transition into minimal footwear starting with just a couple hours of use per day ⭐ Why it’s normal to experience some foot pain during your transition to minimal ⭐ Why your walking and running gate might feel goofy at first

Does My Health Insurance Cover My Yoga Membership?