We use the term Viniyoga—an ancient Sanskrit term that implies differentiation, adaptation, and appropriate application—to refer to an approach that adapts yoga practice to the unique conditions, needs, and interests of each individual. This traditio

During a meditation, Doug, a long-time yoga student of mine, had a profound spiritual awakening, accompanied by the recognition that there was something inauthentic about the life he was leading. Among other things, he saw that his medical practice h

The cornflower-blue sleeper sofa. The formica closet. The tea cart clanking by. Jaymee Jiao will never forget the eight months she spent living in this hospital room with her son Savior-Makani Jiao as he underwent around-the-clock treatment for acute

With all of the new and emerging information on pain science, yoga students and teachers have the opportunity to apply modern research to their practices and help alleviate and prevent pain. Preliminary research suggests that gentle movement of your

Resting is hard for me. I would rather be on the go, overcoming hurdles or realizing my life vision. However, it’s difficult to achieve creative goals without rest, introspection, and relaxation. The same is true in diabetes care. If you have diabete

Do you ever find yourself clenching your jaw waiting for something bad to happen? Or waking up in the morning with a sense of dread? Whether they come in small doses or huge heart-stopping moments of panic, these feelings can be traced back to fear,

Ancient sages understood that the true path to bliss is the journey inward. That way, established in who you are, you can take aim at your duties and desires from an embodied space of pure intentions. Connected to this place, you are secure, purposef

As a child, Ebony Smith survived sexual assault but didn’t have the tools to cope with the trauma until years later, when she found yoga. Now, she’s bringing the practice to her community, and others in crisis. Exactly 247 people came to practice yog

Late last July, a small group of yoga practitioners roamed the bustling hallways of Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center looking for a vacant room adequate for a quick asana practice. It was Friday after lunch, and the indoor arena was swarming with cre

I learned about “release valves” in a teacher training a couple of years ago. We were working in groups, observing other students’ mobility and looking for dysfunctional movement patterns. For example, when one of my classmates shifted into Uttanasan

Rich in iron, protein, and B-12, spirulina has earned a glittering reputation among yoga teachers for boosting immune systems and aiding in detoxification. Founder, Prana Yoga “I take it in powder-form first thing in the morning, an hour prior to my

I dipped a teaspoon into an oversized jar of grass-fed, organic ghee and filled it to the brim, just as I was instructed. Yet as I held it to my mouth and caught a whiff of the pungent, good-for-me fat, I had a strong urge to abandon this Ayurvedic c

SERVES 3 AS AN APPETIZER OR 1 AS A MEAL “I eat a plant-based diet and I like to let the natural flavor of the plants shine through. I love that the edamame cakes at Soul Tavern are a fresh update to standard breadcrumb-coated fried foods. Plus, befor

In 2009, Mike Huggins pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for the off-label promotion of a medical device at a division of the company he worked for. As he awaited sentencing, he turned to his yoga practice—which he’d started years earlier—to mentally pr

Four years into dating, Robert and I were walking to the movies to see Inglourious Basterds when he nudged me to the other side of the sidewalk. He always insists (still) on walking on the side closer to the street. I wasn’t expecting it, so when he

My passion for life undoubtedly comes from my Cuban roots. My mother fled her home country of Cuba at the age of nine, with her parents, three siblings, grandmother, dog, and $35. They left behind family who still live in Cuba today. There’s a spark

I was a burnt end, a frayed electrical cord, a tea kettle whistling on the stove just about boiled dry. I’d been working two jobs for a decade, and I found myself in the paradoxical position of having a little extra money and zero joy. Snippets of fr

Two years ago, as I was nearing 30, I found myself completely lost, out of a job after nearly 10 years in an industry that I had (for the most part) loved. I’d been bullied out of my corporate job by my boss, a man who told me I was a distraction whe

You know that feeling the night before a big trip? Excitement and anticipation, maybe tinged with a little anxiety. You have an itinerary, but you can't plan everything that will happen along the way. That's what it felt like making this issue, and t

I started practicing yoga in a crowded New York City gym, my mat so close to the student’s next to mine that I couldn’t tell whose sweat droplets were whose. Like many Americans, I was introduced to yoga as a physical activity—I considered it a compl

After college I was successful, in a sense, working in pro-duction in Hollywood. But I wasn’t mature enough to handle the money. I was going through a breakup, had lost friends, and I was out of work. I ended up losing every-thing. I was so devastate

Find an empty-ish space near your gate and practice these postures: Easy Pose If you’re anxious before flying, it might be because you’re not in the moment: You’re worrying about what’s going to happen. Practice this simple seated posture to anchor y

The simple act of asking “What is my purpose?” on the Internet has the power to elicit nearly one billion responses. That’s a staggering commentary on the way so many people feel about who they are and how much they long for an existence that matters

Before I started working with alchemy, a forerunner of chemistry based on the transformation of matter, I was trying to juggle mind, body, and soul practices separately. I was following different programs and driving myself a bit crazy in the process

When I was 24, I traveled to volunteer in Guatemala, arriving with many good intentions, and radical anti-globalization politics. But I soon found that, due to the economic, race, and gender dynamics that preceded me, I was often viewed as wealthy an