Side Plank Variations – Vasist

1. For an advanced variation, first come into side plank. 2. Bend the knee of your top leg and take a yogi toe lock on the big toe. 3. Straighten your lifted arm and leg as much as possible. 4. Keep the gaze up and the chest open. 5. Let go of your toe and […]

Twists for Students With Osteoporosis

To the Editor: I appreciate Loren Fishman calling me an excellent yoga practitioner in his article on May 15, however I would like to clarify my position on twists for students with osteoporosis. Rotation is an important movement for flexibility and function, and I do not advise those with compromised bone to avoid twists. Rather […]

Advice on Practicing Yoga in Middle Age, Part 3

This is the third and final set of answers to reader questions from Dr. Loren Fishman, a back-pain and rehabilitative medicine specialist who has long incorporated yoga into patient care. In 1972, before applying to medical school, he studied yoga with B.K.S. Iyengar for a year in Pune, India. Dr. Fishman is medical director of […]

Yoga Room on a Budget

Method, Time, Space Doing yoga at home is a goal for a lot of yoga students, but figuring out where to lay down your mat is an important first step. Getting a home practice going comes down to three basic elements: finding a method that works for you and then committing some time and space […]

How to Do Pelvic Tilts

1. Lie on your back with the knees bent and the soles of the feet on the floor. This is your neutral position, with the natural curve of the lumbar spine causing the low back to be slightly elevated from the floor. 2. On an exhale, gently rock your hips towards your face. Your butt […]

History of Modern Yoga Asana

One of the most pervasive assumptions about yoga is that it is very old. When we begin to practice yoga asanas, we are often encouraged to believe that the shapes our bodies are taking are part of an ancient tradition, the same postures having been assumed by initiates over the course of centuries. But while […]

Advice on Practicing Yoga in Middle Age, Part 2

This is the second set of answers to reader questions from Dr. Loren Fishman, a back-pain and rehabilitative medicine specialist who has long incorporated yoga into patient care. In 1972, before applying to medical school, he studied yoga with B.K.S. Iyengar for a year in Pune, India. Dr. Fishman is the medical director of Manhattan […]

Advice on Practicing Yoga in Middle Age, Part 1

More than 100 readers submitted questions about aging and yoga to Dr. Loren Fishman, a back-pain and rehabilitative medicine specialist who has long incorporated yoga into patient care. In 1972, before applying to medical school, he studied yoga with B.K.S. Iyengar for a year in Pune, India. Dr. Fishman is medical director of Manhattan Physical […]

Stretch Your Quads

Your quadriceps are the group of four large muscles that make up the front of your thigh. These muscles tend to be tight in athletes, especially runners and cyclists. The following yoga poses offer a variety of ways to stretch the quads. 1. Crescent Lunge – Anjaneyasana © Barry Stone This is a good pose […]

Yoga Exercises for Back Pain 1

1. Have a yoga strap nearby. 2. Release your left leg flat on the floor (you may keep it bent with the sole on the floor if this is more comfortable) as you draw the right knee in to your chest. 3. Loop the strap over your right foot and straighten the leg coming in […]

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