This Subtle Movement Can Help You Protect Your Energy Reserves
Yoga Journal revisits the 1995 article on jalandhara bandha, the chin‑lock technique used in traditional pranayama. The piece explains how the lock seals the torso’s energy container by drawing the chin to the sternum while simultaneously lifting the chest. It outlines step‑by‑step instructions, preparatory poses such as Shoulderstand and Siddhasana, and safety cautions to avoid neck strain. The author emphasizes that even beginners can gain improved lung capacity, spinal alignment, and mental focus through mindful practice of the chin lock.
Feeling Anxious? Soothe Yourself With 10-Minute Gentle Yoga.
A new 10‑minute gentle yoga sequence designed for anxiety relief guides users through seated stretches, twists, and breath‑linked movements. Authored by certified trauma‑informed instructor Caitlin K'eli, the routine emphasizes present‑moment awareness without demanding perfect form. Each pose can be modified...
17-Minute Postive Affirmation Yoga Practice for a Quick Confidence Boost
Audriana Monteiro, a trauma‑informed yoga teacher and physiotherapist, offers a 17‑minute yoga sequence that pairs each pose with a positive affirmation. The routine targets the hips, legs, and low back, encouraging both physical stretch and mental reinforcement. Each posture is...
Hate When Your Muscles Shake in Yoga? Read This.
The article explores why muscles tremble during yoga poses and how that shaking is often misinterpreted as a sign of weakness. The author recounts personal embarrassment in mirror‑lined studios, then describes a breakthrough when she stopped fighting the tremors during...
Want More Mobility in Your Entire Body? Spend Some Time in This Pose.
Malasana, also called the yoga squat or Garland Pose, is a wide‑legged deep squat that re‑engages a natural human posture many have abandoned due to modern chair‑bound habits. Yoga teachers Rachel Land and Taylor Lorenz highlight its ability to open...
Yes, Your Breath Can Help Quiet Your Mind and Reduce Stress. Here’s How.
The article revives the 1996 Yoga Journal guide to Ujjayi breath, a diaphragmatic breathing technique that synchronizes hand movements with inhalations and exhalations. It explains the anatomical role of the diaphragm, the symbolic "silent prayer" mantra, and detailed step‑by‑step instructions...
Exhausted? These Are the 5 Best Yoga for Sleep Practices on YouTube.
The article curates five top‑rated YouTube yoga sessions designed to ease viewers into sleep, ranging from 8 to 14 minutes. Each video blends gentle stretches, breath work, and relaxation cues, with formats that start on the stomach, in a chair,...
Yoga Is “More Fun” In Space, Says the First Woman to Go on a Moon Mission
NASA astronaut Christina Koch, set to become the first woman to orbit the Moon on Artemis II, has highlighted how yoga keeps her grounded during long‑duration spaceflight. She practiced yoga aboard the ISS in 2018, noting that stretching poses are especially...
5 Natural Remedies That Can Help With Hot Flashes
The article outlines five Ayurvedic‑based natural remedies to ease menopause hot flashes, which affect over 75% of perimenopausal women and can persist for a decade. It frames hot flashes as an excess pitta condition caused by weakened digestive fire, then...
As an Overachiever, I Didn’t Think I’d Like Yoga. I Was Wrong.
Former collegiate athlete and serial overachiever Katie Jesionowski recounts her reluctant first encounter with yoga, a brief glimpse of calm that she later dismissed after a challenging class. Six years later, therapy and meditation led her back to a small...
Working on the Splits? This Unexpected Advice Will Help.
The article revisits Yoga Journal’s 1994 guide to Hanumanasana, the splits, emphasizing a mindset of incremental awareness measured by breath cycles. It outlines a structured warm‑up using Sun Salutations and key standing poses before progressing through beginner, intermediate, and advanced...
This Is My Favorite Cue in All of Yoga. Here’s How It Can Support Your Practice.
Yoga Journal highlights intuitive movement as a core cue for modern practitioners, encouraging freeform motion during poses like Cat‑Cow, Downward‑Facing Dog, and Warrior II. Teachers Joy Prater and Helen Maria Faliveno explain that this self‑directed approach deepens body awareness, builds confidence,...
Got 5 Minutes? These YouTube Yoga Practices Will Fit in Your Morning Routine.
Morning yoga can now fit into even the busiest schedules thanks to a wave of five‑minute YouTube flows. The most‑watched videos feature Adriene’s cat‑cow sequence, Bird’s supine figure‑4 stretch, and Kassandra’s bedside neck‑relief routine. Each session blends seated, reclined and...
No, Calm Is Not the Only Goal of Yoga
Recent commentary challenges the pervasive belief that calm is yoga’s ultimate aim. The author argues that yoga should embrace the full spectrum of emotions, using breathwork and mindfulness to recognize activation signals such as anger and irritation. By shifting focus...
Are You Breathing Wrong? Here’s How to Get More Out of Your Inhalations and Exhalations.
The archived Yoga Journal piece revisits how modern stress hijacks our natural breathing, leading to restrictive patterns such as reverse, chest, and hyperventilation breathing. It explains that these habits shrink inhalation volume, elevate tension, and can exacerbate chronic conditions like...
I Hated Yoga Until I Found the Right Studio. Here’s How to Find the Perfect Place to Practice.
The author recounts a painful first hot‑yoga class that turned into a daily habit after discovering a welcoming studio in Lisbon. The narrative shows that studio environment, class style, instructor demeanor, and overall atmosphere are decisive factors for a sustainable...
Are You Overlooking the Most Essential Stretch for Hip Tension?
The article highlights the psoas muscle as a central hub linking the spine, diaphragm, and hips, and explains how chronic tightness can disrupt breathing, circulation, and organ positioning. It details the anatomical relationships that make the psoas a key player...
Overwhelmed by Tough Emotions? This Advice Can Help You Navigate Them.
Yoga Journal has compiled a curated playlist of archival articles that teach readers how to manage overwhelming emotions through yoga practices. The collection highlights techniques such as quieting the mind, pranayama breathwork, self‑inquiry for resilience, identity exploration, and mastering Savasana....
Do Backbends Make You Nervous? Here’s 5 Things You Should Know.
Backbends often cause anxiety for yoga practitioners due to perceived risk and unfamiliar movement patterns. Denver Clark of Embodied Yoga Institute outlines five practical strategies: building back strength with gentle poses, balancing front‑body engagement, using props to manage gravity, customizing...
Practicing Yoga in Another Language Changed the Way I Show Up. Here’s How.
The author, a lifelong athlete and self‑identified perfectionist, enrolled in a free Seattle yoga class taught entirely in Spanish. Struggling with both language and his yoga practice, he discovered that the unfamiliar instructions forced him to stay present, sharpening breath...
10 Surprising Ways to Use Yoga Blankets for Stretching and Strengthening
Yoga blankets, often relegated to knee padding or Savasana warmth, can dramatically expand a practitioner’s toolkit. By leveraging the blanket’s slip, weight, and compressive qualities, yogis can intensify balance, engage stabilizing muscles, and add therapeutic pressure to stretches. The article...
I Used to Feel Anxious in Yoga. This One Simple Prop Changed That.
Yoga teacher Liz Hosman discovered that a simple chair prop can transform a restless, anxiety‑filled practice into a calming, supportive experience. After experimenting with chair variations during a six‑month virtual series, she found the prop deepened stretches, reduced perfectionist pressure,...
This Beloved Pose Is One of the Most Difficult in All of Yoga
Savasana, often called the hardest pose for Western students, challenges practitioners by demanding pratyahara—the withdrawal of the senses—rather than physical flexibility. The article explains why modern, high‑stress lifestyles make stillness difficult and outlines physiological benefits such as lowered blood pressure,...
How to Find Your Balance in Any Challenging Standing Pose
The article revisits Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, framing the pose as a fluid sequence rather than a static snapshot. It introduces Moshe Feldenkrais’s concept of "acture," emphasizing effortlessness, reversibility, and breath ease throughout the movement. Detailed foot‑arch drills, prop‑based progressions, and...
5 Family Wellness Retreats That Trade Chaos for Calm (Plus Discounts for YJ Readers)
The article spotlights five family‑focused wellness retreats across the United States, Panama, Spain, and Italy, each blending yoga, outdoor activities, and child‑centric programming. Prices range from $895 to $4,499 per family, with exclusive Yoga Journal discount codes offering up to...
Listen to the Latest From Yoga Journal, From Archival Interviews to Meditation Hacks
Yoga Journal has launched a members‑only audio playlist that converts its latest articles into text‑to‑speech format. The curated collection includes meditation shortcuts, archival interviews with yoga pioneers, and niche practices like snow yoga. Listeners can also access similar audio options...
This Twisting Pose Will Help You Turn Down the Noise of the Outside World
Marichyasana III, a seated spinal twist, is highlighted for its full‑body benefits, from spine lengthening to organ stimulation. The pose initiates a spiral from the sacrum, requiring each vertebra to turn, which compresses abdominal organs and aids digestion. It also corrects...
Can You Really Reset Your Vagus Nerve? Here’s What to Know.
The vagus nerve, a key conduit between brain and body, has become a buzzword in wellness circles promising a quick "reset" for stress. Experts caution that there is no instant switch; instead, gradual, repeatable habits are required to enhance parasympathetic...
5 Yoga Practices on YouTube to Help You Find Your Calm
Yoga Journal highlights five YouTube yoga sessions designed to reduce stress and promote calm. The videos range from 10‑minute supine stretches to 18‑minute movement flows, covering gentle hip openers, bedtime routines, and strength‑building sequences. Each practice emphasizes breath, mindfulness, and...