Late-Onset Scoliosis is Common in Older Adults

by NinaReclining Nude, back by Henri MatisseA recent New Times article Scoliosis Can Hit Well Past Adolescence by Jane Brody confirmed something I have been observing in the yoga community: late-onset scoliosis is quite common in older people. I developed the problem myself in my fifties, so I’m quite aware of the condition, and I’ve noticed a large number of other older yoga practitioners with the same problem. Here’s what Jane Brody said about...

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Sleep, Alzheimer's Disease and Yoga

by NinaSun Behind Clouds by Melina MezaOne of the worst fears I think we all share about getting older is of developing dementia. Just recently I had a long phone conversation with a woman who is trying to deal with a mother in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease, and it was just so sad. I had some advice for her, but no solutions, of course. Then I heard a news piece on NPR “Brains Sweep Themselves Clean of Toxins During Sleep”  that gave...

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Home Practice: Is There an Optimal Length?

by BaxterHours of Operation by Melina MezaThis past August I was back in Ocean Springs, Mississippi at River Rock Yoga, leading a weekend workshop. One of the students, who has been a regular in class with me there over the years, brought in a few pointed questions for me that he hoped I could address on YFHA. He has been a regular reader since we started, and practices yoga on his own as well as attending classes regularly. In his search for the...

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Pratyahara, the Sense of Sound and Hearing

by Ram In a Tunnel by Melina Meza"Deafness separates us from people" —Helen KellerIn my last post Pratyahara and Healthy Aging, I introduced the topic of pratyahara and defined the term as “Using our our senses with total/complete awareness.” It is through the five senses that we bring in impressions into our mind and body thereby absorbing the world around us. Thus, we are what we eat, smell, see, hear and touch. Since our five senses serve...

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Friday Q&A: Yoga for a Sprained Ankle

Q: Nina—how bout yoga for a sprained ankle...got some ideas?A: Why, yes, thank you so much for asking! Last year Baxter did a three-part series on the ankle that is worth revisiting or visiting for the first time if you’ve never read these posts. So check out Getting to Know Your Ankles, Ankle Sprains, and Recovering from Ankle Injuries.In part 2, Baxter says that a typical recommendation from your doc is to elevate your foot and leg above the level...

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Restorative Yoga Better Than Stretching for Reducing Subcutaneous Fat in Overweight Women

by NinaJust a quick announcement today about some research findings I think you’ll all enjoy hearing about. Baxter and I read about a recent study, designed by Maria G. Araneta, PhD, MPH, of the University of California, San Diego, to determine whether obese women would see a loss of fat from less intense exercise instead of aerobic activity. Although not a huge study, the group sizes were larger than most of those we see in recent studies, with...

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Balancing Your Nervous System with Alternate Nostril Breathing

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Yoga and Mild Asthma

by BaxterBall and Wire, by Melina MezaI got this inquiry recently, and again was surprised to find that I have not written about asthma in any detail, as it is a very common condition and one that many of my students present to class with. Here’s what one of our readers asked:“What advice do you have for those with mild asthma that does not interfere with daily activities? Do you have any suggestions on what to do to strengthen the lungs/ bronchial/breath?...

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Goodbye, Lotus Pose

by NinaTrees in the Ocean by Brad GibsonToday in my weekly yoga class, my teacher asked me to demonstrate a pose—Marichyasana 2—that I used to be able to do. But because the arthritis in my right hip prevents me from taking Half Lotus position (which I used to do with ease), I had to turn him down. It got me thinking. Naturally, not being able to get into Half Lotus on one side also means that Full Lotus is also unavailable to me. Even if one day...

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How Tom Platz Built Those Legs

How Tom Platz Built Those LegsArticle from Musclemag InternationalJust starting out, I trained with Olympic lifters who taught me a reverence for the squat. They taught me that this is where life and death passes before your eyes, that this is the altar of weight lifting. But when I first came to Gold's in Venice the squat rack was cluttered and shoved in the back, an nobody used it. Sure, Arnold and Ed Corney used it in Pumping Iron, but that was...

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Varieties of Deadlifting by John Grimek (1962)

Old School Training SeriesVarieties of Deadliftingby John Grimek (1962) In spite of some opposition to the deadlift by a few authorities in the past, the deadlift is still one of the finest exercises for any barbell man to include in his training. But the name "deadlift" has a strange, ominous ring to all who are not familiar with weight training, although many comedians have kicked it around here and there and gotten some laughs with it. In...

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