Yoga

REVIEW: The Basic Poses package for iYoga Premium

As a yoga teacher and trainer, I can fully appreciate the amount of work it must have taken to create this beautiful app. The images are anatomically gorgeous and move in a very lifelike way, which can make it relatable for students. However, I found the repertoire to be far more anatomically-inclined than asana-inclined. This would make a good post-yoga teacher training reference for students who would like to refresh their memory regarding which parts of the body are affected and how. The multiple views and visuals of muscles contracting, stretching or both are great references. I also really enjoyed the different...

Strike a Yoga Pose: Tree Pose, Vrksasana

Tree Pose (Vrksasana) improves balance and flexibility, while also encouraging you to lighten up a bit. Something very important to remember when losing your balance in Tree Pose and sans the gentlest breeze: Trees have roots. A tree grows both upwards and downwards from the ground, thus creating a supportive base from which to sprout. In Tree Pose, a yogi creates the supportive base by mimicking the trunk of the tree with the lower body – but any roots that assist in staying upright are conjured through imagination (since we lack “Go Go Gadget Tree Pose Roots!”). Without the underground mirror image...