Who knows injuries better than former NFL stars? Many have multiple hip and knee replacements, aches and pains, tears and breaks that haunt them well past the end of their careers. One former NFL star is using Pilates and Yoga to stay limber and healthy! Former Tennessee State and Dallas Cowboys star Ed “Too Tall” Jones, 57, said there was an adjustment period after retirement as he learned...

Next time you find yourself in a difficult yoga pose or pilates exercise, remember to laugh.  A good, whole-hearted laugh can reduce stress, increase feel-good endorphins, and put you in a better mood.  Now, you’re probably remarking to yourself that this makes perfect sense, but according to this article on WBZTV, most of us have forgotten how, and we’re in need of a gentle reminder. Children...

Rael Isacowitz, founder of Body Arts and Sciences International (BASI) divides this principle into two parts, awareness and concentration. He regards “awareness as a state of mind — of being mindful and feeling the movement” and concentration as “a more cognitive process of understanding the movement.” (Isacowitz, 9) Awareness is the initial realization of the body, where...

There is something so beautiful and amazing about arm balances. To most of us, they look incredibly difficult and advanced, and while poses like Bakasana should not be attempted by the inexperienced yogi, they are actually not quite as hard as they look. Bakasana strengthens the arms, wrists, abdominals, stretches the upper back, and tones the abdominal muscles. Contraindications include pregnancy...

Lymphedema can be a painful and uncomfortable side effect of breast cancer surgery.  It is also detrimental to one’s health.  When lymph fluid becomes stuck in the areas where lymph nodes have been removed immune cells can’t travel to the areas where they are needed and waste material that has been removed from cells can’t make it back to the circulatory system to be removed from...

Mantras and affirmations are incredibly powerful, but they are sometimes difficult to keep in the forefront of our minds. I AM HEALTHY often gets pushed aside in favor of DID I SEND THAT EMAIL? or I HATE TRAFFIC. We just learned about a cool product now being sold: AquaMantra. They package natural spring water in 100% biodegradable and recyclable bottles with positive messages printed on the...

Shaquille O’Neal has decided to add yoga to his training. The Cavaliers player recently attended his first class in Cleveland, a “hot yoga” class designed to help the body release toxins and get into hard-to-reach poses more easily. As we’ve been saying all along, this 5,000 year old practice has something for everyone, whether you’re a dancer, grandma, office worker,...

Flexibility on the outside equals a healthy cardiovascular system.  A new study published in the American Journal of Physiology suggests that a daily stretching regimen helps keep arteries healthy and fends off the stiffening that can precede cardiovascular disease.  The researchers found that those with less trunk (midsection) flexibility were more likely to have blood vessels that had lost their...

Are you in the market for a new yoga mat but looking for a conscientious way to dispose of your old one? We’re trying to do our part to clean up the world, but we need your help. We’ve teamed up with Recycle Your Mat to make sure your trusty mats stay out of the landfill and have a purpose after they leave your side.   How it works: We collect your mat for a small fee that is used to...