Tag: yoga practice
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With Movement, It’s Matter Over Mind
If exercise is so good for us, why haven’t we evolved to want it? Study after study confirms the benefits of all types of exercise. Until a couple hundred years ago, humans walked, hunted and gathered. These tasks, while essential to survival, have also kept our bodies healthy. However, evolution has favored the efficient use […]
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The Beauty of Limits
A 2012 study on muscle loss concluded that we lose 3-8% of our muscle mass every decade after 30. So when I turned 40 I added HIIT routines and working with weights into my life. As far as a potential midlife crisis goes, working out to maintain muscle mass is pretty sensible and cost-effective. But […]
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I Don’t Even Want a Yoga Body
Several years ago, a violinist reached out to me for sessions. They were having headaches and chronic pain in their neck and left shoulder, which threatened to affect their symphony performances. We worked through several myofascial release practices and upper body stretches. A supine breathing practice further relaxed their left shoulder. They felt much better, […]
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Summer of Left
I am right-hand dominant. I catch myself thinking down the right side of my body. My right is more sensate, stronger, and more skilled with fine-tuned movements. As yogis and yoga teachers, we typically practice asymmetric postures starting on the right. This summer, I’m changing my practice and teaching with a focus on our left. […]
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Yoga on Lockdown: Teaching Students During an Active Shooter Emergency
I’m not sure how long I’ll teach yoga—it could be two months or 30 years—but I’m sure the class I taught in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, on Saturday, October 27 will be the hardest class I ever lead. I’m okay. The students I’ve checked in with are okay. We will get better and be better, as people, […]
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Do You Have a “Triage Yoga” Routine?
In catastrophes and medical emergencies, caregivers rely on a process called triage. Stemming from the early 1800’s, triage is a method of prioritizing the care of many people based on the severity of injuries and conditions. Triage allows doctors to make very difficult decisions in the moment, so they can do the most good. If […]
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Fall Sequence for Warmth and Grounding
Autumn: It’s hot, cold, windy, calm, clear, and rainy all in one season. It’s a time where the fiery summer gives way to dry, airy elements. In Ayurvedic terms, Autumn is vata, the air/ether quality. When in balance, vata tendencies include lightness and adaptability. Too much vata results in light-headedness, irritability and ungroundedness. I’ve designed […]
Richard Gartner | Frameworks Yoga 