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Ashtanga yoga is a physical practice that requires a lot of stretching. It’s easy to get caught up in the pursuit of flexibility, but it’s important to remember that overstretching can lead to injury. In this guide, we’ll go over the anatomy and physiology of stretching and provide tips for safe and effective stretching in your Ashtanga practice. The Dangers of Overstretching Stretching can be beneficial for increasing range of motion and improving circulation, but overstretching can lead to muscle weakness, joint instability, and even permanent tissue damage. Signs of overstretching include burning sensations, popping sounds, aching muscles, sciatic pain, excessive clicking and popping of joints, and joint instability. Pregnant students are particularly at risk for overstretching, so it’s important to be extra cautious if…

Introduction: Breathing is an integral part of our lives, but we often take it for granted. In Ashtanga yoga, we focus on the breath through the practice of pranayama. Pranayama is the fourth limb of the Eight Limbs of Yoga, and it’s all about breath practices. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at what pranayama is, its purpose, and how it can enhance your Ashtanga yoga practice. What is Pranayama? Pranayama is a Sanskrit word that means “life force extension,” and it refers to breath practices designed to enhance one’s life force energy or prana. Pranayama is presented as the fourth limb in the Eight Limbs of Yoga, and it’s all about controlling your breath to control your prana. By regulating the…

Three Radical Shifts as You Grow in Yoga There’s a moment—somewhere between your second Utkatasana and your fourth sun salutation—when you realize yoga is working on more than just your hamstrings. Sure, you came to class for the promise of better posture or to finally get your feet behind your head without causing orthopedic concern. But then something… shifts. Maybe it’s the way you start to breathe when someone cuts you off in traffic. Maybe it’s the fact that you now notice your jaw clenching before your jaw files for emancipation. These shifts aren’t random. They unfold through what I’ve come to see as three radical, interconnected layers of transformation: goal setting, energetic awareness, and intuitive integration. And spoiler alert: none of these involve getting…