Trinity Yoga

Joint pain is generally the result of tight muscles that surround the joint and not a result of something within the joint itself. For knee pain depending on where it is localized you may need to stretch out your quads more. If you feel pain or a strong pulling at the top of the knee or on either side when your knee is in a deep bend such as in virasana then it is most likely your… More..

Ujjayi breathing is used primarily in Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga for a number of reasons. The sound that is created provides a focus for the mind which helps with single-pointed concentration and drawing the attention back to the breath during the practice. It also creates heat because it takes energy and concentration to preform the breath and because the back of the throat,the glottis, is gently contracted during both inhalation and exhalation. This narrowing means that the same amount of… More..

It is important for some people to bend their knees during Uttanasana if their lower back is higher then their sacrum.  If this is happening they will probably be feeling the stretch primarily in their low back and not in their hamstrings where this stretch is designed to open. By bending their knees they are able to gain more mobility in their pelvis, as the hamstrings are able to relax, and the pelvis can tip forward. They… More..

This month, it will have been a year since I was handed my very first yoga book.  Certainly at that point in my life, if I was to choose a yoga book, it wouldn’t have been “Yoga from the inside out”, by Christina Sell.  The book, with a forward by John Friend, Anusara Yoga Founder, is a teaching on grace and how to make peace the body. Despite the emotional upheavals from reading the book,… More..

Kids yoga needs to be fun, light and always changing.  I have found that using a theme throughout the week is helpful when weaving different aspects of learning together.  Often I will begin with a story and throughout the week we will explore the animals, plants and other imaginative aspects of it in our yoga asanas.  If you are planning a three hour session then a short break in the… More..

1. Lay on your back with your right leg bent, left leg extended on the floor. 2. Wrap a strap over the sole of your right foot, and hold one end in each hand. Feel your lower back supported on the floor. 3. Keep a soft bend in your right knee, and extend your leg until you feel a very subtle stretch. Take several deep breaths here. 4. To take this a little… More..

I had a question from another teacher asking “I have a student who has a heel spur on her right foot and when doing warrior I & II and south-side stretch feels pain into her achilles. Can you advise how to offer alternatives for relief?” I’m assuming that your student experiences pain in her rear foot. Planting the rear foot during these postures can over-strain the plantar fascia and achilles tendon. You can modify this by coming… More..

I came across a curious question today - “what is the symbolic meaning of tight feet”? This individual was also looking for a modification to Janu Sirsasana C. In my experience, tight feet are unable to receive support from the earth. This tight holding blocks the feminine, magnetic, “earth” energy (which provides a sense of grounding) from flowing up and enlivening your… More..