Give It All Away

Photos via Yogic Photos.

If you're feeling uninspired in your practice, here's an idea: dedicate your practice to someone you love or someone you know is suffering.

Set the intention that every movement you make, every asana you hold, will be for the benefit of others.

When class gets hard or you meet resistance or pain on the mat, bring your attention back to your beloved.

Do your yoga by giving it all away.

At the end of savasana, at the sound of that final om, know this: all beings are liberated.

Working on Headstand and Forearm Balance

It's been a while since I regularly practiced headstand and forearm balance and I have to say, I greatly miss Dharma Yoga Evanston, where those two postures were a constant part of class!

Fortunately, though, I have the learned the foundational information needed to get in and out of the postures safely on my own, and I am adding them back into my routine. 

Today I wanted to share a little advice for those of you practicing these postures, or thinking about learning them.

Tip #1: 

In the beginning, practice with a teacher.

It's very important to learn the right way when it comes to inversions, so that you're safe and so you set up good habits. You want to be sure to avoid shoulder and neck strain. Listen carefully and watch your teacher, thinking to yourself, "That is me." Envision yourself in the pose before you are even in it.

Tip #2: Learn how to fall.

The scariest part about inversions is the thought of falling on your head, right? Well, you take that fear away if you practice what it feels like to fall. Remember to tuck your head (chin to chest) and you will protect your neck and spine. Again, this is a great thing to do early on with an instructor present. Once you've pushed through the point of balancing in the pose several times, forcing yourself to fall, you begin to learn where your edge is.

Tip #3: Use the wall conscientiously.

When I first learned headstand, I practiced it a lot at home in front of the wall. Then, when I tried it in class, I immediately felt myself tipping forward, to that place where the wall used to be. For a brief moment I had no idea how to stop myself from falling -- so I did. I hadn't yet learned the way you must fire up all of your back muscles and glutes in order to prevent yourself from tipping forward.

While I think utilizing a wall to learn headstand and forearm balance early on is great, it's also important not to let it become a crutch. As soon as you feel remotely comfortable with the pose, move away from the wall. Challenge yourself to trust your body. And if you're in a class with a bunch of other yogis, allow the energy in the room to inspire you.

Photo via 

Yogurt Yoga

. 

Tip #4: Practice awareness of your mind as you try these poses.

Inversions tend to ignite fear in us. 

Eventually you will need to use your own resolve to face the fear, and to ignore the flight-or-fight response your nervous system may produce. 

As long as you take the right steps to learn the right way into and out of the posture, know that you are safe. Trust in what your teacher has shown you, and trust that your body is capable of incredible things. Learn to let go of your resistance to the postures themselves.

You know you are moving in the right direction when you don't feel your heart drop at the mention of the pose in class. Instead of slowly making your way into the pose, you set a positive example for your fellow yogis, and you launch happily into trying. As long as you are trying, you are achieving what the pose is meant to do.

Tip #5: Learn to play.

These two postures, Sirsasana and Pinchamayurasana, are poses that can take months or even years to realize. Instead of focusing on a specific outcome of your efforts, embrace where you are in that process right here, today.

Are you simply building strength in your shoulders? Are you experimenting with how much effort it takes to kick your legs up the wall? Are you observing the other yogis in class, noting something new about the pose that you've never seen before?

Wherever you are, you are perfect. You are right where you're meant to be.

5 Ways to Build Confidence for Headstand and Forearm Stand

Headstand (Sirsasana) and Forearm Stand (Pincha Mayurasana) can feel intimidating at first, but with the right approach, they become empowering and joyful. Here are five ways to build strength, stability, and confidence for these inversions:

1. Strengthen Your Foundation

The key to inversions is a strong and stable foundation. Focus on building strength in your shoulders, arms, and core to support your weight.

• For Headstand: Practice Dolphin Pose and Forearm Plank to strengthen your shoulders and arms.

• For Forearm Stand: Add Push-Ups and Shoulder Taps to your routine to build stability.

Tip: Revisit these foundational poses consistently—they’re the building blocks of your practice.

2. Use the Wall

Practicing with a wall is a game-changer when working toward inversions. The wall provides a safety net while you refine your alignment and balance.

• For Headstand: Start by lifting your legs one at a time and resting your feet on the wall for support.

• For Forearm Stand: Kick up gently and let the wall catch your feet, giving you time to engage your core and shoulders.

Tip: As you gain confidence, work on pulling your feet slightly away from the wall for short holds.

3. Practice Core-Strengthening Poses

A strong core is essential for controlling your entry into inversions and holding them steady.

• Plank Variations: Forearm Plank and Side Plank help build deep core strength.

• Boat Pose: Strengthens the lower and upper core muscles.

• Leg Lifts: Improves the control needed to lift your legs into inversions without kicking.

Tip: Consistent core work will help you feel more stable and in control when upside down.

4. Learn to Fall Safely

Fear of falling is one of the biggest barriers to inversions. By learning how to fall safely, you’ll eliminate this fear and approach the poses with more confidence.

• For Headstand: Practice tucking your chin and rolling forward gently if you lose balance.

• For Forearm Stand: Use a wall or soft surface to practice controlled dismounts.

Tip: Falling is part of the process. Treat it as a learning experience rather than a setback.

5. Focus on Your Breath and Mindset

Confidence in inversions isn’t just about physical strength—it’s also about staying calm and focused.

• Use Breathwork: Steady, deep breathing keeps you grounded and helps you stay present.

• Set an Intention: Approach your practice with curiosity and playfulness instead of self-criticism.

• Visualize Success: Picture yourself holding the pose with ease and balance.

Tip: Remember, progress takes time. Celebrate small victories along the way.

The Journey to Confidence

Building confidence for Headstand and Forearm Stand is about consistent practice, patience, and trust in your body. With these five steps, you’ll create a strong foundation and a fearless mindset that makes inversions feel achievable and exciting.

So, roll out your mat, breathe deeply, and enjoy the process—you’ve got this! ✨🧘‍♀️

Yoga Asana

Photos via Dharma Yoga NYC's blog.

What do we know of yoga postures? What are they meant to do, and how should we do them?

Here's some inspiration for you:

The postures are good for keeping the physical body healthy and for cultivating mental powers.

-Sri Dharma Mittra

 

Two essentials for posture: Yoga has been defined as the mastery of the thought patterns of mind field (1.2), so that Self-realization can be experienced (1.3). To be able to do the meditation practices that allow this, it is essential that the posture be (2.46): steady and comfortable.

-The Yoga Sutras

Hatha Yoga teaches us to use the body as the bow, asana as the arrow, and the soul the target.  

- B.K.S. Iyengar

Yoga can take you to a deeper place, a spiritual center, if you are open to the possibility. Be receptive as you practice today. Namaste.

Refuge on the Mat

I am continually amazed by the power of yoga. You can come to the mat broken, afraid, upset, or down. You watch as a simple asana practice brings a smile. The breath deepens; the heart is full.

Yoga teaches you to let go.

As Sri Dharma Mittra has said, "Bring your attention to your heart. Everything is inside."

Come to your mat ready to be changed. Namaste.

Yoga Champs

Photo via YogaDork.

Over the weekend, some seriously stellar yogis competed in the annual USA Yoga Asana Championship in New York City.

Photo via New York Daily News.

I'm always amazed and inspired seeing what the human body can do. I always wonder: how many hours did these yogis spend preparing for the competition? How many backbends a day did it take to get to that point?

Photo via USA Yoga Federation.

Every year there's a debate about whether yoga should be competitive. Some say that goes against the nature of yoga, but I have to say I agree with USA Yoga Federation founder Rajashree Choudhury. I think it's inspiring and encouraging to see yogis like this in the spotlight. As Rajashree wrote in a recent Huffington Post article about yoga competitions:

It is human nature to feel challenged; to be self empowered. The competition aspect of Yoga Asana comes from within; from striving to achieve one's personal best at any given moment. Carefully defined judging criteria are based on rules and structure that follows the Hatha Yoga tradition; championship judges are educated by counterparts in India on how to award marks based on a points system. Ultimately though, it comes down to the competitor's ability to master their sensory control; to execute postures to their fullest potential while holding them in stillness.

Photos via USA Yoga Federation.

You can watch a video stream of the championship here. Or check out more about USA Yoga on their Facebook page.

 

 Photo via USA Yoga Federation.

Huge props to all you amazing yogis who participated!

Keep Going

Photos via Pinterest.

That's the beauty of the yoga: you keep going, you keep trying. If it's been months since you rolled out your mat, maybe today is the day you change your habit.

You try one pose.

Soon, you are seeing things differently. :)

Your Breath in Yoga

One thing I love about yoga: whether you're meditating in lotus pose, or fighting your way into a forearm balance, your breath guides you.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm practicing yoga while I walk down the street, as long as I'm focused on my breath moving in and out of me.

Transformative

Today I have been contemplating my life before yoga.

The things I used to long for: living out of love instead of fear, a body I could be proud of, a calm heart.

I practice new habits now. I regularly give thanks for the blessings in my life. I am used to the sound of my breath in the back of my throat, that careful wave of ujjayi a constant reminder to be present. I do not mind waiting in line at the post office or the grocery store for it provides me a few minutes to meditate.

Sometimes I awake from savasana feeling like a wholly new person. I walk out of class, refreshed, light, wondering where the old me is, fine with the fact that I am new.

The Yoga Sutras

I'm reading Alistair Shearer's translation of The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a foundational text of yogic teaching.

The opening is both beautiful and sparse:

Yoga is the settling of the mind into silence.

When the mind has settled, we are established in our essential nature, which is unbounded consciousness.