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Why Yoga Is Good for Your Body and Brain, According to Science

By Jaylissa Zheng, Dacher Keltner — 2020

When I (Dacher Keltner) was 18, I wandered into a yoga class in my first year of college, hosted on a basketball court in the school’s gym. At the time, some 40 years ago, yoga had mystical, somewhat cult-like connotations. While a handful of students waited on mats, the teacher arrived dressed in white clothes, looking like Jesus. After playing a song on a wooden flute, and reading a few Haiku poems, he led the class through a series of yoga postures. Yoga, just getting off the ground in the West, would prove to be a salve for my anxious tendencies.

Read on greatergood.berkeley.edu

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Emotional Reactions During Yoga

Lately during my yoga classes, I find myself feeling very emotional. Several times I have felt my eyes fill up with tears during a pose. This has happened even on good days. Why is this, and is it normal?

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Instructing from the Ground Up

In describing the qualities of asana with the adjectives “sthira” and “sukha,” Patanjali uses language very skillfully. Sthira means steady and alert–to embody sthira, the pose must be strong and active.

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These Yin Yoga Poses Will Feel Soooo Good on Your Low Back

You've tried everything else to ease your tension. Maybe it's time to opt for simple stretches that draw on contemporary science as well as thousands of years of traditional Chinese medicine.

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Q&A: Is Backbending During Pregnancy Safe or Not?

Different yoga systems have different answers. Sarah Powers addresses the debate of whether backbending during pregnancy is safe.

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Q&A: Which Poses Are Best for Sciatica?

Sarah Powers advises yogis with sciatica which poses to avoid and which to favor.

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Q&A: What’s the Purpose of Practicing Sun Salutations?

Sarah Powers explains the basics of Sun Salutations and why you should practice them regularly.

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Q&A: Why Is My Neck So Uncomfortable in Camel Pose?

Sarah Powers offers advice for modifying neck position in Camel Pose.

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Sarah Power’s Yoga Philosophy + The Creation of Insight Yoga

Having studied many forms of yoga–Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Viniyoga–and popularized Yin Yoga, Sarah Powers has created a custom practice that she calls Insight Yoga.

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