After teaching yoga for 20 years, in addition to low back pain, I can also say that probably in 4 out of 5 classes I teach, at least one person will share that they are experiencing head and neck pain. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic! For almost two years people have been working from home with improper ergonomics and slumping into their couches late at night. Nevermind the amount of tension and stress we all have these days that tends to go straight to our upper back and shoulders. I know when I sit at my desk too long, I start to feel my upper back ache and my neck hurt! We may not be able to reduce our stressors, but we can do something about the pain in our neck. Today I’m sharing how you can improve or even eliminate your head and neck pain with awareness, self care and specific yoga postures designed to rebalance your muscles.

In my opinion, there is nothing worse than a bad night’s sleep.  Lately, I’ve found myself tossing and turning in the middle of the night, throwing off my comforter one minute and then pulling it up the other, and checking the clock to see how much time I have before morning.  There really is nothing more tiring than trying to fall asleep.  If you can relate, then this blog is for you. Today I’m sharing 3 restorative yoga poses you can do right before bed to bring your awareness to the present moment, slow down your nervous system, reduce your stress level, and get a better night’s sleep.  

Headaches are the worst.  And they usually show up at exactly the wrong time.  Even though there are so many types and tons of causes, headaches have one thing in common - they are unpleasant, extremely painful and can be down-right debilitating.  Thankfully the practice of mindfulness and yoga can help.  Whether it’s a specific movement or pose, simply breathing or practicing meditation, the practice of staying present allows you to reduce stress and tension in your body and mind, become more aware of what might be triggering your headaches (so that you can avoid those things in the future) and build resilience to life’s challenges so that you can handle difficult situations with more awareness, calmness and ease.  

Headaches are the worst. And they usually show up at exactly the wrong time. Even though there are so many types and tons of causes, headaches have one thing in common - they are unpleasant, extremely painful and can be down-right debilitating. Thankfully the practice of yoga can help. Whether it’s a specific movement or pose, simply breathing or practicing meditation, the practice of staying present allows you to reduce stress and tension in your body and mind, become more aware of what might be triggering your headaches (so that you can avoid those things in the future) and build resilience to life’s challenges so that you can handle difficult situations with more awareness, calmness and ease. Personally, when I have a headache, I find that my mind and body want to rest, which is why I turn toward restorative yoga postures to reduce the tension, stress and pain I’m experiencing. The below postures and techniques work really well for me and I hope they help you reduce your head pain and feel more at ease as well.

After teaching yoga for 20 years, in addition to low back pain and head and neck pain, the third most common request I get before class is, “can we stretch our hips? Mine are so tight!” Trust me, I get it - my hips are sore and ache most of the time. And tight hips are not only really uncomfortable, but they also limit your range of motion but may also put you at an increased risk for injury due to the increased demand on tissues that aren’t moving like they should be. The good news is that there is something we can do about it. Today I’m sharing how you improve your hip health with specific yoga postures designed to increase mobility, flexibility and strength.

You probably know exactly how it feels to be stuck in a thought loop for hours at a time, worrying about the past or thinking about the future, and not actually finding relief or resolve. It’s exhausting!  Thankfully there’s a way we can slow down our overthinking mind and reduce our anxiety - by moving!  Today I’m sharing 10 yoga poses you can do right now to bring your awareness to the present moment, slow down your nervous system and reduce your anxiety.  

And the best part?  No prior yoga experience is required!  If you can breathe, you can do these poses! 

It seems most people I talk to these days have trouble sleeping. Either they fall right to sleep when their head hits the pillow, but wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep, or they never fall asleep at all. I’m personally in the first camp. Either way, it seems most of us are just going about our days in a sleepy fog because we aren’t getting enough rest at night. Thankfully, the calming benefits of yoga can help! By lowering stress levels, calming the mind and relieving tension in the body, a soothing practice can be an effective and natural sleep remedy.

I don’t know about you, but occasionally I go through periods of time where I don't sleep well or at all. Sometimes it’s just one or two nights and other times it can be much more. And when this happens, I am a crank-pot. I’m less productive, I’m quick to snap at family and friends and I generally just feel more anxious about most of life’s worries. We all know how important it is to get a good night’s sleep, but we don’t always know what to do when you can’t seem to make it happen. And although I’m not a sleep expert, I have figured out a few tools to help me sleep better when these restless nights occur. And I want the same for you! Today I’m sharing my favorite yoga, mindfulness and general tips and tricks to help you get a better night’s sleep in order to improve your overall health.

I am the first to admit that I don’t really like moving.  If I had a choice, I would prefer to sit over pretty much anything else.  Napping is my favorite.  And, even after realizing all that, I know that I feel more balanced and at ease after I move my body in some way.  And that sitting with my thoughts sometimes just feeds my anxiety and makes things a bit worse.  

I also have friends that are constantly exercising, which can lead to physical pain, injury or an over stimulated mind.  These friends tend to avoid their anxiety by working out all the time.  

So how do we find the balance?  And why is moving so important anyway?  Today I’m sharing the importance of moving your body and how to find the right balance so that you feel confident to better manage your anxiety using your own movement routine.

It’s not uncommon to hear a teacher give the instruction to “listen to your body” during practice. But what is your body trying to tell you? This week, Michele and Steve will help you interpret what you’re experiencing in a pose, and discuss how, with that understanding, you can appropriately work with your physical “edge” during practice.

Today I’m going to share why it’s important to warm up the joints and spine before any exercise or yoga practice and the 10 movements you can do daily to keep your body healthy and happy.

Balancing poses have become a staple of social media feeds everywhere. And why not? Those pictures of someone serenely holding tree pose on a mountaintop as the sun crests the horizon can convey yoga’s ability to help us work towards broader equilibrium in our lives…and generate lots of “clicks” and “likes” for the page. This week Steve Sampson takes a deeper dive into what balance is, what can affect your balance, and why working on balance is important (spoiler alert: it’s not about looking cool on Instagram, LOL).

As I write this blog in June 2021, 41.4% of Americans are fully vaccinated for COVID-19. States are reopening and life seems to be getting back to some sort of “Post-Covid Normal”. Whatever that means. Some people can’t WAIT to get together with friends and hug strangers on the street while other people feel more comfortable staying put in isolation. As the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be shining, you might be wondering why you aren’t as excited to go back to the “way things were.” You miss being around other people in your community, but you just don’t feel ready. I get it! In this blog I share exactly why you might be feeling this way and how you can use mindfulness techniques to figure out how to best take care of yourself during this post-pandemic transition.

I was a cyclist long before I ever tried yoga. When I found my way to the mat, I thought yoga was just going to be an occasional “stretching” activity to help improve my cycling performance. Although I quickly developed a passion for the philosophy and broader practices of yoga, I did find that certain physical yoga postures (or asanas) were just what I needed after long hours in the saddle. In today’s article, I’d like to focus on one particular area where I experienced this benefit: my back.

If you are an avid runner, or even just go out for a run on occasion, you know how tough running can be on your body. Your leg muscles are tight and you might even struggle with tension and joint pain. And if you are training for a race or trying to improve your performance, you might find that these issues are preventing you from reaching your goals.

Although I am not a runner myself, I have helped many runners loosen tight muscles, increase mobility and prevent injury through yoga. In fact, I would argue that yoga is the perfect exercise to recover from a run. The best part is that you can do just 10 minutes of yoga after your run to feel the benefits. Here’s how to stay out of pain and improve your running experience with yoga.

Almost everyone is thrilled that nice weather has finally arrived. Everyone, it seems, except for our knees. As we get out and get moving, many people find knee pain common. If your knees hurt more getting off your bike, descending from a hike, or simply coming down stairs, you’ll be interested to learn how gentle thigh stretching can take the pressure off of your knees.

When it comes to playing golf, you probably have three main goals:

1. Eliminate strokes and improve your overall game

2. Stay out of pain and away from injury

3. Be able to play this crazy game you love for many, many more years

Want to know the best way to achieve all three of those goals? You guessed it - yoga. Although I’m not playing birdie golf, I know my yoga practice has helped to improve my game and keep me out of pain. And I want the same for you! Here’s how practicing yoga for 20 minutes a day can keep you out of pain and improve your overall game so you can have more fun experiences than frustrating ones on the course.

Steve Sampson guest blogs on Serenity’s Website in order to take a deeper look at what you will generally experience in a yin or restorative yoga class. While both forms of practice are similar in that they are relatively slow and passive practices, there are some differences in the intent behind that stillness.

What if I told you that taking a break won’t make you less productive and put you behind in your work? It’s quite the opposite, actually … regular breaks help you be more efficient and productive so you can get more things done quicker!