Author Archives: steppingonthemat

If you have been thinking for some time about starting a meditation practice, but have yet to actually begin, there is no better time than now.  At It’s All Yoga, the April theme is Meditation.   All of the teachers will be … Continue reading →

We all belong to communities:  places where we live, work, and gather for play, learning, spiritual fulfillment or service.  These communities are often places where we feel happy, safe and content.  Within them, we share a sense of belonging or of feeling … Continue reading →

Here we are at the beginning of a new year.  A lot of excitement has been generated at the studio with the launch of monthly themes, and guess what the January theme is? Right.  So what does the word “transition” … Continue reading →

A discussion of how yoga can prevent or ease the pain of foot or ankle problems should begin with a brief anatomical look at the complex structure of the foot.   The tibia (shin bone) and the fibula (calf bone) are supported by the talus (ankle … Continue reading →

The human spine consists of 24 vertebrae stacked one on top of another to form the spinal column through which the spinal cord passes. Within this column are specialized segments: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum and coccyx each performing different functions.  The lumbar … Continue reading →

We hear a lot about the quads and the hamstrings so its surprising the adductors are not so well known.  Size-wise, they are larger than the hamstrings and nearly as large as the quadriceps.   They are a group of five … Continue reading →

It took me over a year to recover from a frozen shoulder a few years ago.   This time the problem is in the rotator cuff and its been going on for months.   Thanks to my yoga practice, I hope to be able to … Continue reading →

This was the question one of my student’s asked after hearing about a class she missed. The iliopsoas which is frequently shortened to just “psoas” is actually two muscles:  the psoas major and the iliacus.  The psoas major are long, tubular … Continue reading →

In my previous post, I presented a brief description of the anatomy of the knee joint, the importance of both strengthening and stretching the leg muscles, and some cautions regarding movement and alignment.   In this post, we’ll look at some yoga … Continue reading →