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Benefits of Breathwork

By Joe MillerBreathworkNo Comments

Breathwork, or pranayama, has long been an important part of yoga practice. Working with your breath offers powerful health benefits, which you might not be aware of. These can include:

Dramatically improving your ability to deal with stress
Increasing your heart rate variability
Letting go of unconscious negative breathing habits
Learning to breathe with more ease

In this article, we’ll look at each of these in more detail.

Why practice breathwork?

One of the reasons yogis put so much attention on the breath is that they recognized that while we have some voluntary control over the breath, most of the time breathing is unconscious. They saw the breath as a way to link conscious and unconscious aspects of ourselves.

You can easily feel this dual nature of the breath. For instance, you could take a deep breath right now, or even hold your breath—at least for a little while. Eventually, you’d need to breathe again, but the point is that the muscles that you use to breathe are voluntary. You have some conscious control over them.

Of course, most of the time you’re not breathing consciously. Until you started reading this post, you probably weren’t even aware that you were breathing. That’s good because you need to breathe all the time, and you’ve got other things to think about. In fact, even if you’re not conscious at all—like when you’re sleeping—you need to breathe.

This ability to consciously control the breath makes it different from other vital functions, such as your heart beat, blood pressure or digestion. All of those functions are necessary to keep you alive—as is breathing—but they’re controlled by a part of your nervous system that you don’t have voluntary control over, called the autonomic nervous system. Most of the time you’re not even aware of this part of your nervous system. It’s working in the background.

The autonomic nervous system

The autonomic nervous system has two major divisions. The sympathetic division is the body’s stress response. It’s often referred to as the “fight or flight” system, because it helps you either fight off or flee a threat. The parasympathetic division, on the other hand, is sometimes called the “rest and digest” system because it helps you return to baseline when the threat is over.

Imagine you’ve just finished having dinner with your friends at a restaurant. You’re walking home and you pass a dark alley. You see someone lurking in the alley. They might be a threat, so your sympathetic nervous system kicks in.

If you have to run from this person, or fight them, your muscles will need fuel. Your sympathetic nervous system will dump epinephrine, aka adrenaline, into your bloodstream, increasing blood sugar. Your muscles will need oxygen, so your breathing rate will go up and your airway will open. Your heartbeat and your blood pressure will increase to ensure you can pump that blood to your muscles. Your muscles will produce heat, so you’ll start sweating.

At the same time, your dinner is sitting in your stomach. It’s going to take hours to digest that meal, so it’s not going to help you run right now. The blood flow to your digestive organs will be reduced.

This the body’s stress response. It can be life-saving. You need that ability to rev up your system to cope with threats. However, the same stress response can kick in when there’s nothing life threatening happening. Maybe you’re just stuck in traffic or you had a fight with your spouse. Your body will go through the same physiological sequence.

And, while that stress response can keep you alive when It’s needed, chronic stress has a lot of negative health consequences, including to your blood pressure, blood sugar and immune response. Spending too much time in that sympathetic mode isn’t good for you. So having tools available that can help you shift toward a more parasympathetic state can be very helpful.

Because you can control your breath voluntarily, it offers a way to indirectly influence your autonomic nervous system. The regions of the brain that control the autonomic nervous system and the areas that control the breath communicate with each other. The autonomic nervous system influences breathing, and breathing influences the autonomic nervous system.

When your parasympathetic system is active, your breathing slows down. If you intentionally slow your breathing, even if you’re feeling stressed, you’ll send a signal to your nervous system that things are ok, that there’s nothing to worry about. This can actually help you shift in reality toward a more parasympathetic state.

Heart rate variability

A marker of the health of your autonomic nervous system is heart rate variability. You might imagine that having a steady, metronome-like heart beat would be healthy, but in fact it’s not. A healthy heart rate varies from beat to beat.

This is due to the influence of the main nerve of the parasympathetic division, the vagus nerve. The vagus is a cranial nerve. It exits directly from the brain through an opening in the skull. It’s a long nerve that branches throughout your neck and upper torso. This long, meandering pathway is where it gets its name. Vagus is derived from the same root word meaning “wandering” that we get “vagrant” and “vagabond” from.

The vagus runs to most organs in the upper part of the torso, including the heart and lungs. When the vagus is active, is slows your heart rate.

Interestingly, this activation is coordinated with your breathing. When you exhale, your vagus nerve tells your heart to slow down slightly. When you inhale, the vagus takes its foot off the brake (metaphorically, of course), and the heart speeds up slightly. This is called respiratory sinus arrythmia.

When you see “arrhythmia,” that may not sound like a good thing, but it is. Respiratory sinus arrythmia is normal, and a sign of a healthy autonomic system. It indicates that the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions can switch back and forth smoothly.

This link between the exhalation and the parasympathetic response offers another way to indirectly influence the nervous system. While slowing your breathing down overall can help you cope with stress, lengthening the exhalation in particular can help even more.

Breathing muscles

Another benefit of breathwork is that it can train the muscles you use for breathing and help you identify habits that may be making it harder to breathe than it needs to be.

The main muscle you use for breathing is the diaphragm. This is a dome shaped muscle that lies in the lower part of your ribcage. When you inhale, it contracts, pulling the roof of the dome downward. Because the lungs are sitting on top of the diaphragm, that contraction stretches open the lungs, expanding their volume, and air flows in to fill up that space. When you breathe out, the diaphragm relaxes and the lungs shrink.

The diaphragm is very efficient. It contracts multiple times every minute over your entire lifetime, and it never gets tired. So, in general, the diaphragm should do most of the work of breathing.

As the diaphragm contracts, it pushes down on the abdomen. If the abdominal wall muscles are relaxed, the diaphragm can descend. But if you tend to chronically contract your abdominal wall muscles, that can make it harder for the diaphragm to do its job. The same thing can happen with other muscles, such as the chest wall or the pelvic floor muscles.

Many of us habitually hold unnecessary muscle contraction in these areas, making the diaphragm work harder than it needs to. However, we’re often we’re not aware of those habits.

Breathwork is grounded in breath awareness. It begins with paying attention to your breath—observing without trying to change it or make judgments about it. Through that process, you may discover areas where you’re holding or gripping that are affecting your breath.

This process can begin with something as simple as lying on your back with your knees bent. Place your hands on your abdomen and observe whether you feel it moving. If you can relax your abdominal wall muscles, you’ll find that your belly will rise toward the ceiling when you inhale and descend toward the floor when you exhale. That’s simply the result of your diaphragm moving up and down as you breathe.

You may find it’s not so easy to relax those muscles, if your habit is to keep them contracted. The process begins by simply noticing, but eventually those muscles can learn to let go, and you’ll find that you can breathe with more ease.

Give this simple exercise a try, and you may find that not only can you breathe more easily, but your breath may naturally slow down and your nervous system may begin to quiet. Even a few minutes of lying on your back like this with your hands resting on your belly, bringing your attention to your breath, can have enormous benefits, both for your body and your mind.

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April 27, 2026

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Weekly Class Theme: Restorative

By Alia CarangeloRestorative YogaNo Comments

In a world that constantly asks us to do more, move faster, and push further, restorative yoga offers something radically different: an invitation to pause.

This week’s class is centered around restorative yoga, a practice designed to support the body completely so the nervous system can soften, the breath can deepen, and the mind can settle. With the help of props like bolsters, blankets, and blocks, each pose becomes an opportunity to release effort and receive support.

Rather than stretching deeply or building strength, we’ll focus on stillness, comfort, and ease—allowing the body to unwind naturally.

What to Expect

This class is slow, grounding, and deeply nourishing. Each posture is held for several minutes, giving your body time to shift out of “doing mode” and into a state of rest and repair.

Slow your breath
Release muscular tension
Support your joints fully
Cultivate awareness without effort

This is a practice of letting go, not pushing further.

The Sequence

Supported Child’s Pose (Salamba Balasana)

We’ll begin in a gentle, grounding shape using a bolster to support the torso. Supported Child’s Pose encourages a sense of safety and ease, helping to quiet the mind and gently stretch the back body.

Allow your weight to fully melt into the props and bring awareness to the rhythm of your breath.

Supported Seated Wide Legged Forward Fold (Upavistha Konasana)

Moving into a seated position, you’ll fold forward over a bolster, allowing the spine to round softly.

This variation removes any strain and invites a passive release through the back body, calming the nervous system and encouraging introspection.

Supported Side Body Twist (Salamba Bharadvajasana) – Both Sides

Twists in restorative yoga are less about depth and more about gentle unwinding.

With the support of a bolster, this reclined twist allows the spine to softly rotate while the body remains completely held. This pose can feel like a reset—wringing out tension while maintaining ease.

Take your time transitioning between sides, keeping the experience slow and intentional.

Supported Legs Up the Wall on a Bolster (Viparita Karani Variation)

In this variation of Legs Up the Wall, the legs are elevated using a bolster, allowing for a gentle inversion without effort.

This pose supports circulation, soothes tired legs, and deeply relaxes the body. Let gravity do the work while you rest into stillness.

Prone Supported Savasana

We’ll close the practice lying on the belly with a bolster supporting the body.

This variation of Savasana offers a grounding, cocooning effect—perfect for anyone who feels restless lying on their back. It encourages a sense of containment and can be especially calming for the nervous system.

Allow yourself to fully surrender here, with nothing left to do.

The Takeaway

Restorative yoga reminds us that rest is not a luxury—it’s essential.

By slowing down and supporting the body, we create space for healing, clarity, and balance. This practice is an opportunity to reconnect with yourself in a quieter, more subtle way.

This week, give yourself permission to do less—and receive more.

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April 21, 2026

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Black man practicing alternate nostril breathing

Alternate Nostril Breathing and Pranayama

By Joe MillerYogaNo Comments

When people ask me what breathwork technique I’d recommend to help them settle and calm down, I often suggest alternate nostril breathing, or, as it’s called in Sanskrit, nadi shodhana.

If I’m feeling anxious, agitated or ungrounded, this is my go-to breathing technique. A few minutes of alternate nostril breathing will almost always help me feel more centered and grounded. I know I’m not alone. Many people have told me they have a similar experience. And in fact, research has also shown that alternate nostril breathing can help shift the nervous system toward a more relaxed state. Studies have consistently shown that nadi shodhana helps to reduce blood pressure and heart rate, as well improving focus and reducing stress.

More about that later, but first, let’s look at how to practice alternate nostril breathing.

How can I learn the correct technique for nadi shodhana?

Traditionally, yogis would sit on the floor, usually in a cross-legged posture, to practice nadi shodhana. However, if that’s not comfortable for you, sitting in a chair will work just as well.

Whatever your foundation, make sure that you’re sitting upright. If you’re on the floor, you may need to elevate your hips to sit without your back rounding. You can support your pelvis with a bolster, a folded blanket or a yoga block, depending on what feels stable and comfortable. If you’re sitting in a chair, don’t lean against the back of the chair. Come forward, so that you’re supporting yourself with your feet on the floor.

Traditionally, nadi shodhana is practiced with a specific mudra, or hand gesture. This is called Vishnu mudra; it’s formed by folding the index and middle fingers of your right hand into the palm, so that the thumb and fourth and fifth fingers are sticking up. You’ll bring your right hand up to your face, placing your thumb on the right side of your nose and the fourth and fifth fingers against the left side.

If you find the traditional mudra awkward, you can lightly press the tips of your index and middle fingers between your brows. Personally, I often prefer to practice with this modified mudra. It has an extra advantage of bringing a little pressure to what yogis refer to as the third eye center, which helps me feel more energetically centered.

Your left hand can just rest on your left thigh. If you like, you can also make another mudra by joining the tips of the left thumb and index finger together.

Using your right thumb, close off your right nostril. You don’t need a lot of pressure—just enough to lightly press the side of your nose against the septum (the part of the nose that separates the right and left nostrils). Breathe in through your left nostril, then close the left nostril and breathe out through the right side. Then inhale through your right nostril and switch to exhale through the left side.

That’s one round. Continue for as many rounds as you like. Try to keep the flow of breath slow and steady. If you wish, you can time your breath by counting silently to yourself, matching the length of the inhalation and the exhalation.

Here’s a video of our Ayurveda Counselor, Lisa Bermudez showing you how to practice nadi shodhana:

The nasal cycle

You may find that it’s more difficult to breathe in through one nostril than the other. This is a pretty common experience in nadi shodhana. Of course, it could be because you’ve got a cold or allergies, or even a structural issue in the nose, but it’s often simply due to what’s called the nasal cycle.

Try it right now: Close your right nostril and breathe through your left nostril, then switch. Can you breathe more easily through one side than the other?

Most people, most of the time, will probably notice a difference. However, if you wait an hour or two and try the same experiment again, you may discover that it’s now the other nostril that’s more open.

Nostril breathing through the nasal cycle

This is the nasal cycle. For many people, the two nostrils periodically switch dominance—i.e., which one is more open—throughout the day. The cycle and its timing varies, but it commonly switches over the course of several hours. However, there is a lot of variation between people. For some, both nostrils may be open at the same time, while for others, there’s no discernable cycle.

Why does this happen? It’s related to the autonomic nervous system. This is the part of the nervous system that regulates unconscious, involuntary vital functions in the body. It takes care of the stuff that happens behind the scenes in your body to keep you alive—functions like your heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and immune function.

The autonomic nervous system is divided into two divisions, called the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. The sympathetic division is your body’s stress response. Sometimes called the fight or flight system, it primes your body for activity, whether that’s to flee a threat or to begin a vigorous workout. The parasympathetic division is sometimes called the rest and digest system. It helps you return to baseline.

The sympathetic division generally tends to constrict blood vessels. You have a lot of blood vessels lining the inside of your nose. That’s why nosebleeds can bleed so much. When the sympathetic division is more active, blood vessels in your nose will be constricted. Therefore, your nasal passages will be more open, and you’ll be able to breathe more easily.

For some reason, the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions tend to switch dominance between the two sides of the body throughout the day. When the sympathetic system is a little more dominant on the right side, your right nostril will be more open. Your left nostril will then be more occluded, because there will be more blood flow on that side. And later in the day, when that dominance changes, the left nostril will be more open.

So that’s how the nasal cycle works. But you might be wondering, why do we have a nasal cycle in the first place?

The short answer is that we don’t know for sure. It may have something to do with allowing nasal tissues to rest and recover, so that they can better filter and humidify the air before it reaches the lungs. Other hypotheses are that it might help optimize immune system function, or that it could help us detect a wider range of odors.

In any case, you may notice that when you practice alternate nostril breathing, it’s harder to breathe through one nostril than the other.

What can you do if you feel like you’re not able to get enough air in through one nostril? Just don’t close the more open nostril fully. That way you’ll be able to get enough air, while still attempting to direct the breath through the more closed side.

What are some other common issues of alternate nostril breathing?

Another common issue that can make alternate nostril breathing challenging is arm or shoulder fatigue. If you’re practicing for a long time, your right shoulder may become stiff or tired.

One solution is to use your left hand to support your right elbow. You can also support your right elbow with a cushion, bolster or yoga block (or even a couple of blocks, depending on your height), with the support resting on your thigh.

Or, you can try switching arms. While using the right hand to manipulate the nostrils is traditional, you don’t have to be bound by tradition. Particularly if you’re left-handed, or if you have an issue with your right shoulder, you may be more comfortable using the left hand.

If you find that it’s difficult to stay focused on the breath, you can try closing your eyes to reduce distractions. On the other hand, some people may find it’s easier to stay alert with the eyes open. Find what works for you.

Why is it called nadi shodhana?

The literal translation of nadi shodhana isn’t “alternate nostril breathing.” It actually translates as “purification of the energy channels.”

Yogis have traditionally linked the breath to prana—a vital energy that sustains life. They visualized this energy moving through channels in the body, called nadis, including a central channel, called the shushumna nadi, and two other channels, one ending at the right nostril and the other ending at the left nostril.

The right channel is called the pingala nadi. It’s said to be an activating, heating, solar channel, while the left channel, called the ida nadi, is a quieting, cooling, lunar channel. Yogis thought that by channeling breath through the right and left nostrils, they could affect the balance of these two aspects of the self.

These channels were seen as existing on a subtle level, within what’s called the energy body, or pranamayakosha. If you dissect a human body, you won’t find a pingala nadi or an ida nadi. Personally, I view them as a way of metaphorically describing the subjective experience of nadi shodhana.

All of this fits with my personal experience. Nadi shodhana generally leaves me feeling more balanced. If I’m feeling stressed or hyperactive, it helps me settle. At the same time, it doesn’t make me feel dull or sleepy. Rather, it leaves me feeling relaxed, but awake. I can see why yogis visualized it as way to balance “solar” and “lunar” energies in the body.

Why practice nadi shodhana?

So that’s my subjective experience. But has there been research about alternate nostril breathing?

Actually, there have been some studies. They show pretty consistently that nadi shodhana can help with de-stressing and calming down. It has been shown in several studies to acutely reduce blood pressure and heart rate. These are signs of shift toward a more parasympathetic, relaxed state in the nervous system.

Why is that a benefit? Remember that the sympathetic nervous system is your stress response. It’s important for survival because it helps us deal with threats. But it can also be activated when you’re not in physical danger. For instance, getting stuck in a traffic jam or worrying about paying your bills can initiate the same response. Chronic stress can have many deleterious health effects, including elevated blood pressure, poor digestion and sleep, and decreased immune system function.

So, alternate nostril breathing can be a useful tool to have at your disposal when you’re feeling stressed. It can help you make the shift from “fight or flight” to “rest and digest” mode, helping you cope better with stressful situations.

There’s also some evidence that alternate nostril breathing can have cognitive benefits too. It may help with focus and alertness. Again, this fits with my own experience of feeling both calm and awake after practicing nadi shodhana.

Some researchers have wondered whether directing the breath through specific nostrils could preferentially activate one division or the other of the autonomic nervous system. There have been a few studies about this question. Some have found links, while others haven’t. Overall, I think we don’t have enough evidence to draw firm conclusions about this yet.

Other researchers have wondered whether breathing through one nostril or the other could have an effect on the hemispheres of the brain. Some EEG studies have found more activity on the opposite side of the brain while breathing through one nostril. However, while this research is suggestive, I don’t think we have enough to draw firm conclusions here either.

While these mechanisms are fun to speculate about, at the very least, alternate nostril breathing helps to focus attention on the breath and slow it down. We know from lots of research that just doing that can have powerful benefits for the nervous system. It may work on other levels too; we’ll have to wait for more studies to find out.

Benefits of alternate nostril breathing

There are so many benefits to this type of pranayama, or breathwork. Typically, people who practice it consistently notice the following benefits:

Calms heart rate
Helps regulate blood pressure
Clears sinuses & enhances lung capacity
Calms the nervous system
Balances the energy in the body
Brings about a state of mental clarity

All of these benefits are experienced differently from person to person and not everyone experiences all of them in that order. Nadi shodhana is a productive way to calm the nervous system and improve your overall mental and physical wellbeing.

Which yoga practices incorporate alternate nostril breathing for better mental clarity?

Many yoga practices incorporate nadi shodhana. Vinyasa classes, hatha yoga classes, a restorative or yin yoga practice can all incorporate nadi shodhana at any portion of class. Some teachers will start out with this breathing practice to help you “drop in” to the environment of the class. Others will incorporate it at the end to further calm the body.

You’ll come across it in many different types of classes, varying from studio to studio (and even online classes). But in the meantime, I’d suggest giving nadi shodhana a try yourself at home, especially if you haven’t practiced it before. It may turn out to be your favorite breathing technique, too!

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April 20, 2026

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Weekly Class Theme: Firefly Pose for Spring

By Alia CarangeloWeekly Class ThemeNo Comments

Peak Pose: Firefly Pose (Tittibhasana)
Class Focus: Hip opening, hamstring length, core strength, and arm balance integration
Class Level: Intermediate (with accessible modifications)

This class builds toward Firefly Pose by progressively opening the hips, lengthening the inner thighs and hamstrings, and activating the core and upper body. Students will move through a grounded, intentional flow that emphasizes control, breath, and stability.

Encourage patience—Firefly is less about “lifting high” and more about finding balance and integration.

Puttering section of class:

Begin seated in Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)
Gentle forward fold to begin opening the hips (use a block or blankets for support if strained when leaning forward)
Wide-Legged Seated Forward Fold (Upavistha Konasana)
Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Plank Pose
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Downward Dog Split (Three-Legged Dog)
Lizard Lunge (let the upper back round)

Standing poses:

Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
Wide-Legged Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)
Triangle facing the back of your mat
Extended Side Angle
Goddess Pose

The balance & twisting portion of class:

Bring students to the top of the mat.

Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
Revolved Side Angle
Malasana (Yogi Squat)

Prep for the arm balance part of the pose. Introduce Crow Pose (Bakasana):

Knees high on arms
Focus on forward lean
Progression:
- From squat → hands down
- Lift hips slightly
- Begin shifting weight into hands

Peak Pose: Firefly (Tittibhasana)

Wind down portion of class:

Incorporate a backbend (Wheel or Supported Bridge Pose)
Supine Twist
Savasana

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April 14, 2026

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19 Books Every Yoga Teacher Should Read

By YogaRenew Teacher TrainingLifestyle & Wellness, Yoga Teachers

Learning is an important part of teaching yoga, and there are a ton of great books out there! The ancient texts give us valuable insight on the philosophy of this incredible practice while modern books can teach us more about anatomy, business, and other elements of yoga. Whether you’re just getting started on your yoga teacher certification, or you have been teaching for years, here are 19 books that every yoga teacher should read:

1. The Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita is a classic ancient Indian story about a dialogue between Warrior Arjuna and his spiritual guide, Sri Krishna. As Arjuna sets off into battle, he begins to seek answers about important questions about life from Sri Krishna.

The Bhagavad Gita, Translated by Eknath Easwaran

2. Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Patanjali

This classic book, written over 4,000 thousand years ago, is one of the most important texts on yoga philosophy today. The Yoga Sutras detail ancient yogic philosophy on every day life, ethics, meditation, and spirituality.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Translated by Sri Swami Satchidananda

3. The Upanishads
The Upanishads is another important and revered ancient text about yogic wisdom and philosophy. Enlightened sages share wisdom about consciousness, spirituality, and a deeper look into the relationship between the Self and the Divine.

The Upanishads, Translated by Eknath Easwaran

4. Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar

This iconic book is considered ‘The Bible of Modern Yoga.’ The book is broken into three sections covering the eight limbs of yoga, asana and pranayama + sequences. It provides an outline of the physical practice that consumes most of modern day yoga and is regularly used as a reference guide by yoga instructors. Check-out our full book review of Light on Yoga.

Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar

5. Perfectly Imperfect: The Art and Soul of Yoga Practice by Baron Baptiste

This book by Baron Baptiste, helps yoga practitioners learn important fundamental lessons about yoga. It helps readers understand the true trans-formative aspect of yoga and go beyond what their imagined idea of a “perfect yogi” is. It also hits on points about flowing, dealing with life’s challenges, intuition, and being open to the spiritual and emotional growth that yoga can create for us.

perfectly imperfect art of yoga book cover

Perfectly Imperfect, The Art and Sould of Yoga Practice by Baron Baptiste (Founder of the Baptiste Institute)

6. Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews

Written by internally recognized experts on Yoga Anatomy, this book is a great reference for yoga practitioners and teachers. It gives readers an understanding of the structures and anatomy of the body. It also explains how anatomy relates to different key yoga poses.

Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews

7. The Art and Business of Teaching Yoga by Amy Ippoliti and Taro Smith

An excellent guide for yoga teachers that details all the different aspects of running a yoga business today. It includes, business basics, marketing, social media marketing, communication, finding new opportunities, and how to run a successful yoga business.

The Art and Business of Teaching Yoga by Amy Ippoliti and Taro Smith

8. Teaching Yoga: Essential Techniques and Foundations by Mark Stephens

This book is filled with vital topics including yoga philosophy and history, styles of yoga, tools and techniques for teaching, 108 poses, breathing techniques, and class sequencing basics. It’s a great book for new and old teachers, or just practitioners looking to deepen their knowledge.

teaching yoga essential foundation book cover

Teaching Yoga, Essential Foundations and Techniques by Mark Stephens, Forward by Mariel Hemingway

9. Light on Life by B.K.S. Iyengar

B.K.S. Iyengar’s book touches on the emotional and spiritual development of yoga. This book is filled with wisdom and stories from his own personal life to reveal the important treasures that yoga helps us to develop internally. It also touches on how yoga helps us to overcome our challenges in life and also leads us on a journey to a deeper sense of wholeness.

Light on Life by B.K.S. Iyengar

10. 2,100 Asanas by Daniel Larceda
One of the most complete books on yoga poses, this book illustrates beautiful photographs and probably every single yoga pose that exists. The book is organized into sections of types of poses including seated, standing, backbends, inversions, and more. It also details modifications, a brief description for each pose, and spiritual associations for the poses.

2,100 Asanas by Daniel Lacerda, Founder of Mr. Yoga, Inc.

11. Meditations From The Mat by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison

This book includes 365 daily reflections as a way to take yoga practice off the mat and into the world. This book really helps to support every yogi in their personal yoga journey through its daily teachings.

Meditations from the Mat by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kentson

12. The Mindful Brain by Daniel Siegel

Written by internationally acclaimed best seller, Daniel Siegel, this book helps to connect science with mindfulness. It details how mindfulness helps our physical bodies, our overall health, emotional health, and also mental health. It teaches how we can use a more focused mind to improve all areas of our lives.

The Mindful Brain by Daniel J. Siegel

13. Yoga Therapy Mark Stephens

This book explains how yoga practices can be used to heal a number of common ailments and injuries. Using ancient yoga, Ayurveda and modern medical research, Mark Stephens offers a lot of practical tips that any yoga teacher can use to further their yoga teaching.

Yoga Therapy by Mark Stephens

14. The Complete Guide To Yin Yoga by Bernie Clark

This book offers a detailed look at the practice and philosophy of Yin Yoga. It includes practical techniques, 30 Yin Yoga poses, anatomy, and more. Another must have for yoga teachers looking to deepen their yoga knowledge.

the complete guide to yin yoga book cover

The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga by Bernie Clark with a Foreword by Sarah Powers

15. The Yamas and Niyamas by Deborah Adele

A great resource for yoga teachers, this book is a modern look at the ancient Yamas and Niyamas of the eight-fold path of the Yoga Sutras. It even offers a self-study section after each chapter that teachers can use for philosophy discussions in their classes. Take a deep dive with our course on the Yamas and Niyamas.

The Yamas & Niyamas by Deborah Adele

16. The Key Muscles of Yoga by Ray Long

This colorful book offers three-dimensional images of yoga poses to detail the different muscles, tendons, bones, and tissues used in each pose. Each illustration also includes detailed descriptions of the anatomy behind each pose. A great visual and educational guide for teachers looking to deepen their anatomy knowledge.

The Key Muscles of Yoga by Ray Long

17. The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice

In this book, yogi Desikachar offers his own practical outlooks on yoga poses, breathing, meditation, and philosophy. His book gives us a way to view ancient yoga practices in a way that we can relate to in modern day. It’s a great book that truly gets to the heart of what yoga is all about.

The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar

18. The Path Of The Urban Yogi By Darren Main

This wonderfully modern book details how we can use yoga to change the way we perceive our experiences and relationships. It helps us all be able to find ways to integrate yoga into a busy Western world. It is filled with humor and wise teachings that any yogi can apply to their daily life.

yoga and the path of the urban mystic book cover

Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic by Darren Main, Forward by Stephen Cope

19. The Heart of Meditation by the Dalai Lama

In this book written by His Holiness, we learn about what is truly at the heart of meditation – Compassion. A great edition to a spiritual practice, this book helps to outline how to cultivate and practice more love, kindness, and respect for others.

The Heart of Meditation by The Dalai Lama

Enroll in our online philosophy course

If you’re feeling inspired by any of these texts, you can learn more inside of our yoga philosophy course. Inside the course, we dive into the secrets of the yogic practice and the ancient scripts written about it. From there, you can learn how to weave stories and teachings from these books into your yoga teachings or your own personal practice.

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April 13, 2026

Love21

Kids yoga photo of Kate Lombardo with her toddler in flying airplane pose

Yoga Poses for Kids

By Alia CarangeloWeekly Class Theme

Yoga is such a well-rounded practice involving both the physical movement and the mind. While it is comprised of a plethora of poses, moving the body in different ways, the basic fundamental actions of the poses can be made suitable for children to do. Kids yoga poses are just a simpler, easier version of the modern day yoga poses we know and love today. This makes it a completely accessible movement practice for kids!

Yoga for kids is a great way to keep them balanced physically and mentally and also encourages living a healthy lifestyle. While the yoga practice dates way back to ancient times, it has since made its way to yoga studios across the world and now, classrooms. Yoga has so many benefits and incorporating it into a classroom or even teaching at a nearby studio where kids can come and practice is a great way to promote mindful living in the next generations.

Our very own Julie Pasqual and Trevor Vaughan have been leading the kids yoga teacher training here at YogaRenew and are constantly coming up with creative ways to keep kids engaged and loving yoga. We’ll explore a few yoga poses that are kid friendly and an exciting alternative to keep them focused and get them excited about yoga!

Kids Yoga Pose 1: Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Mother and son facing each other in balasana, child's pose

Mother and son practicing child’s pose

Kids may not be able to sit their hips all the way back and rest their sit bones on their heels, but they can get themselves into the general shape of a little ball. Here’s how to safely get them to explore Balasana, or Child’s Pose:

Have them start sitting on their shins
Tell them to widen their knees and crawl their palms forward out in front of them
If there’s any discomfort, pad up under their seat with a blanket or bean bag or place a blanket underneath their knees (if there isn’t already a mat beneath them)

Kids Yoga Pose 2: Unicorn Pose/Gate Pose (Parighasana)

Heres a kid-friendly version of Gate Pose, or in this case, Unicorn Pose. Kids will get excited over taking on the shape of such a mystical and fun creature. Here’s how to do it:

Have them start on their shins
Send one leg out to the side
Reach the same arm of the leg that’s extended up overhead with the fingers sticking out as the horn

Kids Yoga Pose 3: Cobra Pose/Snake Pose (Bhujangasana)

Cobra or Snake Pose outside in the sun!

Cobra (or Snake) Pose is done by lying on your belly on the ground, placing your palms underneath your shoulders and lifting your chest up off of the mat while your pelvis and legs stay heavy on the mat. Cobra is very much a real yoga pose, but if you want to make it kid-friendly, you can try calling it “Snake Pose” and let them slither around on the ground if they can’t quite lift their chest off the ground. Here’s how:

Have them start lying on their belly
They can wiggle around side to side or have them place their hands under their shoulders
Tell them to press through their hands to lift their chest and heads up

Kids Yoga Pose 4: Star Pose/Extended Mountain Pose (Utthita Tadasana)

Star Pose!!!

This is a simple and fun pose that will allow kids to learn how to take up space and make room for themselves to grow, both mentally and physically. This kids yoga pose is an extended version of the well-known Tadasana, or Mountain Pose.

Have them start standing up
They can either jump their feet wide or walk them out to the sides until they reach a place they are comfortable
Have them open up their arms wide like a big star shape

Kids Yoga Pose 5: Easy Seat (Sukhasana)

You can even incorporate a kid-friendly meditation or have them close their eyes in Sukhasana!

This one is almost too easy… but still has a lot going on! People often think seated poses don’t require much effort because it doesn’t look like anything’s happening. But in easy seat, the chest is open and the idea is to sit as upright as you can. Having kids try to perfect their seat can even be something that they carry over into their regular classroom setting outside of yoga time.

Have them cross one shin in front of the other
Let their knees drop open once the shins are crossed
Hands can rest on the thighs or knees
Switch the crossing of the shins (so that the opposite shin is in front now)
*Bonus: Have them close their eyes and breathe

Kids Yoga Pose 6: Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

Kid yogi in tree pose on a pink yoga mat

Tree Pose is a classic and fun way to challenge their balance!

Have your kids grow tall like a tree! This kids yoga pose is a fun way to test their balance and focus.

Start by having them stand on both feet
Have them lift the ball of one foot then the other, getting familiar with bringing all their weight to one side
Have them bring a foot to their shin
If they’re steady & comfortable, have them try to tuck their foot closer to their seat

Taking kids yoga poses outside the classroom

Kids yoga doesn’t always have to be practiced in school, but it is a great way to start! From there, students might want to bring their practices home and show their parents.

Our online kids yoga teacher training program equips you with the skills necessary to lead guided yoga classes for kids in classrooms, neighborhood studios, and other group settings. If you’re looking to practice yoga with your kid at home, let this be the perfect guide! Happy practicing!

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April 7, 2026

Love5

Yoga for Kids

By Jeannine LombardiYoga

Whether you’ve been teaching for a while or you’ve recently graduated from a 200 hour yoga teacher training, you may be thinking about ways to broaden your teaching opportunities. One way to expand your yoga knowledge and business is to become a kids yoga teacher. In this article, we’ll explore some of the benefits of teaching kids yoga and what to be mindful of when starting to teach kids yoga.

Teaching kids can broaden your overall teaching skills

As a yoga teacher, you’ve built a vocabulary that allows you to teach specifically to a mature set of students. Your teaching style may include anatomy and Sanskrit to suit your adult student base, which can be pretty complex. Learning to distill those teachings down into a simplistic and fun format can help you approach your teachings from a different perspective. This might actually help you sharpen cues and begin to learn more about why you say the things you say when you’re teaching.

As a certified children’s yoga teacher, you’ll learn new ways to teach catering to a much younger audience through your tone, vocabulary, and approach. Zooming out, you’ll gain insight into how language centered around yoga can be explained in easier ways — this might help you focus more on being present.

Learning how kids think, act, and solve problems is a great way to broaden what you teach and how you teach it, making your teaching more accessible and fun. Learning to communicate with children in this way will also enhance your relationships with all of the kids in your life.

You’d be shaping kids’ live positively

Whether you’re teaching pre-school toddlers, or high school teenagers, the concept of yoga can be adapted to suit any age group. In general, yoga for kids will help build their self-esteem, increase self-awareness, improve their mental and physical health, and manage their emotions better. You’ll not only have a positive impact on their lives, but possibly even their parents, too! Teachings from inside the classroom often translate outside the classroom. Yoga is a tool they can bring with them, even when they’re at home.

It’s empowering to have the opportunity to create a better future by offering young people an opportunity to be more creative and empowered and supported. As their teacher, you can help children find their authentic voice, develop positive stress management skills, and build healthy relationships, all through the magic of yoga.

A kids yoga teacher training can enhance your yoga business

The demand for kids yoga continues to go up and classes are being offered as part of day care and school programs. If you’re looking to expand your yoga business, acquiring a children’s yoga teacher certification is an ideal way. Having the experience will allow you to teach kid’s classes in addition to adult classes, which doubles the amount of available classes for you.

Finding the right program is crucial. Since our kids yoga teacher training is completely online and self-paced, it’s a great addition to any previous or current trainings you want to start or are already enrolled in. Before committing to a kids yoga teacher training, it’s important to examine why you want to teach. The benefits of shaping the youth of the future positively is perhaps the only convincing you need!

Tips for teaching kids yoga

Female yoga teacher teaching yoga for kids

Teaching yoga to a group of kids in a school

Whether you already have your children’s teaching certificate or are currently working on it, we put together our top tips for teaching kids. Yoga for kids is more accessible than ever before since schools and day cares are adding the practice to their curriculums. With the increase in demand comes a strong need for new teachers.

Enjoy their company — Being able to connect with your students is a key requirement for a good yoga teacher. It applies just as much when you teach young children, and you can only build a true connection if you like being around them. Teaching children requires a different mindset and level of patience than teaching adults, and it’s usually easier for people who love spending time with children.
Awaken your inner child — When teaching young kids, it’s important not to take yourself too seriously. Kids learn through play, and you can’t teach them to play without practicing what you preach. This will quickly enable them to relate to you and to trust you.
Tell a story — While it is true that children are open-minded and receptive, they often have a short attention span. In order to keep them engaged, you need to give them something to look forward to. A story does just that – it encourages children to participate actively and enthusiastically, and also awakens their imagination. When you’re planning a kids’ yoga session, try to focus on an asana sequence that tells a story. Some poses naturally lend themselves to storytelling (like Tree Pose, “Imagine reaching for the sun, your roots growing deep into the ground,” or Lion Pose, “Hear the mighty roar with each breath out”) and for others, you might just need to get creative. Remember, for the purpose of telling a story, you can even give asanas new names to the poses that the kids can relate to.
Always have a “plan B” — When you’re teaching adults, you might prepare your class centering around a particular theme. Session planning is a great tool that will help you advance as a teacher. This is also true for planning children’s yoga classes, but it requires a slightly different approach. When kids are involved, things are subject to change. And sometimes, they change very quickly, forcing you to improvise. That’s not to say you have to completely abandon your session plan, but it might mean you have to take a detour. In short, be prepared to wing it!
Honor the principles of yoga — Making a children’s yoga session into a fun game is a fantastic strategy. However, it’s also important to educate your little students about the core principles of this practice. Take time to talk to the kids about the history of yoga, the reasons we practice, and the things we try to achieve through yoga. And by talk we mean exactly that. Instead of simply giving them information, have a discussion and encourage the children to ask questions (be ready for some weird ones, too!). Depending on the age group, you may be able to go into more detail, or dedicate more of your lesson to this discussion. You don’t necessarily have to do this every session. As long as you do it regularly, your students should have a solid idea of what yoga is about.
Teach them to slow down — As a children’s yoga teacher, you are not only teaching them to move, you’re also teaching them to embrace stillness. At the start of each lesson, take a few minutes to focus on breathing. You might frame it as a discussion or even as a game. Let the kids imagine that their belly is a balloon as it expands, or draw their attention to the sound of their breath. Beginning and ending each class with defined elements like breath work and relaxation will help to create a sustainable routine, provide the kids with a sense of familiarity, and teach them to slow down. No matter what, don’t ever skip the final relaxation, even if the kids are a little restless. Before you know it, Savasana will become their favorite part of the class.
Be patient — Just like adult students, every child will have a unique experience with yoga. From a purely physical standpoint, some kids will be more flexible, some kids will have a better sense of balance, and some will be able to progress faster than their peers. Same applies to the mindfulness practice. Some children will be able to easily engage with it, while others might find it difficult to stay still, or to maintain focus.That’s perfectly fine! Remember, kids are just miniature visions of us, and just like us, they have complex emotions, and they come from a variety of backgrounds. Take that into account and be patient. It pays off for you and for them, we promise.

4 benefits of teaching yoga for kids

Kids in Tree Pose

Yoga’s an excellent practice for children, because it helps build the foundation for a happy and healthy life. As a matter of fact, 1.7 million children in the US are practicing yoga today. Whether you’re a current yoga teacher looking to expand your skill set, or are a student going through your 200-hour training, there are so many reasons to consider teaching children’s yoga. Not only does yoga benefit the practitioner, but you’ll also benefit from teaching kids yoga in ways you wouldn’t expect. Here are a few we found to be the most rewarding…

1. It inspires creativity and play

Teaching kids yoga gives you an opportunity to think outside of the box and acts as a reminder of how important the concept of play is in our lives. Holding a creative space for children to move and breathe awakens your youthful spirit that’ll translate into teaching adults and even into your own practice. When you can find even the most minor ways to inspire a child to do a pose, tune in to themselves, or even practice breath work, it can give you a whole new outlook on what yoga means and why it matters to you.

2. You get to watch children begin to connect to themselves and their breath

It’s also an incredible way for children to cultivate body awareness. Through this practice, children can learn so much about themselves. Once they begin to discover what they’re capable of, it’s both exciting and empowering for both of you. This occurs during the magic when they discover how “cool” it is to watch their bellies rise and fall with their breath. The more kids learn about themselves through yoga, the more it boosts their self-esteem and helps them connect more deeply to others and their natural world. 

3. You’ll help children manage their emotions and behaviors

Children experience stress and anxiety, just as we do. The most common mental health disorders children face are ADHD, anxiety and behavioral disorders. By practicing yoga, children are able to recognize and cope with their feelings through exercises and other playful yoga techniques.

Along with their mental health, yoga also helps children to focus and helps to reduce their impulsivity. The effort and concentration that children put into holding a pose or maintaining balance carry over into other areas of their lives, such as at home and school.

4. Teaching kids yoga will help you grow as an instructor

If you’ve worked with children in any other setting before, you may be aware of just how much children can help you grow. The same goes for teaching yoga, where you’re likely to learn more from your students than you could ever expect to.

Children’s yoga is one of the most fun and exciting challenges you could ever encounter throughout your teaching journey. Yoga’s becoming more accessible to children in schools, studios, and gyms, providing abundant opportunities for you to grow your audience while positively impacting a future generation of leaders and teachers like you.

Considering teaching kids yoga?

It’s likely you’ll want to enroll in a full-on yoga teacher training to gain the full understanding of a kids yoga certification. In that case, do your research— you can either find a local studio to enroll in or find an online kids yoga course that can mold to your schedule! Either way, any certification will equip you with tips & tricks necessary to engage with a classroom of kids of any age. Teaching yoga for kids is an exciting way to enhance your overall yoga teaching and impact your life in a positive way (and theirs, too!)

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April 6, 2026

Love0

Airflow Optimization Consulting

By Nicolas GoudyYoga

Every day, millions of people struggle with inefficient airflow management. At YogaRenew, we believe air deserves a smarter strategy. That’s why we’re thrilled to present our newest solution: Airflow Optimization Consulting: a modern framework designed to help you take control of your respiratory performance!

YogaRenew’s methodology is built to optimize atmospheric acquisition… Because you need to breathe to live.

We’ve streamlined a few key components to enhanced airflow and we believe it should be accessible to everyone.

If you’re interested in optimizing your airflow management or know someone else who needs help enhancing their airflow, get in touch with us.

YogaRenew‘s team of experts are here to support you along your airflow journey. Happy breathing!

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April 1, 2026

Love0

4 Yoga Poses for Spring Renewal

By Lindsay MonalWeekly Class Theme

Our yoga class theme of the week is renewal ✨

From a yogic and mindfulness perspective, renewal can be viewed as letting go of what no longer serves us so that we may grow and embody who we are now in our fullest capacity.

Lao Tzu once said,

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”

This week, invite your students to see their practice from a fresh perspective, embracing the spirit of spring and the season of renewal. Spring is a time for expansion, for us to let go of the heaviness of winter, and bloom into our biggest and brightest selves.

In your yoga class, you can have your students build up to the peak pose Wild Thing, also known as Rockstar or Camatkarasana. This fun and invigorating asana is great for the upper body, helping to stretch the chest, shoulders and throat — areas that tend to get clogged up physically and energetically as seasonal allergies arise.

Throughout class you’ll want to focus on opening up their shoulders, and using teaching cues that remind students to lift their chest so that their bodies are warmed up and ready by the time you reach your peak. Wild thing also helps to open up the hip flexors and build strength in the back and lower body. Camatkarasana will help your students feel refreshed, open and ready to take on the world!

Here are some yoga poses that you can incorporate into your class to embody the spirit of renewal as you prep for Wild Thing:

1.Warm up with a Lung Bench

Grab two blocks. Place one block on the wide, medium height setting, below the shoulder blades. Place the second block beneath the head. Give students the option here to straighten legs or keep knees bent.

2. Create space in the hips with Crescent Lunge

From Downward Facing Dog, step your right foot forward and drop your left knee down to the floor. Give students the option here to keep their hands on the floor, bring their hands to rest on their thigh, or lift the arms up overhead. If there is any discomfort underneath the left knee, pad up with a blanket or folded yoga mat. Don’t forget to do the other side too!

3. Open the side body with Peaceful Warrior

From Warrior two, flip your front palm and reach it up and back overhead. Rest your back hand gently on your back leg as you open up your side body and create space along your rib cage.

4. Find your Wild Thing

From Downward facing dog, lift up your right leg. “Flip your dog” and step your right foot to the left of your left leg with your knee bent. Sweep your right arm up and over your ear with your palm facing down. Draw your shoulder blades together to lift your chest and expand through your heart center.

Time to wind down ⏱

Don’t forget to cool down with a supine or seated twist before coming to lie down in savasana. Here at YogaRenew, we are wishing you a bright and expansive spring season!

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