Beneath the postures and movements of yoga as a physical practice lies a profound tool for calming the nervous system: breath. You can cultivate flexibility, strength, and balance while slowing the heart rate, reducing stress, and creating a deep sense of calm. This is unlike cardiovascular fitness ...

Yesterday I was sitting together with another senior yoga teacher to catch up after some time of not seeing each other.
Invariably at some point the conversation spiralled back to yoga practice and teaching.
What we had noticed was a continued rise of the popularity of Pilates training, studios  and e...

This question is not just about downward dog yoga posture. The enquiry can be expanded to question the practice of any pose.
Maybe we can ask what the purpose of any given pose might be.
For you. Not the general purpose. The general purported purpose you can look up in many available yoga books from ...

Be careful with sharp knives. A sharp knife can injure you more easily.

Who remembers being told this when growing up? Or maybe you still hear it now?

For workplace safety, based on these cautions, wouldn’t it be advisable for cooks and chefs to have blunt knives? That would ensure more consistency ...

Balance is a two-way street.

We are coping with balance quite well so far. We are walking, running, and  standing for most of our lives. Keep in mind though, you practised this for years when you grew up as a little kid.

Further challenges we encounter in later life require physical and physiologi...

‘You are crazy!’  This was the first response I got when suggesting I could run across a boulder field of loosely piled up rocks.  
Walking was challenging. People with hiking boots, sneakers or other footwear moved gingerly as if walking on glass or egg shells.

And here I was almost barefooted. A th...

Oslo Yoga, www.osloyoga.no  hosted a panel discussion on yoga anatomy as part of their international yoga festival www.yogafestivalen.no on January 4, 2021.
On the panel were:

Mark Stephens www.markstephensyoga.com

Anna Kristina Kavli www.iyoga.no,

and me, Chris Kummer www.anatomyshow.com/about...

It’s quite common to hear people say ‘I’m going to my yoga class now’ or ‘I'm going to practice yoga’.
Many teachers and instructors also promote ‘yoga off the mat’.
All this sometimes really puzzles me.

Even if we were to reduce yoga practice to postures and movements - don’t tell me sitting on a des...

Watch this video for a look at locust pose to support your sitting posture.

Don't we often find ourselves sitting slumped using our arm or hand to prop us up when at a desk or table? This is quite an external body support.

In this video, we’ll take the first step and focus on the muscles along the spi...

What do do about clunks in loose joints

Recently a few people have asked me about clunks and instability in their joints.
The people described themselves as hypermobile.
Joints can crack and ‘clunk’ for a number of reasons. This video examines these clunks in more mobile people.

Anatomically, extra mob...

Anyone who has experimented with rolling the sole of the foot knows the results.
The foot feels more loose and forward bends are less restricted.

The reason for this miraculous trick is often assumed to be lengthening of the fascia tissues under the foot. Namely the Plantar Fascia.
However, this piece...

The immune system and inflammation are linked.
Inflammation is a natural response of the immune system to initiate repair and healing.
For example: Inflammation can trigger white blood cells to start chasing and gobbling up viruses and bacteria.

Redness, swelling, heat and pain as well as stiffness an...