Published Stories

Need to be mentally sharp for a big job interview or energized to teach your yoga class? What you eat can have a profound impact on your mood. Some foods create more sustained energy and improve mental focus, while others can give you a surge of ready energy followed by a slump. “Everything you eat can be fuel to support your body functions and a positive mood or a compound that can cause disruption,” says Read More

When you think of yoga, 300-pound linebackers balancing in dancer’s pose is probably not the first image that comes to mind. But today you will find a number of NFL football players, along with many other pro athletes, rolling out their yoga mats with the goal of increasing their flexibility, power and mental toughness on the field. Yoga isn’t just for the dainty and double-jointed. The benefits of yoga are so powerful that rookies with Read More

As winter approaches, the dwindling sunlight and cold, dreary weather can give you the “winter blues.” If your feelings of sadness and fatigue follow a predictable seasonal pattern, you may have a type of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. “We start seeing it at the end of fall when the days get shorter, usually in the North and Northeast parts of the Unites states or areas that are cold, rainy and dark for Read More

You might feel it in a long, deep hip opener like Pigeon pose or in an energizing backbend like Upward-Facing Bow or in a soothing Child’s pose; unexpected emotions start to percolate to the surface as you open up blocked energy in your body. Sometimes the feelings flow through you like a gently rolling stream. Other times, the emotions hit you hard like wild, raging ocean waves. Your body and mind are intimately connected, so Read More

Janet Rae Humphrey had serious reservations about doing yoga. The 58-year-old had excruciating pain and stiffness from fibromyalgia, she couldn’t kneel because one of her kneecaps had been surgically removed and she became dizzy when she put her head below her waist. “I’d been wanting to do yoga for years, but I was scared because I didn’t know anything, and I didn’t want to look ridiculous,” says Humphrey. “I had been through 15 surgeries in Read More

  When I asked my friend Laura what her life purpose was, the single mom and full-time accountant chuckled and said, “I’m just trying to survive and get through the week. I don’t have time to think about that.” For many of us, the idea of finding our life purpose seems daunting and unattainable, reserved only for the Mother Teresas and Gandhis of the world. We may think we are too busy to ponder such Read More

Sage Rountree is a pioneer in yoga for athletes, an endurance sports coach, and author of six books, including The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga, Racing Wisely, and Everyday Yoga. Co-owner of the three-studio Carolina Yoga Company and director of its teacher trainings, Sage also teaches nationwide and online at YogaVibes and sageyogateachertraining.com. Angela Ambrose: Why is it so important for serious athletes to do yoga? Can it help reduce injuries? Sage Rountree: Yoga is going to Read More

Deep breathing is one of the most effective ways to start meditating and can be performed anywhere. The two key elements of any meditation practice are finding a focal point and letting go of any thoughts or emotions that arise. According to Yoga Instructor Mary Bruce of Phoenix, Arizona, focusing on your deep, rhythmic breath helps turn your mind inward and activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation. “When the breath is made steady, Read More

Planning to go on a long run or play in a soccer tournament this weekend? What you eat before, during and after your workout can make a big difference in your performance, says Penny Wilson, Ph.D., registered dietitian at Ironman Sports Medicine Institute in Houston. “Your nutrition can really make or break your workout.” Carbohydrates are a critical energy source when engaging in long-duration, moderately intense activities such as running, strenuous hiking or biking that Read More

SilverSneakers is a fitness program designed specifically for older adults. It helps them improve their fitness level, reduce the risk of falling and enrich their social lives. The program name is a helpful reminder that graying seniors should dress appropriately when exercising. Participants should wear loose, comfortable clothing as well as sneakers that have rubber soles for good traction and stability. How to Join More than 40 Medicare health plans offer this program to encourage Read More