Warrior 1 is an amazing pose for stretching and strengthening the lower body, but why should your body below the belt get all the attention? By doing yoga with weights you can target your upper body too. In this variation, we add an overhead press, using light weights, that not only helps build strength in […]
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Tree Pose + Bicep Curl
If you’ve been doing the same ‘ol tree pose for months, or even years, it’s time to kick it up a notch and challenge your balance while building upper body strength with this yoga with weights move. Yes, it takes a ton of core strength to balance in the traditional version, but once you add some […]
READ MOREYoga for Tight Hips
Got tight hips? Sitting at your desk all day, playing driver to your kids for hours, or traveling for work with zero legroom can leave you longing for a 10-minute, pigeon pose savasana. Yep, you can do a pigeon pose or two, but if you really want to open them up and get strong at […]
READ MOREThe Top 9 Benefits of Strength Training
I know, cardio might be your jam at the gym and you find yourself searching out power yoga classes to get your heart rate up, but if you’re solely focusing on cardio when you work out then you may be, ahem, just spinning your wheels. Study after study shows that strength training is where it’s […]
READ MOREXen Strength Balance and Core Strength Workout
Looking for a great way to build core strength and improve your chances of not wiping out next time you trip or slip on a banana peel? ( Do people really slip on banana peels?!) This quick and effective Xen Strength video will not only give you a rock solid core to help your balance, […]
READ MORE5 Things Yoga Taught me About Business
I took my first yoga class over 20 years ago, without a thought that getting flexible, strong, and calm would ever actually turn into a career. I’m so grateful to have found something I’ve got such a passion for, and am able to share with my community. It’s been a great journey since launching my Xen Strength brand; filled with much […]
READ MOREYou Don’t Need to Be a Teacher to Teach Yoga
I never set out to be a yoga teacher. When I was ten I saw the first video played on MTV and declared that I would someday be the President of the new music network. It wasn’t a far stretch, my dad worked in the music world and it was my life. I planned the […]
READ MOREMy Dirty Little “Resolution” Secret
Happy New Year! There’s something so refreshing and exciting about the start of a new year; a blank slate. A chance to renew our commitments to what’s working in our lives, and a chance to let go of what’s not. What’s my dirty little “resolution secret?” Well, I never actually made them. I decided a […]
READ MORE5 Tips to Enjoy the Holiday Season With Less Stress and More Joy
I love the holidays! I mean, I love most things about the holidays. Ok, honestly there are just a few things I truly love about the holidays. Downtime with my family. Cooking special meals for those I love. Decorating the Christmas tree. And the extremely raucous and competitive Yankee Swap party my friends host every year…. […]
READ MORESide Plank with Weights
Not a fan of sit-ups? I can’t stand ’em myself! That’s why I make sure to add a few side planks and plank variations to my flow each time I get on the mat so that my core gets some extra attention. Your abs actually support your entire body when trying to balance, they’re the connection […]
READ MOREHip Opening Sequence and Meditation
The hips are known to be the emotional storage depot of the body, so unless you’re doing an emotional detox of some sort every week you’ve probably got some “stuff” caught up in there. I’ve always been a huge fan of hip openers, and even after my hip surgery I still make sure to add […]
READ MOREHow to teach a better yoga class
There are tons of posts written for students about how to find the perfect yoga class, but how about how to teach one? When I first started out teaching I tried to emulate my mentors and then figured I should create a class based on what might draw students in, but not until I dropped […]
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