The knees. They are hard working, shock absorbers, so it’s important that you try and keep them healthy and strong. Whether you have tender knees, knee pain, injured knees, challenged knees, hyper extended knees or if you’re weak in the knees, we got you covered. Several studies show how yoga can help improve the alignment and strength of your knees, making them less prone to injury. In addition, yoga helps in lengthening and strengthening the surrounding thigh and calf muscles, in turn helping to ease pressure on the knees.

You can use our Search Feature to search through all of our Yoga for Knees classes on your own. To get you started without searching, we’re highlighting six kness classes in a variety of styles, levels and durations that will be sure to help stabilize and align your knees.

• Relief for Challenged Knees with Amy Ippoliti: If you get knee discomfort in poses which externally rotate the hip or flex the knees, this practice will warm up the legs with self massage, stretches for the ITB and glutes, and knee stabilizers. Then you’ll work with modified versions of various externally rotated hip openers and learn how to skillfully coax your knees and hips into deeper external rotation safely and mindfully. Props such as blocks, multiple blankets or bolsters are useful for making the modifications to the height you need for maximum comfort in your knees. Firm cushions make fine substitutes.
• Relieve Pain in Low Back & Knees with Dice lida-Klein: Getting into the outer thigh (iliotibial band) is a great to way relieve pain in the low back and knees. Warming up via Surya Namaskar A and a dancing warrior sequence w/ standing splits variations (urdhva prasarita ekapadasana),we make our way into eagle pose (garudasana), revolved half-moon pose (parvritta ardha chandrasana), cross-legged forward fold (uttanasana), revolved triangle (parvritta trikonasana), cross-legged wide-leg forward fold (prasarita padattonasana), cow-face pose (gomukhasana), half lord of the fishes pose (ardha matsyendrasana) and finally our favorite twisted arm balance, eka pada koundinyasana I !!! Handstand variations given throughout the class, culminating in handstands on blocks near the wall and in the middle of the room. No backbends this class! Enjoy my fellow yogis!
• Tone Your Knee Ligaments with Elena Brower: Learning to listen to our bodies, this sequence can be used to help tone the ligaments of your knees slowly and safely. Using a rolled-up yoga mat, or rolled-up towels, or even a bed pillow rolled in a towel, you’ll do a repetitive, careful alignment exercise to ensure that the muscles of your legs are evenly firing, as well as some standing and seated postures to help you feel the four corners of your feet and tone the muscles of your legs.
• Kneessentials with Noah Mazé: This 60 minute class focuses on the key actions of the feet and lower legs to stabilize and align your knees in a variety of common poses.
• Ashtanga for Tender Knees with Jodi Blumstein: Ashtanga Half Primary – In this class we are going to focus on working around tender or injured knees in the Ashtanga practice. This is an informative class that can be helpful to practitioners of all levels.
• Manage Hyper-Extension in Knees with Jason Crandell: Learn to manage hyper-extension in your knees by working more skillfully with your feet, quadriceps and hamstrings. This practice will teach your more than to simply micro-bend your knees when working with hyper-extending knees. In particular, the class troubleshoots some common postures that exacerbate hyper-extension such as triangle pose, pyramid pose, standing forward bends and seated forward bends. Its also a great practice for people without hyper-extension that are want to improve the alignment and strength of their legs.

Our very own Jo Tastula said that “mindfulness is a spacious inclusive awareness of what ever is arising. As everything that is arising is continuously changing, the art of the practice is to stay aware of each passing part without getting stuck in it. A continuous flow is a great way to practice this meditation as movement.”

This week’s featured classes are all about strong, steady, non-stop flows that focus on sustainable, rhythmic breathing. No resting here!

You can use our Search Feature to search through all of our Continuous Flow classes on your own. To get you started without searching, we’re highlighting six continuous flow classes in a variety of styles, levels and durations that will be sure to awaken and strengthen the entire body!

• Fun Continuous Flow with Tiffany Cruikshank: This is a fun continuous flow with some good core, leg and hip work throughout. Less talking, more doing so the instruction is minimal with options to make it more like a level 2 or more like a level 2/3. Have fun!
• No-Nonsense Continuous Flow with Marc Holzman: You have only 30 minutes and you just need to move? This is a no-nonsense continuous flow that compacts warm-ups, standing poses, a few hip openers and backbends. You’re good to ‘GLO.
• Continuous Hamstring Flow with Amy Ippoliti: Less talking, more bending, this practice is designed to get a sweat going with no poses too deep or strenuous. The flow is modified specifically for tight hamstrings using 2 blocks. Peaks at hanumanasana (with blocks of course). A blanket is helpful to place under your knees if needed.
• Continuous Flow with Stephanie Snyder: This is a challenging vinyasa flow that covers sun salutes, core strengthening, a strong standing series with twists and balancing poses. Moving into backbends and finishing with forward folds, this is a well rounded and satisfying class for the intermediate/advanced practitioner. Enjoy!
• Continuous Flow with Tara Judelle: A continuous flow that includes pincha mayurasana, eka pada rajakapotasana, urdhva dhanurasana, drop backs, parsva bakasana, hanumanasana, and headstand.
• Mindful Awareness of Continuous Change with Jo Tastula: Mindfulness is a spacious inclusive awareness of what ever is arising. As everything that is arising is continuously changing, the art of the practice is to stay aware of each passing part without getting stuck in it. A continuous flow is a great way to practice this meditation as movement. There are a lot of deep forward bends which both lengthen the muscles in the back of the body, but also calm the nervous system and mind. Sun salutations (surya namaskara A) which have lots of standing forward bend (uttanasana) also wide legged forward bend (prasarita padottanasana) pyramid pose (parsvottanasana). Balance poses tree (vrksasana) eagle (garudasana) warrior 3 (virabhadrasana). Deep lunge (anjanyasana) dolphin and free time at the end of practice for your own inversions or backbends. Nice guided savasana. Blessings!

Backbends. You either love them, “dislike” them or just want to get them over with … and understandably so. If you take a look at our daily patterns, the majority of our movement is forward: we sit, we walk, we lie down, we stand — so doing the opposite can be daunting and not to mention awkward and uncomfortable.

With a little practice, backbending can be one of the most therapuetic parts of yoga. Several studies show how backbends can stimulate the central nervous system, boost the immune system, helps counteract damage of bad posture by realigning the spine, relieves back pain, bronchial distress, scoliotic deformities, tennis elbow and frozen shoulder, to name a few. Aside from the tremendous physical benefits, there are also psychological and emotional benefits of backbending. They can help shift energy leaving the mind more clear and focused and they can help open the heart chakra and emotional center. B.K.S. Iyengar even recommended backbending to cure depression.

You can use our Search Feature to search through all of our Backbend classes on your own. To get you started without searching, we’re highlighting six backbend classes in a variety of styles, levels and durations that will be sure to help you realign your spine and open up your heart!

• Elements of Flow: Backbends with Seane Corn: This is the fifth class in the vinyasa series. Backbending stimulates the central nervous system as well as increases the mobility of the spinal column and muscles that support the spine. Using props and proper alignment techniques this class will deepen both our understanding of and experience with camel, locust, bridge and wheel.
• Backbend Essentials with Noah Maze: Ignite your aspiration and stretch your spine in this strong and focused class of fundamental back bend postures. This class will warm you up in dynamic standing poses and lead you through a sequence of ‘belly down’ backbends. Come ready to work strongly, strengthen your back, stretch your spine and ignite the aspiration of your heart.
• Backbend Dropback Practice with Tara Judelle: Short, to the point backbend practice that leads up to dropbacks. Includes, low crescent pose (Anjaneyasana), bridge pose (Septubandha sarvangasana), Upward facing bow (Urdhva danurasana), and Drop backs.
• Deep Backbend Practice with Jason Crandell: Want deep, spacious backbends that leave you feeling grounded, clear and content? Yep, me too. This sequence will prepare your thighs, shoulders, and spine for Urdhva dhanurasana (upward-facing bow pose) and Viparitta dandasana (inverted staff pose). You’ll get a great practice and refine your understanding of these essential postures. This practice was inspired by everyone who gave me feedback that they want to build on the level 1/2 backbend practice by adding a little more vim and vigor.
• Backbend Connection & Surrender with Marc Holzman: Finding connection through effort and surrender. A broad range class focusing on backbends.
• Quick and Effective Backbends with Dice lida-Klein: This is a quick but effective backbend practice filled with fun and quite simple backbends. We will open the front of our bodies with lunges and chandra namaskar (moon salutations). We finish with a standing chair twist, as well as supine twists from the floor. If you have a limited amount of time, but want to wake up and energize via backbends, this is the practice for you my fellow yogis!

If you Glo in LA or in the surrounding area, come join us this week as Christina Sell and Darren Rhodes will be in town teaching FREE Yoga classes at the YogaGlo studio. You will not want to miss this!

Christina’s Class Schedule:

• Thursday, October 11th: 10-11:30am – Hatha, Level 2
• Thursday, October 11th: 12-1:00pm – Hatha, Level 2
• Friday, October 12th: 10-11:30am – Hatha, Level 2
• Friday, October 12th: 12-1:00pm – Hatha, Level 2

Darren’s Class Schedule:

• Saturday, October 13th: 10-11:00am – Hatha, Level 2
• Saturday, October 13th: 11:30am-12:30pm – Hatha, Level 2
• Sunday, October 14th: 10-11:00am – Hatha, Level 2
• Sunday, October 14th: 11:30am-12:30pm – Hatha, Level 2

Don’t miss this great opportunity to take amazing classes with amazing teachers. Please check out our class schedule for more information and head on down to the Glo!

If you Glo in LA or the surrounding area, you must join us next week as Sianna Sherman and Amy Ippoliti will be in town teaching free yoga classes. You will not want to miss this!

Amy’s Class Schedule:

• Wednesday, April 18th: 10-11:30am – Hatha, Level 2
• Wednesday, April 18th: 12:-1:30pm – Hatha, Level 1
• Thursday, April 19th: 10-11:30am – Hatha, Level 2

Sianna’s Class Schedule:

• Thursday, April 19th: 2-3:30pm – Anusara, Level 2
• Thursday, April 19th: 4-5:30pm – Anusara, Level 2
• Thursday, April 19th: 6-7:30pm – Anusara, Level 2

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to take amazing classes with these amazing teachers. Please check out our class schedule for more information and head on down to the Glo!

Stephanie Snyder will be in town this week!

If you Glo in LA, you can join us for her free classes this week at the YogaGlo studio:

* Thursday, April 5th – 6 to 7:00pm Level 2 Vinyasa Flow
* Friday, April 6th – 10 to 11:30am Level 2 Vinyasa Flow

Check the class schedule, come on down and soak up the goodness!

Sally Kempton will be in town teaching two free meditation classes next week that you simply will not want to miss. Sally Kempton is a powerful teacher of applied spiritual wisdom, known for her capacity to kindle meditative states in others, and to help students work with meditative experience as a framework for practical life-change.

If you Glo in LA, you will have the opportunity to explore meditation with Sally:

• Monday, March 26th 6:00 – 7:00pm – Opening Your Inner Body: A master teacher of inner awareness helps you explore the subtle regions of the inner body, using visualizations, sound, and breath to open unexpected avenues into higher states of awareness. Includes talk, practice, and a chance to ask questions.
• Tuesday, March 27th 10:00 – 11:00am – Falling in Love with Meditation: Master teacher Sally Kempton reveals how a creative, experimental approach to meditation practice can transform your practice. Highly practical and experiential, this is recommended for anyone wanting to add dynamism and sweetness to their meditation.

This is a rare opportunity so please check the schedule and  join us at the YogaGlo studio to soak up the Sally Kempton goodness.

Stephanie Snyder is back in town which means two wonderful things: you can Glo with us at the studio for some very special classes later this week AND that means new Stephanie Snyder classes on the site very soon.

We know you’ve all been waiting patiently and asking for “More Stephanie! More Stephanie!” (give a woman some time to have a baby!) and your wait is nearly over!

If you Glo in LA, you can join us for her free classes this week at the YogaGlo studio:

• Friday, March 2nd – 10 to 11:30am Level 2 Vinyasa Flow
• Saturday, March 3rd – 10 to 11:30am Level 2 Vinyasa Flow
• Sunday, March 4th – 10 to 11:30am Level 2 Vinyasa Flow

If you can’t join us this weekend, stay tuned for these new classes to be added to the site in the near future!

Last week we let everyone know that Sianna Sherman would be at the YogaGlo studio on February 2nd and 3rd teaching six free classes. Unfortunately, Sianna will not be able to make it to our studio at this time.

The dates have not yet been rescheduled but as soon as they are, we will be sure to let everyone know.

If you follow Sianna Sherman online or are lucky enough to have taken her classes in person as she travels the globe, you know that there’s nothing like the energy and spirit of a Sianna class. She will be at the YogaGlo studio on February 2nd and 3rd teaching SIX. FREE. CLASSES.

If you Glo in LA or the surrounding areas and want to make your way to the YogaGlo studio for these two days of Sianna deliciousness, here is the class schedule:

Thursday, February 2nd:

• 2:00pm – 3:30pm – Earth Prayer flow. This class is a devotional flow of breath, movement and body prayer to honor the earth and every living being. Embody Grace in a creative mix of asana, mantra, mudra and meditation.
• 4:00pm – 5:30pm – Matsyendra’s Mythic Yoga flow. Twists and more. The myth of Matsyendra is a story of accepting all parts of our selves, including the unwanted parts. With twisting, comes deep acceptance and release into the expansive inner terrain of being.
• 6:00pm – 7:30pm – Inner Revolution. Hips and more. Turn inside with a more introspective practice of hip openers, twists and forward folds. It’s the inner revolution that ultimately inspires the true evolution of humanity.

Friday, February 3rd:

• 10:00am – 11:30am – Tapasya Warrior Practice. Stoke your fire for the practice with standing poses and warrior variations. Take the seat of the warrior and cultivate a more courageous connection with your ground of being.
• 12:00pm – 1:30pm – Abhaya Mudra and Hanuman. Abhaya mudra is a quintessential mudra depicted in the images of the deities. It classically translates as: “Have no fear.” Embody this mudra in your own asana practice with Hanuman as a main inspiration.
• 2:00pm – 3:30pm – Ganesha at the Threshold. Backbends. Explore your own thresholds with the elephant power of Ganesha and a progressive series of backbends to free the heart energy with understanding and lightness of being.

All classes are Anusara Level 2. We look forward to seeing you at the studio for what promises to be two very full days packed with wonder.