Yoga is active relaxation, which allows us to develop presence and take responsibility for the way we feel.
— Mandy Ingber
The only difference between a flexible person and one who is not is that the flexible person has to go farther to get the same stretch.
I love yoga because it allows me to slow down and experience how good it feels to be in relationship to my body. It teaches me patience, acceptance, and how to receive.
At the end of my daily yoga routine, lying on the floor in Corpse Pose, I feel as though I am floating in a sea of pure love.
For nearly every challenging moment in life, there's a yoga pose to help you feel better.
I can't believe I actually wrote a book.
I have always loved the Barnsdall Art Center and the Hollyhock House.
Taking a 10-minute meditation break is something you can do anywhere in your office, and it's so easy - you're not at the altar.
Do not compare yourself to what others seem to be.
It was Helen Hunt who taught me to incorporate a consistent meditation practice. Her consistency - even when she was at her busiest and most public - was inspiration to me.
Flexibility depends upon your range of motion and will enable you to do more day-to-day tasks with comfort and ease.
We're always in the middle of two energies. Gravity is sinking you down; inspiration is pulling you up.
When your chest is open, and you're breathing deeply, it lifts your spirits.
Arm balances, in general, are excellent for strength-building.
I don't want people to think there's one right way to eat.
I love the plie squat. I love that because I can feel my glutes and inner thighs, and it makes me feel grounded.
What I do is I'm trying to bridge the gap between yoga and fitness.
I think that whenever we're physical, not just in yoga, I think that physical exercise brings up a lot of emotional things. If someone's in a spinning class, they might just start crying. That just happens.
Any pose that is an arch will open the chest cavity and is excellent for energizing the body.
My father left our family for his 'yoga buddy' in 1984, when I was 15. I always stayed in touch with him - I had a deep need to be connected to my father, even though it could be painful at times. I shunned the yoga community because of his actions but eventually realized that yoga could be the antidote to my pain.
My father was a complex man - expansive and uncontainable, volatile and aggressive. He was also the one who introduced me to yoga. He practiced daily, and I would sometimes practice alongside him. His example inspired me.
When you stay hydrated, you're not as hungry. Sometimes, when you think you're hungry, you're actually thirsty.
I wake up and meditate for 20 minutes. The first thing I do when I wake up is say, 'Thank you.'
Yoga is really all about process, acceptance, and becoming more present, and I really want to show that it can expand off the mat.
Have gratitude for all that you have, and you can be happy exactly as you are.
You do not get into better shape being hard on yourself.
Before you find a way to channel your emotional energy, you must take time to be still and actually feel. Meditation is a simple tool for becoming present.
Twists are wonderful for whittling your waist, stretching your back, and detoxifying the body.
If you're feeling sluggish, do a back bend.
Although I spent years thinking that I had fat arms, I am now approached by women daily who want to know how they can get arms like mine.
I have never had skinny arms.
If you focus on what's wonderful, that's where the energy will go.
Twenty-eight days is what is takes to break a habit and to implement a new set of habits.
No matter what twists and turns your life offers you, your ability to be adaptable and flexible will help you to stay open to all of the hidden gifts that difficulty may offer.
Yoga is equal parts strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance.
Mountain pose is the mother of all poses. The alignment of mountain pose is contained within every yoga posture.
I have learned that grief is a vital part of my heart and accept it as a gift that exists alongside joy.
Be grateful for what you already have. Set aside the time to take care of yourself, too.
I try to get a workout for myself in before I work with my clients. I do this to center myself.
I went to a school for experiential learning all around the city of Los Angeles. We went on at least 2 field trips a week, and I went there for 7 years, so I have seen a lot of this city.
The forward bend really relaxes the nervous system and brings blood flow back to the brain.
Eat whole foods that are unpackaged. If it's in a package, avoid it.
I think of exercise as the father of the body and nutrition as the mother.
Many people talk about the mind-body connection and how what we think can affect our physical self. What I have found, even more than the mental connection, is that the emotions rule the body.
With tireless hours at your desk or traveling on a plane, it's important that you take time to stay connected to your body.
We hold a lot of emotional energy in the hips, which is why they're often tight.
Cardio activity burns fat, and when you burn fat while building muscle, you change the ratio of stored fat to lean muscle mass, and your arms appear to be more defined.
I always degenerate to chocolate and coffee.
Nothing is rigid, and everything is movable.
I was born in L.A., so there's a lot of focus on getting into great shape, and, for me, I found that when I started to be more loving to myself and find ways to get excited about my exercise routine, I got into shape easier and faster, and it became a lifestyle.
