James Sanders Yoga

09/09/2025

As we head into late sumer and early fall, deep & easeful breathing keeps us chill throught the seasonal transition. Backbends are one tool to help. Try out this video practice and see if it works for you!

Backbends can do wonders for your body and mind, and they’re a perfect way to energize your practice. When you stretch into a backbend, you’re opening up your chest and shoulders, which helps you b…

08/28/2025

In Ayurveda, kitchari isn’t just a comfort food — it’s a healing staple. This simple stew of mung beans, rice, spices, and ghee is easy to digest, balances all three doshas, and gives your digestive system a gentle reset. Whether you’re doing a seasonal cleanse or just need something nourishing on a busy day, kitchari is like a hug in a bowl.
Have you tried it before?

Kitchari is a traditional Ayurvedic dish known for its balancing properties and ease of digestion. It’s especially beneficial during seasonal transitions,

08/21/2025

Some of my yoga teaching is with incarcerated people in prison and juvenile detention. Substance abuse is often part of their story, sometimes leading directly to incarceration, other times as a way to cope with pain or mental health challenges. Over the years, I’ve seen how yoga can help people reconnect with themselves, regulate emotions, and rebuild their lives.

Addiction is rarely just about the substance itself. It’s about what’s underneath - trauma, chronic stress, depression, anxiety. These are the roots that need healing for recovery to last. Yoga is one of the most powerful tools I’ve found for this deeper work.

In my this post, I share how yoga supports recovery physically, emotionally, and neurologically, plus a 10-minute gentle practice you can do right now. You don’t need to be flexible or have any experience. You just need a willingness to show up for yourself.

Read and practice here:

Much of my yoga teaching is with incarcerated people in prison and juvenile detention, and when working with that population there is a strong current of substance abuse. Sometimes it’s using…

08/15/2025

First things first, the Yamas are the first limb of Patanjali's ashtanga yoga. So, what are they about?

Now seems like an auspicious time to revisit the basic concepts of ethics. One of the foundational texts in yoga is the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. It was most likely written over a period of several…

08/12/2025

Do you wonder why some people just glow with vitality and life? Ayurveda has a beautiful concept called Vihara, a lifestyle approach that’s less about rules and more about rhythm. It’s about aligning your daily habits with nature’s cycles so your body and mind work in harmony.

This isn’t about fad diets or expensive supplements. It’s about how you live, moment to moment, season to season. And yes, small shifts can create big transformations.

Curious? take a look at this article on how Vihara works, and three simple ways to start living it today.

Have you ever wondered why some people just seem to glow with health and happiness? Let me introduce you to a concept from Ayurveda called vihara

11/05/2024

Nadi Shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing, is such a simple yet powerful practice with many benefits for both your mind and body. It’s a wonderful way to calm your nervous system, ease stress, and invite more relaxation into your day.

Nadi Shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing, is such a simple yet powerful practice with many benefits for both your mind and body. It’s a wonderful way to calm your nervous system, ease stress, …

10/31/2024

About 30% of American’s don’t get enough quality sleep and a lot of those folks either have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. A portion of people can’t sleep due to physical discomfort or pain, but the majority have trouble sleeping because of mental or emotional issues. You know what can help? Yoga! (FYI the answer is always yoga around here)

About 30% of American’s don’t get enough quality sleep and a lot of those folks either have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. A portion of people can’t sleep due to physic…

10/27/2024

One of the most profound gifts yoga offers is the ability to truly notice what’s going on inside us. At first glance, this may seem simple

One of the most profound gifts yoga offers is the ability to truly notice what’s going on inside us. At first glance, this may seem simple—maybe we notice tension in our shoulders, a tight lower ba…

10/26/2024

Even mild scoliosis (lateral curvature of the spine) can have subtle yet significant impacts on overall well-being both physically as well as energetically. Yoga can help!

Millions of us have diagnosable scoliosis, and even more have some slight scholiotic curvature to our spine. While yoga can not cure scoliosis, there is a lot we can do to mitigate the problems sco…

09/01/2024

As years go by our yoga practice tends to get more and more sublte. When we start out, we engage big muscles and move them in large, sometimes, hamhanded ways. Maybe we sweat a lot and shake when we strive for a challenging pose. Over time, our practice becomes refined, more subtle. We start to feel the effects on our nerves as much as we feel them on our muscles....

As years go by our yoga practice tends to get more and more sublte. First we tune into the microcosm inside our skin. The next level deeper is the nanocosm.

07/30/2024

In Ayurveda, ojas is considered the essence of vitality and immunity. It represents the purest form of energy produced from the digestion of food, experiences, and emotions. Ojas is thought to be responsible for overall health, longevity, and resilience. When ojas is strong, it reflects in a person’s physical strength, mental clarity, and emotional stability. Imagine ojas as a glowing, golden reservoir within your body....

In Ayurveda, ojas is considered the essence of vitality and immunity. It is the purest energy produced from the digestion of food, experiences, and emotions.

07/16/2024

I’m doing a 10 day Ayurveda training at Mount Madonna this month. This place is so wonderful - the community, the teachings and the food!