Roanoke Yoga

12/05/2025

Baby, it's cold outside! But, it's so warm and relaxing at the yoga studio.

12/02/2025

Virabhadrasana 1 (Warrior 1 Pose)
Benefits:
💫Strengthens and stabilizes the muscles of the feet and knees
💫strengthens the shoulders, arms, and the back.
💫Stretches the hip flexors and calf muscles.
💫Improves balance and concentration

11/26/2025

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary,
because it means you’ve made a difference.

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

11/25/2025

11/17/2025

Our posture is key to feeling great in our bodies. Mountain pose, or tadasana in Sanskrit, is the blueprint for great posture and teaches us the foundation of most standing poses in yoga. It’s easy to do, yet vital for the health of our spine. This basic pose is named mountain for its characteristics of strength, stability, and stillness for a lifetime of healthy practice. Mountain pose may not look like much. It’s simply standing on two feet. Anyone can do that, right? Well, that’s not the end of the story. Keeping the body active and aligned actually is hard work. Tadasana is more than just standing around. It rather requires you to be aware of every part of the body and how they’re aligned.
You may be tempted to simply skip the pose or rush through Mountain pose since it seems too simple. However, it is actually a great way to check in with your body and set the foundation for proper alignment throughout your entire asana practice. This is why you should practice at least one really attentive Tadasana at the beginning of your practice to set you on a great path.

11/11/2025

To all veterans, living and deceased, thank you for your service and sacrifices so that we can live in a free country. I am profoundly grateful for and respectful of all you have done for us and your nation. Thank you for your great personal sacrifice that enabled our nation to be free.

11/11/2025

Chaturanga Dandasana is one of yoga's most challenging postures, but it is often introduced to yoga beginners with minimal instruction and no real discussion of the dos and don'ts that can help prevent shoulder injury. Since you'll find Chaturanga incorporated into Sun Salutation series and many vinyasa flows, it's important to do this pose properly. Chaturanga is also the first step in more advanced arm-balance poses.
To hold yourself in Low Plank (Chaturanga), you need to recruit the muscles in your wrists, arms, abs, and lower back, so they all get a workout. Strengthening the core muscles helps your standing posture, among other things.
Need a modification? Lower your knees to the floor after you've rocked forward in plank. Take a moment to broaden your chest and then lower your upper body so that your arms come to a right angle. You can lift your feet up off the floor if you want to, but it's also fine to leave them down.
It's perfectly fine if your shoulders stay well above your elbows, especially if you're building strength or have had shoulder problems in the past. Even if you just lower your torso a few inches down from plank, that is a perfectly valid version of the pose.