Karn Does Yoga

ฟิตเนส | ไลฟ์สไตล์ | โยคะ | พิลาติส | Barre | ทานดี อยู่ดี มีสุข

[karndoesyoga]

Core exercises are among my favorites. I used to go to classes that focus on abs workout. But frankly like I said before, ever since I discovered Pilates exercises that center on, not just abs, but the entire core—the Powerhouse, I never returned to those abs classes anymore. When you do these exercises, it’s not just for the abs, but the entire core—front and back, from the torso through the glutes. It’s not just for the “by product” of a six-pack, it’s mainly for the core strength and function that will help you move safely. Here are the exercises. ◎ Roll up: Great exercise to check the strength of your core. Relax your shoulder blades. Squeeze your inner thighs. Engage your pelvis and core. If keeping straight legs is too hard, start with bending your knees. Roll up and down between 3 and 5 times. ◎ Plank: Simple but it is a very effective exercise. Hold your plank and engage your core. Navel in and up. Glutes not too high nor too low. Look slightly ahead, keeping you neck long. While holding plank, without real movement, try to pull your hands toward your feet and your feet toward your hands—isometrically engaging the core muscles. Start with a 30-second hold and gradually increase the hold up to 5 minutes. Try forearm plank too. When you feel that your core is shaking slightly when you hold your plank, the exercise is working and you’re getting stronger. 💪 ◎Side plank. Another simple exercise that strengthens the obliques. Choose your foot placement that works for you to begin with. Remember it’s not all about the fancy balance but more about core strengthening. Keep the hips high that your side body looks like a small arch. Stack the hips with an open chest. Hold for 30 seconds on each side to start. Once you are stronger, you can hold up to 2-3 minutes on each side with a more fancy foot placement. . . . . . #SundayCoreStrength #yogamen #yogabody #yogalife #yogastrong #yogafit #yogajourney #YouCanDoIt #selfcare #Pilates #Pilatesmen #powerhouse #โยคะฟิต #พิลาติส #สุขภาพ #โยคะวันละนิด #โยคะท่ายาก #ชุดเล่นโยคะ (at Laguna Beach, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B51aqj-Hz6b/?igshid=t7us0n6fwjof

[karndoesyoga]

Midweek can bring mixed feelings to people. Some think it’s still a long way to the weekend. Some think the opposite. This week though is different for tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day—a long weekend for many. Whatever you do, I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving and if you’re traveling, safe travels. 🚗🚅✈️ 📷: @petepetitti . . . . . #MidweekMotivation #bakasana #crowpose #padmasana #lotuspose #yogamen #yogabody #yogalife #yogastrong #yogafit #yogajourney #YouCanDoIt #โยคะฟิต #สุขภาพ #โยคะวันละนิด #โยคะท่ายาก #ชุดเล่นโยคะ (at DTLA Los Angeles) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5YGhFcHOcM/?igshid=iplzhyaorbgv

[karndoesyoga]

My third crystal in the mineral series is a beautiful gemstone, known for its artistry and grainy banded patterns, with vivid colors. Jasper: Jasper is an opaque stone in the quartz family. Specifically, jasper is a chalcedony, which isn’t a type of distinct mineral, but rather a microcrystalline form of quartz. Once again, quartz (1st mineral in the series) is a silicon-oxide based mineral, consisting of silicon (Si) and oxygen (O) atoms. Quartz is essentially fundamental to many other crystals and stones. Jasper occurs in many colors as aggregates, depending on the impurities within the crystalline structures. A common color in jasper is red. This is due to the presence of iron (Fe) in hematite (an iron oxide) contamination. When pressure or force is applied to jasper, electric charges can be accumulated (piezoelectricity). Sometime, the applied force could also result in flashes of light from the stone (triboluminescence). Because of the unpair electron spins in the iron oxide contamination, red/brown jasper is paramagnetic, meaning that it is strongly attracted to a magnetic field. Chakra connections: Root Mystic properties: Being grounded, Balancing, Cleansing, Protecting, Energizing Chemical and physical properties: Density (2.6-2.9), Chemically reactive with strong acids, Opaque, Fluorescent, Triboluminescent, Hardness (6.5-7/10 on the Mohs scale), Piezoelectric, Paramagnetic, Optically active Crystallographic properties: Crystal system (Hexagonal), Crystallographic point group (3,2), Crystallographic space group (P 3(1)21, P 3(2)21) Fig. 1 An example of a red jasper stone. Fig. 2 Ball and stick representation of (a) alpha silicon oxide and (b) beta silicon oxide structures. The black balls are Si and red balls are O. Fig. 3 Space filing representation of iron oxides (hematite contaminant). The Fe(II) and Fe(III) centers sit in the middle of the tetrahedra and octahedral, respectively. The red balls represent oxygen. . . . . . #chemistry #crystallography #science #yoga #holistic #spiritual #meditationcrystals #Jasper #ScienceSaturday Image credits: Gieré, R. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2016, 113, 201413349) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5OaAWJnk4y/?igshid=1lb7boft0z1hs

[karndoesyoga]

Ever thought about movements or exercises that you do routinely because you feel they make sense to your body and turn out to be a way to check or improve your muscle strength? Psoas hold, for example, is one of these movements I do regularly just to see how high I can lift my knee. Later I learned that it’s a way to check your hip flexors’ strength. First, grab your knee as close to your torso as much as possible. Then let go of your hand(s) and try to hold the knee using your hip flexors for a breath or two. So swipe to see how you could check the strength of your hip flexors too. Psoas muscles, among the hip flexor muscles, are a very important group of core muscles. They connect the lumbar spine to the pelvis and the thigh bones. Their strength and flexibility will assist you to go deeper safely in your yoga poses. However, many of us haven’t heard much about these muscles partly because they are located so deep within the core and hard to feel. Examples of yoga poses that involve strong hip flexors are tolasana/scale pose, bhujapidasana/shoulder-pressing pose, utthita hasta padangusthasana/standing big toe holding pose, and many forward bending poses. And essentially all of the backbending poses, including symmetric (ustrasana/camel pose, dhanurasana/bow pose, kapotasana/king pigeon pose) and asymmetric (natarajasana/dancer pose, anjaneyasana/low lunge, eka panda rajakapotasana/one-legged pigeon pose) backbends require flexible hip flexor muscles, especially the psoas. So checking how strong your hip flexors strength can help you determine what exercises to perform to prepare your hip flexors to be both stronger and more flexible. These are a few exercises that could help strengthen the hip flexors: Lunges, psoas holds, mountain climbers, leg raises. Have fun! . . . . . #ThursdayTips #yogamen #yogabody #yogalife #yogastrong #yogajourney #selfcare #hipflexors #YouCanDoIt #โยคะฟิต #สุขภาพ #โยคะวันละนิด #ชุดเล่นโยคะ (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5JKS3UH4d7/?igshid=1pmyu4ew89gyv

[karndoesyoga]

Motivated and inspired by my good friend @the_healthlete’s post today. So here is another photo we did together. It was lots of fun. 😊🧘‍♂️🧘‍♀️💜🕉 . . . . . 📷: @reneechoiphotography #MidweekMotivation #parivrttasuryayantrasana #sundialpose #compasspose #hipopening #yogamen #yogabody #yogalife #yogastrong #yogafun #yogapractice #yogaposes #yogafit #yogajourney #yogafam #yogafriends #โยคะกับเพื่อน #โยคะท่ายาก #โยคะฟิต #สุขภาพ #โยคะวันละนิด #ชุดเล่นโยคะ (at Tribeca, New York, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B40qi6pH38_/?igshid=dhai1f8hrn8r

[karndoesyoga]

Over the summer, I saw many beautiful stones made into a mala by my friend @Rebecca. I asked Rebecca if she could make me a particular color. And she did. This is the second mineral I’d like to share with you. Purple Jade: Jade actually is a stone consisting of two minerals, namely jadeite and nephrite. Nephrite is also a class of silicate minerals called actinolite that is made up of double-chained tetrahedra of silicate anions. Jadeite is another class of silicates that is characterized by single-chained silicate tetrahedras. Again, silicates are minerals containing silicon (Si) and oxygen (O) atoms. In addition to Si and O, however, jadeite contains sodium (Na) and aluminum (Al) in its silicate structures while nephrite (actinolite) contains calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). However, these minerals can also contain traces of chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), and Manganese (Mn), which are essentially responsible for their vivid colors. The colors of both actinolite and jadeite can range from green, blue-green, purple, violet, to black. The purple color of purple jade stems from the presence of trace Mn ions in the actinolite. Chakra connections: Earth star, Third eye, Crown Mystic properties: Spiritual connection, Being grounded, Dispelling negative thoughts, Bringing spontaneity and joyful outlook, Discerning information, thoughts and feelings, teachings in line with oneself. Chemical and physical properties: Actinolite: Density (3.0-3.2), Translucent to transparent, Non-fluorescent, Hardness (5-6/10 on the Mohs scale), Paramagnetic, Optically inactive Jadeite: Density (3.2-3.4), Translucent, Non-fluorescent, Hardness (6-7/10 on the Mohs scale), Paramagnetic, Optically inactive Crystallographic properties: Actinolite: Crystal system (Monoclinic), Crystallographic point group (2/m), Crystallographic space group (C2/m) Jadeite: Crystal system (Monoclinic), Crystallographic point group (2/m), Crystallographic space group (C2/c) . . . . . Image credits: Rosche, C. (2018, Thesis, University of Hamburg); crystallography365 (2014) #chemistry #crystallography #science #yoga #holistic #spiritual #meditationcrystals #PurpleJade #sciencesunday (at Boston, Massachusetts) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4tkUZlDa1X/?igshid=urvuaesw42ih

[karndoesyoga]

How should I engage my pelvis in Pilates exercises? When my friends ask me about core strength, I always tell them to try Pilates. I also personally think that Pilates and yoga work together pretty well. Pilates is a great practice that helps systematically strengthen my core. Because the core isn’t just the abs. It includes muscles that stabilize the lower-body spine, such as the deep transversus abdominis, oblique, back, glute, and even the pelvic floor muscles. Pilates core workout taps into “the powerhouse”—the core muscles, including those small deep muscles. I have been fortunate to have so many incredible Pilates teachers. In the amazing @londonlayersfitness’s classes, I learned early on the basic but very important engagement of the pelvis to help strengthen these core muscles. I hope you will find the tips I learned from Khaleah to be helpful in your exercises. Swipe to see vids. 📹 First, lie on your back, bend your knees with feet on the floor hip-width-distance or bring legs to table top with legs squeezed together. Activate your core by pulling your navel in and up. Close your bottom ribs and breathe. Your sacrum should rest easily on the floor with the natural curve of your spine, meaning there is a small gap between your lumbar spine (your lower back above your sacrum) and the floor. You should be able to feel this gap with your hand or fingers. This position is known as Neutral. Second, tuck or curl your tail bone up (posterior pelvic tilt) so your lower back presses against the floor. The small gap disappears. This position is known as Tuck/Curl. Then you can release and go back to Neutral. Third, tilt or arch your tail bone (anterior pelvic tilt) so the gap between your lower back and the mat gets larger. This position is known as Tilt/Arch. Release and your spin goes back to Neutral. You could practice these movements for a few rounds from Neutral to Tuck to Tilt and back to Neutral with your breath to get a hold of how your pelvis can moves. (at Equinox Hollywood) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2p29Jqjhhv/?igshid=1u2hyzpe7kzcv

[karndoesyoga]

Twisting Thursday. Modified parsva dandasana or twisted leg behind the head arm balance. As some of you may know, especially those who have experienced and sustained an injury, a yoga practice isn’t a straight line. Lately, I have experienced some tightness and discomfort in parts of my body that I think, by practicing yoga, they should be more relaxed and flexible, such as my right hip, my right hamstrings. And these have hindered some poses that were previously more accessible to me like a split, pyramid, or straight leg bird of paradise. Maybe I pushed too hard. Maybe my form and alignment were repeated improperly overtime. Maybe I didn’t strengthen those muscles and joints enough. Maybe my practice wasn’t on a regular routine due to my recent traveling schedules. Maybe it’s a combination of some or all of the above. Who knows. What happens now with my body is a good reminder though that a practice can be a twist and turn. But thankfully yoga isn’t just a physical practice. So hopefully even with a setback, I can continue my yoga practice and my body will recuperate and be ready for the challenges in the physical aspect of yoga in the near future. 🤞🏻 I still have more JM Vinyasa hours to complete! 😅 📸: @sfreneenyc . . . . . #legbehindthehead #armbalance #yogaanywhere #yogamen #yogabody #yogalife #yogastrong #yogafun #yogapractice #yogaposes #yogafit #yogajourney #yogafam #wearehumans #โยคะ #โยคะฟิต #ฉันรักโยคะ #สุขภาพ #โยคะวันละนิด @yogaloveflow @menatyoga (at Tribecca, Manhattan) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2mf498nnWo/?igshid=5s3f21c39i5x

[karndoesyoga]

As a chemist and someone who practices yoga regularly, I decided to introduce a new thread on my IG feeds with an attempt to include the scientifically intriguing aspect of crystallography into the mystic views of crystals among yoga practitioners and those who are interested in holistic self-care. In addition to mystical power that some may experience through the use of crystals for meditative and healing purposes, I hope the info provided here would also help you appreciate the scientific and crystallographic views of these beautiful crystals. I will start off with the name of a selected crystal or precious stone followed by its holistic and yogic properties. Then I will briefly describe about the chemical and physical properties of the stone followed by a little more detail on its structural description, including its symmetry, crystal system, crystallographic point group, crystallographic space group, and crystallographic representation. So let’s start of a prime example of the crystals we are familiar with in yoga practice. Clear Quartz: This mineral is chemically known as silicon dioxide (one silicon atom and two oxygen atoms) or more commonly as silica. It is found abundantly in the earth crust in various forms. Silica is also a major constituent in sand and a component in glass. But clear quartz has unique crystallographic structures that can be categorized into different forms. Clear quartz is typically chemically inert, meaning that it doesn’t react with other chemicals easily. It is clear and colorless. Clear quartz is a hard material, has very high melting and boiling points (more than 1000 degrees), and is not dichroic, meaning that it doesn’t change colors when light passes through its crystallographic axes. In the absence of an electric field, it does not conduct electricity. Clear quartz is enantiomeric, meaning that the crystal does not possess a center of symmetry and thus is optically active due to its ability to rotate a plane of polarized light or light with specific electric and magnetic field orientations. Chakra connections: All chakras Mystic properties: Harmony, cleansing energy, healing, clarity, calmness, psychic abilities https://www.instagram.com/p/B2iJo9ODGn4/?igshid=p2kvursj5twf

[karndoesyoga]

How should I forward bend? As a person who isn’t very flexible, I never dreamed I would be able to forward bend and touch my fingers on the floor—much less my palms. Continuous practice of yoga and Pilates allows me to gain more muscle strength and flexibility so a forward bend isn’t something that’s no longer inaccessible. My spine mobility has also improved through the practice. But I have always been told to take extra precaution and care when doing a flexibility practice. That is if I do it incorrectly repeatedly, I could risk injuring my muscles and joints. Learning from my teachers, I want to share a few tips with some of you who are still working to work on the flexibility of your spine and hamstrings in the forward bend. 🧘‍♂️🧘‍♀️ ➤Bend from your hip joints. ➤Activate your core. ➤Feel for closing the gap between your abs and front thighs. ➤Engage your legs and feet. ➤Use blocks or bend your knees if needed until the hamstrings open up. If your hamstrings are super tight, take your time to forward bend. And do NOT bend with a curve spine. Always bend with a flat back. Otherwise, you could compress the intervertebral disks and cause injuries in your lower back. 😱 You could first feel out your hamstrings flexibility while being in the right form and alignment by using the blocks. Then lower the blocks or even get rid of them when your hamstrings become more flexible and your core is stronger. And very importantly, keep breathing. 😌 . . . . . #forwardfold #uttanasana #yogatips #yogatutorial #yogalife #yogastrong #yogafun #yogapractice #yogaposes #yogafit #yogajourney #โยคะ #โยคะฟิต #ฉันรักโยคะ #สุขภาพ #โยคะวันละนิด @yogaloveflow @menatyoga (at Warrior Bridge) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1rJ5OonUo3/?igshid=1f68ljyfk6yja

[karndoesyoga]

Trying to find balance is challenging. And that applies to everything in life—physical, mental, emotional, personal, professional. Swipe for a playful vid. 😆 This pose, flying crow, is a good reminder of that. But once you find it, it will feel light, grounding, and peaceful. Happy Tuesday. By the way, you will notice that two sides of my body are different. That’s pretty common in many people. Actually, my cheekbones aren’t even even. 😂 But I’m working on fine-tuning my poses that require execution on both sides to align as symmetrically as possible. 🧘‍♂️ . . . . . #armbalance #yogalife #yogastrong #yogafun #yogapractice #yogaposes #yogafit #yogaanywhere #yogamen #yogabody #yogajourney #fitness #flyingcrow #ekapadagalavasana #crow #galavasana #โยคะ #โยคะฟิต #ฉันรักโยคะ #สุขภาพ #โยคะวันละนิด @yogaloveflow @menatyoga (at Hudson Yards New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Y2HgpHgLQ/?igshid=1m43wu39lxdc9

[karndoesyoga]

Back in NYC after a week in LA. It’s been great to practice with @meliniseri in her Yoga for Runners class, especially after a long flight and a week of cold. It’s what I needed. Initially, I was also planning to practice a few additional poses and taking some photos after class but we ended up chatting instead. 😆😂 So I decided to post these pics of an arm balance taken a while back in June. This was inspired by one of @sfreneenyc’s photos of #dylanwerner doing this pose on a slope. I agreed with Renee. It wasn’t easy 😅 because you need to feel how the weight must be distributed on the inclined surface to lift your body up and maintain the balance. The hardest part though was the endurance of your hands against the hot concrete floor. 😅 The yoga community indeed is always inspiring. 🙏🏻😊💜 . . . . . #armbalance #yogalifestyle #yogastrong #yogafun #yogafit #yogaanywhere #yogamen #yogabody #yogajourney #fitness #yogainspired #ysyd #yogafam #โยคะ #โยคะฟิต #ฉันรักโยคะ #สุขภาพ #ชุดเล่นโยคะ #โยคะวันละนิด @yogaloveflow @menatyoga (at Laguna Beach, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1PxopEjwIB/?igshid=15tajf06w08em

[karndoesyoga]

First post after the first module of my 300-h YTT at @lighthouseyogaschool ended. Now we are on “a break”, which basically means that you won’t be sitting on the floor to learn and practice yoga for 10 hours a day for a while. 😆 However, we are required to practice our 60-90 min daily sadhana throughout the break to keep us grounded in our practice. 🧘‍♂️🧘🏻‍♀️ The break from the intense practice and learning reminds me to keep a balance. Over doing anything is not ideal. There is so much the body and mind can handle. You want to push your limit but you don’t want to break your body and certainly your mind. Thus, I’m grateful to have this break to keep my balance. When I think about balance, I think of this pose. Crow pose—one of the arm-balance poses. This photo was taken a while back by an amazing friend of mine during a class at #virlini2019 retreat. 📷: @palmbeachyogi 🙏🏻💜 And also thanks to @meliniseri for lending me her mat. 😊 . . . . #armbalance #bakasana #crowpose #yogalifestyle #yogastrong #yogafun #yogafit #yogaanywhere #yogamen #yogabody #yogajourney #fitness #โยคะ #โยคะฟิต #ฉันรักโยคะ #สุขภาพ #ชุดเล่นโยคะ #โยคะวันละนิด @yogaloveflow @menatyoga @wellxplore (at Punta Cana Republica Dominicana) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0Q575NH9XG/?igshid=8n56pbvh93zm

[karndoesyoga]

Happy 4th of July! 🇺🇸🎉 #armbalance #garudasana #eaglepose #yogalifestyle #yogastrong #yogafun #yogafit #yogaanywhere #yogamen #yogabody #yogajourney #fitness #pride #โยคะ #โยคะฟิต #ฉันรักโยคะ #สุขภาพ #ชุดเล่นโยคะ #โยคะวันละนิด @yogaloveflow @menatyoga (at Columbus Circle) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzhVg2dD4fq/?igshid=9635ejcob2wm

[karndoesyoga]

I have waited to post this photo for a while. I remember it was such a fun sunny day at @edenroccapcana during #virlini2019 yoga 🧘‍♂️🧘🏻‍♀️ and handstand 🤸🏼‍♂️🤸‍♀️ retreat. I think today, which is the 2019 World Pride weekend, is appropriate to post it, reminding me the importance of love and support within and beyond the LGBTQ+ community and reflective of how I felt at the retreat. Everyone was loving and supportive regardless of who you are or what you are. Of course, this by no means suggests that everyone is everyone’s bestie nor there are no more challenges for the LGBTQ+ community to overcome. But we have come a long way and we have so many who came before us to thank 🙏🏻 and be grateful for. And now, it’s our time and our turn to carry that torch 🔥 towards equality. 💜💙💚💛🧡❤️🌈🏳️‍🌈 Happy World Pride in NYC from a relatively quiet West Hollywood this weekend. 😆 📸: @sfreneenyc . . . . . #baddhakonasana #butterflypose #yogalifestyle #yogastrong #yogafun #yogafit #yogaanywhere #yogamen #yogabody #yogajourney #fitness #pride #worldpride2019 #westhollywood #โยคะ #โยคะฟิต #ฉันรักโยคะ #สุขภาพ #ชุดเล่นโยคะ #โยคะวันละนิด @yogaloveflow @menatyoga @wellxplore (at Punta Cana, República Dominicana, Caribe) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzWVrh8nqr7/?igshid=gwtlj4usl670

[karndoesyoga]

Inspired by the Pacific ocean in the background and a couple of posts I saw on IG, I decided to attempt this arm balancing. Some time, when you see a pose, you know you can do it. Other time, when you see a pose, you know you can’t do it (yet). That’s when you have to envision yourself in that pose and keep practicing. In this case, for me, it’s the first scenario. Balancing on that gate column was the scariest part. 😖😨 Believe in yourself. Believe in what you can or will be able to do when you put your heart 💜 into it. . . . . . #armbalance #twist #parsvabhujadandasana #yogistaffpose #grasshopperpose #yogalifestyle #yogastrong #yogafun #yogafit #yogaanywhere #yogamen #yogabody #yogajourney #fitness #ysyd #โยคะ #โยคะท่ายาก #โยคะฟิต #ฉันรักโยคะ #สุขภาพ #ชุดเล่นโยคะ #โยคะวันละนิด @yogaloveflow @menatyoga (at Laguna Niguel, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzKKB4ynLXS/?igshid=oo8cu0gkhdxv

[karndoesyoga]

Normally Sunday is my regular Pilates day but I haven’t been to the mat classes for over a week now. 😔 Here my first mat Pilates teacher @anacaban and I were in a double teaser ↖️↗️ after her fun class. Missing all my Pilates people. Hope to see you in class on the mat soon. 📸 @jeffnyla . . . . . #Pilates #powerhouse #strongcore #Pilatesmen #health #fitness #selfcare #Teaser #พิลาทิส (at Pasadena, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzD4BCenpL6/?igshid=a9nu7m1l2xx2