Mat Matters, Episode 14: Four Yoga Poses for Strengthening the Core

You knew it was coming...well, here it is. Core work! I love it. Gimme some mo'. 

To me, one of the best physical benefits of yoga is the core strengthening that it provides. Not because it makes your tummy flatter (although that's always nice), but because it provides protection for the lower back and the spine, it allows you to stand taller, pick up heavy objects, be active, etc., etc., etc. 

Yogis who practice regularly often find that their core becomes much stronger, pretty quickly, without their ever having to do any traditional "ab work" such as crunches or sit ups. Why? Well, partly because of yoga's emphasis on stabilizing and balancing by engaging the core, and partly because of poses like these four poses. But mostly because of plank. 

We yogis, we heart our plank.

So lets talk about core work, shall we? You can watch this week's Mat Matters video here on the blog, or by subscribing to my YouTube channel. 

Catch ya next Thursday, when we'll be working on 4 poses for improving your squat (yay!)!

PS. Ben and I have hopped an early AM flight up to Cape Cod for a mini-weekend away. Thus, I won't be posting a dress painting today or tomorrow. I hope to get SJOTW and The Roundup posted, but they might not be *quite* on schedule, depending on our daily schedule...I'll be back on track next week!