Most people are aware that yoga improves heart health by increasing circulation and blood flow. Research shows that practicing yoga can help lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels, as well as the heart rate. All these benefits can add up to a lower risk of hypertension, stroke, and heart disease.

In this practice video, De West shares another benefit of Yoga for your heart. The heart open practice is noticing what is happening and then being very kind to it. You’ll use your body to help you be more in touch with what you feel.

About the Author

De West, Certified Yoga Therapist and a Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher is a leader in the Boulder, Colorado yoga community with over 29 years of teaching therapeutic yoga. She has developed a movement practice that allows people of all ages and abilities to experience a positive, relaxed, and transforming experience in both body and mind. Observation, listening, and respect of one’s unique anatomy contribute to her passion for helping students create more peace and freedom. De is the founder of Be Center in Boulder, CO. You can reach De at www.Be.Center.

If it’s time for a fresh start, yoga and meditation provide an ideal practice combo to bring you back to beginner’s mind – a sense of relaxation, effortlessness, and unconditional cheerfulness. We will alternate between meditation practices and yoga sequences to work with our mind and body in ways that can naturally bring us back to fresh start in this September retreat.