Photo Editing Apps - My Three Favorites and How I Use Them

Riva G Yoga March 1, 2019

So you finally got your boyfriend to snap a picture of you balancing in Bakasana, or maybe you had to bribe your daughter to photo-document that newfound Natarajasana… but now what? How do you take that pretty yoga pic and make it pop a little more before sharing it with your friends on Insta? Having to edit my own yoga pics for the last few years means I picked up a thing or two about doing just that. Below are a few of my favorite photo-editing apps to help bring your photos from Blah to Ahhh! in a matter of minutes.

Snapseed – This is, hands-down, the app I most often use for editing my photos. After importing a picture, I start out by selecting the ‘Tune Image’ feature. This is where I play around with the Brightness, Contrast, Ambiance, Highlights, and Shadows to see what looks best. Because every photo is unique, the way I adjust these settings always varies from image to image. If I want a darker, more mysterious look I might use the Vignette tool, and if ‘light & airy’ is what I’m after I’ll probably increase the Highlights a little more. Another feature I like to use is the ‘Details’ tool where I can sharpen or soften a photo depending on its mood. Snapseed offers so many editing options and is quite a powerful little app, so spend some time experimenting with it to see what style and look you like best.

VSCO – There’s good reason why this app has been around for so many years and still remains popular with creatives. With VSCO’s expansive selection of filters and artsy vibe, it’s long been a go-to for myself and many others. There are a few presets I tend to favor (like ‘A6’), but I always lower the intensity (usually to about 30%). I also tweak the ‘White Balance’ & ‘Skin Tone’ settings, where I might add some warmth to an image, or perhaps take some redness out of my skin (if I’m resembling the tone of a tomato).

Afterlight – Admittedly I don’t use this app nearly use much as the previous two, but it can come in handy with a photo that needs a little something extra. Afterlight has a nice number of built-in filters, but the features I like best are their overlays, ‘Dusty’ and ‘Light Leaks’. Dusty, which includes more than 10 options, is perfect if you want to add scratches or grain to your photo for a vintage vibe. Light Leaks, which has over 30 adjustable overlays to choose from, is great for achieving that sought-after retro look. I never use both at the same time, and I generally lower the intensity of the overlay to about 50%, which gives the image a nice subtle-kick.

One final word of advice: the key here isn’t to mimic anyone else’s style, but to find your own. That’s the beauty of creativity - we each have a unique viewpoint to share. Experiment with your images and editing, play around with different perspectives and proportions, but ultimately find a style that best represents YOU.

PS. If any of these editing tips helped you, tag me on Instagram and use the hashtag #yogawithriva so I can see the final result!

Tis the Season... for Tissues, Hot Tea, and De-Congesting Yoga Poses

Riva G Yoga December 12, 2018

Ahhh December… the sparkly lights are all up, the holidays are just around the corner, and cold season is in full swing. For most of us, coming down with the common cold is a nuisance that doesn’t really cause a major disruption to our daily routine. Even so, its symptoms can certainly take a toll on our body, leaving us feeling achy, congested, and more tired than usual. The following 5 yoga poses are the perfect mini-sequence to help open your chest, clear your sinuses, and provide some much-needed relief:

1. Supported Downward Facing Dog (using 2 blocks)

Adho Mukha Svanasana is a mild inversion that aids circulation. It opens the chest and airways, which allows the sinuses to drain. The yoga blocks used in this variation provide support to the head & neck, creating a more restorative sensation in the posture.

1. Come onto all fours with your shoulders directly over your wrists and your hips over your knees. Place 2 blocks stacked directly under your belly, with the bottom block on its lowest height, and the top block set to its highest height.

2. Tuck your toes, shift your hips back, and straighten your legs, coming into Downward Facing Dog. The blocks should end up directly under your forehead. Lower your forehead down onto the top block and allow it to rest there.

3. Hold for five to ten breaths, then lower down to release.

2. Supported Forward Fold (using 2 blocks)

Uttanasana reduces stress and relieves tension in the spine, neck, and back. It allows for fresh direct blood-flow to the head, helps to clear out blockages, and is considered therapeutic for sinusitis. The yoga blocks used in this variation provide support to the head & neck, creating a more restorative sensation in the posture.

1. Begin standing with your hands on your hips. Place two blocks directly in front of you, one stacked on top of the other, both at their tallest height.

2. Exhale and lengthen the front of your torso as you bend forward at the hips. Press your heels down toward the floor as you reach your sit bones upward. Spin the tops of your thighs slightly inward. Don't lock your knees.

3. Gently lower your forehead to rest on the top block. With each inhale lift and lengthen your torso.

4. Hold the pose for 10 breaths. To exit, bend your knees, place your hands on your hips, and return to standing.

3. Plow Pose

Halasana is a calming stretch that can aid in sleep, which is often affected by a cold. It can provide relief for both sinusitis and headaches.

1. Begin lying on your back, with legs extended, arms down at your side. Palms should be flat on the ground.

2. Inhale and use your core muscles to lift your legs and hips up toward the ceiling. Align your torso so that it’s perpendicular to the floor.

3. Slowly lower your legs and feet over your head and down toward the floor. There should be little or no weight on the lower neck. Keep a slight bend in the knees if you feel tension in your legs or back. If your toes don’t yet touch the floor, support your back with your hands.

4. If you can rest your toes comfortably on the floor, straighten your legs completely and move your tailbone toward the ceiling. Interlace your fingers and press your upper arms firmly into the floor.

5. Bring your hips over your shoulders. Lift your tailbone and soften your throat.

6. Hold for 5-10 breaths. To release, support your back with your hands and slowly roll down, one vertebra at a time.

4. Fish Pose

Matsyasana is referred to in a traditional yoga text as the “destroyer of all diseases.” It stimulates the thyroid gland and opens the chest & throat, which helps improve breathing & reduce congestion.

1. Begin lying on your back, with legs extended, arms down at your side. Palms should be flat on the ground.

2. Inhale and press your elbows & forearms into the ground as you raise your chest, creating an arch in your upper back. Lift your shoulder blades, upper torso, and head up from the floor. Then slowly lower just your head back down onto the floor. Either the back of your head or the crown of your head will rest on the ground (depending on how lifted your back and chest are).

3. Keep pressing through your hands and forearms. There should be minimal weight pressing into your neck.

4. The knees can be bent or straight. If they are straight, make sure to keep the muscles in your thighs engaged.

5. Hold for five breaths. To release the pose, exhale as you lower your torso and head to the floor. Draw your knees into your chest for a few breaths.

5. Headstand

Sirsasana is often referred to as to as “the king of all yoga poses”. It improves circulation, strengthens the lungs, and is said to be therapeutic for sinusitis. Headstand is an intermediate/advanced inversion, so if this posture is not a part of your regular yoga practice, perform another inversion such as ‘Legs Up the Wall’ which helps soothe the mind and body.

1. Begin on your hands & knees, then lower your forearms to the floor with your elbows directly under your shoulders (you can clasp each hand around the opposite elbow to ensure that your elbows are the right distance apart).

2. Clasp your hands, interlacing your fingers, and place the crown of your head on the floor. The back of your head should rest gently at the base of your thumbs.

3. Raise your hips & straighten your legs. Slowly walk your feet in closer to your head until your hips are over your shoulders.

4. Now bend your knees, and begin to draw one knee in toward your chest. If you feel balanced here, lift that foot up from the floor. If you feel totally balanced with the first leg lifted, raise the other leg so that both feet are off the floor. You can keep the knees bent, or extend the legs straight (this will make the balance more challenging).

5. Hold for 3-5 breaths and then slowly lower one leg at a time to release.

4 Yoga Poses to Help Open Your Shoulders

Riva G Yoga July 11, 2018

Open Shoulders can help with Proper Alignment in Forearm Stand

So many of us carry tension in our shoulders - whether it’s from sitting at a computer for hours a day, using our smartphones, or even from the way we sleep - the shoulders are one of the most common parts of our body to hold stress. Having stiff shoulders can affect our yoga practice too. Many of the poses we perform are compromised when there is a limited range of motion in the shoulders (such as Forearm Stand).

Shoulder-opening poses are a great way to relieve tension and to help prevent injury in postures that require the shoulders to be more open. Below are 4 of my go-to shoulder-opening postures:

1. Garudasana (Eagle) Arms

While in a comfortably seated position, reach your arms straight forward and parallel to the ground.
Spread your scapula wide as you cross your left arm over your right.
Bend your elbows. Your left elbow should be directly inside of the right one, and the backs of your hands should be facing one other.
Continue to twist the arms so that the palms of the hands are facing one another. Then press the palms together as much as you comfortably can.
Raise your elbows up, reaching the fingertips toward the sky.
Hold for 10 breaths, then release, and repeat on the opposite side for the same length of time.

2. Shoulder Stretch with Blocks

Begin sitting on your shins. Place two blocks, on their highest height, about 6-8 inches on either side of you and slightly in front of you.
Bring your hands to prayer pose behind your head, so that your fingers are pointing down toward the ground. Slowly lean forward until both elbows are resting on the blocks. It's ok if your hips lift up slightly.
Gently lower your head down as you sink your hips back slightly. Make sure to only go as far as feels comfortable for your body.
Hold for 10-15 breaths, then come up to release.

3. Thread the Needle

Begin on your hands and knees, with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Your knees should be hip-width apart.
Slide your left arm under your right arm, with the palm facing up. Allow your left shoulder to lower all the way down to the ground . Rest your left cheek on the mat.
Keep your hips raised. You can extend your right hand toward the front of the mat, or straight up toward the sky. You can gaze upward if that feels comfortable for you as well.
Make sure not press weight onto your head, instead, and keep your lower back relaxed. Allow all of the tension in your shoulders, arms, & neck to malt away.
Hold for 5-8 breaths. Slowly slide your left out out to exit and release. then repeat on the opposite side for the same length of time.

4. Gomukhasana Arms

While n a comfortably seated position, reach your left arm out toward the left so that its parallel to the floor. Rotate your arm inwardly so that your thumb is pointing down.
Gently bend your left arm and place your hand behind your back. Roll your left should down and back, and begin to inch your left hand upward so that its parallel to your spine. Try to get the back of your left hand between your shoulder blades.
Now extend your right arm reaching it up toward the sky. Bend your right elbow and reach your right hand down for the left hand.
If you're unable to hook the right and left fingers, try using a strap so that you can reach.
Try to keep the chest lifted, as you lean back slightly.
Hold for 10-12 breaths, then slowly release and repeat on the opposite side for the same length of time.

4 Counterposes to Help Balance Your Practice

Riva G Yoga April 15, 2018

A counterpose in yoga is a posture that helps neutralize the body after performing a particular pose. Its purpose is to restore balance in the body, especially in the spine and pelvis. Very often a counterpose will integrate the action of the preceding posture, but in a neutralizing (and sometimes opposing) manner. For example, after performing Cobra Pose (a gentle backbend), one possible counterpose would be Table Top Pose (which returns the spine to neutral). Another option would be Downward Facing Dog Pose (which encourages lengthening and neutralizing the spine.) Counterposes help us avoid injury and imbalances in the body, and most of the time, they feel good too.

Below are a few of my go-to counterposes (along with the poses they are countering):

1. Backbend/Knees to Chest

After practicing any kind of heart-opening pose, such as Wheel, Camel, or Bow Pose, the tendency is to want to take the body into a complete forward fold. But moving back and forth between the two extremes can cause strain in the body. A preferred counterpose would be a posture such as Knees To Chest, which gently stretches and neutralizes the spine:

To Perform Knees to Chest:

Lie on your back, with your legs and arms extended. Exhale and draw both knees into your chest. Clasp your hands around your knees if possible.
Keep your back flat on the ground. Draw your tailbone and sacrum downward, lengthening your spine. Gently tuck your chin and gaze toward your knees.
Hold for 20 breaths. Slowly release your knees and lower your feet to the ground.

2. Forward Fold/Upward Plank Pose

Forward folds, such as Paschimottanasana, are wonderful for stretching the back side of the body, including the spine and hamstrings. A perfect counterpose would be one that gently opens the front side of the body, such as Upward Plank Pose (Purvottanasana), which stretches the shoulders, chest, and ankles:

To Perform Upward Plank Pose:

Begin seated with your legs extended and your hands a few inches behind your hips. Your fingers should be pointing forward, and your hands shoulder-width apart.
Inhale and press your hands and feet down firmly down into the ground as you lift your hips upward. Raise your chest toward the sky, and keep your spine in a straight line. Try to press the soles of your feet into the floor. Keep your leg muscles engaged, but don't squeeze your glutes.
Hold for 10 breaths. Slowly lower your hips to the ground to release.

3. Headstand/Rabbit Pose

Headstand is commonly one of the first inversions that students learn. Having the forearms and head on the floor provide a stable foundation for this inversion, but very often there's a lot of weight & pressure being placed on the head and neck (especially with beginners). Rabbit Pose is a wonderful way to counter that, however it's a also a pose needs to be performed carefully, to ensure that there is no strain in the neck:

To Perform Rabbit Pose

Begin in a kneeling position. Lean forward to place the crown of your head onto the ground (as close to your knees as you can.)
Reach back and grab hold of your heels (or ankles or calves) and begin to lift your hips as you lean forward slightly. You'll start to feel a nice stretch along the back of your neck, but make sure to keep it gentle, and be careful not press your head down too hard.
Hold for 5 breaths. Slowly lower your hips down to release.

4. Balasana: The Universal Counterpose

Child's Pose is a resting pose and therapeutic posture that can help relieve back and neck pain. Its is a calming counterpose that can be performed at any time during a practice because it helps to restore balance throughout the body.

To Perform Child's Pose:

Begin on your hands and knees. Widen your knees slightly while keeping the big toes touching. Lower your seat down onto your heels. (You can keep your knees together if your hips are tight.)
Exhale and lower your torso down between your thighs. Rest your forehead on the ground, and extend your arms long, with the palms facing down. Lengthen your body from your hips to your armpits, and soften your lower back. Keep your eyes closed.
Hold for 30 breaths. Inhale and sit up to release.

Fall-ing for Yoga, 4 Poses To Help Balance Your Autumn Practice

Riva G Yoga October 29, 2017

The leaves have started to change color, the days have grown shorter and cooler, and pumpkin spice lattes are now back on the menu... fall is officially here. My personal favorite way to welcome autumn includes cozy sweaters and a new pair of booties (not to mention a little extra Netflix time). But there is one additional thing I've added to this year's list, and that is to balance out my yoga practice with a few key poses for fall. The ones I've listed below really help my body transition through the season more gracefully. Oh, and there is one more thing I forgot to mention - a cute new yoga outfit always makes coming to the mat a lot more exciting. The one I'm wearing in all of the photos here is by Sam Edelman, and it couldn't be more perfect for this fall!

1. Get Grounded

It turns out that along with the change in weather, it's also quite common to experience some extra nervous energy during this transitional season. Practicing grounding poses, including this Chair Pose Variation can help the body feel stronger and more centered.

Separate your feet about the width of your mat, with your toes turned outward.
Ground your feet firmly into the floor as squat down, lowering your torso onto your thighs and keeping your hips in line with your knees.
Extend your arms forward. Reach them all the way toward the front of the room as you reach your hips all the way back.
Keep your core engaged and your belly lifting up.
Squeeze your triceps inward toward your ears and press your palms away.
Hold for five breaths, then release and repeat 3 more times.

2. Build Heat & Feel Energized

Though its tempting to just stay in and hibernate as the weather cools down, it's important to get the body warmed up to combat the stiffness that often accompanies the cold. Incorporating energizing poses, such as Bridge Pose (or any heart-opening pose) is a great way to build heat in the body.

Begin lying on your back, with the knees bent, with your feet flat on the floor and arms by your sides.
Raise the hips up toward the ceiling and either interlace the hands together or leave the arms down by the sides of the body.
Keep the neck in neutral as you continue to life the hips higher.
Hold for five breaths, then lower and repeat 2 more times.

3. Cleanse & Detox

Fall time is, unfortunately, often accompanied by cold & flu season. Spending extra time indoors only helps germs to spread faster. Yoga twists, such as Revolved Triangle Pose are a great way to boost the body’s natural detoxification process by helping to flush the toxins from the body and promote cleansing on a cellular level.

Begin with your feet about 2-3 feet apart, and align the right heel with the left heel. Pivot your right foot out 90 degrees and turn your left foot slightly inward.
Reach your left arm up toward the ceiling, Hinge forward from your hips, keeping length in the spine and open your torso to the right as you place your left hand to the outside of your right foot. Use your right hand, if necessary, to draw your left hip back so it stays in line with your right hip.
Lengthen your spine and roll your right shoulder back as you extend your right arm upward. Reach the left fingertips toward the ceiling. If possible, turn your head to gaze at your right thumb.
Hold for five breaths, then slowly release and repeat on the opposite side for the same length of time

4. Rest & Restore

Restorative yoga poses help us disconnect from the frenzied pace of daily life. The slow pace and deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system which has a calming effect on our minds and bodies. Studies have shown that this type of relaxation, including poses like Legs Up the Wall, can help fend off depression, provide higher quality sleep, and improve mental health.

Begin by sitting with the right side of your body against the wall. Using your hands to balance, gently swivel your body to the right as you lower your torso to the floor and bring your legs up onto the wall.
Rest your shoulders and head on the floor. Wiggle your body from side-to-side to scoot your sitting bones closer to the wall. Let your arms gently rest at your sides, or place your left hand on your heart center, and your right hand on your belly.
Close your eyes and stay here for 5-10 minutes. Notice your breath as you lie here.
Slowly release by pushing yourself gently away from the wall as you slide your legs down and return to a seated position.

* Outfit worn throughout is by Sam Edelman