yoga

Meditation That Builds Strength from the Inside Out

October 20, 2025

Many people reach a point where exercise and healthy habits stop being enough to manage stress. I have found that meditation can build inner strength, calm the mind, and create real change. And it starts with the smallest moments of daily life.

Discover the Best Types of Yoga for Stress Relief: 6 Science-Backed Options

January 18, 2024

yoga class with a diverse group of people standing in high lunge

Many styles of yoga have stress-alleviating benefits. Ultimately, what works best comes down to individual needs and preferences. This article explores six science-backed types of yoga that have helped me cultivate more peacefulness and ease: Kripalu Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, and Trauma-Informed Yoga.

How I Teach Kripalu Yoga

August 22, 2023

When people ask me what style of yoga I teach or where I learned yoga, I proudly identify as a “Kripalu Yoga Teacher.” When I completed my RYT-500 yoga teacher training at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Massachusetts, I earned this designation. More than just factually correct, I feel connected to the Kripalu lineage and I teach most of my classes as Kripalu Yoga.

Practice Needs Support

January 5, 2026

Kripalu name badge with the name Matthew Tift (he/him)

Two weeks at Kripalu reminded me that yoga works best when it’s supported off the mat. Practice, service, and community lined up. Nothing dramatic. Just steady days, shared effort, and quiet joy. Thankfully, much of that life is already available at home.

Movember, Men’s Health, and What Yoga Has Been Teaching Me

November 24, 2025

Matthew with a grey mustache outside in Movember 2025

Movember brought some hard truths about men’s health into focus: loneliness, silence, and the stigma around asking for help. Here’s what I learned, and how it’s shifting the way I teach yoga and meditation.

Yoga for the Whole Man

November 17, 2025

matthew doing child's pose in front of a world map

Yoga builds strength, balance, and calm in a way that supports men’s long-term health. Taking care of your body is an act of self-respect. In some cases, yoga can change your life. If you’ve been curious about yoga, this is a good place to start.

Stronger Together

November 13, 2025

people standing outside at sunset with their arms raised

Strength isn’t independence. It’s connection. Yoga can offer men (and people of all genders) a calm, welcoming space to feel supported and not alone.

This Movember, Let’s Talk About Men’s Health and Yoga

November 3, 2025

When I first tried yoga, I thought it was just exercise. Over time, I discovered that slowing down, breathing, and connecting were forms of strength too. During this Movember, I will be exploring how yoga and community can support men’s health in real and practical ways.

Peaceful Lane: Practicing Ahimsa in Everyday Life

October 6, 2025

A road sign with the words Peaceful Ln with green leaves in the background

Practicing ahimsa, non-harming, doesn’t mean never getting angry or always being serene. It’s about meeting each moment with care. Small, everyday choices, like pausing before speaking or taking a mindful breath, can become acts of compassion. On a recent bike ride, a road called Peaceful Lane reminded me that peace isn’t only the destination, but also the way we travel.

Practicing Vairāgya at the Bus Stop: Yoga, Parenting, and the Spiritual Practice of Letting Go

June 2, 2025

As one chapter of parenting ends, another begins. In this reflection on yoga, family, and the practice of vairāgya (letting go), I share what I’ve learned from sixteen years of walking to the bus stop, and how love endures even as rituals change.

yoga