Live Sessions

MONTHLY OVERVIEW

The pelvic floor is one of four structural walls, the deep core — diaphragm above, pelvic floor below, deep abdominals in front, multifidus behind — that together regulate intra-abdominal pressure.

This pressurized cylinder acts as an internal stabilizer that reduces shear and bending stress on the lumbar spine during movement.

Research shows that when the diaphragm, abdominal wall, and pelvic floor fail to coordinate — as seen in chronic low back pain patients or those with pelvic floor dysfunction — IAP regulation becomes impaired, forcing the spine to rely on less efficient stabilization strategies.

Most core training focuses on the muscles you can see — the abdominals, the back. But in this practice series, renowned yoga teacher and author Leslie Howard will help you develop the true foundation of core strengthening. Learn yoga practices to effortlessly and holistically engage and tone the pelvic floor muscles, the vital base of the pressure system that stabilizes your spine with every step you take.

Want to build your health span and live longer? There's one simple thing you can do that may be more effective than almost anything else — and most of us overlook it completely: walking.

Sounds too simple to be true? The research says otherwise, and it's some of the most extensive evidence in longevity science. Just 11 minutes of brisk walking a day can lower your risk of premature death by nearly 25 percent. Walk three to four miles daily, and your odds of a heart attack or stroke fall by 40 to 50 percent. And people who walk significantly faster than their peers as they age show markedly lower rates of cognitive decline.
Put simply, walking speed and consistency touch nearly every major system tied to a long, vital life — your heart, your brain, your muscles, and your independence.

Unfortunately, walking often becomes harder as we age. Weak, stiff feet, muscle loss in the legs, and dulled sensory feedback all quietly undermine our stride, nudging us toward shorter, slower, more cautious walks.
The good news? None of this needs to be permanent. It's simply what happens when a trainable system goes untrained — and it responds remarkably well once you start asking more of it again.

Aging is not the ending of your story—it is an invitation to keep writing it.

Join yoga teacher James Knight, founder of Gentle Somatic Yoga®, for a transformational four-part journey that will redefine your relationship with your body and your understanding of what movement and exercise can be.

This is not another program to help you hold on to what you have. It's an invitation to remember, repattern, strengthen, and embody a version of yourself with more freedom, resilience, and joy than you may have thought possible.

In this four-part series, James Knight introduces a fresh perspective on healthy aging through the lens of Somatic Wisdom™. Rather than focusing solely on muscles, flexibility, or exercise, participants will learn how the nervous system, brain-to-muscle communication, and mindful movement work together to create resilient strength, greater ease, and more pleasure in everyday movement.

Each session in this series combines Gentle Somatic Yoga®, Somatic Movement Flows®, and practical strategies that can immediately be integrated into daily life. While every practice in the series stands on its own, together they offer a progressive journey from increasing awareness to creating sustainable movement patterns that support resilience, independence, and vitality for years to come.

For decades, one of neuroscience's greatest mysteries was this: why do some people's brains show the physical changes linked to dementia and Alzheimer's, while their minds and memory stay perfectly sharp?

A long-term study on Catholic nuns helped resolve this puzzle. When researchers examined their brains after death, some showed the full physical hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease — plaques, tangles, all the classic markers. Yet these women had shown no signs of memory loss while alive.

Something protected them from ever experiencing the effects of that disease. Researchers call it cognitive reserve — a mental buffer, built over a lifetime, that lets some brains keep functioning well despite age-related wear and tear.

Here's the hopeful part: cognitive reserve isn't something you're born with. It's something you build. Researchers estimate that up to 45 percent of dementia cases worldwide may be preventable or delayable through modifiable lifestyle factors.

So what builds it? Not crossword puzzles or brain-training apps, despite popular claims. The stronger research evidence points to something simpler: movement, and yoga in particular.

The Vital Importance of Body Awareness

EXPERT TALKS

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