Concentrating on the spine in flexibility, stability, and strength is crucial for a healthy, pain-free back. Read ahead to find your optimal alignment, as well as four exercises that help you maintain neutral spine alignment and move through the world with greater ease: Always prioritize alignment and active muscular engagement over depth and range of motion. Because pelvis and thigh bone anatomy is individual to your body, your neighbor may squat lower, but you’re both doing what’s ideal for your own body type....

This is why many look for heatless ways to style their hair. So for those looking for heatless curls (no matter your hair type), here’s the best way to style your hair to amp up some texture: And as hairstylist Miko Branch, co-founder of hair care brand Miss Jessie’s reminds us: “Say it with us, air dry is always the best dry,” she says. “Style your hair using nourishing, hydrating products that were made exclusively for your textured curls—whether wavy, coily, or kinky....

Case in point: Me! I started growing gray hair early (around my mid-20s) in spurts and spatters. I have a few areas on my head around my part and hairline that hoard the hairs. My reason for graying on the earlier end comes from genetics but, of course, was likely influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors such as pollution (free radicals can trigger premature aging of the hair much like it can the skin) and stress (chronic stress does a number on the body)....

So, what does wellness really look like? Here’s a second installment of all the ways I think wellness can show up in your life. (If you missed part one, head here!) If you find yourself in complaint mode, pay attention to what triggers you and set up healthy boundaries so that you can distance yourself from things that aren’t serving your physical and mental health. That way, you’ll have more room for the things that make the cut on your gratitude list....

Here are my five best tips for bringing your dream of having a child to life: I recommend this “Miracle Breath” exercise as an easy, quick way to pause and ask ourselves if we are blocking the flow; the “miracle breath” is the compass that assists in awareness, clearing, and expansion (a step-by-step can be found below). This can be done at any time of day. The exercises below have been excerpted from the author’s book, Essential Kundalini Yoga: An Invitation to Radiant Health, Unconditional Love, and the Awakening of Your Energetic Potential shared with permission from Sounds True, February 2017....

My pain over the next year was indescribable. That said, it helped me gain the perspective that can only come from a crisis. Here are five things I learned from the trenches: I have been filled with worry like this along my journey, and it’s been such a confidence killer. Over time, you can worry yourself into absolute utter sickness and stress, and push people away as a result. We all know this and yet we worry anyway....

It’s important to have friends who represent the different stages of your life and the paths that you’ve taken. It’s important to surround yourself with friends who know the whole you; a work friend may not know the same you as a friend from college. When you maintain friendships from different stages of your life, you’re able to express more of your real self. Here are the six different types of friend you need for a full and rewarding life:...

According to licensed therapist Nancy Colier, LCSW, many of the best dating apps available today make it super simple to connect with people that are your age, have similar interests, or are looking for the same thing as you. To help get you started, here are the seven best dating apps and sites for people over 40 that have proven track records of success. And even if you don’t want children, of course the urgency to find a partner can still exist....

In case you haven’t guessed, welcome to the world of shea butter—an ingredient with a history just as rich as its creamy texture. Here, you’ll find the best shea butter products you can get your hands on (and your arms, legs, scalp, strands, and elbows, while you’re at it). You can always opt for raw shea butter and use it in its natural form (we also explain how to DIY a whipped version down below), but chances are your favorite skin and hair care products include the famed ingredient, too....

If it’s been a while, know that intimacy is the bedrock of a healthy relationship—including both sexual and emotional intimacy. Here are the seven things you need to know about the connection between emotional and sexual intimacy and how to improve both in your relationship: Intimacy is vast and is defined differently by everyone. The best way to describe intimacy is to think of it as a connection. If you want to be intimate in some way, you want to connect....

It raises the question: What causes these fine lines, and more importantly, can you get rid of them naturally? Here, we tapped dermatologists for the 101 on the very best under-eye wrinkle treatments. Not only is the skin thinner, but it’s also more dynamic due to facial expressions around the eyes, King says (think smiling, squinting, etc.). This makes the under-eyes more prone to expression-triggered types of fine lines and wrinkles....

In 2020, online thrifting is easier—and more popular—than ever. According to a new report from ThredUp, a popular resale website, the online secondhand market is set to grow 69% between 2019 and 2021 while the broader clothing retail space is projected to shrink 15%. The resale industry as a whole is estimated to reach $36 billion by 2021. Another state of the union from resale platform Poshmark found that secondhand clothes now make up the largest percentage of Gen Z-ers’ closets by category, with Americans under the age of 23 reserving an average of 16....

The underarm skin is more sensitive, so clipping it with a razor or causing a rub rash happens to the best of us, too. So if you do want to lighten underarm hyperpigmentation, we asked the experts for their best tips and tricks and why it happens in the first place. But remember: Nobody’s underarm skin is perfect, contrary to what you may see online. Skin color can affect hyperpigmentation as a whole—underarms included....

They’re great for anyone who wants to keep plants out of reach of kids or curious pets, draw the eye up in a room, or display more foliage once floors and tables are chock-full. Here are some of the best planters and hanging accessories around, and pro tips on how to use them properly. This might make the newbie nervous about potential drips and spills—but there are a few easy ways to keep things dry under your new planter....

Today, people around the world call on tarot and oracle cards, which are less traditional in structure, for everything from divine guidance to lighthearted forecasting of what’s to come. While traditional decks are still popular, new crops of cards are starting to appeal to the modern mystic. Prisma Visions Tarot Deck ($45) Celestial Bodies Astrology & Numerology Oracle Deck & Guidebook ($105) Nicole Pivirotto Prism Oracle Deck ($19.95) Wanderer’s Tarot Wyrd Sisters Oracle Deck ($50) Threads of Fate The Weaver Tarot ($79) Mystic Mondays Crystal Grid Deck ($23....

Pelvic floor muscles tend to weaken in response to significant bodily changes, like pregnancy, injury, menopause, or childbirth. This can lead to issues like incontinence, painful sex or orgasms, low back pain, and more. Here are the nine things everyone should know about their pelvic floor muscles in order to properly care for them. That weakening can lead to incontinence issues later in life. We sneeze, we cough, we’re doing an exercise, and, next thing you know, there’s a leak....

That’s why acupuncturist Paige Yang, L.Ac, DACM, doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and founder of Yang Face, sees plenty of patients for sinus discomfort: “Just like how a masseuse might work on one spot on your back, you’re breaking up that fascia,” she tells mbg. Below, she offers up one of her own targeted tutorials to gently knead those sinuses. And while there are tons of TCM literature to support the ancient Chinese modality, one study found that gua sha can increase microcirculation, with participants maintaining increased circulation well after the gua sha practice was over....

In other words: I’m no stranger to lip balm. And now, because of my job, I test quite a lot of them. Rarely will you ever find me heading to bed without a lip mask glossing my pout. The issue was not getting me on board with lip care—who doesn’t want their lips to feel soft and supple?—it was finding a daily staple that actually put in the work. See, those thick, occlusive, healing ointments have their place (and certainly are needed from time to time)....

Energy healers, such as reiki practitioners, are excellent at gauging whether someone has a blocked chakra or chakras, but with a little self-analysis—or this quick test–you can get a good sense of which chakra you might be struggling with most.

Ready for a complete 360 core workout with a cardio pop at the end? You’re in for a treat because I’ve created an efficient, eight-minute complete core routine you can do at home. It starts off with donkey kicks, which not only activate your glutes and bring some extension to your hips (which, if you’ve been sitting from morning to night, have been in flexion all day), but they will also activate your deep core muscles....