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Serving Women 50+ with Online Yoga Therapeutics & Meditation — Based in Lackawanna County, PA, including Carbondale, Mayfield, Archbald, Scranton and Clarks Summit — and worldwide
Yoga Therapeutics & Meditation for Beginners
Joy Zazzera'a Blog
Welcome to your trusted space for science-informed insight and body-wise support.
If you’ve ever searched for yoga or meditation help online—and ended up more overwhelmed than empowered—you’re not alone.
This blog is here to remove the guesswork out of what's possible.
Here, you’ll find clear, compassionate guidance rooted in yoga therapeutics, meditation made simple, massage therapeutics, and my lived experience. Whether you’re navigating joint replacements, reduced mobility, chronic stress, or just starting out with yoga and meditation, this space is meant to remove confusion and offer real solutions—for your body, nervous system, and stage of life.
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Beginner Meditation Mistakes: 10 Common Myths You Don’t Need to Worry About
Meditation has become more popular than ever, but with that popularity comes a lot of confusion. If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing it “wrong” because your mind won’t stop thinking—or because you haven’t had a transcendent experience—you’re not alone. The truth is, many common meditation myths can create unnecessary pressure and prevent people from starting (or sticking with) a daily meditation practice.
Joy Zazzera
Jul 64 min read
What Really Happens During Meditation? The 6 Stages of Presence
Building Confidence in Meditation with The 6 Stages of PresenceWhen you first begin a meditation practice—or return to one after a break—it’s natural to wonder what really happens during meditation. Is it supposed to be calm and quiet? Should you be completely still, free of thought? What if you’re not? These questions are part of the journey. And the truth is, meditation isn’t about achieving perfection—it’s about meeting yourself right where you are and learning how to stay
Joy Zazzera
Jun 294 min read
How to Create a Meditation Routine
One of the most powerful and transformative tools we have is a daily meditation practice—built into our day like a trusted anchor. Learning how to create a meditation routine that feels sustainable can be life-changing. Taking regular “time-ins” gives the mind a break from the constant stream of doing. It’s like putting your mental ringer on silent—offering yourself a permission slip to pause, reset, and create space between your thoughts and the demands of your day.
Joy Zazzera
Jun 13 min read
What to Focus on in Meditation: The Art of Attention
Objects of your attention in meditation are specific focal points that gently guide your awareness whenever your mind wanders. This could be your breath, a mantra, or even a sacred or meaningful object. Their purpose is to anchor your awareness, helping shift the mind from activity to stillness and silence. Among the many options for what to focus on in meditation, the breath is one of the most accessible and intuitive.
Joy Zazzera
May 183 min read
What Happens When You Sit Still To Meditate
Sitting still to meditate may seem simple, but it can awaken a wide spectrum of internal experiences—some subtle, some surprising. For many beginners, the first time they truly pause reveals a noisy inner world: thoughts racing, sensations rising, memories surfacing. This is not a sign of failure; it’s a natural part of the process. Meditation isn’t about “doing nothing.” It’s about gently witnessing whatever arises within you—without judgment or resistance.
Joy Zazzera
Apr 64 min read
How Meditation Affects the Brain and Body: What Science Reveals
In recent years, scientific research has made it increasingly clear: meditation profoundly affects both the brain and body. From improved sleep to reduced pain, emotional regulation to cognitive clarity, peer-reviewed studies continue to confirm what ancient traditions have long known. This post explores how meditation affects the brain and body, uncovering what science reveals about the true power behind stillness.
Joy Zazzera
Mar 236 min read
Trauma-Informed Yoga: How It Heals Mind and Body
Trauma doesn't just affect how we feel—it affects how we function. It changes how our body responds to stress, how our brain processes information, and how we relate to the world around us. But here's the hopeful truth: those patterns can shift. And mindful, trauma-informed yoga is one evidence-supported way to help.
Joy Zazzera
Jan 154 min read
Trauma-Informed Yoga: How Trauma Shapes Body & Brain
Stress is part of being human. It’s our body’s way of responding to change, challenge, and demand. But trauma is different. Trauma is what happens when we’re overwhelmed by stress that feels inescapable—especially when it involves threats to safety or survival.
This blog explores how trauma impacts the brain and nervous system, why it affects the body long after the event, and how this understanding can lead us toward compassionate, body-based healing.
Joy Zazzera
Jan 84 min read
How Stress Affects the Body: Physiological Affects Explained
Stress is defined as how one responds when needs or expectations are not met. Human beings experience this phenomena 8 to 15 times a day. Assuming our typical 8 hours of sleep, that’s an unmet need every one to two hours. But it’s what we do with it, how we respond to our unmet needs - what we think, the words we speak, and how we react to each other and our unmet needs - that determine the fabric of our life.
Joy Zazzera
Dec 2, 20245 min read
Yoga's discomfort zone and what it means to step into it.
If your reaction to trying yoga elicits a mindset that you don’t have an able-body for yoga, or you can't balance, consider reading on.
Joy Zazzera
Dec 14, 20225 min read
Yoga Sharpens Brain Health: Memory, Focus & Neuroplasticity
As we age, our brain actually atrophies in function. But did you know that practicing yoga as a regular part of your lifestyle can ...
Joy Zazzera
Oct 16, 20226 min read
Re-learning how to relax.
Increasingly things that feel easy and may not require a lot of brain power are often being confused with relaxation. Our learned...
Joy Zazzera
Jul 31, 20222 min read
Motivation for Movement Snacks
Hungry to move easier but don’t have much time or motivation to adopt a traditional workout regime? Or maybe you’re not sure how to work...
Joy Zazzera
Jan 21, 20223 min read
What begins here, spreads.
What begins in a yoga practice can spread to other areas of life. Each and every yoga class I design is intended to leave you with...
Joy Zazzera
Nov 15, 20213 min read
Right Now is Everything
Our routines have the potential to ground us or the more unsettled feeling of being pulled in different directions simultaneously. A...
Joy Zazzera
Nov 11, 20213 min read
Ultimate Self-Care: The stillness and sensory experience of Restorative Yoga + Meditation
In the age of movement, nothing is more critical than stillness. Because we already to some degree understand that overdoing leads to...
Joy Zazzera
Sep 6, 20214 min read
CAPTURING PRESENCE: In the space of quiet contemplation, insight & clarity are revealed.
When I first set out to open my own yoga business, I knew ahead of time details that I didn’t want to over-look.
Joy Zazzera
Aug 26, 20214 min read
"What Kind of Yoga Do You Teach?"
I was recently asked by a new client after having taking a few classes with me to describe the style of yoga I teach. While my yoga is...
Joy Zazzera
Aug 18, 20218 min read
Osteoarthritis and the Athlete Mindset After 40
Yoga teaches you to walk the line of discomfort while trying to maintain focus. Through yoga it is possible to quiet the mind, freeing it...
Joy Zazzera
Aug 13, 20213 min read
MINDEST: Maximum Joy + Rest
Guidance for processing negative emotion as a means to feel more rested and more joyful. Our ability to feel maximum amounts of joy is...
Joy Zazzera
Jun 29, 20214 min read
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