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December 12, 2019

Yogi’s Guide: Yoga for Painful Knees

Yogi's Guide: Yoga for Painful Knees

I love knees – they are simple, honest joints that work hard for us and tell us when they are not happy. Very few people get through life without ever having sore knees and many unfortunate folks suffer painful knees on a daily basis.

And knee pain is horrible. It is often enough for people to stop doing things that they love – running, hill walking, dancing, even yoga – but this does not have to be the case. Most sore knees will feel better if they are used and kept strong and mobile. In fact, as a physiotherapist, I regularly see patients that can get back to being pain-free after a period of rehabilitation based on stretching and strengthening. The secret is that knees love to be used and love to be worked – rest and avoiding things SO is not the answer. And the really good news? Yoga IS the answer. (more…)

Posted By

Sally Schofield

December 1, 2019

The Super Six: Seated Yoga for Senior Yogi’s

The Super Six: Seated Yoga for Senior Yogi's

Are you a more mature person, maybe in the autumn of your years ? Have you heard how yoga is SO good for you but wish you’d known this 10 / 20 / 30 or more years ago because then you were young enough to give it a try? And now it is surely too late because you are 50 / 60 /70 /80 years old… Wrong! It is SO not too late – in fact it is never too late to start yoga.

Actually NOW is the perfect time for you to try yoga because yoga is about movement and breath. It is about how your body responds to what you do NOT what your body looks like when you do it. So, it does not matter that you are unlikely to ever rock the iconic single leg balances. Or that you would be unwise to start with a handstand. If you can move and are still breathing then yoga is for you! (more…)

Posted By

Sally Schofield

November 29, 2019

Yogi’s Guide: The Ankle

Yogi's Guide: The Ankle

Ankles are amazing things – they (literally) hold us up and propel us around. They absorb HUGE amounts of impact when we run and jump. And yet we rarely pay them any attention. Unless they are a problem, of course, then they can cause pain and suffering. Let me introduce you to the incredible world of ankles and how to get the most from them on your yoga mat. (more…)

Posted By

Sally Schofield

November 26, 2019

Yogi’s Guide: Shoulderstand

Yogi's Guide: Shoulderstand

I have said it before, and I say it again – shoulderstand is truly a thing of beauty. With the right combination of strength and flexibility, it can be elegance and grace personified. It is iconic and SO photogenic – a social media ‘go-to’ pose that all yogi’s want to be able to do from the moment they discover yoga. Nicknamed the ‘Queen of poses’ – shoulderstand is considered to be cooling; stimulates the calming (parasympathetic) side of the autonomic nervous system; and is reputed to assist in resolving a wide range of medical problems. It demands significant upper body and core strength plus beautifully open chest and shoulders – all wrapped up in a healthy dose of confidence in being upside down. So easy when you are a child – so much harder as an adult! (more…)

Posted By

Sally Schofield

October 9, 2019

5 Awesome Arm Balances for Beginners

5 Awesome Arm Balances for Beginners

The gravity-defying arm balances of an advanced yogi are truly magical )and the envy of many less experienced yogi’s). There is no getting around the fact that the flexibility and strength needed to perform pincha mayurāsana (feathered peacock) or tittibhāsana (firefly) are way beyond most of us. But that does not mean that arm balances are off the yoga menu. There is a wonderful selection of accessible arm balances that strengthen the arms and shoulders and are truly perfect as stepping stones on any yogi’s arm balance journey. Here are a few of my absolute favourites. (more…)

Posted By

Sally Schofield