The New Year will soon be upon us. That time where resolutions and good intentions abound. Are you wanting to start something to improve your fitness? Maybe help you deal with stress or sleep better? Are you looking for something to look after your physical and mental health that only takes up a few minutes a day? Well, a home yoga practice could be just the thing for you. (more…)
Christmas is a time to let go of all those dietary disciplines and just let loose! For a few days each year, most of us put our healthy eating efforts to one side and over-eat to our heart’s content. And it’s not just the over-eating, it’s rich food!
Take the traditional British Christmas lunch. Turkey, stuffing, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, roasted carrots and parsnips, mashed celeriac, Brussel sprouts, bread sauce, cranberry sauce and, to top it all off, lashings of gravy. That’s how it goes in our family anyway. What’s lovely about the traditional Christmas lunch is that for every family there’s something a little bit different, which makes it the special annual over-indulgence it is.
And personally, I wouldn’t miss out on any of it. However, the after-effects can be disastrous. So here are some ways to help to alleviate the bloating, lethargy and sluggishness of the post-prandial Christmas state. (more…)
The holiday season means different things to each of us. For many people, it offers the chance to spend some quality time with family and friends. This may mean travel, staying away from home or maybe welcoming others into your home. Parties, family meals and presents are all wonderful for those lucky enough to get to enjoy them but they do bring First World problems too. The reality is that the holiday season is often stressful, challenging and can be a struggle in so many ways. And just when we need our ‘me time’ to get on our mat and yoga it all away there never seems to be the space/time/
energy (delete as appropriate).
So what is a good yogi to do at Christmas? Simple – get the family to join in with your yoga practice. It will reduce your stress and maybe theirs too. It will work off some of the excess calories that seem to be an inevitable part of the festivities. And it is fun! Ready to give it a go? Read on … (more…)
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…)
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…)
