Self-care: uplifting yoga
I once asked a friend how she managed to get through a particularly difficult time in her life. She said she focused on looking after herself and eating healthily. It is an important start when life for some reason has ground to a halt and you don’t know immediately which way to turn. As in the cliché, you then have to “put your own safety mask on first”. I am always reminded of her in times I have to be brave, for example when I lose someone dear and I have to think of a strategy to go forward with strength. Apart from nourishing my body and walking or exercising in nature, I also use my yoga practice to make me feel better. Practising yoga can stimulate the endorphins, our “feel-good hormones”, and promote an inner sense of contentment. When we need a mood shift, uplifting yoga poses can help. Yoga also offers the space to centre oneself, to feel quiet and “re-group”. This blog will take you through poses and breathing exercises that have an uplifting effect. Use the sequence whenever you need some extra support.
When would you choose yoga therapy over yoga? — Global Yoga Therapy Day.
14 August was the first Global Yoga Therapy Day, a day filled with sharing and informative lectures via Facebook. “If you can breathe, you can practice yoga” was the motto of this online event. This means everyone can do yoga, even when unable to walk or kneel or bend in certain ways. More than just making yoga accessible, yoga therapy actively seeks to support an individual’s journey to greater health and wellbeing.
A yoga therapist is a yoga teacher who has been trained to make yoga accessible, beneficial and safe for people with a variety of health challenges. We probably all have health challenges, so when would you choose yoga therapy over yoga? A general yoga class can be beneficial when you are fairly fit, healthy and strong, and when you enjoy the group dynamics and social contact. In some instances, however, yoga therapy is the much better choice. This blog explains why.
Hot days, cool yoga
Hot summer days can make us feel tired and bothered: we end up sweaty, with flushed cheeks and heavy legs, exhausted at the end of the day. This is the result of our body working hard to keep its temperature and internal conditions in equilibrium. Our body is trying to keep cool by raising the heart rate, dilating blood vessels and sweating: the dilated blood vessels bring more blood nearer the skin so it can cool down as the sweat evaporates. Help your body by staying as cool as possible and by drinking plenty of water. You can also try these ‘hot days, cool yoga’ tips: a breathing technique that can help you feel cooler and a yoga position that is a miracle cure for heavy legs.
Neck care: four ways in which yoga can help
Looking after our neck is often forgotten, until it hurts. In this time when many of us work at a desk, slouch on a sofa, bend our head over a book or phone, or drive long distances, our posture often puts the neck forward of the shoulders, and the neck muscles at a greater risk. Neck care can help prevent muscle pains and strains, neck tightness, upper back pain, shoulder pain, degeneration of the cervical discs and neurological pain. Having had to manage a forward head myself, and having woken up numerous times with a stiff neck, I know I have to include daily neck care to prevent any chronic condition from developing. This blog discusses four ways in which yoga can help to keep your neck healthy.