Yoga therapy for a herniated disc – try this soothing rest position

A herniated disc in the lumbar spine can take a long time to heal. Even when the often-accompanying sciatic pain has gone after a few months, the healing process can last about a year. During this time, it’s crucial to aid the recovery by avoiding certain positions and practising the right ones. This blog about yoga therapy for a herniated disc discusses which movements are important to avoid. It also describes one relaxation position that may relieve the pain. I have re-written this blog in memory of my mentor Robin Monro, a pioneer in the field of yoga therapy in the UK. He dedicated decades to researching yoga therapy for lower back pain. It is thanks to him that yoga therapists know the particular approach that a herniated disc requires.

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How to relieve chronic or acute neck pain

There was a time when I regularly woke up in the morning with neck pain. Once, on holiday, the pain was so bad I could barely lift my head off the pillow. I thought my acute neck pain was due to wrong pillows: too low, too high, going down during the night. I would do gentle neck stretches during the day and wait for it to pass. One time, during the first lockdown, I started to have nerve pain going down one arm and into my thumb. Since then I have researched neck pain more seriously. I am happy to say that even though I have to be careful, I don’t wake up with neck pain any more, not even on holiday. The nerve tingling and numbness in my arm and thumb have disappeared. In this blog I am sharing my insights and hope it will help you to prevent, manage and relieve acute or chronic neck pain.

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How to improve your balance and boost your brain health

how to improve your balance

Did you know that the ability to balance can be a reflection of how well your brain functions? On the Radio 4 programme ‘Just One Thing’ the late Michael Mosley mentions a study that connects the ability to stand on one leg in your 50s with your eyes closed and being alive 13 years later. This is because balancing requires the brain to integrate the different physiological systems that are needed to balance. If the brain is struggling to coordinate these different messages, it could point at a more general decline in brain function. Luckily, it’s never too late to improve one’s balance, and doing that will have a positive effect on the brain. Mosley’s report suggests that it may even slow your chance of developing dementia. This blog takes you through different stages of learning to balance, gradually increasing the level of difficulty. If you would like to learn how to improve your balance and boost your brain health, this step-by-step guide can help you.

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How to stretch tight muscles effectively

stretch tight muscles effectively

If your tight muscles don’t seem to respond to stretching, you may be stretching in the wrong way. Pulling strongly, bouncing in the stretch, and not staying in the stretch long enough can all be futile. In this blog I explain some yoga techniques that can help, so read on if you would like to learn how to stretch tight muscles effectively.

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Yoga Therapy for Polymyalgia Rheumatica

yoga therapy for polymyalgia

Polymyalgia rheumatica is the most common inflammatory rheumatic disease in people over 70, according to NICE. The onset is usually fast and the main symptoms are pain and stiffness around hips and shoulders, on both sides of the body. The tightness in the morning can be extreme and immobilising. Both the inflammation and symptoms are relieved with corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs. Apart from that, staying mobile and stretching are recommended. This is of course where yoga therapy comes in. Yoga therapy for polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) can help loosen tight muscles in a relaxing but effective way. Also sleeplessness and the stress associated with having the condition, can be addressed with the relaxing tools of yoga therapy. This blog discusses PMR and explains the many ways in which yoga therapy can help.

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Morning Routine for Achy Joints

morning routine for achy joints

There are many reasons why you could feel tight and achy in the morning. They don’t have to be serious. When you’ve just been lying still for a long time, already tight muscles tend to tighten more. Then again, you may have slept on an uncomfortable mattress or in an awkward position. Apart from these straightforward reasons, there are health conditions that will make you feel particularly tight upon waking. This blog discusses these health challenges, and provides a morning routine for achy joints that could benefit all. Moving your body gently in the morning will allow you to keep your mobility, flexibility and stability in the long term, as well as make you feel much better overall.

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How yoga therapy can help when you have acute back pain

how yoga therapy can help when you have acute back pain

When you have back pain, you are desperate to ease the pain straight away. Taking pain medication is one option. Waiting until the pain subsides is another, longer-term option. But what if you knew exactly what to do to relieve the pain? Back pain is draining, sapping all your energy. The better you look after your back, the sooner you can return to feeling more carefree. This blog gives you a few general guidelines and discusses how yoga therapy can help when you have acute back pain.

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Is posture the most important factor for healthy ageing?

good posture for healthy ageing

A health expert recently argued that posture and social contact are the two most significant factors when it comes to healthy ageing. Of course, there is more that we could add to the list, such as healthy eating, exercising, sleeping enough and having a purpose in life. In fact, the older we get, the more we seem to have to do each day to stay healthy. Naturally, socialising is crucial when we age, but to single out posture as the most powerful physical factor may be more surprising. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting idea that I would like to explore in this blog. Is a good posture really the most important factor for healthy ageing?

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Yoga in summer: staying cool and relaxed

beneyoga: yoga in summer

While winter yoga naturally invites us to focus on dynamic and strengthening practices, summer is just too hot for these. The warmer weather allows muscles to release more easily and is perfect for soothing movements and cooling breath techniques. The yoga I teach in my group sessions changes from season to season. In summer I always recommend the legs-up-the-wall-pose as a regular home practice. If you suffer from heavy legs during warm weather, this simple inversion could be just right to relieve leg fatigue and heaviness. This supported inversion can also be helpful when you have lower back pain, varicose veins, and oedema in legs, ankles and feet. In addition, it soothes the nervous system. If you feel stressed or anxious, this an excellent position to relax in, regardless whether your legs need it or not. For your yoga in summer, stay cool and relaxed with these yoga poses!

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Yoga for healthy ageing: high blood pressure

yoga for healthy ageing: high blood pressure

Having high blood pressure does not prevent you from doing yoga. On the contrary, practising yoga, calm breathing and meditation can reduce hypertension. However, do you know which kind of yoga to practise and which poses to avoid? In this blog I explain what high blood pressure is, what the risks are and how you can reduce it. Importantly, you will learn which yoga practices are beneficial and which you have to avoid even if you take medication for high blood pressure. Finally, in this episode of yoga for healthy ageing: high blood pressure, I’ll walk you through a calming yoga practice.

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