Yoga By Gillian

23/11/2025

Why yoga and self-care?

Yoga is self-care and self-care is yoga.

Self-Care is a practice to get you out of your head and into a more relaxed state. That's exactly what the primary aim of yoga is too!

Whether you've practiced yoga before or not I'm inviting you to try this week.

🕯️ Light a candle
🤫 sit somewhere quiet
🔥 watch the flame

For a moment you will be practicing yoga, by slowing the mind down and stepping into the present moment.

Try it and let me know 👇 if you found a moment of stillness?

16/11/2025

Sunday Sep-Care Club

What's your challenge for this coming week?

Are you going to hit snooze 5 times each morning, drag yourself out of bed and hope that the day heads up from there?

Or

Are you going to get up with your alarm, do something positive for yourself first thing and know that you can handle whatever the day throws at you?

Both are challenges. Both are hard.

Choose your challenge, and let me know what that is in the comments below 👇

PS - been feeling quite anxious and low this weekend, and almost didn't post this. While this post is hopefully helping someone the likelihood is those who really need it won't ever see it. That makes me sad, because it's the kind of honest content I could do with myself right now.

13/11/2025

Yin yoga offers a wealth of benefits, but it can be challenging to remain still.

Here's my top tips on how to practice yin and not become distracted.

⌛set a timer for each pose so that you don't need to think about the length of time
💝set an intention, this will give your practice focus and your mind something to come back to when distraction creeps in
💁‍♀️use props for support - blocks, bolsters, cushions, pillows, blankets - these all make fantastic props to help ease into a pose
✍️journal afterwards to help note your progress or to offer insight into particular shapes you find challenging to remain with

Try these 2 yin yoga poses as an ideal way to wind down before bed
🧘‍♀️ Sphinx pose - use the bolster underneath the ribcage, chest or chin to create a supportive backbend. Aim to stay here for up to 2 minutes.
🧘‍♀️Caterpillar pose - use the bolster to support the upper body as you fold forwards in this shape. The bolster can be place on the legs horizontally or used vertically underneath the chin.
🧘‍♀Journal prompts - where can I soften in my daily life? how can I bring more self-reflection into my self-care practices?

Share with someone who needs to slow down 👇

11/11/2025

Yin Yoga is boring!

There I said it and it is true - but that's also the point of this practice.

Yin yoga doesn't focus on the muscles within the body, instead it targets the deeper connective tissues, which benefit from longer, less intense holds. This means in a Yin practice we can expect to remain in a shape for a length of time, with no where to go except looking inwards.

But that's the point, this slowness and longer holds offer many benefits
1 - holding poses for a length of time stimulates synovial fluids, lubricating joints and easing stiffness
2 - emphasising stillness and breath, takes the nervous system from the stress-response into the relaxation response
3 - the body produces more serotonin and endorphins which alter mood and pain perception
4 - the practice encourages mindfulness which improves neuroplasticity
5 - yin yoga increases activity in pre-frontal cortex (this helps regulate emotions)
6 - an evening practice can lead to greater melatonin production and a better sleep
7 - improves body awareness through proprioception

Read more on the blog - https://yogabygillian.com/2025/11/09/yin-yoga-is-boring-and-thats-the-point/

Save this post and try the mini-yin yoga practice. Let me know how you get on 👇

10/11/2025

In some exciting news, it seems that I've been voted one of the Top 3 Best Yoga Classes in Lanarkshire, for the 6th year running! WOW!!!

https://threebestrated.co.uk/yoga-classes-in-north-lanarkshire

Thank you to the lovely people who come along each week.
Thank you to the folks I've met who host venues that I've taught in.
Thank you to the people who help get my message out there by commenting and sharing my Social Media posts (this means the world btw!)
Thank you to the people who have read my blog posts, watched my YouTube videos or meditated with me over on Insight Timer.

And Thank You to the rest of team Yoga by Gillian, who do so much in the background to keep this all running.

To celebrate, please share your favourite memory of attending a class with me. This could be recent or in the distant past, let's reconnect, reminisce and laugh together 👇

Expert recommended Top Yoga Classes in North Lanarkshire. How do we actually find? ThreeBestRated.co.uk 50-Point Inspection includes everything from checking reputation, history, complaints, reviews, ratings, satisfaction, trust and price to the general excellence.

09/11/2025

Welcome to the Sunday Self-Care Club.

What is self-care, anyway?

It's so much fun more than a buzzword, and for me it's all the things I know I should do but don't.

Self-care isn't just a once a week hair treatment and face mask. It's not that treat of a massage or spa day. Although these things are important.

Self-Care is making time for yourself and doing the things that help.

Today my self-care has involved
🥘 meal prep
☀️ a walk outside in the rare sunshine
🍈 eating some healthy foods (watermelon, yum!)
🧘‍♀️ yoga
🪮 hair treatment
👗 looked out clothes for the wee ahead

So what does self-care look like for you? Let me know 👇 Then share with someone who needs a self-care boost!

03/11/2025

Do you have tight shoulders?
Does your neck sometimes feel 'clicky?'

If you answered yes then this is what you need - criss/cross or closed wing pose 🪽

This yin yoga pose is perfect for releasing tension in the upper body as it stretches the fascia in between the shoulder blades.

You can read more about this amazing pose over on my blog post - https://yogabygillian.com/2025/11/02/pose-of-the-month-closed-wing-pose/

Will you be trying this shape?