Tessa Spring

Tessa Spring Mindful yoga for wellbeing
Osteoporosis aware & Yoga4Health provider
Conversations for life & home changes
Reflection & action📍Kingston / Surrey + online

I run local yoga classes and wellbeing workshops and also offer one-to-one support for people navigating life and home transitions, combining coaching-informed reflection and planning with practical guidance, assistance and wellbeing practices. My wider work includes consulting, writing and facilitation for organisations, and I’m a trustee for the women’s health charity Pregnancy Associated Osteoporosis UK.

01/05/2026

Grounding Relaxation for Inner Strength | Mindful Yoga for Wellbeing

I usually start and end my classes with a guided relaxation. Here's three minutes of an opening relaxation focused on the theme of grounding, and gently building strength from the ground up.

Learn more about my six-session Mindful yoga course for home practice in the link in comments.

Or attend Sunday morning Mindful yoga for wellbeing at Studio 366 in Molesey, Surrey.

Music: The Inner Calling – composed by Music of Wisdom – licensed from https://meditationmusiclibrary.com/

30/04/2026

Camel pose: an osteoporosis-friendly gentle option

A supportive way to explore a heart opener without compressing or collapsing into the lower back.

Place a bolster over your calves as you come into a kneeling position, taking care to move slowly and avoid twisting.

Breath in as you float your arms up into a V shape.

Breath out as you bring your hands to your sacrum and the top of your pelvis, drawing your elbows in and your shoulders back.

Breath in to lengthen through your spine and gently open through the chest.

You might press the hips slightly forward. The head can come back only if it feels comfortable, otherwise keep the neck neutral.

Breath out to return to neutral, gently drawing the navel towards the spine and bringing the chin slightly towards the chest.

Repeat this a few times, moving with your breath.

If it feels right for you, you can take it a step further.

On an exhale, bring your hands down to the bolster or blocks placed on the bolster and stay in a slightly deeper backbend for a few steady breaths, pressing gently through the hands.

To come out, engage through the centre, draw the navel towards the spine, and return slowly to upright.

Move in a way that feels right for your body. Check with a healthcare professional if you’re unsure.

Learn more about my six-session Mindful yoga course for home practice at the link in comments below.

Or attend Sunday morning Mindful yoga for wellbeing at Studio 366 in Molesey, Surrey.

Music: The Inner Calling – composed by Music of Wisdom – licensed from https://meditationmusiclibrary.com/

30/04/2026

Before coming into side angle pose, lengthen through the spine as you breath in. Then bring your hand or elbow to your thigh as you breath out.

As you breathe in, lift the back arm to the sky. Take a few steady breaths here, with shoulders back and an open heart, creating space through both sides of the waist and lengthening with each breath. This is the best option for those with osteoporosis.

If you’d like to go deeper, extend your arm over your head as you breathe out, creating a straight line from your heel to your fingertips. This option can encourage collapsing or rotation through the spine, so it’s best avoided if you have osteoporosis.

Learn more about my six-session Mindful yoga course for home practice here:
https://tessaspring.co.uk/2026/04/18/six-session-recorded-mindful-yoga-course-for-home-practice/

Or attend Sunday morning Mindful yoga for wellbeing Studio 366



Music: The Inner Calling – composed by Music of Wisdom – licensed from https://meditationmusiclibrary.com/

30/04/2026

I’m often asked whether twisting is safe with osteoporosis. The answer is that it can be, if it’s done gently and with support.

In this video, I’m demonstrating a simple, mindful lying twist.

Start on your back with your feet on the mat
As you breathe in, lengthen through your spine
As you breathe out, gently draw your navel towards your spine and slowly lower your knees to one side

Rest your thighs on a yoga block, rolled blanket, or cushion so your body feels supported rather than pulled.

The key is to move slowly and stay within a comfortable range.

If you’d like to see how to safely come down to the mat and onto your back, you can watch this short clip here:

https://youtu.be/V15lAecujRw?si=XOwZd2RK7xnNu_7B

And if you’d like more guidance, my six-session recorded mindful yoga course for home practice is here:

https://tessaspring.co.uk/2026/04/18/six-session-recorded-mindful-yoga-course-for-home-practice/



Music: The Inner Calling – composed by Music of Wisdom – licensed from https://meditationmusiclibrary.com/

29/04/2026

Downward Dog is often thought of as a “stretch” but how you approach it makes all the difference, especially if you’re mindful of spinal health.

Start with soft knees and focus on lengthening through the spine. Root down evenly through your palms, feel a sense of lift through your hips, and allow your sitting bones to rise as your sacrum gently reaches towards the sky.

Rather than pushing your heels down straight away, prioritise space and length in the spine. Only begin to straighten your legs and reach your heels towards the floor if you can maintain that length. If you notice any rounding through the back, soften the knees again.

Through the upper body, think about wrapping the upper arms slightly outwards, with your index fingers pointing forward or slightly turned out, and keep your ears in line with your upper arms so the neck can stay relaxed.

Support the pose with core engagement by drawing your navel softly towards your spine, without gripping.

It’s not about how straight your legs are or whether your heels touch the ground. It’s about creating a shape that supports your spine and allows for steady breathing.

Learn more about my six-session Mindful yoga course for home practice here:
https://tessaspring.co.uk/2026/04/18/six-session-recorded-mindful-yoga-course-for-home-practice/

Or attend Sunday morning Mindful yoga for wellbeing at Studio 366



Music: The Inner Calling – composed by Music of Wisdom – licensed from https://meditationmusiclibrary.com/

29/04/2026

If you have osteoporosis, you may have heard: “no forward folding and no twisting.” But what does that actually mean in practice?

In this clip, I explain how to approach forward folds more safely, and share a couple of other movements to be mindful of in yoga classes.

This is taken from a workshop I ran on yoga for osteoporosis, which is available in full on YouTube.

I also run Sunday morning classes at Studio 366 in Molesey, Surrey, and I offer a six-session online course for home practice.

Learn more in the link in comments below.

28/04/2026

In this clip I demo two seated twists – the first is osteoporosis aware. The second deeper option is not suitable for osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis aware option:

Sit in a chair with feet on block or floor, or if sitting on a mat, have a blanket tucked under sitting bones to tilt you forward slightly. Breath in to lengthen, while rooting down through your sitting bones, and gently push your head back into your fingers (this discourages rounding forward through upper back).

As you breath out, pull navel towards spine and subtly look to one side (not looking further than your shoulder). The movement should come from your mid and upper back, not your lower back.

You should only do this version of the pose if you can keep a neutral, upright back, rather than rounding forward.

The safest way to practise a mindful twist for the lower back with osteoporosis is to lie on your back, arms out and legs bent with soles of feet on floor, and use cushions or blocks to support your thighs, as you slowly lower knees to one side on out breath. I cover how to do this in another clip and in my Sunday morning mixed ability classes at Studio 366.

Learn more about the six-session recorded mindful yoga course for home practice at the link in comments.

28/04/2026

Side bends for osteoporosis need to be approached with care. Even if the teacher demos a deeper version, it’s important to remember to work within your own range. In this clip, I demonstrate a safe, supported way to explore a subtle side opening lying on your back.

I usually begin my classes with osteoporosis-aware options, then offer alternatives for those who feel comfortable going deeper.

For seated or standing side bends, focus on lengthening upwards on the in-breath. Keep any side movement very small, just a few centimetres (couple of inches), as you breathe out, while gently drawing your navel towards your spine. Keep your shoulders stacked and your heart open to avoid rounding forward through your back.

Pause for a few steady breaths without strain, then return to centre.

Learn more about my six-session course at the link in comments, available on a pay-what-you-can basis from ÂŁ0 to ÂŁ60 to support accessibility.



Music: The Inner Calling – composed by Music of Wisdom – licensed from https://meditationmusiclibrary.com/

Join us Sunday mornings for Mindful yoga for wellbeing at Studio 366 in Molesey:☀️9.45am to 11am☀️Mixed abilities☀️Try y...
27/04/2026

Join us Sunday mornings for Mindful yoga for wellbeing at Studio 366 in Molesey:

☀️9.45am to 11am
☀️Mixed abilities
☀️Try your first class for £5.

Book at https://tessaspring.setmore.com

25/04/2026

Here we move from crescent moon lunge 🌙 into upright triangle, or triangle, as part of our adapted moon salutations.

Upright triangle, with your hand or forearm resting on the thigh of the bent front leg, is the osteoporosis-aware option.

Triangle is there if you feel comfortable going deeper (and is not suitable for osteoporosis).

⭐️ Despite common misconceptions, osteoporosis (low bone density) doesn’t mean you’re inactive or not mobile. It can have different causes, including age, hormonal changes, pregnancy, illness, medication, genetics, nutrition, chronic stress, and how we move and live over time.

Some women in their 40s have osteopenia (lower bone density, not as advanced as osteoporosis) without realising it. This doesn’t mean you need to avoid general yoga classes but it can be helpful to be aware and build up gradually rather than pushing straight to your end range.

It’s also important to remember everyone has a different fracture risk profile, it’s not just about bone density.

Learning a few osteoporosis-aware yoga principles can be helpful for supporting bone health, or to move with more awareness.

24/04/2026

You can either join us on Sunday mornings at Studio 366 or get the recorded course to support your home practice 🧘

More info at tessaspring.co.uk ☀️



Music: The Inner Calling – composed by Music of Wisdom – licensed from https://meditationmusiclibrary.com/

23/04/2026

After my own experience with pregnancy osteoporosis, I became much more aware of how subtle movements in yoga can either support or strain the body.

In this clip I talk through a few things to avoid, like rounding forward into the spine and deep twists, and share safer ways to move through common transitions.

It’s not about doing less, it’s about doing things differently, with awareness.

I’ve recorded a six-session mindful yoga course for home practice to provide a calm, breath-led Hatha approach to building strength, balance and trust in your body, moving steadily from grounding and support through to openness and integration.

I’ll put a link for how to access the course in the comments.

Music: The Inner Calling – composed by Music of Wisdom – licensed from https://meditationmusiclibrary.com/

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Surbiton
KT6

Website

http://tessaspring.co.uk/

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