Heart Centred Yoga

28/02/2025

12/09/2024

Great quick read guide to nutrition… Protein is particularly important for maintenance, renewal and repair of connective tissue for everyone and especially so for bendy aka Hypermobile bodies as we are more susceptible to soft tissue injuries than the average Joe or Joanne…

Nutrition is something we know is important, but most of us don’t know much about it. While we’re not dieticians, nutrition can play an important role in our

28/08/2024

Scared to rest?

‘Giving in’ or yielding to the need to rest is vital.

I hear from a lot of people resisting their need to rest, even when they are directed to prioritise rest by a health professional.

There’s just so much resistance to taking rest in our highly pressurised lives in a post-industrialised society.

Many people carry on still forcing their bodies to do more than they have capacity for, further depleting their reserves, as if it’s some kind of moral victory to keep on keeping on…

That sort of belief is conditioned by environment - upbringing and society - it doesn’t make it true or real, even though it can feel so.

It’s interesting how often people express fear of rest and what will happen when they finally do allow themselves to…

The irony being that if they don’t rest when their bodies and minds are exhausted they will find out sooner or later anyway, only it will be a big old, full blown, burn out, breakdown or crash that will take much much longer to recover from than giving in to rest.

There’s a whole reframe around rest and what constitutes rest, including constructive rest.

Think back to the Victorians who really formalised the role of the medical profession in treating conditions of the body, mind and spirit when bed rest was regularly prescribed for all manner of ailments, often with good effect.

Water cures, time by the sea or in mountain air etc. were all seen as beneficial for recovery from illness or injury.

Rest is restorative and slows the body to come back to homeostasis, the state of having had all primary needs met so that the body can repair, reset and renew itself, just as it is designed to.

We can change our relationship with rest and see it as a valuable resource building practice, rather than an inconvenience or a luxury.

Rest is vital.

How will you meet your need for rest today?

24/04/2024

Forthright high court judge passionate about ensuring access to justice for ordinary people

15/03/2024

Sometimes I feel like I’m moving forward at a snail’s pace but I’ve learnt that slowing down and sitting with hard things and difficult feelings is the only way to truly process and work through experiences.

By allowing myself time and space I show myself grace instead of rushing the pace and trying to force myself forwards to where I want or believe I ought to be I allow what’s real and true to unfold and make itself known.

This is the process of inner witnessing that is at the heart of what I do, whether in 1:1 sessions or group classes. I have to walk my talk in order to offer an authentic experience to my students and clients.

Not everyone is ready to sit with themselves and that’s okay.

I’m a great believer in people finding what works and feels right for them at any given time - you can’t force this kind of work.

What’s right for me or you at any given time may not work for someone else, no matter how much we might want it to for them to experience similar breakthroughs, greater ease and peace in body and mind.

Each to their own and in their own time.

If you’d like to find out more about my approach please like and follow my pages for more information and details of ways of working with me.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092454074881

Coaching - coping with complexity and comorbidities, living with Hypermobile Ehlers Danios Syndrome or Hypermobility Spectrum Condition
EDS Echo Integral Movement Method Trauma Informed Somatic Teacher & Coach for Women, Somatic Yoga & Functional Movement

29/11/2023

Long slow breaths actually strengthen the diaphragm.

After ten straight days of coughing like crazy with a horrible virus I am grateful for my strong diaphragm muscles helping to clear my lungs and keep my airways open.

We often talk about why a long exhale calms your brain. If you are a yoga practitioner, or simply a person who breaths, you may have experienced for yourself that taking a deeper inhale and exhale in yoga can send you to a deeper state of relaxation. However, new research finds there are more benefits to a deep belly breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing practice. A recent study found that the regular practice of yoga, which traditionally involves diaphragmatic breathing throughout, improves the parameters of diaphragm thickness.

Now, why is that important? Diaphragmatic breathing contributes to 80% of the volume of air you bring into your lungs. A strong, and thick, diaphragm is an integral part of the core musculature and helps the diaphragm be more effective. Further the diaphragm works in tandem with other core muscles to provide stability and maintain good posture, which can help prevent back pain and injuries.

Not only this, but the diaphragm plays a role in supporting the abdominal organs and regulating intra-abdominal pressure. Further aiding in digestion and gut health.

So the next time you're consciously breathing to your 'belly' in your yoga practice, remember how powerful your own breath can be. For more on breathing techniques, visit The Minded Institute YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwOkbN7ngWjEGlWE2maXhGw

Link to study can be found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37916088/

26/11/2023

“They caught the wild children and put them in zoos,
They made them do sums and wear sensible shoes.
They put them to bed at the wrong time of day, And made them sit still when they wanted to play.
They scrubbed them with soap and they made them eat peas. They made them behave and say pardon and please.
They took all their wisdom and wildness away.
That’s why there are none in the forests today.”
~~ Wild Child, van Jeanne Willis

Artist: Anna Speshilova

25/11/2023

This made me smile - so often we are conditioned to believe we are not enough and that we need to become more…

▶️ Watch this reel https://www.facebook.com/share/r/F6nqHkidhXXR3oag/?mibextid=UalRPS