Ageing? Bring it on!

Aging is an inevitable process, and everyone must go through it regardless of the state of health they possess. For some it is a pleasurable experience as they lead healthy lives and age with grace without bearing too many health issues, but for others it is the most difficult phase of life when they are faced with health challenges, medications and treatments that hinder their lifestyles. Regular yoga practice can aid in leading a healthy life and if started early in life can also slow down the process of aging. Regardless of age, yoga is a practice that can immensely improve the overall wellbeing of an individual at any age, and as you grow older, you have more free time to start taking better care of yourself, so it is never too late to try some yoga.

I call yoga ‘technical wellbeing’ anyone taking up this practice can benefit from yoga in terms of reducing or eliminating certain health conditions such as arthritis, incontinence, high blood pressure and osteoporosis and also encountering an overall sense of wellbeing. Regular yoga practice increases flexibility, stamina, energy levels and at the same time helps to conquer a number of ailments.

For people who begin yoga at a later stage in life, it is important to bear in mind that they need to apply the movements according to their own limitations and body strength. Certain yoga postures are beneficial for improving the nervous system and can help reduce a number brain and heart conditions. At the same time, certain breathing techniques assist in clearing blocked air passageways and can help to avoid respiratory illnesses. In addition, the breathing exercises are especially useful to relieve stress levels and utilise the lungs to its full capacity in turn improving the air and blood flow throughout the body.

Yoga is a holistic approach to life and provides a good workout, great health and promotes longevity. Yoga sessions leave the yogi feeling rejuvenated and energized in body, mind and spirit. It also improves balance, eliminates toxins, increases oxygen levels, improves flexibility, reduces stress and cures insomnia by relaxing the mind and body. Yoga can lead you through a wholesome life regardless of the age you begin to practice it.

When beginning yoga at a later stage in life, it is crucial to consult your doctor about any restrictions that are required based on your health conditions. It is also important to know that certain postures are not recommended for people beginning yoga practice at an older age.

If this is you, please give me a call to learn more - I am in my 60th year and loving how yoga makes me feel, better each year!

The best way to start your day!

It really is.... I am currently teaching online morning yoga to a local college and it is going extremely well so I have decided to extend the classes to the public, subject to interest. These will be every Tuesday and Thursday from 07:45 to 08:30. The classes will be quite standard yoga, and I will keep the format consistent so people become familiar, this will encourage mindful movement, or moving meditation. This is how I started my interest in yoga, with a regular morning stretch through sun salutations and dancing warriors to get the tissues moving and then some triangles and maybe a balance. The second part of the session will be on the mat and really working with the postures and breath.

You will start your day in a different mindset and your body will feel energised.

You don't have to know yoga to start these classes, I will take you through progressively and help you develop, as I did.

Over time I will introduce more postures and sequences so you can develop your own home practice and become more experimental in your yoga.

If you are interested in adding a different dimension into your day, then please get in touch, I will offer the first session for free and subsequent sessions @ £5 ea or discounted for blocks of sessions.

Feeling better might be right under your nose..

The average adult breathes around 12 breaths per minute, each one of these unique breaths will have a positive effect on all of the bodily systems, yet we know little of our breathing unless we are into our yoga or breathwork.

Perhaps while you are reading this you have already started to count your breaths, it is also worth establishing whether you are a default nose breather or mouth breather, belly breather or upper chest breather as these will have quite an effect on your body, mind and wellbeing.

Certainly, in the current climate, breathing through the nose with its nasal passageways covered with small hairs and acting as vital filtering for the dust and irritants from the air we breathe would be recommended. I encourage my students to nasal breath as this also warms and humidifies the air before it hits the lungs, causing oxygen take up and respiration both easier and more efficient, something we promote in yoga, effortless effort.

Also, as we draw air in through the nose, it will pick up a wonder molecule in the nasal passage, nitric oxide. This neurotransmitter plays a role in every organ of the body, decreasing blood pressure, bolstering the immune system, acting as an anti-inflammatory for the arteries, enhancing memory and learning, influencing hormonal secretion, the list goes on and well worth investigating further on the web.

That is not to say mouth breathing is bad, when practiced in line with the many mouth breathing techniques available, can help us to tap into the subconscious part of ourselves and feel a sensation of bliss once mastered.

As far as breathing into the belly or higher parts of the lungs, it is probably no surprise that generally, we breath into our upper chests, with quite shallow breath. There is even a phenomenon called ‘email apnea’ where multitasking office workers breathe irregularly and shallowly – even at times holding their breath whist looking at their devices.

Again, in yoga we promote a good yogi breath, starting in the belly and filling up through the lungs, regulating and controlling our flowing movement through the practice. This alone reconnects us with belly breathing and it’s e huge benefits. A course of belly breathwork over several weeks has proven across many scientific trials to reduce anxiety across the participants and it is something we can all try. My personal triumphs with belly breath were each time I lined up for an interview or assessment, and at the build up to competing in races and even stuck at another set of roadworks!

There is so much on the internet about breathwork and worth further investigation, otherwise attend a yoga class and participate in some of the great breath awareness techniques you will encounter. Maybe just one of these techniques could improve your own wellbeing and it’s been there right under your nose all the time!