Summer News from Yinspire
Apparently its the start of meteorological summer – last week I’d have believed it, today I’m more sceptical! Anyway, rain or shine, heatwave or normal weather, I hope you are well. A little update from Yinspire. First, the regular Monday evening...Looking Back, Looking Forward, reflections from Yinspire
First, as we approach Christmas, I’d like to wish everyone a happy and peaceful time. Looking Back Give or take a day, it’s 10 years since I opened Yinspire studio – one class just before Christmas 2015, and then a full timetable from January 2016. It’s...Chronic Stress and Inflammation: A Yogic Perspective on Tapas, Samskara and the Body
“Chronic stress and inflammation are increasingly understood as deeply interwoven processes, shaping both mental and physical health. Much of modern physiology supports a question many people now ask: does stress cause inflammation in the body? Yoga philosophy...Knee osteoarthritis: Small change to gait may relieve symptoms via Medical News Today
An interesting article in the newsletter Medical News Today Knee osteoarthritis: Small change to gait may relieve symptoms The nub seems to be research showing that retraining walking patterns to turn the toes further in or further out by a small amount was, in some...New Class October 2025 – Therapeutic Yoga with Jessica
Coming up this Autumn at Yinspire is a new class with Jessica, Therapeutic Yoga. This is a group class drawing on Yoga Therapy principles, and is suitable for anyone with physical or psycho emotional issues who would like to use Yoga to help their wellbeing. This...Research – Arthritic Knee Pain? Yoga and Strengthening Exercises May Help Equally
A research update landed in my inbox recently: Knee OA Pain? Yoga, Strengthening Exercises May Help Equally The research suggests, as the title implies, that for painful knee arthritis Yoga is as effective as strengthening exercises – the latter sis often...Guardian – “Only 10% of non-surgical treatments for back problems kill pain, says review”
An article in the Guardian, recently: Only 10% of non-surgical treatments for back problems kill pain, says review As a Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist, and indeed in the latter role with a specialist interest in both Back Health and Pain, you might expect me to be...Research – Mindfulness may be as effective as antidepressant for anxiety symptoms
A report caught my eye towards the end of last year: Mindfulness may be as effective as antidepressant for anxiety symptoms Researchers assessed the progress of two cohorts with anxiety, one cohort treated with a common antidepressant drug, the other cohort attending...Setting a Sankalpa for 2025
At this time of year its natural to focus ahead, and think about goals, aspirations and hopes. This leads into New Year Resolutions. The problem with a Resolution is it’s firmness – I will, I must – no room for error or failure, I will, I must. ...Six Distinct Subtypes of Depression, Anxiety Identified Via Brain Imaging
An interesting article I came across last week: Six Distinct Subtypes of Depression, Anxiety Identified Via Brain Imaging Of interest is the blurred line between Depression and Anxiety, and the different sub types identified. Lets unpick that. First, the blurred...Yoga and Injury – Is it Safe to Practice Yoga when Injured? Will it Help?
A common question I get as a Yoga Therapist is “I’ve injured [something], can I still practice Yoga?” or its variation “I’ve injured [something], will Yoga help?” As always, the answer is “maybe”. The two things going through my mind in these circumstances are “Would...Is Stretching Good for Us?
At first glance this may sound like a perverse question for a Yoga Teacher to ask, after all stretching is what we teach, right? Yes, No, Maybe. The answer is more nuanced. Stretching is thought to help loosen the body and give us more flexibility, and within Yoga...Our Health and Our Nervous System – And How Yoga Therapy Fits In
Day in day out, breath by breath, our Nervous System is ticking away behind the scenes – alongside our brain, representing a complexity far beyond even the most advanced computers mankind has invented. With complexity comes both the risk of things going wrong, and the...Yoga Ancient and Modern
Sometimes Yoga can be a little confusing to someone looking in from outside. If you ask Google “what is yoga” then, at the time of writing, you get 2,660,000,000 results – clearly a number of views! If you were to look at some of the first results that come up, a...Can I do Yoga by Myself or Do I Need to Come to a Class?
Never have there been more opportunities to start Yoga – there are a plethora of books, YouTube recordings and streamed classes available – at the time of writing “free yoga” on Google brings up 2,860 million results (yes, “about” 2,860,000,000). One positive side...The BioPsychoSocial Approach to Health
You may have heard the old joke about the plumber called to a Doctors Surgery for a blocked sink – “Put a paracetamol down it and call me again in the morning if it is still blocked” said the Plumber to the surprised Doctor. Behind this joke, however, is a truism – we...Will a Yoga Class Help When I’m Injured?
A common question that a Yoga Teacher gets asked is “I’ve injured [something] can I still practice Yoga?” or its variation “I’ve injured [something] will Yoga help?” The answer it turns out is “maybe”. The two things going through my mind in these circumstances are...Yoga & Yoga Therapy for Everyone
A frequent comment I get with enquiries is “I’m not really a Yoga person”. I would admit there is a stereotype, often fed by the media, of a typical yogi. But, honestly, it’s far from the truth. So, as a Yoga Therapist, Yoga Teacher, and a Yoga Practitioner, I can...Calm – Taking Time Out for Ourselves
Modern life is undeniably fast paced for many people – work, home life, education – and this places unique pressures on our Nervous Systems; the mechanisms which evolved to spring into action to protect us from attack by fierce creatures also cut in when we get...Socials and Feeds
