Yoga Therapy for Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Low Confidence
From time to time, we all have a bad day, or even a run of them – all the more so in the wake of the pandemic. Sometimes though the short-term state can become a longer-term trait – Stress, Anxiety, Depression or Low Confidence takes root and becomes our default...The What and Why of Yin Yoga
There are many modern yoga styles, which begs the question “What is special about the Yin Yoga style I teach at Yinspire?” Like much in the Yoga world, the origins are slightly murky. Modern Yin Yoga is considered to have been developed and loosely packaged by Paul...How Yoga Therapy and Yoga Differ
People often ask “What is the difference between a Yoga Teacher and a Yoga Therapist?” A Yoga Therapist is a specialist in tailoring Yoga to your individual needs to help address health concerns or improve your wellbeing. To support this a Yoga Therapist will...Reading: The Happy Brain – Dean Burnett (2018)
The Happy Brain – The Science of Where Happiness Comes From, and Why I guess happiness comes fairly high up the list for all of us, but sometimes its difficult to put of finger on exactly what it is, and how we achieve it. Although there are many philosophical...Reading – Restoring Prana – Robin L Rothenberg – 2020
Restoring Prana – A Therapeutic Guide to Pranayama and Healing Through the Breath for Yoga Therapists, Yoga Teachers and Healthcare Practitioners The breath holds a critical place in both our physiological and our emotional landscapes; at one level the breath...Reading – We Are Our Brains – Dick Swaab 2014
We Are Our Brains – From the Womb to Alzheimers Thinking about the brain has a tendency to become existential – how can a brain comprehend a brain? In dissection class I’ve been privileged on a couple of occasions to hold the football sized object...Reading – Zen Wisdom for Christians – Christopher Collingwood (2019)
So, its fair to say Christianity and Eastern Philosophies aren’t always easy bed fellows. This is strange as, of course, Christianity, in a Judeo-Christian context, was born outside of European influence, and in all likelihood if not flourishing alongside...Reading – How to be Human – Ruby Wax (2018)
I’ve read some of Ruby Wax’s previous books, and had mixed feelings about them. You can’t deny she has done an awful lot to bring Mental Health and holistic treatment approaches like Mindfulness to the fore. But sometimes I felt the content a...Reading – The Five Longings – David Richo (2017)
The Five Longings – What We’ve Always Wanted and Already Have – A Guide to Love, Meaning, Freedom, Happiness, and Growth Sometimes, I’m sure we all agree, life can be a bit “meh”. Unfulfilling. Uninspiring Eastern originating...Stress Vulnerability Model – Zubin et al 1977
I recently came across the idea of the Stress Vulnerability Model, expounded by Zubin et all 1977. I hadn’t seen their model before although the concepts seemed familiar, so that lead to a bit of digging on my part. The original paper by Zubin et al in 1977...Reading – Buddhism for Busy People – David Michie (2008)
Buddhism for Busy People – Finding Happiness in an Uncertain World Well, we could all use a little more happiness, right? Alas there are no simple solutions, but over the years the tenets of Buddhism have certainly peculated into the lives of many people and...Reading – Inner Treasures by Swami Chidvilasananda (1995)
A short work, only 80 pages or so, which are loosely transcripts of a series of talks at a Yoga retreat in Christmas 1994. Topics covered are “The Mirror of God”, “The Sadhana of Joy”, “The Sadhana of Peace” and “The Sadhana...Reading: Yoga for Diabetes- Rachel Zinman (2017)
Yoga for Diabetes- How to Manage Your Health with Yoga and Ayurveda Diabetes is a common condition in the UK, thought to effect 6% of the population. It has a number of negative impacts on people’s health. There is evidence that yoga can play a part in managing...Can Yoga Therapy Help IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)?
One of the areas of professional practice I specialise in is Digestive Complaints, and in particular IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). Minded Institute have published an interesting review on the topic: Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a widespread issue. In the UK, between...Reading – The Path – Professor Michael Puett and Christine Gross-Loh (2017)
The Path – A New Way to Think About Everything In the Yoga world Eastern philosophies are very popular, but mostly from the area we now know as India, less so from the western side of the Himalayas, the area we know as China, where the philosophy is both less...Research: A Single-Session Pain Management Skills Class Benefits Patients With Chronic Low-Back Pain
I came across this article from the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (US spelling) A Single-Session Pain Management Skills Class Benefits Patients With Chronic Low-Back Pain The summary is that “A single 2-hour pain self-management...Reading: The Sleeping Beauties – Suzanne O’Sullivan (2021)
The Sleeping Beauties – And Other Stories of Mystery Illnesses The author is a Consultant Neurologist, and in this work she is investigating a selection of unusual psychosomatic illnesses – conditions which span mind and body, and which defy conventional...The Molecular Signature of Mind Body Interventions
I came across this 2017 paper recently: What is the Molecular Signature of Mind Body Interventions? A Systematic Review of Gene Expression Changes Induced by Meditation and Related Practices. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28670311/ Mind Body Interventions (MBIs)...Reading: Quantum Healing – Deepak Chopra (2015 revision)
This is one of the seminal works on Mind Body Medicine, but I confess to having become a little jaded by the genre of late, and this book has been on my “to read” shelf for some four years! However it got there, and on the whole its not a bad work....Socials and Feeds
