Exercise Physiology, Posture & Breath: Being a Total Halfwit, what would I know?
Health Matters
Exercise Physiology, Posture & Breath: Being a Total Halfwit, what would I know?
If you don’t know my background, let me fill you in. More than 20 years ago now, after 15 or so years of dabbling in Yoga now and then, loving the idea, but not quite able to commit, I met my fabulous teacher in a local hall in Newtown (1998). I never looked back. Simon…
Read MoreHow to…..Get “Better” at Balancing!
Balances are amazing for your health, both physically and mentally and so I’ve been thinking a lot about the answer to this question since someone asked me the other day; What is the best way to get better at balancing?
Read MoreCore Strength? Butt Firing? Cardio? How do we Interpret Fitness Fashion Words?
In a healthy physiology, just before we go to do a thing, a reflex signal is sent via the NS to the brain. For example, if I see a heavy-looking bag and go to pick it up, ideally, the required protective muscles activate automatically and I don’t have to think too much about it. This happens when things are functioning as they should.
Read MoreLet’s Twist Again…
It’s all the minute, subtle activations and bandha that make the difference in most yoga poses. This is what turns a posture that may look “easy” or feel relatively simple into something reasonably dynamic and deliciously intense. It’s one incredibly good reason to create a deeper understanding of certain poses properly before moving too quickly…
Read MoreAre You a Spice Girl or Boy?
Are you a spice girl or boy? I was a child of the 70s and 80s but despite having my fair share of convenience dinners, my (English) Grandmother was an amazing cook and really took on the role of the Cypriot housewife to my Greek grandfather – who wasn’t much of a cook but made…
Read MoreWhat Do You Prefer In a Group Class?
Over the past 20 or so years of actually teaching and continuing to learn, what I teach now, has been pared back considerably, but, yet, I know it’s actually way more useful for the most amount of people. Many of us are managing injuries and conditions and so what we do is also practical and therapeutic and still challenging enough for the majority.
Read MoreWhy Practise if It Hurts Rather than Heals?
Good Question! For most people, the reason for beginning Yoga is to feel better – whether physically or emotionally. Obviously these are two sides of the same coin, but it can take a long time to realise how powerfully each affects the other. There are many different styles of physical Yoga these days but when…
Read MoreAre You Sympathetic?
I’ve been posting a bit of stuff about the nervous system lately and what it means to be sympathetic dominant. I just wanted to explain this bit from a previous post: “…Whenever you pull a muscle after moving quickly and suddenly, it’s…(a) sympathetic nervous system preventative measure to stop you seriously injuring yourself. So, if…
Read MoreTime for Some Re-wiring?
I’ve been sharing a few posts about what it means to look after the health of the nervous system. This stuff is pretty fascinating to me because it is so important! Anyone interested in health and wellbeing knows what it means to look after body parts such as hearts, bowels, liver, kidneys, lungs, brain etc…
Read MoreWhat is meant by “Sympathetic Dominance”?
When a person tends towards anxiety or fear, they are essentially living their life in a state of fight or flight. This, you could argue is “Sympathetic Dominance”.
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