Alkalise or Die? Not Quite…
Yoga Body
Alkalise or Die? Not Quite…
Does your body want to be alkaline? Actually, no, not really. Your blood PH wants to be neutral and will do whatever it can to try to maintain that state. For example, calcium will be leached from the bones into the blood if there is too much acidity. But, alkalosis is as dangerous as acidosis.
Read MoreKeep Calm & Indulge Occasionally: Why Sugar is NOT your Main Health Foe
The online world can be so full of misunderstandings and misinformation that it makes it hard sometimes to differentiate between someone’s opinion, a random thought and fact. But here’s one (a fact that is, not an opinion); Ingesting sugar does not “cause” diabetes. This is not to say that eating lots of sugar is good. Of course it isn’t. If…
Read MoreYoga, Pilates or Body Balance; What’s the Difference?
Sometimes there are questions about the differences between things like yoga and Pilates. Even yogasana-inspired, gym-based Body Balance is often purported to be yoga. Really though, this is like comparing apples with oranges since the true meaning of yoga has little to do with exercise and actually comes back to levels of consciousness and maintaining a healthy mind. How we actively observe our thoughts and ego during the practice of asana, plus our lifestyle and attitude generally – this is yoga.
Read MoreThe Vital Energy of Master Yang!
On the weekend of 7/8 February, a medium-sized group of natural health seekers came together to find out what they could do to improve their health and happiness. They wanted to understand in simple terms how best to prevent the onset of annoying pain conditions, injuries and chronic illnesses from arising during the course of their lives.
Read MoreWe Were Meant to Ferment!
Yoga and ayurveda are ancient holistic health sciences. Although we don’t know exactly how old, there is some evidence suggesting things go as far back as 5000 years. The reason it is all still relevant is because what these ancients appeared to know was amazing. Ayurveda and yogic science have always maintained that every illness was an issue that had the guts at its source. And finally, (yet) slowly it seems, some of those involved in modern medicine are getting it.
Read MoreWhat do Physical Postures (Asanas) Have to do With Daily Life or Yoga?
Yoga is far more than just physical postures, but, generally, when we attend a yoga class, that is what we expect to learn and participate in. Yoga philosophy classes, while esoterically interesting, will never appeal to the majority of people who, at least initially, come to class for a bit of a work out. But, while the yoga purists might tut tut and mutter under their breath that asanas are virtually irrelevant, I absolutely beg to differ. Here are some of the reasons why:
Read MoreHow to Increase Energy & Improve Circulation: Creating Core Stability Without Tension
During my classes I often suggest softening the belly a little. I sometimes use the term “embrace your jelly belly”! which has been met with a bit of shock horror on some fronts!
Of course, strictly speaking, this is not something we should embrace “all the time”. It is not necessarily healthy to have a complete jelly belly as we all know. Excess fat around the midriff is linked to diabetes, heart-disease and many other life-threatening illness. However, neither is it healthy for us to be walking around with super-tight abdominals (or super-tight anything really!). This extreme has been linked to digestive problems, infertility, back and hip problems and goodness knows what else. Put it this way; if I walk around with my shoulders tense and tight all day does it make them stronger? Nope – it just makes them tight and tense!
Read MoreTen Reasons You Might Be Feeling Stiff
For someone who teaches yoga, It can be a common cry from class participants: “I am feeling sooooo stiff!”. Luckily, regular yoga and stretching can help! Here are just some reasons your body might feel as if it is getting stiffer and some tips on what you can do to keep things feeling a little more free and easy.
Read MoreWhat is Meant By Bandah?
It may surprise you to know that when lots of people stretch, their stretching is ineffective. Often this is because the muscle they are trying to stretch is in a shortened position. It may feel stiff, sore, tight and tense but will get more so as the stretch reflex switches on – this happens particularly if the stretching is aggressive. It then becomes very difficult to lengthen the muscle because tension limits blood flow. If the whole body is constantly tense, we can see how this might restrict our range of movement.
Read MoreHow and Why Does Yoga Work?
To understand why yoga is one of the best things you can do for your overall health, you firstly have to try to forget everything you thought you knew about how exercise works. For example, the goal of yoga is not to lose weight or burn calories. It is not to make you stronger, fitter and/or more flexible. But certainly, with regular practise, these things happen. Amazing side effects!
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