Therapeutic Benefits
If you've got a body part that's giving you trouble you've come to the right place! Bad back? Painful knees? Ouchy Hips? This is your SOS toolkit for when something hurts.
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37:08Menopause Yoga: Befriending Your Feelings
This dynamic vinyasa yoga class is an energising but soothing practice which ends with a restorative yoga pose, relaxation, seated meditation and mantra. This class is designed to help you befriend your feelings at a time when erratic hormonal Pre-Menstrual Tension can trigger ‘energy surges’ and fiery emotions such as menopause rage. You will need a strap or belt, a bolster, a cushion and 2 blocks. NB - Modifications: hip and knee injuries take extra care, use a blanket when kneeling. If you experience hot flushes, keep your head level with your heart. Osteoporosis: avoid flexion rounding your back in forward folds; keep your spine straight. Trauma: hip opening poses and stretches across the chest can release tension but may also trigger trauma. Follow your own breathing pace, pause the practice when needed and find a comfortable resting pose.
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44:07Menopause Yoga for Strength
A gently strengthening yoga class to re-energise and empower by building strong bones. This dynamic hatha yoga class with poses that are held for 10 rounds of breath helps build bone mineral density and muscle mass, and raise the heart rate. This class has been designed to help prevent osteoporosis (weakened bones), sarcopenia (muscle loss) and cardiovascular disease, which can develop post-menopause. Expect a range of simple heart-lifting backbends to energise, breath work, a restorative yoga pose, relaxation practice and seated meditation. You will need a strap or belt, 2 bolsters, a cushion, a blanket, and 2 blocks. NB - Osteoporosis: avoid flexion rounding your back in forward folds; keep your spine straight. If you have previously experienced panic attacks, avoid holding your breath and instead follow your own breathing pace.
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35:49Yoga for Osteopenia
This is a brief yoga tutorial of some of the ways you can use a chair to modify your yoga practice if you have osteopenia (weakened bones) which can affect women as they go through the menopause. If you have osteoporosis, you must always consult your GP before practising yoga, and ask your osteopath or physiotherapist which range of movement is suitable for your body.
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22:41Restorative Yoga for Gut Health: Find Calm
Taking a moment in our busy lives to find calm and be present with ourselves is so important for overall health and wellbeing. In this calming and restorative class Gabriella guides us through a self-massage and breath practice to help relax the abdominal area and deepen our ability to listen to our bodies. Props: one bolster, two blankets and one block
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01:13:18Yoga for Pelvic Floor Health
This yoga class brings awareness to the pelvic floor and lower body through breath, gentle movement and deep relaxation. Starting with a long relaxation, we then bring gentle movement to the body, practicing yoga poses to bring tone and range of movement to the pelvic floor. Class ends with a guided lower body relaxation. Pelvic Floor health is essential as we transition into Perimenopause and Menopause. As our levels of oestrogen begin to fluctuate, this can have an effect on the tone and elasticity of the pelvic floor. Increased levels of stress and anxiety during this time can also lead to hypertonic or overactive pelvic floor muscles caused from too much tension or tightening of the pelvic floor. Pelvic floor muscles can also be weak or hypotonic meaning the muscles are not providing enough support for the bowels, bladder, and uterus. You will need a bolster, blankets, two cork bricks (if you have them, or books), a belt, sandbag or weights (optional).
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01:10:41Yoga for Sore Feet & Ankles
Our feet are our foundations; we rely on our feet and ankles to carry us around all day. Quite a remarkable task if you stop to think of the proportions of two small feet carrying one tall person! In this yoga and anatomy tutorial video you will learn so much about your feet and ankles and develop a new found respect and gratitude for this remarkable part of our anatomy. Discover how to use your feet for optimum posture and easeful movement throughout your day, and on your yoga mat. Practice some movement to help you understand how you can strengthen and mobilise this area. Plus, learn about how to support common conditions relating to the feet including sprains, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendon problems, bunions and hallux rigidus. Please note that all advice and recommendations in this film are given generally and do not constitute any form of an individual diagnosis or treatment plan. A consultation with a medical practitioner or registered physical therapist is recommended. Practice to help you understand how you can strengthen and mobilise the foot and ankle.
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37:53Yoga for Osteoporosis & Osteopenia
Osteoporosis is said to affect over 3 million people in the UK (NHS). This condition (and it’s younger sister osteopenia) affects the density of the bones and so their strength, resilience and support. In this video, Lucy & Ben explain in clear and simple terms what proactive measures can be taken to reduce the risks of developing these conditions. They explore how to work within certain parameters to help should you have a reduced bone density and finally offer a better understanding of opportunities to maintain the health of the bones. Remember, many people only learn of any weakness in their bones when they have suffered a fracture. As we age it’s vitally important that we protect the strength of our bones and respect the role they have in our health and mobility. Prevention really is key here, watch this video to find out how and why! Please note that all advice and recommendations in this film are given generally and do not constitute any form of an individual diagnosis or treatment plan. A consultation with a medical practitioner or registered physical therapist is recommended.
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42:05Anatomy of Breathing
You can hardly get through five minutes of any good yoga class without being reminded to breathe. Of course, all of us breathe every second of every day, we do it instinctively. However, how much do we all know about the mechanics of breathing and how we can optimise our breathing for our health and wellbeing? This yoga anatomy video offers an invaluable insight into the anatomy of your breath and how to use your breath on and off your yoga mat to help you feel good both physically as well as mentally. Please note that all advice and recommendations in this film are given generally and do not constitute any form of an individual diagnosis or treatment plan. A consultation with a medical practitioner or registered physical therapist is recommended.
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20:53Yoga For Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine which can present in spectrum of different grades. For some, a scoliosis can be very mild, hardly noticeable and certainly not an issue for everyday movement and living. For others it can be very inhibiting, restricting movement, causing pain and discomfort, perhaps even leading to corrective surgery. In this video, Lucy & Ben explain what scoliosis is and explore how you can help yourself, or loved ones, with this condition. Explore the role of good breathing and gentle movement to stretch out and gain ease and comfort. Please note that all advice and recommendations in this film are given generally and do not constitute any form of an individual diagnosis or treatment plan. A consultation with a medical practitioner or registered physical therapist is recommended.
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01:10:19Yoga Tutorial for a Healthy Spine
A yoga anatomy tutorial all about the spine; essential for any yoga students and teachers looking to expand their knowledge! The more we know about the spine the more remarkable and astonishing it becomes; it is fundamental in so many movement patterns allowing us to move in so many ways whilst staying light, graceful and steady. This video will teach you about the intricate structure of your spine and begin to respect its subtle changes and adaptations that make life on two feet possible and enjoyable. Class starts by offering you a way to gain a felt sense of your spine and its various ranges of movement and functions. Then discover how to find good posture in standing and sitting to limit those all too common issues of back ache. Finally, learn how to use your spine to inform your alignment, ease and freedom on your yoga mat. NB: All advice and recommendations in this film are given generally and do not constitute any form of an individual diagnosis or treatment plan. A consultation with a medical practitioner or registered physical therapist is recommended.
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08:04Three Yoga Poses to Support Digestion
It might not be easy to find time to move our bodies or practice a yoga flow in our busy lives, but it is important to aid our bodies and help support our digestive system throughout the day. In this quick yoga class, Gabriella will guide you through her top three poses which can help support our digestive systems along with a diaphragmatic breath technique to help create calm. These will only take a few minutes and can all be done at your desk!
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26:21Energising Yoga for Gut Health: Support Digestion
The yoga tradition teaches us that the strength of your digestive fire helps to influence your health and wellbeing. This energising yoga flow and breath practice aims to mobilise your energy to nourish your physical, mental, and emotional health and support your digestive system. Props: one blanket and two blocks
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22:19Gentle Yoga for Gut Health: Aid Digestion
This gentle yoga class begins with slow moving twists, side stretches and poses all designed to gently help support your digestive system. The class finishes with a seated practice to encourage strong posture and uses breath awareness to support digestive balance. Props: one chair, one pillow or bolster.
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16:16Gentle Yoga for Emotional Release
The journey into perimenopause and menopause can bring up a range of emotions from anger, rage, grief, loss and frustration. This gentle yoga class is an opportunity to move with your feelings; allowing them to arise, shift and release through somatic movement, gentle yoga postures and breath work. Welcome the full spectrum of your human experience. You will need a blanket.
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14:12Learn Safe Alignment
This is a crucial, in-depth yoga class for all of us to learn how to practice safely. It is especially good for those coming back into their yoga practice after injury of the ribs, shoulders, arms and hands. Learn how to practice in an integrated way, how to be balanced, and the correct orientation of the head and neck to the arms and torso. A really great yoga tutorial as well for all of us to learn correct arm, shoulder movements in poses like Eagle Pose.
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32:38Protect & Recover 3: Healthy Spine
Perfect for recovering from illness or injury, or for those seeking more gentle variations to the usual yoga class. This yoga class can be done either standing or in a chair. This class helps to very gently mobilise and create a sense of awareness and balance through the back - the vertebra, ribcage, shoulders and arms and hands as they relate down into the hips, and up through the neck. The slow pace gently brings the spine into flexion, extension, side bending and twisting either in sitting position or through standing. You will need a chair.
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33:19Protect & Recover 2: Gentle Floor & Modified Standing Poses
Perfect for recovering from illness or injury, or for those seeking more gentle variations to the usual yoga class. This yoga class focuses on gentle, smaller movements and exploring the movements of the lower body. Starting with lying on the back, we then move through modified sun salutations. If you want to be able to flow, but your body has more limited mobility, this is a great class for offering variations on common poses. Learn how to lunge safely, how to do chair-supported warrior poses and some gentle chair twists, before closing back at the floor to rest.You will need a chair.
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26:43Protect & Recover 1: Lower Body
When you're recovering from illness or injury, start slow. Work through a very gentle recovery in this series from the ground up. This first class looks at the feet, ankles, knees and hips. Learn to understand how your body works and find and explore your own movement. This is perfect for those in the beginning stages of recovery or looking to strengthen weaknesses from past injury or illness. Warm up and move through stiff joints and bring overall awareness to the interconnectedness of the feet through the legs to the hips. This class takes place mostly seated in a chair and is accessible to most bodies.