We have yogi’s from all over South London that are trying to find the right yoga class for them. There are more yoga classes in Brixton then you can imagine but choosing the right one for you is the challenge.

Different styles of yoga are different pathways to the same goal

For some, yoga is about the physical side, exercising the lungs and heart, increasing flexibility and building strength. For others, it offers a way to quiet the mind, relax, meditate and discover a more spiritual side.

Whichever style you opt for, a yoga class is a fantastic complement to your fitness routine and can develop a healthier attitude to exercise.

No matter which style you choose, regular practice can improve your physical and emotional health.Yoga is means to finding that balance in life between inner calm and energy; to experience good health and happiness. Different styles of yoga are simply different pathways to that same goal.

Yoga Wellbeing is now offering classes all over South London. For more information on our group and private yoga sessions then click here

We love it when we hear more schools are introducing yoga to their cirriculum. We have just recently started teaching a lovely bunch of kids at Southfields Primary School. It’s a great experience to be able to teach a wide range of kids the physical side of yoga and a little bit of relaxation too. In addition to this we are really excited to be starting up with The Sports Academy next week to take kids through a couple of yoga adventures on their Easter holidays. We feel through yoga we are giving children the tools to deal with future stresses, and showing them that there is more to relaxation than playing computer games.

Barbara Herts, the chief executive of the young people’s mental health charity Young-Minds, says: “Today’s fast pace and often confusing world can have a real and lasting effect on the emotional wellbeing of children and young people. With increases in stressful events such as exam pressure, family breakdown and bullying, we are experiencing more triggers to stress and anxiety in young people.”

Visualisations

Visualisations are about setting kids up for when they are older, and it’s great for emotional literacy and helps overstimulated kids, through yoga postures and meditations. Connecting the quiet space inside you which we all have; you can’t relax and focus your mind until you relax your body.

The younger children do a version of yoga postures and breathing exercises as the teacher coordinates the movements to an adventure story. The older children do a more grown-up version of yoga. Many of our classes are incorporated into the school day or after-school programmes. Teachers give us lots of positive feedback saying that they are more focused and able to listen better. Starting the day with a little bit of yoga can make a huge difference to the kids productivity for the rest of the day.

If you have any questions about our Yoga Wellbeing’s programmes in schools then we would love to hear from you.

When life gets busy and you don’t pay attention to yoga like you should, you can get stuck in a rut. You need always to be working to bring new energy to keep it interesting. Find the things you really love about your practice, and explore them. Do you feel like you need to add a bit of energy into your practice?

Set an intention

More than anything it’s important to appreciate the simplicity of your breath. There is always the option of adding a simple intention to your practice. You might want to see more flexibility in your body and mind, and set an intention to work toward that goal. Or something more practical, like riding your bike to work.

Focusing on the anatomy

When you have a fundamental grasp of anatomy it will help you understand your own yoga practice. With practice, you may even be able to visualize the  cause-and-effect events that each muscular action sets into motion. This insight can infuse your practice with a new level of curiosity.

Find a yoga partner

Practicing together may provide inspiration, feedback and reinforcement. Other yogi’s/yogini’s can provide you with an honest insight into your practice. All you need is space and a good friend and your practice could take a whole different direction.

Why not download

Why not try downloading a video for home practice inbetween your lessons. They can inform your practice and make you feel like there is not so much of a gap inbetween your weekly yoga class.

Nintendo’s new Wii Fit has been said to be causing a selection of strain injuries, from minor lower back pain to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Nintendo’s Wii Fit is an exercise system. Players stand on a small pad and are guided through repetitive exercises. These exercises run the range  from track and field to hula hoop, and can be just as vigorous as the exercises they’re mimicking.

I have spoken to a range of people that use the Wii Fit and outline that they often feel out of breath after a play. Just like real exercises, these can lead to various kinds of physical discomforts such as sore joints and strained ligaments. Many users have said that they experienced lower back pain after yoga and hula hooping.

Nintendo’s Wii System has been the subject of controversy since its inception, initially stemming from its innovative Wiimote controllers. The Wiimotes, when not strapped to the wrist properly, have a nasty tendency to fly out of player’s hands and damage friends, family or televisions.

When faced with mounting damages following the initial Wiimote fiascoes, Nintendo introduced a warning screen before each game and warns users to make sure their wrist  straps are fastened.

I have also heard users mention that the initial Body Test used by Wii Fit uses the Body Mass Index (BMI) which is all very good and all but it doesn’t cope well with people who actually have a high muscle density. I have heard stories of people who have high muscle density being catagorised as being overweight. It seems like it can all get a little bit confusing.

It has been said that these Wii Fit injuries are on the increase and I am hearing more about them in my everyday. What do you think of the Wii Fit? Let us know any of your positive/negative experiences?

This weeks asana is the boat to get your core muscles working. If it gets your wobble on after a while then don’t worry it’s only your muscles showing you that they are working. Why not give it a go and get your wobble on?

1.Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Press your hands on the floor a little behind your hips, fingers pointing toward the feet, and strengthen the arms. Lift through the top of the sternum and lean back slightly. As you do this make sure your back doesn’t round; continue to lengthen the front of your torso between the pubis and top sternum. Sit on the “tripod” of your two sitting bones and tailbone.

2.Exhale and bend your knees, then lift your feet off the floor, so that the thighs are angled about 45-50 degrees relative to the floor. Lengthen your tailbone into the floor and lift your pubis toward your navel. If possible, slowly straighten your knees, raising the tips of your toes slightly above the level of your eyes. If this isn’t possible remain with your knees bent, perhaps lifting the shins parallel to the floor.

3.Stretch your arms alongside the legs, parallel to each other and the floor. Spread the shoulder blades across your back and reach strongly out through the fingers. If this isn’t possible, keep the hands on the floor beside your hips or hold on to the backs of your thighs.

4. While the lower belly should be firm, it shouldn’t get hard and thick. Try to keep the lower belly relatively flat. Press the heads of the thigh bones toward the floor to help anchor the pose and lift the top sternum. Breathe easily. Tip the chin slightly toward the sternum so the base of the skull lifts lightly away from the back of the neck.

5. At first stay in the pose for 10-20 seconds. Gradually increase the time of your stay to 1 minute. Release the legs with an exhalation and sit upright on an inhalation.

We are all reminded to keep our breath flowing throughout our practice, this is the foundation to our practice. I have heard many people  mention that  theycan’t help but steer away from the importance of their breath when they are wrapped in a pretzel style yoga pose, think eagle pose with eagle arms. Take a look below for extra inspiration for different types of breathing.

Upper-Chest Breathing Lie on your back, placing one hand on your upper chest and the other on your abdomen. If the hand on your chest moves as you breathe but the one on the abdomen does not, you’re definitely a chest-breather. Anything more than slight movement in the chest is a sign of inefficient breathing.

Shallow Breathing Lie on your back and place your hands around your lower ribs. You should feel an effortless expansion of the lower ribs on the breath in and a slow recoil on the breath out. If your ribs remain motionless, your breathing is too shallow, even if your belly moves.

Overbreathing Lie down and take a few minutes to let your body establish its relaxed breathing rate. Then count the length of your next exhalation and compare it to the length of the following inhalation. The exhalation should be slightly longer. If not, you are an overbreather. As a second test, try to shorten your inhalation. If that causes distress you are probably an overbreather. Because it is easy to manipulate the outcome of these two tests, you may want someone else to count for you at a time when you are not paying attention to your breath.

Holding the breath Holding one’s breath after inhaling may be the most common poor breathing habit. To determine if you do this, pay attention to the transition from inhalation to exhalation. A breath-holder usually feels a “catch” and may actually struggle to initiate the exhalation. This tendency is particularly noticeable during exercise. You can reduce the holding by consciously relaxing your abdomen just as an inhalation ends.

Breathing in reverse Reverse breathing happens when the diaphragm is pulled into the chest upon inhalation and drops into the abdomen on exhalation. Lie on your back and place your hands on your abdomen. The abdomen should slowly flatten as you exhale and rise gently as you inhale. If the opposite occurs you are a reverse breather.

Open mouth Breathing It’s fairly easy to notice if you’re a mouth-breather; if you’re not sure, ask your friends or try to catch yourself at unguarded moments.

So many people ask me about how to relieve shoulder, neck or back pain when they are at work. They can’t exactly get down on their trusty Agoy mat mid spreadsheet and come into down facing dog. So I have scoured the internet for a short sequence that would give you a bit of a mid day boost. Don’t worry you can still fit in your elevenses complete with hob nobs and tea. Take a look below for some yoga desk stretches.

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Arm Stretch

1. Bring your arms behind your back, clasping your hands. Or, hold a tie, sweater, or scarf between your hands.

2. Lift your arms as high as you can. Lift your sternum.

3. Hold for 30 to 45 seconds, relax for a moment, then repeat.

Shoulder Stretch

1. Interlock your fingers and extend your arms outward, straight in front of your shoulders. Your palms should be facing outward.

2. Slowly raise your hands overhead, stretching all the way from the waist. Work on straightening your elbows. Hold for 30 to 45 seconds, relax, and try again.

Chair Twist

1. Sit on the edge of your chair, sideways with your left side facing the chair back.

2. Throughout the pose, keep your feet and knees together and even.

3. Place your hands on the chair as shown.

4. Inhale while straightening your spine. As you exhale, twist toward the back of the chair, twisting from the very bottom of your spine — pushing with your left hand and pulling with your right hand.

5. Repeat the inhalation/straighten, exhalation/twist series several times.

6. Release and change sides.

Deeper Chair Twist

1. Sit in the middle of your chair, sideways with your left side facing the chair back.

2. Repeat the same routine as in Chair Twist 1.

3. Do you feel the twist in the spine at a slightly different place?

4. If you need to, place a book under your feet to keep them flat.

Detoxification means the removal of toxins from the body. Humans absorb toxins—preservatives, pesticides, stimulants, and heavy metalsthrough food, water, and air. Your own body produces toxins, called metabolic waste products, as a natural result of processes like digestion and respiration. Luckily, your digestive, endocrine, and circulatory systems come equipped with a complex set of mechanisms designed to eliminate these toxins through your mouth, eyes, skin, colon and even your breath. The trouble is that too much sugar, caffeine, and processed foods, little to no exercise, and stress can slow the body’s natural detox function to a sluggish pace.

The result is a buildup of toxins that can leave you fatigued and suffering from poor digestion, and that may even lead to disease. You can help boost your innate detox functions by practicing cleansing yoga sequences and following a simple plant-based diet during a multiday detox plan. Most people need to detoxify to get these things out of their systems in order to feel healthier. Some benefits of an occasional detox,  include having a lowered heart rate, clearer eyes and skin, better memory and concentration, and improved digestion. Good health invites a calm, clear mind that is free of many of the habits that often lead to toxin buildup.

While there are many approaches to detoxing—including the asana and food guidelines presented on these pages— they aim for one simple thing: to help the body do what it’s already trying to do. Your body is always getting rid of toxins but you can aid that natural process by making detoxing a practice.

A yoga sequence like the one suggested here can support the natural detoxification process by increasing circulation, compressing and twisting internal organs, and encouraging relaxation, says Weill. Inverted poses like Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-Wall Pose) use gravity to stimulate lymph and blood circulation. Inversions help to drain lymphatic and venous fluids from the legs and pelvis, and so enhance detoxification.

Do you detox regularly or would like to give it a go?

Your balancing confldently in half moon pose and the pose feels firm and steady There’s onlyone problem: You’re hyperextending the knee of your standing leg. When you extend, or straighten, your knee beyond a straight line, it’s called hyperextension, which can injure the knee and other parts of your body It’s quite common among yoga students at all levels, and certain asanas can exacerbate the condition ifyou repeatedly do them incorrectly Fortunately you can learn to practice in a way that both aligns and protects your knees and makes them stronger and healthier.

WHATS MY LINE?

When a knee that isn’t prone to hyperextension extends, its ligaments—the cords of connective tissue that join the thighbone to the shinbone —pull taut and stop the two bones at the pointwhere they lie directly in line with each other. If your knee hyperextends, that means its ligaments are too long, and so theydon’t stop the bones untilyour leg has moved beyonda straight line. If you’re uncertain about whether your knees hyperextend, stand sideways in front of a full—length mirror, gently press your knees backward until you are unable to move them back any further, and envision an imaginary line running down the side of your leg from your hip joint to your ankle. If the center of your knee ends up behind that line, it is hyperextended.
Standing with your knees locked back in hyperextension can cause a host ofproblems inyour knees and also inyour legs, hips, and spine. In addition to overstretching the ligaments, hyperextension stresses the front of the knee joint surfaces and weakens the quadriceps muscles. Over time, this misalignment may create deeper hyperextesision, ligament strains or tears, cartilage degeneration, and arthritis of the knee joint or kneecap. What’s more, ifyou push the knee back with enough force, you can tear a ligament, most likely the anterior cruciate. Standingin hyperextensionputs excess pressure on your heels and the front of your shins, which can lead to inflammation.

UTIHITA TRIKONASANA (ExtendedTriangle Pose) looks like its name. It can be a challenging asana for some practitioners. You can see several triangles in the pose:Your hands and back foot are the points of one; your two feet are points of another; and your torso, arm, and front leg form the sides of yet another. And Triangle is one of the first poses yoga students learn. Ideally you feel firmness in your legs, a lengthening of your spine, fullness in your chest, and freedom in your neck and shoulders. Trikonasana also increases the flexibility and strength ofyourlegs and lowerjoints (ankles, knees, and hips). If you have tight hamstrings, forward bends might aggravate lower-back pain. It also teaches movements that will prepare you to practice inversions, twists, and backbends.When I first attempted triangle, I thought that if I could reach my hand to the floor and that was the main intention. I didn’t understand that in reaching to the floor, I had sacrificed the alignment of other body parts. My knees drooped, my hips flew backward, and my shoulder slumped for-ward. I had yet to learn to use my muscles to support me so that I had a strong foundation from which to extend.

BUILD A BASE

The main triangle that you can see in the pose is the one at the bottom, where the floor is the base and your legs are the sides. The feet and floor form the foundation of the structure. Take time to create a firm, balanced, stable base. Your bones form the frame of the pose, and your muscles help align the bones. The quadriceps, calves, and gluteal muscles must be actively engaged. Straightening the legs may not, at first, seem difficult, but the challenge lies in doing so without collapsing into the ankles, knees, or hips. You’re collapsing if it feels as if most of your weight is on your front knee or shin. Your upper body should feel as though it is lifting off your lower body As you ground your back leg and heel, lift the front of your pelvis toward the ceiling.

Your abdomen and sternum should extend toward your head. Your arms are straight and firm in this pose. Your bottom arm doesn’t bear muchweight, but it helps you extend. It should feel as though the arms are reaching apart from the center of the chest. Lengthen the bottom side of your rib cage to be as long as the upper side so that both are parallel with the floor.