THE calf muscles (gastronemius and soleus) are often tight in people who do a lot of running, walking, cycling or weight training – and of course too much sitting doesn’t help either.  Reduced ankle mobility also causes the lower legs to tighten, and the reason is if you’re not able to flex the foot efficiently it puts more pressure on the calf muscles.   And finally, tight hips can affect your calves so work on loosening your hips and feel the benefits everywhere.  As well as feeling more comfortable by releasing any tight areas in your legs, you may find that foot pain is reli ..read more

As many as one in three people have problems sleeping in the UK with the elderly and those living with chronic pain or mental health issues being particularly susceptible.  If you’re struggling, practicing yoga might be worth trying as many yogis find that improved quality of sleep is one of the biggest benefits of regularly stepping onto their mat. Physical discomfort, chronic health issues and over thinking are common reasons for bedtime battles – and yoga gently addresses each one.  Yoga for Sleep Why does yoga help?Eases pain The physical postures that make up the majority of cla ..read more

OVER the years I’ve taught many people who have decided to give yoga a try as a way to manage stress. It’s often men who come along on the advice of their doctors and it’s always heartening to hear that GPs are suggesting alternative therapies as well as the many medications that are available. There are endless reasons why yoga may help to reduce stress and simply put, it’s because it promotes relaxation. However, if you delve a little deeper, you’ll learn that a regular practice releases stored tension in the body, encourages the release of mood-boosting endorphins (the body’s feel good horm ..read more

The longer I teach, the more I learn about the quite life-transforming power of yoga. It’s so good for improving – or even curing so many ailments and I love it when people tell me that they’ve never felt better.  As I often say in my classes, the shoulders are the first things to release when you do classes regularly – and much to many people’s distress, the hips are the last thing.  So many issues that we feel in our bodies often originate somewhere else.  For example, improving the flexibility and range of movement in the upper back and shoulders is key to helping with the symptoms of repet ..read more