Posts

Finding Balance: How Yoga Can Alleviate PMT, PMS, and PMDD Symptoms

Premenstrual tension (PMT), premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are conditions that affect millions of women worldwide, causing a range of physical and emotional symptoms before menstruation. These conditions can disrupt daily life and well-being (so much!), but holistic approaches like yoga can be used to manage and alleviate the symptoms. Yoga is known for its ability to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and enhance physical and mental well-being, and this is how it can be best utilised when you are experiencing PMT, PMS and PMDD.  Yoga offers a holistic approach to managing the symptoms of PMT, PMS, and READ MORE

Kids’ Yoga: Utilising the Power of Storytelling

Storytelling in children’s books is a powerful and influential tool for positively contributing to the development of children aged 4 to 8 years.  It can help with cognitive development and language and comprehension skills It can stimulate imagination and creativity.  Storytelling fosters imaginative thinking, encouraging children to visualize and create their own worlds and scenarios. Problem-Solving Many stories present characters overcoming challenges, which can inspire children to think creatively about solving their own problems. Emotional Development Empathy Stories often feature relatable characters facing various emotions and situations, teaching children to understand and empathize with others. Emotional Regulation Reading about characters’ READ MORE

How Yoga Can Contribute to Self-Esteem and Self-Acceptance in Children

Yoga offers several benefits for children when it comes to self-esteem and learning to love themselves just as they are. These benefits are closely tied to the mindful and self-reflective aspects of yoga practice.  It’s important to note that the benefits of yoga for self-esteem and self-acceptance in children can be enhanced when combined with guided discussions, storytelling, and activities that encourage self-reflection and self-expression. Additionally, parental involvement and a supportive environment at home can reinforce the lessons learned in yoga classes.Here’s how yoga can contribute to self-esteem and self-acceptance in children. Body Awareness Yoga encourages children to become more READ MORE

Kids’ Yoga Books: The Benefits of Combining Movement and Stories

The benefits of combining movement and stories. There is expert information online, studies, and research that point to the positive effects of using movement with stories, especially when it comes to education and child development. It seems the following effects are possible from combining stories with movement (like yoga, of course, and yoga has a whole lot of other benefits for kids, too) Some studies are referenced at the end of this post. Enhanced Engagement and Attention Combining movement with stories increases engagement, especially in young children. Moving while listening to or reading a story helps maintain their attention and READ MORE

Ursula Yoga Storybook: Precious Endangered Northern White Rhinos Update

In my yoga storybook Ursula the Roly Poly Unicorn, Ursula visits precious endangered species across the world on a quest to find (and love) herself. When she visits the Northern White Rhino in Kenya, she discovers she is a lot like them. There are only two Northern white rhinos left in the world now and they are both females. The last remaining male passed away in 2018, leaving the two females to be cared for at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. That might sound like the future is extinction for the Northern White Rhino, but an international team of READ MORE

Yoga for People Who Don’t Like Yoga

I know you’re out there! You have been told you *should* do yoga, perhaps by your doctor, a friend concerned about how stressed you are, or your own inner voice, but you just don’t want to do it! It’s okay, you’ve come to the right place. Plus, as self-development guru Tony Robbins would say: “Stop ‘should-ing’ all over yourself!” It’s no use starting yoga if you don’t want to do it. I guarantee you won’t continue doing it, even if you drag yourself along to one class. The negative emotions, for a start, will mean you won’t get any positive READ MORE

How Non-Attachment Can Revolutionise Your Life

For me, it began with reading the Bhagavad Gita as part of Yoga teacher training. It is the part of the Bhagavad Gita that talks about not being attached to the outcomes of your endeavors. It’s been a revelation to me. I have been thinking about it ever since and believe it has already fundamentally changed the way I look at life and live my life. When I first became a Yoga teacher I could not cope with it at all. I would cry after all my classes. It was like performance anxiety. I was convinced everyone hated the classes, READ MORE

The Healing Power of Yoga

Yoga is a holistic practice that can have a healing effect on the mind, body, and spirit. Here are some ways that yoga can be healing: Overall, yoga can be a healing practice that can help improve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. It can be an effective complementary therapy for various health conditions and can help promote a sense of balance, harmony, and inner peace. Photo credit: Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash   When You Feel Like You Have Been Cracked Open, Read This… The cracks are where the light gets in… Read More 42YogaJanuary 18, 2024 The Healing Power READ MORE

A New-Year Message from the Dragonfly

Wondering about the spiritual significance of the dragonfly? Perhaps you are like me and have been seeing dragonflies as the new year dawns. The dragonfly has been looming large for me as the new year begins. I saw them flying around my courtyard and garden on New Year’s Day and January 2nd, and on January 2nd, they appeared randomly in Oracle cards.  Whether you have been seeing them or not, I feel like the dragonfly has a message for all of us as the new year begins, and we leave (a difficult) year behind. The dragonfly’s message is EMERGENCE. Like READ MORE