Principles of Pilates (3) – Rib Cage Placement Rib Cage Placement is an important (but sometimes forgotten) aspect of a Pilates workout. In addition to breathing and pelvic placement, we need to maintain abdominal engagement by engaging the wall of the abdomen where it attaches to the lower ribs so the ribs don’t pop or […]
Principles of Pilates (2) – Pelvic Placement
Principles of Pilates (2) – Pelvic Placement The second of the Principles of Pilates is Pelvic Placement. The two positions used in Pilates to achieve stability of the pelvis are neutral (when beginning a practice this is mainly used in a lying down position when both feet are on the mat) and imprint (mainly used […]
Laughter Yoga
Laughter Yoga I’d wanted to train in Laughter Yoga for a while so when the opportunity came to (just outside) Nottingham in early January 2016, I took the plunge. The two day training was led by Vicky Gallimore a certified trainer of Laughter Yoga Leaders who herself trained with Dr Kataria MD, Founder of the […]
Zenga
Zenga Certificate Being a fan of all things Yoga and Pilates I was naturally curious about Zenga – a mindful movement technique, so I undertook the training to become a Level 1 Zenga mat instructor. Zenga combines elements of Yoga, Pilates and dance movements and adds to these disciplines modern medical knowledge particularly in relation […]
Principles of Pilates (1) – Breathing
Principles of Pilates (1) Breathing Principles of Pilates are an important part of your workout so ensure you arrive in class in good time so you don’t have to rush through the Principles or worse miss them completely! The five Principles of Pilates work together to create an intelligent form of exercise and ensures safety […]
Yoga – Warrior II
Yoga – Warrior II I am sometimes asked why is the foot position precise in Yoga Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II). Its all to do with alignment of the hip and protection of the knees and we need to protect these joints in our yoga practice and in our Yoga Warrior II. The starting positon for […]
Yoga & Pilates – the breath
I am sometimes asked in classes how and why the use of the breath differs in Yoga and Pilates so I have put together the following to provide a short yet informative summary of the differences between the use of the breath in Yoga and Pilates. In Pilates it is believed that a relaxed and […]
Yoga and sleep
Yoga and sleep – how does yoga help? I am often asked whether your Yoga practice can help your sleep so here are a few tips. As the Yoga asana calm the central nervous system and allow the mind to become quiet this allows us to switch off and fall and stay asleep more quickly. […]
Yoga and digestion
I am often asked about Yoga and digestion. Our hectic modern lifestyles may mean we skip meals or indulge in unhealthy snacks when we are short on time. Our digestion can suffer as a result and this may worsen as we mature. Certain yoga postures can help with digestive issues such as constipation, acid reflux, […]