Tailored to your needs
An initial consultation helps me to find out about you and what you need. I’ll assess your range of movement and the way you breathe. After our first class you will leave with a plan of instructions and stickmen drawings so that you can practice on your own. You can come weekly, monthly or whenever suits you. There is no set format.
Yoga helps us relax by switching on our parasympathetic nervous system which in turn switches off our ‘fight or flight’ stress response in our brain.
Mindful movements work muscles and joints very effectively, and by making small repetitive movements we encourage muscles to release tension, joints to become more mobile and the breath to become smoother.
Relieving back pain
Back pain is a very common complaint. Long periods spent hunched over computers are taking their toll on our spines. In the US doctors are setting up special spinal units to help people suffering posture-related back pain.
According to the largest ever study of yoga, with over 300 participants, a carefully designed yoga practice offers a more effective treatment for chronic lower back pain than conventional medicine.
yoga therapy for sciatica
"My GP recommended that I try yoga with Julia after I had been suffering for some time from a bad attack of sciatica. With the ski season approaching I was keen to be on top form. Julia immediately identified the source of my pain and put together a programme to increase my strength and mobility. My sciatica has now disappeared, my flexibility has improved and my wife is jealous that I am a little thinner! I greatly enjoy the one-to-one sessions. Julia's approach is methodical and well explained and I am encouraged to improve without too much pressure. I look forward to making further progress with yoga therapy over the next few months"
Julian
Improving core strength
Yoga postures such as standing poses, twists and inversions all require and build abdominal strength and core stability. A strong core supports the back and stabilizes the body while we walk, carry out domestic chores and exercise.
Yoga breathing and yoga postures help to strengthen the pelvic floor by drawing up the diaphragm which in turn lifts the pelvic floor (reversing gravity). I have particular interest in teaching yoga to women because gravity and pregnancy place enormous strain on the pelvic floor, and in old age a common path into a care home for a woman is incontinence.
Deeper relaxation
Our 24 / 7 lifestyle is over-stimulating, providing us with too many opportunities to communicate with each other. We have to consciously withdraw from contact with the outside world to create a quiet space within. Yoga gives us this time and the means to do it.
Passive yoga poses are deeply relaxing. By supporting the body with well-placed props, the body can relax in comfortable alignment. When your body is comfortable your brain gets a break from the discomfort too. Your brain will try to alert you to what it believes is a ‘problem’ in part of your body, a niggling, irritating intrusion that stops you relaxing; eliminating these signals allows you to relax more deeply.
New brain imaging research at Harvard Medical School shows how practicing yoga releases natural mood enhancers (GABA) in the brain. This is one of the reasons why yoga is now considered beneficial for people suffering from depression, anxiety, disturbed sleep and post-traumatic stress disorder.
yoga therapy for a back and neck injury
"About a year ago I twisted my back and neck very badly. I was experiencing back spasms, shooting neck pain and extreme stiffness as well as numbness and altered sensation throughout my entire body. I saw chiropractors, osteopaths, physiotherapists, surgeons, acupuncturists and every other specialist under the sun for six months with limited effect .... After struggling to work every day and spending nearly a month in bed, I was directed to Julia. By this point I was depressed, anxious and uncomfortable. Over an 8-month period, using yoga therapy, Julia helped strengthen my core, reduce my back and neck pain and improve my health anxiety. She is an extremely skilled yoga therapist with great patience and endeavour. Julia is a game changer! I can’t thank her enough."
Josh
Yoga for weight loss
Yoga can be very helpful for weight loss – a person who is a little out of breath and lightly sweating when exercising would be working in the ‘Weight Management Zone’ or Fat Burning Zone. At between 60 – 69% of our maximum heart rate the usage of body fat is 70%. The more yoga you do the better your body understands what is required of it and therefore it can engage more muscle which in turn makes your heart work harder.