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GEEKY YOGA

GEEKY YOGA

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Creative wellbeing – with (quite) a bit of science

  • Yoga & meditation practices
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    • Yoga & immunity
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    • Yoga nidra
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Author: geeky yogi

I’m Dr Rachel David, the Geeky Yogi. I wear many hats: scientist, researcher, writer, editor, science communicator, behaviour change specialist, yogi, sewist, knitter and poet. Sometimes I combine all my passions successfully. Sometimes I make a mess. But that’s life! Follow my adventures into the world of science and wellbeing.

Can handstands make me happy(ier)?

I’m honestly not looking for silver lining when I say that lots of good things happened in 2020. Parking the … More

confidence, handstands, mental health, self-esteem, strength training, yoga, yoga gymnastics

Mindfulness is not just for stress

Two new studies reinforce that mindfulness meditation can help not just to fight stress but also maintain a healthy and balanced immune system. Time to work on my meditation practice!

digital health, health, immune system, mbsr, meditation, mindfulness, wellbeing, yoga immunity, yoga science

Does yoga help with (peri)menopause?

Perimenopause is a big time of transition for women – can yoga help to overcome the challenges that go with it?

menopause, mental health, perimenopause, wellbeing, yoga, yoga science

Yoga nidra – view from above

A yoga nidra practice inspired by stoicism

yoga nidra

Is hot yoga better (or worse) than room temperature yoga?

My first experience of hot yoga was fairly traumatic. The smell in the then Bikram Kentish Town studio. The aggressive … More

fitness, health, hot yoga, science, wellbeing, yoga, yoga science

Yoga vs CBT for anxiety in older adults (plain language summary)

Large randomised clinical trial compared yoga and CBT for alleviating worry in older adults. The results are promising.

anxiety, depression, mental health, research, sleep, worry, yoga, yoga science

Is it time for some megastudy thinking in yoga research?

One of the biggest problems of understanding the effects of yoga on our health and minds and bodies more broadly is that a lot of yoga research is, frankly, a bit shit.So it was great to see the publication of this guidance last week on how yoga studies should be designed and reported. But it doesn’t really go far enough. Could megastudy thinking be what we are missing?

behavioural science, research design, science, yoga, yoga science

‘Sleep hygiene’ may help in Alzheimer’s – could yoga support too?

News today that sleep hygiene could help to delay or lessen the severity of Alzheimer’s – if yoga can help with better sleep, could it help with Alzheimer’s too?

alzheimers, circadian rhythms, sleep, yoga, yoga science

Growing old well, with yoga

Ageing well is surely something that we are all after – mobile, as healthy as we can, with strong brains and great mental health. Maybe yoga can help.

ageing, aging, cognitive function, health, science, wellbeing, yoga, yoga science

Can I be into yoga without the supernatural crap?

The yoga world is obsessed with the supernatural, beyond things that are part of its actual heritage. But how much does this contribute to the rejection of science and medicine?

anthropology, beliefs, science, wellbeing, yoga, yoga science

For Christmas this year, I got Covid-19

Yes, I’m one of the hundreds of thousands of people who recently tested positive for Covid-19 (presumably Omicron variant). It’s … More

covid-19, pandemic, vaccination

Meditation for a healthy immune system – plain language summary

Here’s a cool study to wrap the year up: evidence of changes in gene expression following an intense meditation retreat. … More

meditation, science, wellbeing, yoga, yoga immunity, yoga science

Why I thought “Breath” was disappointing (and even a little worrying)

There is a lot of food for thought in this yoga bible, but frankly I’m disappointed by the science-washing and the missed opportunity to put forward something great. Maybe science communication should be left to those with some scientific training after all.

book review, breath, breathing, popular science

Soften into winter yoga nidra

Here’s a little winter present for you – I recorded the yoga nidra from my recent workshop for you. The … More

yoga nidra

Can yoga help live better with rheumatoid arthritis?

What we know from the research is that practicing yoga is linked with reducing the levels of molecules that drive inflammation, aka an ‘excessive’ immune reaction. But does that translate to an actual improvement in disease activity?

autoimmunity, health, immune system, ra, rheumatoid arthritis, wellbeing, yoga, yoga autoimmune disease, yoga immunity, yoga science

My “Yoga for immune balance” programme is live!

In case I haven’t shouted enough about it – I filmed a yoga programme! I’m so excited that it is … More

wellbeing, yoga, yoga immunity, yoga science

Is yoga nidra your missing sleep remedy?

I have come to the realisation that my whole family has sleeping problems and takes sleeping pills on a regular … More

How stress messes up your immune system (and where yoga fits in)

Stress really fucks up the immune system in various different ways. Yoga’s positive effects on our immunity are likely due to its effects on our stress levels.

breathing, health, immune response, science, stress, vagus nerve, wellbeing, yoga, yoga immunity, yoga science

Does yoga really support a healthy immune system?

Ever since I wrote the blog post on yoga perpetuating the appeal to nature fallacy, I’ve been a little paranoid … More

health, wellbeing, yoga, yoga immunity, yoga science

Is yoga guilty of perpetuating the ‘natural is best’ fallacy? Am I?

In the yoga world, we have a tendency to prefer and promote a preference for all things natural. Herbal remedies. … More

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