She’s everyone’s favourite nerve. She’s the vagus nerve, the main parasympathetic nerve, one that brings balance in times of stress. And yoga practices are her friend.
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.
Geeky wellbeing favourites: May
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Yoga, self-compassion and being a better friend to yourself
What is the most overused, overdiscussed topic in yoga philosophy? It’s ahimsa. It’s doing no harm. It’s compassion and kindness. It’s self-compassion and being a better friend to yourself.
That orange sweater
Bright bold demanding it repels meI want to remain unseen an observerevery year painting each layer of … More
What do depression, inflammation and yoga have in common?
If you were to ask me what was the one thing I learned in the past year that blew my … More
Geeky wellness favourites: April
My favourites in health and wellness in April: yoga science stories, a cute tool to keep you well at work, a delicious yoga nidra, and more…
What did the Victorians think of yoga?
Don’t ask me what possessed me to log through the archives of Nature, the MOST prestigious scientific journal in the … More
Why everyone should practice yoga
I’m biased of course. I’ve been practising yoga for more than 10 years. I teach yoga. I write about yoga. … More
5 reasons why you should start a breathing practice today
Last year I attended breathing school. You would have thought that after 38 years of being alive I would know … More
Why I teach – and yoga as a tool for empowerment
You may have noticed that I haven’t written in a while. A few weeks ago I had a family emergency … More
Yoga as an investment – and why health engagement is vital
As part of my plan to try and work out my yoga teaching shit this year, I joined a mentoring … More
Yoga nidra: what do people think? (or Rachel’s mini-research project)
Why do people think yoga nidra is? Why do they want to do it? And what do they experience when the do? I looked online to see what people are saying to find out (because I’m nosy – are you?).
Yoga nidra makes me happy (or just less sad) – plain language summary
I’m going to admit, I’ve been struggling to find both brain power and motivation to do any reading that requires … More
How to knit: kitty cowl
Over the past few years I’ve really been struggling to get my knit-jo back – the wedding crafting really took … More
Diffusion
And so I walkedI walked through ground carpeted in leaves the colours of autumnI walked through air flavoured with smoke … More
How to form a yoga habit
Use behavioural science tool to help form yoga (and other healthy) habits.
Winter
Those early morningsit’s so cold outside, the airfreezes the windowsYou expect nothing otherthan my presence, I expect only yours. We … More
Let’s talk yoga books
Anyone who knows me will know that I love books. I was (and still am) the weird kid whose face … More
Living with rheumatoid arthritis – could yoga help? (plain language summary)
You probably know at least one if not multiple people with autoimmune disease, whether that’s type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s disease or rheumatoid arthritis (also called RA). All of these are conditions where the immune system has gotten ‘confused’ about what is self and what is non-self, and starts attacking the body, whether that’s the pancreas (diabetes), the gut (Crohn’s disease) or the joints (RA). Could yoga help?
Is yoga community good for our immunity?
Here’s an interesting question: how much of the benefit of yoga on our mental health and our immunity is due … More
GEEKY YOGA 