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…

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.

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…

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.…

What’s so special about yoga?

Ever since I read Yoga Body*, I’ve had one big question in my mind: if modern postural yoga is basically…

Sewing

I made a dress this weekendsewing machine rescued from the cardboard graveyard, fabric washed, pinned, cutand the needle moves forward the…

Burned out? Try yoga

Working from home over the past 18 months has brought some challenges, especially in maintaining work–life balance. Could yoga help tackle stress and burnout and keep us productive and full of brilliant ideas?

Forever young with yoga?

If inflammation determines our biological age, and if yoga helps to control unnecessary inflammation, could yoga also help to keep us young?

Meditation/yoga/other mind–body practice is not for me, and other such myths

What is the comment that most yoga teachers hear when they talk about the benefits of yoga? Oh, yoga is…

Geeky wellbeing favourites: June

The June issue of the mind–body adventure was shipped last week, and yes, it features two cats. Subscribe now and…

What having a vitamin B12 deficiency taught me about behavioural science

I’ve never really been a supplement person. I know many people are, religiously taking their multivitamin every day, maybe their…

Why is most yoga research a bit shit?

This question (or a more polite variant of it) recently came up in the pranayama teacher training I’ve been doing. I think we can all agree, it’s a valid question. It’s not that there isn’t research on yoga – this is starting to change – but a lot of what is out there is just not great. Here are three reasons why.

Yoga and mhealth – the perfect recipe for health empowerment?

Digital health can be a beautiful way to deliver the tools we all need to take a more active role in our health and wellbeing. So what happens when you combine it with yoga practices? The perfect recipe for self-care and empowerment, apparently.

What is the vagus nerve – and why should you care?

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.

Geeky wellbeing favourites: May

The first issue of the mind–body adventure is now out. Subscribe and get it straight into your inbox every month.

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.