The Essential Yogini

Great quick read guide to nutrition… Protein is particularly important for maintenance, renewal and repair of connective tissue for everyone and especially so for bendy aka Hypermobile bodies as we are more susceptible to soft tissue injuries than the average Joe or Joanne…

A Physio’s Nutrition Guide: Navigating The Basics With Nutrition 101 — Physio Network Nutrition is something we know is important, but most of us don’t know much about it. While we’re not dieticians, nutrition can play an important role in our

Long slow breaths actually strengthen the diaphragm.

After ten straight days of coughing like crazy with a horrible virus I am grateful for my strong diaphragm muscles helping to clear my lungs and keep my airways open.

We often talk about why a long exhale calms your brain. If you are a yoga practitioner, or simply a person who breaths, you may have experienced for yourself that taking a deeper inhale and exhale in yoga can send you to a deeper state of relaxation. However, new research finds there are more benefits to a deep belly breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing practice. A recent study found that the regular practice of yoga, which traditionally involves diaphragmatic breathing throughout, improves the parameters of diaphragm thickness.

Now, why is that important? Diaphragmatic breathing contributes to 80% of the volume of air you bring into your lungs. A strong, and thick, diaphragm is an integral part of the core musculature and helps the diaphragm be more effective. Further the diaphragm works in tandem with other core muscles to provide stability and maintain good posture, which can help prevent back pain and injuries.

Not only this, but the diaphragm plays a role in supporting the abdominal organs and regulating intra-abdominal pressure. Further aiding in digestion and gut health.

So the next time you're consciously breathing to your 'belly' in your yoga practice, remember how powerful your own breath can be. For more on breathing techniques, visit The Minded Institute YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwOkbN7ngWjEGlWE2maXhGw

Link to study can be found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37916088/

“They caught the wild children and put them in zoos,
They made them do sums and wear sensible shoes.
They put them to bed at the wrong time of day, And made them sit still when they wanted to play.
They scrubbed them with soap and they made them eat peas. They made them behave and say pardon and please.
They took all their wisdom and wildness away.
That’s why there are none in the forests today.”
~~ Wild Child, van Jeanne Willis

Artist: Anna Speshilova

"When I was 15, I spent a month working on an archeological dig. I was talking to one of the archeologists one day during our lunch break and he asked those kinds of 'getting to know you; questions you ask young people: Do you play sports? What's your favorite subject? And I told him, no I don't play any sports. I do theater, I'm in choir, I play the violin and piano, I used to take art classes.
And he went WOW. That's amazing! And I said, '
'Oh no, but I'm not any good at ANY of them.
And he said something then that I will never forget and which absolutely blew my mind because no one had ever said anything like it to me before:

'I don't think being good at things is the point of doing them. I think you've got all these wonderful experiences with different skills, and that all teaches you things and makes you an interesting person, no matter how well you do them.'

And that honestly changed my life. Because I went from a failure, someone who hadn't been talented enough at anything to excel, to someone who did things because I enjoyed them. I had been raised in such an achievement-oriented environment, so inundated with the myth of talent, that I thought it was only worth doing things if you could 'win' at them."

~ Kurt Vonnegut

Art: Kathleen Peterson
kathleenpetersonart

There’s something about the British psyche that is drawn to the shadow side of Winter, dwelling on the cold damp days and complaining about the shortage of sunlight, as if we have somehow been swindled or shortchanged from an entitlement to live in perpetual summer.

Embracing the change of seasons and adapting to the current conditions is the key to thriving, and not just surviving, through Winter.

When we embrace the inevitable transition we move away from a mindset of enduring hardship and towards embracing the possibilities Winter brings. This may do more for our mental health and physical well-being and set us up for a successful spring and summer better than shutting down and withdrawing from activities completely.

That said honouring our bodies and minds’ needs for rest and replenishment also makes good sense: if we try to force ourselves to push on through as of the days we’re long and the weather warm, we may emerge weary and exhausted, not to mention susceptible to every cough cold and virus going.

As in all things, It’s about finding balance.

Embrace the change.

Check out this short guide from Lauren Baird
on wintering well.













-informedSomaticCoachandTeacherforWomen









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Our emotional health impacts our physical health, there is no way around it. I’ve overcome some of my own emotional barriers in the past; traumas and toxic beliefs are scary to unpack but when you do you give yourself freedom and the opportunity for dynamic growth.

Work with a coach, speak up for yourself, let your feelings out. Deciding to focus on your emotional health as much as your physical health will have big payoffs for your wellness and happiness throughout life.