So many of us struggle with overthinking. Trapped in an endless cycle of ruminating thoughts, it can feel overwhelming and like there’s no way to come out of it. Thankfully there are ways to calm a busy mind and today I’m talking about some of the reasons why we overthink, how it impacts our mental well-being, and sharing some effective strategies to bring your mind into a state of peace and calm. Overthinking isn’t just a modern problem. Even the ancient yogis struggled with the same ...

Many of us grew up thinking we had to be hard on ourselves to succeed. We believed that criticising ourselves was the only way to improve. However, constantly criticising and being hard on ourselves often leads to feelings of shame and hopelessness. It drains our mental energy, makes us feel unworthy and puts our nervous system into freeze mode. So, why do we punish ourselves? Behind the mask of the critic is often a wounded child. Our inner critic tries to protect us from failure, hurt, or ...

I'm often asked if yoga helps people with anxiety, and as tempted as I am to say that yoga is the cure for everything, it's not so straightforward. Learning to manage anxiety is a journey so today I’m sharing some practical tools to help you care for your nervous system and feel a whole lot better. To address anxiety effectively, it's important to understand the mechanics of our nervous system, which is the link between our mind and body. According to polyvagal theory, there is a hierarchy ...

If you’re like many people and your mind is bombarded with busy thoughts, I’ve got something really special for you today. In this episode, I’m sharing a guided meditation and breathwork practice that will help you sink into a deep state of peace and tranquillity. This ancient technique dates back over a thousand years and holds the key to unlocking a secret portal to a calm mind. Throughout this calming and peaceful meditation, I’ll guide you through gentle eye gazes and breathing pat...

Today I’m diving into a topic that holds immense power in our healing journey: our emotions. In previous episodes, I’ve talked about the effects of the nervous system on our well-being but today I’m exploring how suppressed emotions can cause stress and hinder our physical and mental health. Join me as I share my own healing journey and how I experienced a profound transformation by confronting and processing emotions I didn’t realise were there. I’ve always considered myself a calm and coll...

Our nervous system has two main branches: the parasympathetic and the sympathetic. The parasympathetic branch is associated with relaxation and calm, while the sympathetic branch triggers the fight or flight response when it perceives a threat or danger. Chronic stress can disrupt the balance of our nervous system, triggering prolonged fight or flight responses. This can lead to issues like chronic muscle tension, high blood pressure, digestive problems, anxiety, and inflammation. In th...

Have you ever set goals but found yourself repeatedly falling into patterns of resistance, procrastination, and self-sabotage? If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. Today I’m diving into the concept of resistance and exploring why it's not simply laziness or a lack of discipline that hinders our progress. By understanding the deeper reasons behind our resistance, we can unlock the key to overcoming obstacles and achieving our goals. Resistance is an invisible force that holds us ...

Yin yoga is a deeply relaxing and calming style of yoga that has loads of benefits for everyone, from beginners to elite athletes. Today I’m going deeper into the principles of yin yoga to explore why it’s so good for the physical body, nervous system, emotions, and the mind. During Yin yoga, we focus on slow, long-held poses that primarily target the fascia or connective tissue rather than the muscles. Unlike other forms of yoga, yin yoga is practiced sitting down or lying down, with...

Ten years ago, I made the life-changing decision to quit my six-figure career and open my own yoga studio. Today I’m sharing my personal story of how I fell in love with yoga, the significant impact it had on my life and why I’ve never looked back. My real journey with yoga began when I moved into a house with a yoga studio conveniently located at the end of the street. Curiosity got the best of me, and I signed up for a beginner's yoga class one Sunday afternoon, not knowing what to ...

I have a special treat for you today which I know you’re going to love. In this episode, I’m guiding you through a Yoga Nidra meditation to bring your mind and body into a beautiful state of relaxation and calm. Yoga Nidra is often referred to as yoga sleep. It’s a deep relaxation exercise where you’re guided to rotate your consciousness through different parts of your body. This rotation of consciousness is an old yoga technique designed to slow down our brainwave frequency, which is...

Gratitude wasn’t always my thing. In fact, I used to roll my eyes when yoga teachers talked about gratitude. But life's twists and turns led me through some of my darkest moments, including divorce, a battle with breast cancer, and my father's terminal illness. It was during these tough times that I discovered the power of gratitude. When life takes a difficult turn, it's easy to dwell on the negatives, which only amplifies our stress and anxiety. But by finding even one small thing to be gra...

I must confess that I have a tendency to overwork. In the past, I wasn’t very good at rest and self-care, until a sudden breast cancer diagnosis forced me to listen to my body’s needs, say no, set boundaries and prioritise my wellbeing. In this episode, I’m opening up on a deeper level about my journey toward real self-care and sharing a guided practice to help you slow down and rest. When I talk about self-care, I don’t just mean spa days and pampering. True self-care requires us to ...

If you've ever found yourself fuming on your yoga mat or you’ve been experiencing a deeper set of emotions during practice lately, this episode is for you. Today I’m exploring why anger can unexpectedly surface during your yoga journey, why it's actually a sign of progress, and how embracing your emotions can reduce anxiety. Most people think of yogis as perpetually calm and serene, making it quite a shock when anger bubbles up during a yoga class. I’ve experienced it myself – I was suppose...

Over the last decade at my yoga studio, I've witnessed thousands of clients go through menopause. Some of these women were overwhelmed with menopause symptoms, while others sailed through with minimal inconvenience. The key for the women who went through menopause with relative ease was that they learned how to manage their stress. Menopause is a significant life transition that every woman experiences, but it doesn't have to be a nightmarish rollercoaster ride. While menopause brings...

Yoga is often associated with physical flexibility, but I can say from personal experience that it is so much more than that. Physical poses are one beneficial aspect of yoga, but many more components help bring us into the realm of mental peace, stillness and happiness. Yoga is like a ladder with multiple rungs, and more than half of these rungs are focused on the mental aspect of our well-being. Ancient yoga texts describe yoga as a practice to still the fluctuations of the mind, so...

I’ve got something a little different for you today - a guided yoga and relaxation session designed to help you get a good night's sleep. This episode is one that you can come back to again and again whenever you need some help winding down before bed. As you listen, I encourage you to find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed. You’ll need a yoga mat, some space on the floor, a yoga bolster or pillow, and access to a wall or chair to put your legs up. This practice is ve...

Learning how to set boundaries is a skill that can profoundly impact our lives. Whether you struggle with saying "no," you feel overwhelmed by the demands of others, or simply want to enhance your relationships and personal well-being, this episode will empower you with the knowledge and tools you need to set boundaries as an act of self-care. Boundaries act as protective barriers that guard our precious time, energy, and well-being. In this episode, I share some of the signs of poor bounda...

If you find it hard to relax, you're not alone - relaxation doesn’t come naturally to everyone. It's a learned ability to shift into the parasympathetic state, the relaxation response, which requires practice and guidance. Today I’m sharing five challenges associated with relaxing and how to overcome them. So, take a moment to pause, breathe, and join me on this journey to deeper rest. One major obstacle to relaxation is guilt. Society often portrays rest as a luxury or a reward for hard wo...

One of the reasons why yoga is so good for relieving stress is because of the breathwork component, Pranayama. Even if you’re not moving your body, you can still harness your breath to calm your nervous system, relax your mind and body and manage stress, which is exactly what I’m talking about today. In this episode, I uncover some of the secrets of breathwork and its profound impact on our overall well-being. I explain the role of the vagus nerve and the parasympathetic nervous syste...

If you’ve been having sleepless nights, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with insomnia so today I’m sharing some tools that can help. In this episode, I explore some of the causes of insomnia and how the practice of yoga can be the key to achieving that elusive restful sleep. We'll cover the science behind sleep, essential sleep hygiene practices, the role of stress, and how yoga can offer a path towards a peaceful slumber. While the occasional restless night is annoying, chronic inso...