What's In An Intention?

What's In An Intention?

As December draws to a close, and a whole new decade is on the horizon, many of us find ourselves in a more reflective mood than most months.  The closing of a year (or in this case a decade), naturally draws us to look back over the last 365 days, mentally reviewing the good, the so-so and the never-to-be-repeated moments of 2019.  Whilst gratefully there will be a whole host of happy memories in amongst the list, for most of us, our brains are hardwired to focus on the negatives or the “room for improvement”. With the start of the new year feeling like a symbolic clean slate, and the awareness of what we could do better fresh in our minds, thousands of us this week will decide on our resolutions for 2020.  

It all seems so logical, positive and even driven.  Proactively trying to make something bigger and better out of our next turn round the sun.  But if it's all so instinctive, why is it that only 1 in 10 of us will keep our promises to ourselves and 66% will give up before we’re even done with January? 

Keeping your Cool this Christmas

Whether you're a verified Santa's little helper,
or an out and out Grinch, we can all find the festive season overwhelming at times. 

Christmas is the "Most wonderful time of the year".  But it can also be the most busy, most expensive and have some of the highest expectations.  Ironically the pressure to "enjoy the day" can itself create a bulging to do list and you might find yourself feeling more overwhelmed than merry! 

Stress at any time of year can lead to chronic health complications so we have put together our top tips for keeping on top of the seasons stresses so you can get back to enjoying the fun stuff!
 

Gratitude Changed My Brain

Gratitude Changed My Brain

We all know that warm glowing feeling you get when someone does something that you are really, genuinely grateful for. Whether it’s a thoughtful gift, a thank you note or a random act of kindness, we tend to get a little buzz or sense of happiness when we are grateful. That buzz is no accident! Numerous studies have proven that when we feel gratitude, our brain releases more dopamine and serotonin - two of the key chemicals in making us feel good from the inside out!⁠

Even better than that, researchers are now discovering that our brains love this gratitude high so much that with regular practice our brains actually adapt to feel it more. Effectively lowering the threshold and making that gratitude buzz a more regular occurrence. ⁠⠀

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That’s right! Your brain ACTUALLY CHANGES to find more positives for you to feel grateful for!!!

So how does it work?

Abdominal separation after pregnancy

Abdominal separation after pregnancy

Being a new (or even not so new) mum can feel like a challenge at times. Instinctively your baby comes first, but that can leave little time to take care of yourself.  For 9 months you felt your body change and adapt in amazing ways and now your beautiful baby has arrived. But some mums find their body now feels different or even unfamiliar; and just when it seems like the pressure is on to get back in shape quickly, some old exercise go-to’s just don’t feel right postnatally, or don’t work the way they used to.  

This article focuses on just what goes on in the abdomen in the postanatal period and onward and how it can impact so much more than your waistline. In particular we will look at abdominal separation and aim to give you a practical understanding of the things you can do (and avoid) to make sure you are supporting your body and getting back to fitness safely!

Meditation Basics - Part One

Meditation Basics - Part One

As December ticks into January we have probably all given a thought or two to ideas or ideals we would like to include more of in 2018.  For me meditation comes up time and time again as one of the simplest and most effective ways to enhance my days.  But if meditation has crossed your mind too, you might be wondering where on earth to start?

Hypermobility & Yoga

Hypermobility & Yoga

"I WOULD COME TO YOGA BUT I'M SO UN-FLEXIBLE, I'D BE TERRIBLE"

"MY DOCTOR TOLD ME YOGA IS BAD FOR ME AS I'M ALREADY TOO BENDY"

Just two sentences that I regularly hear when discussing yoga with my patients.  Clearly these show two ends of the spectrum.  So which is right?  Is either right?  Or is yoga actually about something more than the shapes you bend yourself into?

Medicine or Movement?

Medicine or Movement?

If you know the feeling of chronic spinal pain, you probably also know that the advice on how best to manage it can be confusing.  Recent headline articles give us more confidence than ever that movement therapies such as physio, Pilates and yoga can offer an alternative to medication and get you back on your feet quicker.