A study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine has found that yogic breathing (pranayama) for just 20 minutes is proven to lower stress levels in the body. Researchers examined levels of cytokines in the saliva of 20 participants; cytokines being one of several types of biomolecules that we release when we are het up which act…

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I’m sure you can remember doing plenty of shoulder stands as a child with your friends… Such a shame we all lost our inhibitions as teenagers and stopped doing them because actually they’re hugely beneficial for the body in many ways. So much so that it’s something we should be doing on a regular basis.…

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When you see a pose like the one in the picture, you’d be forgiven for thinking you have to be in the peak of fitness and super-flexible to practise yoga. Quite the opposite… A study published in January reveals that yoga is better than any other form of exercise for back pain. Researchers analysed the…

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A Nottingham University study has proved that yoga can help the psychological well-being of children in care. After undertaking a 20-week yoga programme in three children’s homes in the Midlands, researchers found that regular classes, especially when participation was good, encouraged togetherness and mutuality and improved health and psychological outcomes. All the children reported positive social and meaningful benefits, including feeling more open and…

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I got into yoga 16 years ago after my husband said ‘I have a mate at work who teaches yoga, shall we give it a go?’ Well, I was a complete gym fanatic who had what could be construed as a rather full-on obsession and routine for the gym. I never missed my sessions and I…

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It was 5am when I arrived at the AyurYoga Eco Ashram, India. Tired, groggy and disoriented from my long journey, suddenly my excitement turned to anxiety. It didn’t help arriving in the pitch black, the sun yet to make an appearance, to quiet that voice in my head asking if this was the right thing…

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