Session on the yoga mat may be best to ease a bad back By Henry Bodkin With its catalogue of headstands and one-legged contortions, it might be thought yoga was best left to those of us who are in peak physical condition. However, new research suggests the group of people who could most benefit from adopting the lotus position is those who are immobilised by pain. Analysis of more than 1,000 adults with long-term lower-back pain found those who practised yoga were most likely to reduce pain and improve mobility. The findings, from researchers in the US, add weight to calls for GPs in Britain to prescribe yoga sessions to ease long-term discomfort. Back pain causes more disability than any other condition and affects almost one in 10 Britons, becoming more common with age. Because the causes are hard to isolate it is difficult to treat and  patients commonly resort to long-term use of strong painkillers. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) gu...

Want, Idleness, Ignorance, Squalor and Disease: these were the five "giants" identified by Sir William Beveridge in his wartime report that laid the foundation  for the postwar welfare state. He omitted a sixth that is less viable yet as old as civilisation: loneliness. Isolation inflicts a heavy psychological burden, especially on the elderly. It also has financial costs, in worsening ill health. An innovative scheme in Rotherham suggests how these can be reduced. Health administrators in the town have since 2012 allocated about £500,000 a year to community groups to help vulnerable patients to join them. It works, for patients and health budgets. GPs direct patients to activities such as yoga, fitness classes or the arts, or counseling for those with financial or welfare problems. This sort of social prescribing reduces the pressure on medical services. Analysis by Sheffield Hallam University suggests that by reducing A & E visits, hospital stays and GP appointme...

Prescribing yoga, arts and Xbox fitness classes on the NHS can cut A & E visits by a sixth, according to an analysis of one of the largest such schemes. Lonely older patients are much happier of GPs send them to knitting, woodwork or local history groups and the NHS could save money because they need less treatment, the study suggests. Family doctors say they have replaced priests as the first port of call for people with social or financial problems, and non-medical help will free up appointments. Loneliness exacerbates health problems of the elderly. In one of the longest running programmes, health chiefs in Rotherham have spent £500,000 a year since 2012 on community groups and advisers to help vulnerable patients to joint them. Tai chi, quizzes, indoor curling and other exercises are among the groups offered to lonely older people, while those with financial problems are given debt and welfare advice and those with depression are steered towards music or creative wr...

There was an interesting article by Peta Bee in The Times this week about the growing number of people who are turning to a restorative yoga practice. It’s time to slow down your hot yoga moves by Peta Bee Somewhere along its path to finding inner peace, yoga seems to have lost its way. For the past decade and more we have embraced the ancient practice in our droves. We have rushed from our high-pressured jobs and snatched time to keep up and it has progressed to being a gym-class staple with lightening pace. Getting ashtanga arms and a Bikram butt became our obsession as we pushed ourselves into postures more frenetically than its original devotees would have ever done. Yoga is now suggestive of competitive stretching by lithe, super-bendy bodies and an emphasis on sweat. Yet just as we got used to the ever more dynamic downward dog, there is an opposing trend emerging among those who are trying to slow it back down. Fed up with being wedged into a room packed to capacity...

  RESTORATIVE YOGA WEDNESDAY EVENINGS, 8-9PM Unwind at the end of your day with a class that starts with gentle, yet strengthening yoga stretches and breath work, before moving toward restorative yoga, using props (bolsters, blankets, blocks, straps, eye bags) to support the body, create comfort and minimize muscular tension, which in turn helps to relax the nervous system, rest the adrenal glands, fostering a deep sense of well-being. This class is suitable for all levels of experience and flexibility. It is also suitable for people returning to yoga practice after a spell away, or any one working with injuries or health conditions. Above all, it's an hour where individuals can switch off from the pace of London life and tune into themselves. BOOKINGS This 8-week restorative yoga course costs £112. To book your place, call 020 8789 3881 or send an email to info@putneyclinic.co.uk .

4-WEEK ASHTANGA YOGA FOR BEGINNERS COURSE STARTS SATURDAY 25 APRIL, 8:45AM We are pleased to announce that Yoga Mama will be offering a new 4-week ashtanga yoga for beginners course which starts on Saturday 25 April, 8.45am. The class will be led by Degy and is designed for beginners. Please note that this course is unsuitable for pregnant women who have not studied ashtanga yoga before. ABOUT THE COURSE The beginner course will teach you the grounding elements of Ashtanga Yoga. You will learn the main principles of this method, which are linking breath and movement. You will be taught the Surya namaska sequence and introduced to the standing postures. This particular method of yoga is ultimately practiced in what is called "Mysore style", where you move through the sequence at your own pace, in what becomes like a moving meditation. It is both dynamic and relaxing at the same time. ABOUT THE TEACHER Degy was introduced to the ashtanga yoga method here a...

Eddie Stern and the supporters of LIFE Camp walking the walk with yoga. Truly inspiring.

" That (true knowledge) which cannot be realized, merely by reading and studying, becomes real only through application and practice of yoga" Yoga Makaranda-The Nectar of Yoga  Krishnamacharya 

Ashtanga yoga is a flowing dynamic form of yoga, where each pose is linked and synchronised using a breath and movement system . Developed by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Ashtanga yoga is a set series of postures that are linked to the breath in a flow of movement, increasing strength and flexibility. The discipline of this system allows us to develop a deeper understanding and awareness of ourselves. It is both empowering, and liberating and allows us to move through life with a calmness and steadiness of mind and body. Ashtanga Yoga courses at Yoga Mama In addition to our Friday morning (9 -10:30am) Ashtanga Led Yoga course, we have added a new Tuesday morning (9:30 - 11am) course too. Both of these courses last for 8 weeks and cost £120. Come along and join our yoga classes to gain muscle strength, flexibility and improve your posture to help prevent re-injury and to achieve a mind-body connection. More information and bookings For more information or to book your place on...

Sad to hear the news of BKS Iyengar passing on to the next life What a truly remarkable man who studied and shared his knowledge of yoga to millions of people. His books have certainly influenced me-his dedication and wisdom stayed with him to the end. His mark on the world saw him nominated for the Noble Prize for peace.....lets hope we see more yogis follow in his "giant"  footsteps.

This is a great image that really shows why posture is important, and why people working at computers should be especially mindful. Carrying around a 42lb head is going to hurt. Tuck that chin in and lengthen the spine. Thank you to The Putney clinic of Physical Therapy for displaying this on their notice board.

By Cherie Lathey, senior yoga teacher and director of Yoga Mama Many skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and atopic dermatitis can be triggered by or, indeed, made worse once an outbreak is present by stress. Some suffers will become self-conscious and even depressed which then causes a circular negative effect on the condition. Practising yoga and meditation can have a really positive effect on both the mind and body. We know helping to relieve stress can help to alleviate some of the symptoms or aggravating factors of skin conditions brought on by stress. While I am not suggesting yoga and meditation alone will cure psoriasis, it can definitely help. A gentle yoga practice and breathing techniques can have a profound effect on how we manage stress, and how we perceive ourselves in the world. Helping to balance moods and enabling a positive connection to the body by letting go of the negative feelings that might occur when a skin condition is present. Gentle poses...

Asana is to be seated in a position which is firm but relaxed Yoga Sutras

I am out of action at the moment. I have a hip impingement which has been going on for a quite a while. I've seen all the great and good in the London hip scene (pardon the pun) and have continued my yoga practice the best I can whilst working around the injury site and not taking myself into a point of pain. A recent stint which had me sat at a computer for more hours than I care to count has aggravated the impingement and the steroid injection I had in August has started to wear off. One of the problems I now have is pain and inflammation causes muscle inhibition. As I currently have pain,  I have been advised to rest to see if the pain subsides. Continuing to work through the pain inhibits the muscles around the injury site and stops them from working efficiently; therefore doing more damage than good. Once I  am relatively pain free, I will work the muscles (in this case the glutes and other core stabilisers) in isolation to try and gain back the strength that has b...

After a week of "super clubs" in Ibiza my son busts his version of Eka Pada in a "Trapstar" hat and "Nike Huarache" trainers. While the attire is pretty cool, it is not recommended with this yoga pose.   :-) 

A wonderful video clip of an inspirational man. I was moved and inspired by Matthew. He will be running workshops at Triyoga in London in September 2013. Matthew Sanford realising the inner body + adapting yoga for everyone: a weekend of workshops + two-day intensive Wednesday 11 - Sunday 15 September.

So I'm here in Mysore India to practice yoga at the Ashtanga yoga institute. I could write a long monologue of my practice, the shala, the students, the gossip and all the other "stuff" that keeps the yoga students entertained when they are not practising asana. Instead I will give you a glimpse into the life of the people of India who are teaching me lessons every day that I am here.

Tittibhasana-Whats that in the distance Santa's sledge? Er, think it might be my feet...