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Pride Month is a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, recognise the progress that has been made towards equality, and acknowledge that for many people, the freedom to simply be themselves is still not guaranteed. Whilst attitudes have changed significantly over the years, discrimination, prejudice and exclusion continue to affect the lives of many LGBTQ+ people. Pride is not just a celebration; it is a reminder that visibility matters, that representation matters, and that

Yoga teaching is often associated with presence and care. Less often discussed is what happens when there are no clear boundaries holding it all together. In yoga and Yoga Therapy, we often speak about balance, presence, and awareness in the body and mind. Less frequently discussed but equally important is the role of boundaries in sustaining the work of holding space for others. Boundaries in yoga teaching and Yoga Therapy are not barriers to connection. They are the structu

This weekend I witnessed a pedestrian become understandably frustrated with a driver who failed to observe a crossing. It escalated into a very heated exchange. A small everyday moment perhaps, but it felt like a clear example of how quickly situations can shift when awareness of our environment, our internal state, and the people around us becomes reduced. With the heatwave potentially continuing for another week, many of us may already be noticing its effects. In warmer w

Yoga has always been about more than stretching the body. It’s about connecting mind, body, and breath whilst creating space to be fully present. In some of my classes, I’ve recently started introducing simple brain-training hand movements. Think of them as mini mind puzzles that invite curiosity, focus, and play. These movements engage the mind as much as the body. They help improve hand-eye coordination, following sequence memory, dexterity, and flexibility in the hands and

Recently, my cats broke his leg. Not a simple fracture that could heal quietly with time, but a complicated break that required specialist veterinary care, surgery, medication and strict confinement afterwards. He now has to spend six weeks resting while the bone heals properly, which, if you know cats, feels almost impossible to enforce. To help keep him calm and stop him from jumping or moving too much, he has even been prescribed anxiety medication. The whole experience ha

This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme is Action, and I keep returning to what that really means in practice, beyond awareness and conversation. Because in reality, mental health is not something that sits in the background of life. It shows up in real time, in real bodies, in real conversations. I see it every day, whether I am working one to one in Yoga Therapy, teaching in group spaces, supporting wellbeing through charities such as Shout and Samaritans, or simply

Maternal mental health is often described through a clinical lens, shaped by hormones, sleep deprivation, and the emotional adjustment to motherhood. These factors are significant, and the care provided by healthcare professionals during pregnancy and the postnatal period plays a vital role in supporting both mother and baby through this transition. At the same time, many women find that their experience extends beyond what can be fully addressed within these structures. Ma

We are living longer than ever before and for a long time this has been presented as one of modern medicine’s greatest achievements. But a recent shift in thinking, reflected in reporting from BBC News, asks a deeper question what is the point of longer life if those extra years are not lived well. The emerging focus is no longer simply lifespan but health span the number of years lived in good health with independence connection and a sense of purpose. This shift is supporte

Buckle up for this blog, I’m about to get a little outrageous. A few weeks ago my daughter came home in tears. The reason wasn’t a fall in the playground or a disagreement with a friend. It was a pair of earrings. She had been told she could not take part in physical activity unless her earrings were removed. For a child who loves movement, who swims several times a week and feels most at home in her body, this felt devastating. To an adult, it might seem like a small rule. T

A Yoga Therapy perspective on breath, awareness, and regulation. We’re often told that breathing is automatic, something the body takes care of without us needing to think about it. Like blinking, it’s assumed to just work in the background. But emerging research and clinical experience are increasingly showing that this isn’t always the case. A recent Guardian article explored “dysfunctional breathing,” also known as breathing pattern disorder, where people experience breath

I believe time is one of our greatest and most scarce commodities. Once it is gone, it cannot be earned back. Unlike money or possessions, it cannot be stored. Unlike health, which we can support and care for to some extent, it is not always within our control. Life is unpredictable, and conditions like illness or autoimmune challenges can remind us of the fragility of time. Yet every moment shapes our lives, our choices, and our connections. When I pause and reflect on where

Most of us do it automatically, the long, satisfying stretch as we wake, arms reaching overhead, spine lengthening, toes stretching, maybe even a big yawn. That simple movement has a name: pandiculation. Pandiculation is the body’s natural way of resetting itself after rest or prolonged stillness. It’s a gentle, instinctive stretch that helps release tension, restore muscle length, and reconnect your brain and body. It’s not just a human habit; animals do it too, a cat stretc

Mother's Day recently had me pondering about my work as a Yoga Therapist, I often hear clients speak of a profound sense of loss tied to motherhood, not the loss of a child, but the loss of self. Many describe feeling as though they have disappeared into the roles and responsibilities of parenting, leaving behind aspects of their identity that once felt central to who they are. This experience can create a deep identity crisis, leaving them questioning not only who they are b

In my classes, I don’t demo every asana and that’s on purpose. I want you to learn to listen to your own body, stay curious, and explore what feels right for you. But even when I don’t demonstrate, your brain is still learning, and there’s a fascinating reason for this called mirror neurons. Mirror neurons are special cells in your brain that fire both when you do something yourself and when you see someone else doing it. They’re the reason you might notice that when a baby s

Recently, I went to a comedy gig. I didn’t think much of it at the time, an evening out, a chance to switch off, to be entertained and to be consistent with my word of the year "fun". But what I didn’t expect was how it would feel the next day. I woke up with aching stomach muscles. My face felt like it had done a workout. Even my ribs felt tender. And then it hit me… I hadn’t pulled something at yoga. I’d been laughing. Really laughing. The kind of laughter that catches

Valley Leisure Ltd , believe that every person deserves the chance to live well – especially those managing stress, low mood, anxiety, depression, trauma or long‑term health conditions. Our Yoga for Wellbeing program provides a calm, inclusive and nurturing space where people can reconnect with themselves, move more, breathe deeply and rebuild their confidence. © Doda Yoga 2026 & Valley Leisure Ltd 2026 Our latest 12‑week programme, delivered from September to December 2025,

As a Yoga Therapist, you might be surprised at how often digestion comes up in conversation. Not because I ask directly. (Although recently I said, “How have you been?” and a client gave me a funny look, they thought I’d asked, “Have you been?”). The reason it comes up so often isn’t a coincidence. It’s all down to the gut–brain connection. Our brain and digestive system are constantly communicating through a network of nerves, including the vagus nerve, which is a key pathwa

It may sound a little over the top, but planting spring bulbs in the garden of our new home over two years ago, daffodils and tulips tucked quietly beneath the soil, was one of the best investments I’ve ever made in myself. © Naomi Hurst 2026 Every year since, they’ve come back. No fanfare. No effort required from the current version of me. Just colour, life, and a gentle reminder that lighter days are coming. I invest in myself in lots of ways. Courses. Movement. Time. Energ

When I first started working in corporate, I was fortunate to have some remarkable mentors, people who shaped me into the professional I am today. The lessons I learned from them are ones I carry with me, and I know they will stay with me for a lifetime. I remember vividly being told by someone I deeply respected to read The Energy Bus. At first, I glanced at the synopsis and thought, this seems almost religious. I was surprised that this was the book recommended to me. But a

Two months into my word of the year: FUN and already it has taught me so much. I didn’t choose fun lightly. It wasn’t about being silly for the sake of it or avoiding responsibility. It was a conscious decision to invite more lightness into a life that already holds depth, care, and meaning. And what I’m discovering is this: fun doesn’t dilute those things. It enhances them. I laugh more and I make more mistakes. I laugh much more often now. And interestingly, I also make mor