Nidd Valley Physio, Massage, Yoga & Pilates in Darley, North Yorkshire
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Open up your breath! This was one of the poses we looked at in "Breathing Your Way to a Balanced Core". Sometimes we can have restrictions in our breathing muscles or joints. Each rib is attached directly to a corresponding vertebra of the spine, if you have had surgery, rib fractures, asthma, or suffer from stress and anxiety then your breath will most likely be affected. :: I would say that 100% of my clients with asthma have a dysfunctional breathing pattern, but they ar...en't coming to see me for their asthma - they are seeing me for neck or shoulder pain, which has happened because they are using other muscles other than their respiratory muscles to breathe! :: We correct the breathing and the pain goes away, it makes the client... and me, very happy! :: This position is used if you feel tight into your breath on one side of the ribs, try it for a minute or 2 then get up and see if you notice a difference with your breath on the right and left side. See more

Last day to book, still a few places left! Looking forward to teaching this workshop tomorrow. Sign up here: https://www.niddvalleyphysio.co.uk//breathing-your-way-to-

Finding my way to the end of the weekend and ready to warrior into Monday! Full day in clinic tomorrow after a weekend of prep for Breathing Your Way to a Balanced Core next weekend! Still spaces left, booking info at https://www.niddvalleyphysio.co.uk//breathing-your-way-to-

What is a 'Pilates Body'? I always felt when I took my yoga and Pilates teacher training that there would be an expectation that I should look or act a certain way. That I should be able to do all of the 'advanced' poses or movements so I could demonstrate all the levels to students, that belief was reinforced to me in several of my trainings. Thankfully now I know different. I know that the skill of a teacher is to make their students feel included, not excluded. To find a w...ay for them to feel at home in my class even if they have never done Pilates or yoga before. The skill to have knowledge of the muscles, the joints and the nervous system to be able to guide someone safely through a practice without getting injured. And ultimately, not to be led by my ego but by the need of my students and clients so I can make these amazing movement systems inclusive to everyone. Most importantly, I am open to change, there are deep traditions and lineages in the yoga and Pilates world, but science and research is constantly guiding us in new directions so we don't have to do the same things over and over again but we can make positive changes and think outside of the box... That's why I love this article, it challenges traditional belief's and making headway where it is needed.

How do you feel about shoes? My feelings have changed over the last couple of years after getting my first pair of @vivobarefoot ’s, if fact it isn’t just my feelings that have changed - it’s my whole posture! It’s a bit addictive or maybe you could call it coming home. Minimal footwear is becoming more popular for a reason they allow your feet to do what they evolved to do! Swipe left to check out the way our feet are meant to look (a), versus how they do look more often t...han not in western society (b). Did you know that there are more bones in one of your feet than there are in your whole spine? And yet what is the attention ratio you give in your movement sessions for your foot versus your spine? I’m guessing the foot is lacking behind. If you are interested in freeing your feet, then drop me a DM for a discount code with Vivo Barefoot. And if you want to know more about how your feet bones are connected to your spine bones, then join me on my workshop in 2 weeks time, link in bio :) . . . . . . . #YogaTeacher #Physiotherapy #YogaLearning #YogaAnatomy #YogaCPD #PilatesTeacher #Harrogate #Darley #LearnPilates #PilatesAnatomy #PilatesHuman #HarrogatePhysio #Nidderdale #YorkshireYoga #NorthYorkshireYoga #HarrogateYoga #NorthYorkshirePhysiotherapy #LocalPhysio #PilatesYorkshire #PilatesNorthYorkshire #LocalPilates #Darley #Nidderdale #Niddvalley #NorthYorkshire #FunctionalMovementPatterns

Focus on Balance in classes tonight, not sure we will quite be up to this standard though

Happy Friday! I'm not quite sure where this week has gone. Does anyone else feel that time gets sucked into a wormhole, I think this is getting worse as I get older. Today has been exciting as I've been planning a mini-workshop for the end of November on the 28th, more updates to follow I'm hoping if you have had a tiring or difficult week that you have some self-care time set aside at the weekend. If you are stuck for something to do then sit down and listen to a podcast. It's podcast Saturday tomorrow so I'll be posting one of my faves tomorrow!!

Yoga props! They are an investment but so much you can make do with at home! Used this with a client in clinic today, 2 pillows, foam roller and a towel. What do you use for make do props at home? #YogaTeacher #YogaLearning #YogaAnatomy bc #YogaCPD

This position has many names, I call it Supine 90/90 from my teacher Kathy @immaculatedissection. This is one of the first positions you ever learned.... like when you were 3 months old! In Pilates, we add on lots of movements from this position but rarely do we focus on the position on its own. This was how you learned to create stability in your torso so you could then add movement to it when you were young. All too often as adults, we have lost the ability to be able to hold this position and just breath. I use this regularly in my assessments to check for breathing compensations and often give it as an exercise with breathing and positioning cues depending on what I find! if you struggle with your breathing or aches and pains in this position in classes then DM me and I'll let you know how I can help :)

Part 2: If you are struggling or you know someone who is then here are some actions that have helped me: Reading: - One of the best books I have read on this subject is @johann.hari most recent book 'LOST CONNECTIONS: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions. This book is a game changer and turns the theory of treating depression with medication on its head giving a modern day understanding of why depression is becoming endemic in western societ...y. Podcasts: - Episode 51 of @drchatterjee podcast with the above author looking at ‘Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression with Johann Hari’ Plain speaking and easy to understand. Talking: - Sometimes you just feel you don’t want to bother anyone with your problems, but most of the time, whoever you are talking to will be more than willing to listen and sometimes just having someone to listen can make all the difference. Move Well and Eat Well: - There is a huge amount of evidence to show that movement, whether its running, yoga, cycling can be hugely beneficial to mental health along with a balanced diet Sharing: - I’ve seen so many amazing posts from friends who have been vulnerable and shared their own experiences of mental health issues which can only raise awareness and reduce stigma around this topic. Thank you. If you have any other comments or suggestions then please mention them below. There IS hope and things will always change! #MentalHealthMatters

Part 1: Today is World Mental Health Day 2020. Some words from Brené Brown have really resonated with me today: We all need love and belonging - without it, there is always suffering. This is true now more than ever. Watching the mental health of different generations declining in an era when we are supposedly more connected and happier (according to social media) than ever. Watching the effects of lockdown on my parents, on my friends living alone, on the suicide’s of 2 yo...ung and talented women in my community. The statistics of child abuse and domestic violence soaring. And that is just the impact of the events of this year so far. It is overwhelming! It can create anxiety by just thinking about it all, let alone going through it! If there is one thing I have learnt in life and as a physio over the last 8 years is that mental health is vital to everything else working as well as it can in the body. If someone is in constant pain, this can lead to depression, similarly, if they have been under mental stress for a significant period of time, this can have an effect on tension and pain within the body. Having been through 2 of the most traumatic events in my life in the last 8 years, I’ve realised that symptoms of depression and anxiety don’t just go away, there needs to be some kind of intervention to give you strategies to process and create resilience to move forward. This is not easy, it is hard work and the work never ends, but it is worth it. It is worth it for your own sanity, your own quality of life, your relationships with loved ones and friends. It ultimately helps in creating a life with ‘love and belonging’, even if that is just within yourself. #MentalHealthMatters

This is especially relevant to me as we move toward winter. Do you notice that change in energy as we move into a new season, as it gets colder and darker? I always need more sleep at this time of year, I need to slow down and give extra support to my immune system to keep me working and playing through the winter. What do you do for self-care in the changing seasons?

Shoulder Glides Who doesn't need some shoulder love in their lives? This is a balance between the strength and range of movement of the back of the shoulder versus the front of the shoulder. Head and neck should be relaxed and you should be breathing easy. ... Enjoy! See more

In my happy place today, moving through the mountains. Even when I’m out walking I’m constantly thinking of biomechanics and gait. I even managed to string it out for an hour long conversation with my other half of what our ankles are doing in different footwear moving over rocky terrain! Hoping for 2 more days of weather like this and more movement musings

Do you have osteoporosis or do you know someone with it? The prevalence of this condition is increasing in the UK and means the consequences of a simple trip or fall can lead to fractured bones rather than bumps and bruises. If you want to know more about the do's and don't for this condition regarding movement and exercise, have a read of this article for some advice.

One of the simplest exercises in theory but so difficult for many of my clients . Try it. Can you create a perfect circle with the tip of your shoulder/ or is it more like an oval or a triangle ? The purpose of this movement is to get your shoulder blades moving and sliding over the back of the rib cage and having enough movement in your mid-back and rib cage to allow this to happen. ... Then try changing directions?!?! this can be more challenging or easier depending on how your shoulder biomechanics are set up. Feeling tension in the neck? You might be overusing your neck muscles and underusing your mid-back/shoulder blade muscles. Everyone will do this completely differently. The uniqueness of being human :) See more

We’re Back!! So good to have actual people back in the barn for classes last night ! After a bit of a technical hitch at the start of Pilates with the internet completely dropping out, everything got back on track and we had 14 people joining us from home. Very happy to be able to serve my local community again with in person classes and so nice to see everyone in 3D #thisisthenewnormal #niddvalleyphysio #yoga #physio #pilates #studio #love #harrogate #northyorkshire

So proud of my amazing friends Rachel and Emma for undertaking this amazing challenge for a cause that is so relevant right now and needs support now, more than ever! If you are able, please consider donating to their fundraiser! Go Emma and Rachel

- I'm so excited to announce that from Tuesday the 8th of September I will be offering in-person classes again at the barn (not on a tree ). I understand that online classes are not for everyone and being there in person is important. Numbers will be reduced to 5 people per class to allow for social distancing measures. In contrast, I understand that there may be people who are still shielding and have been making the most of classes online and wo...uld like to continue with this so I will still be filming each class live. I will be setting up the studio so that I will be at the front getting filmed and all in-person students will be behind the camera :) Recordings will still be available if you have paid but are not able to make the session. Term will start on the 8th of September and finish on the 27th of October. I will be on holiday for the week of the 22nd September so there will be no class on that evening. There will be 7 weeks in total in the term. This seems like the last piece of the jigsaw after a very long time away! If you are interested then message me or hop over to my website. In-person spots are already filling up fast so don't miss out! See more

To all of my fantastic running clients! This is a great article which gives a brilliant visual breakdown of what happens through the gait cycle in running and showing how we are trying to optimise the whole system and not just one body part. Enjoy!