Arches low, arches high – how to have happy healthy feet
“My daughter has flat feet” a trainee said on a recent Yogacampus training module on the feet and legs. I urged him to find another way to describe his little girl’s feet – especially to her. When people talk about flat feet, they probably mean collapsed arches
Head to Tail – sequential movement of the spine in asana
I have many memories from my first yoga teacher training course with Donna Farhi, even though it was way back in 2000. One memory is especially vivid, it was a spinal yield and push inquiry – there were three of us, me in child with my head supported on a block, one perso
March 06, 2019
Body-Mind Centering®, Donna Farhi, headstand, healthy spine, registered somatic movement educator, registered somatic movement therapist, sequential movement of the spine, sirsasana, spinal movement, spinal push from the head, spinal push pattern, spinal reach from the head, Spine, Trikonasana, Yoga Harrogate
The Downward Facing Dog Blog – how to do adho mukha svanasana
‘Downward Facing Dog is the garlic of yoga,’ said Donna Farhi. The reason for the analogy she explained, is that just as garlic enhances a dish, Downward Facing Dog enhances asana practice. Benefits include – lengthening muscles in the backs of legs, strengthening ha
Babies know how to twist!
Twists – there are a multitude of teaching instructions and ‘how-to-do’ theories for these asanas. I believe that in the practice of yoga poses, particularly twists, we often make things more complicated than they really need to be. If we observe the developmental mo
How to sequence towards Parivrtta Trikonasana
Parivrtta Trikonasana was on the agenda in Level 2 classes recently. “I found the pose disorientating” said one of my students. At first I felt caught on the hop by this observation, then I was intrigued. I remembered something that Amy Matthews once said: “If itR
The ‘flexible ribbon’ – and the power of visualisation
The spine model in the Harrogate Yoga studio is currently adorned with pink tape – all along and around the front surfaces of the vertebral bodies. The pink tape represents the ALL (Anterior Longitudinal Ligament) – an important mid-line structure in the body. There are fo
Hypermobility help – through body awareness and movement patterns
“Good alignment involves a dynamic organisation of the body that facilitates the conduit of force through the body and beyond.” Wise words from Donna Farhi. However for the hypermobile yoga practitioner, good alignment may be difficult to achieve. Hypermobile joints are a common
Knees – to lock or not to lock?
“Pull up your knee caps and thighs” my Astanga Vinyasa teacher used to say repeatedly, back in the 1990s. I dutifully did as I was told – and more. The effect in my case, was hyperextension of the knees – the very scenario the instruction was intended to preven
Slow…Slow…Quick Quick Slow..
‘This may look like a heap of bodies on the floor‘ – was how I began a post on Facebook about the first day of Yogacampus Teaching Training York. In fact we were acting out Autonomic Nervous System responses to gain some experiential understanding. The scenario for &
The Inchworm Story – movement antics at Harrogate Yoga
The Inchworm Story – movement antics at Harrogate Yoga Is that an apple stalk on my kitchen floor I wondered? Or could it be ….ALIVE? I slid some kitchen paper under the ‘apple stalk’ and placed it on my kitchen table for a closer inspection. I gave it a little poke – this
March 22, 2017
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