Mind & Movement Yoga

This 6 week yoga course for body and mind will run from 14th April to 19th May 2026.

The theme for this course is ‘Opening Up’. We will focus on asanas (physical postures) which help to increase flexibility and mobility in the body. Breathwork, meditative and relaxation practices will also have an emphasis on expansion.

This course is well suited to those with some experience of yoga who are looking to deepen their understanding and develop a consistent practice - though beginners are also welcome 🙂.

If you are interested, get in touch. Questions are very welcome. 

I’ve never really found my rhythm with posting on here, but this little grid has contributed to something special.

Three years into running my tiny business, I get to teach a small, lovely community each week — and there’s a growing mailing list of people I’m looking forward to meeting when the time’s right. I'm content with this 🙂.

For now, I’m consciously stepping back from social media. In real life, I’ll still be teaching, saying yes to (probably too many) teacher training opportunities, and happily being a yoga tourist — turning up to classes here, there and everywhere.

If you’d like to get in touch, I’d love to hear from you (link in bio):

www.mindandmovementyoga.co.uk

Unexpected fairy lights can throw a room full of yogis off balance. Good to know for next year. 🎄

The next course starts on 6th January
If you want the details before I get my act together and post something about it, get in touch.

Sold out before I'd managed a social media post. If you fancy joining a future course, get in touch 🙂

I'm not always teaching/ practicing yoga. By day I am a clinical psychologist working with adults with Spinal Cord Injuries (SCIs) - I also get to do some yoga/psychology research which invariably leads to poster-making and then gesturing in front of said poster.

My aim with this particular project is to work with adults with SCIs to create an adapted Yoga Nidra practice and then test it out. This is because yoga nidra has been shown to help with anxiety, low mood, insomnia, cognitive difficulties, high blood pressure (I could go on). But certain elements of this ancient practice are not well suited to those with SCIs. I'm hoping that together we can come up with a better fit...

Creating Space - during this 8 week course there will be an emphasis on postures which help to release tension and encourage flexibility throughout the body.

We will work on developing the 3 part breath (also called the complete breath or Dirga pranayama) which helps to increase lung capacity.

We will also focus on creating space for our internal experiences - even the difficult ones. This element of the course is influenced by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) - a type of therapy that I use a lot on my clinical practice.

This course is sold out, if you're interested in future courses get in touch and I can keep you posted 🙂

DIY Retreat - A few weeks ago I went somewhere quiet with three of my favourite women. Each of us prepared a skill to share or to teach. The end product was a beautiful concoction of crochet, a Beyonce dance routine, delicious food, meditation al fresco, yoga and a surprise duck.

Common criticisms of retreats are that not only are they often very expensive but the benefits don't last. The DIY approach was our solution. Super cheap and it's had a lasting impact - on my blanket making, footwork and my treasured friendships.

We are already planning the next one...🙂

Back to university!

Last year I started a research project exploring the possibility of yoga as an intervention for Long COVID. Sadly once my internship ended in October (with a very soggy graduation) I didn't have any time in my NHS job plan to continue it.

But thanks to NHS England and Sheffield Hallam University I have just started a clinical academic internship which gives me protected time each week to work on this project.

The future of long covid services across the UK remains uncertain, yet so many people (an estimated 1.8% of the population) continue to struggle with difficult to manage symptoms that significantly impact quality of life. Although many people gradually get better, some struggle with the condition for years.

There's a need for lots more research to increase our understanding of the condition and to develop evidence-based treatments/ interventions.

There's loads of experimental research which shows that regular yoga practice can reduce stress. But less is known about how...

One popular hypothesis is that yoga’s ability to reduce stress is down to psychological processes - regular practice encourages a state of mindful awareness of and compassion towards our thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

Another leading hypothesis about why yoga has such a great impact on stress, is because of how it affects the functioning of the autonomic nervous system. This hypothesis suggests that various breath, movement and meditative practices help to ease us out of the sympathetic ('fight or flight') state and into the parasympathetic ('safe & social'/ 'rest & digest') state.

There's evidence to support both of these hypotheses, so with that in mind the yoga & psychology workshop last Saturday included:

- Mindfulness practices
- A compassionate visualisation
- Sequences of postures to help use up 'fight or flight' energy
- Breathing practices to help shift into/ stay within the 'safe & social' state

I don't yet know when the next workshop will be, but if you're interested let me know and I can add you to the mailing list 🙂

When I first started Mind & Movement Yoga 2 years ago, I didn't just want to teach yoga but to develop a little community. It's for this reason that I teach in courses rather than classes and limit places to 14. I don't just know my students' names, I want to actually know them and for them to get to know each other.

With each new course places are first offered to current students so that this sense of community can continue. I'm so pleased that all my current students have chosen to continue their practice with the new course starting 26th November 🙂

This means that there are no places to advertise, but if you are interested in future courses/ workshops - do get in touch. We are a very welcoming Sangha!