Today I enter a yoga silent retreat for the weekend, which marks the end of the 200-hour teacher training course. Whilst I still have teaching observations to complete and the learning journey will continue, the classroom learning with our teacher is over. Writing a reflective account of my journey will be something powerful to look back on. Yoga is becoming increasingly popular, but I wanted to write something to dispel the myth that it just a ‘fancy exercise’ or that ‘you have to be flexible to do it’.
When I first started yoga, it was 10 years ago, in a gym, like many, hoping for exercise but also for some calm. The teacher told us how she used to work as a lawyer, had a breakdown, quit everything and turned to yoga teaching which made me realise there was something more to it. Moving around a lot in my twenties meant that I didn’t have the chance to fully commit to one teacher’s class for long, so I have experience with different teachers. That’s why when I met my current teacher, I knew that I would have the most authentic, true and spiritual journey to become a yoga teacher.
Read moreAs the Christmas season approaches, and the late night shopping begins, we feel festive and excited for the season. Sometime sis is all too easy to get caught up in what we have or don’t have. I’m as guilty as the next person for thinking about advent calendar and Christmas jumpers .
Yet, as many of us know, not all of us are feeling festive this time of year, some struggle with loneliness, depression, eating disorders and there are families who struggle to ‘make ends meet’, who are still struggling. This season can exacerbate these struggles.
Read moreSchools are back, the high temperatures are lowering and we’re all noticing the change in daylight. This time of year can be magical for some who love bonfires, Halloween and the build up to Christmas. However, for some of us, the anticipation of winter can fill us with dread. Since moving to Michigan from England, I have experienced one of the worst winters to date. The long dark nights, cloudy skies and below freezing temperatures was a shock to the system. Not only this, I was also diagnosed with a Vitamin D deficiency (despite taking the recommended 10mcg daily!) which made sense since I was experiencing a lot of the symptoms. Winter can be both magical and brutal. I felt like I learned many things from this experience and wanted to share with you a ‘survival’ guide that I have put in place to support all of you to smile through winter.
Read moreThe double burden of malnutrition is characterised by the coexistence of undernutrition, alongside obesity and overweight or diet related non-communicable diseases within individuals, households and populations, across the life course (WHO 2018). The World Health Organisation (WHO 2017) issued a policy briefing regarding the double burden of malnutrition, which effects countries worldwide.
Read moreWinter is finally over for us in Michigan and sunshine is on its way. That said, you might be Vitamin D deficient still.
Read moreThe World Health Organisation (WHO) (2001) recommends that from birth to six months of age, all babies should be exclusively breastfed, as it is unequalled with any other form of nutrition and has health benefits for the mother. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) (2017) endorses these guidelines, with key messages from scientific reviews that it is possible for avoidance of tooth decay, potentially avoid allergy risks and ensures appropriate growth and development of the infant. In addition, we know that mothers experience normal weight gain during pregnancy (Institute of Medicine and National Research Council 2007) and that given the increased requirements to breastfeed (SACN 2011), it can help support a healthy weight. Incidence of breastfeeding for those crucial first six months are increasing globally but the numbers have remained below the target in the UK since 2005, according to the Infant Nutrition Survey 2010 report (2012).
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