All of Yoga: Recent Episodes
Yoga Hero
Yoga is so much more than the physical practice. This podcast explores all of yoga; what meditation is and the benefits, the roots, history and philosophy of yoga, how simple concepts can help us live a more peaceful life, and how to approach the physical aspect of yoga in a safe and beneficial way. If you’re brand new to yoga and wondering what it’s all about, or you’re an experienced yogi looking to learn more about all of yoga - this podcast is for you.
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
If you've been living with back pain for a few weeks or longer, you've probably been told that you need to strengthen something, stretch something, improve your posture.
Sometimes those things help, certainly. But sometimes they don't.
In this episode, we explore what modern pain science tells us about persistent back pain, and why pain isn't always a direct measure of tissue damage.
You'll learn why pain is produced by the brain as a protective response, how stress, sleep and previous experiences can make the nervous system more protective, and why this doesn't mean your pain is "all in your head".
Your pain is real. The question is why your brain believes you still need protecting.
We also look at why yoga can help. Not because it magically realigns your spine, but because mindful movement, breathing and awareness can gradually teach the nervous system that it is safe again.
Plus, join me for an in-person workshop, dedicated to helping you find relief from pain:
Understanding your back pain: an evidence informed workshop
🗓️ Sunday 9th August
📍 The Attic, Leeds
🙏 Spaces are limited, save your spot here
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
Fear doesn’t always mean stop. Sometimes fear appears because something matters.
This meditation is for the moments when a part of you wants to move forwards… but a different part of you wants to stay safe.
A conversation you need to have...
An application you want to send...
A decision you need to make...
Together, we’ll explore what fear feels like in the body. Through grounding, awareness and reflection, we’ll make space for the possibility that fear and courage can exist together; that uncertainty can exist alongside action.
So get somewhere that you're safe and comfortable, and enjoy.
P.S. You've got this 💪
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
What happens when we stop criticising our body and spend a few moments appreciating it instead?
In this guided gratitude body scan, we move attention through the body with curiosity and awareness, inviting you to notice some of the many ways your body is really quite amazing!
From your feet carrying you through each day, to your lungs breathing breath after breath, to your nervous system constantly adapting and responding 👀, this gratitude body scan is a gorgeous opportunity to pause and reconnect with the body you live in.
This practice can be done lying down, seated comfortably, standing or even during a gentle walk. There is no perfect way to practise.
Perfect if you're feeling:
- stressed or overwhelmed
- disconnected from your body
- self-critical
- mentally busy
- exhausted and needing a moment to pause
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
In this episode, we explore the idea of perfect alignment through yoga philosophy, body awareness and modern understanding of movement.
Inspired by conversations that regularly arise during our 200-hour yoga teacher training, this episode looks at why the “perfect pose” probably doesn’t exist - and what matters more instead.
Drawing on the Yoga Sutras, we explore the idea that asana should feel both steady and easeful, and how approaching practice in this way may support greater awareness, less unnecessary tension and a more compassionate relationship with movement.
We also explore:
- why alignment looks different in different bodies
- the difference between tension and stability
- interoception and recognising stress signals earlier
- why mindful movement may help regulate the nervous system
- how yoga can become less about performance and more about awareness
This episode is for yoga teachers, trainees and anyone who has ever worried they might be “doing yoga wrong”.
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
In this episode of the All of Yoga podcast, we explore Dirgha Pranayama, often translated as “three-part breath” or “long breath”, through both traditional yoga teachings and modern breathing science.
We’ll explore what Dirgha Pranayama is, why slowing and segmenting the breath may help the nervous system settle, and how breathing patterns can influence stress, attention and physiological arousal.
The episode also looks at:
- the difference between functional breathing and accessory breathing
- how breathing habits can affect the body and nervous system
- how to practise breathwork gently, safely and without force
You’ll also be guided through a short Dirgha Pranayama practice using segmented breathing, nasal breathing, slow pauses and a gradual, nervous-system-aware pace.
This is a simple and accessible practice that requires no equipment and can become a useful support during moments of stress, overwhelm or dysregulation.
If you’ve been curious about pranayama, functional breathing or the relationship between breath and the nervous system, this episode is a great place to begin.
👉 Free workshop: Pranayama: ancient breath practices, modern science
If you’d like to understand breathwork more deeply - not just how to do it, but why it works - join this free workshop
👉 Useful episodes
🫁 Nadi Shodhana: The what, why and how - listen here
🤪 How stressed are you? (and what to do about it) - listen here
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
Sleep.
We all know we need it, but how many of us get a solid eight hours each night?! But, you know, the thing that annoys me about that questions is that so many of the people I work with know they need eight hours of slumber, but they can't get it; their simply isn't the time, or their mind is whirling so much they can't nod off.
So, this is five practical, actually useful things that you can do today to works towards a full night's sleep, tonight. I'm sure you'll be familiar with some of them, but a handy reminder can be super useful, right?
And to learn more about the knowledge and tools that naturally exist within yoga that can help us sleep longer and deeper, join my free workshop: Yoga for Sleep, save your spot to join live, or get the recording here
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
Get snuggled up in bed, and pop this night time Yoga Nidra on 💤
You can expect to be guided through a calming consolidation of today, before relaxing deeply into a body scan, connecting with the breath, and hopefully drifting off to dreamland.
Sweet dreams 💜
Tired… but your mind won’t stop?
This free workshop explores why sleep can feel so difficult, and how yoga can help you calm your nervous system and move towards deeper rest. When you understand what’s going on, you can take control of heading into slumberland.
Save your seat to join live, or get the recording 💤
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
In yoga, prana is your vital life force. It’s not something you can see or touch, but it’s certainly something you can learn to feel, understand, and work with.
This meditation is a gentle introduction to prana, combined with a practical check-in to help you notice what is nourishing your energy, and what may be depleting it.
Through simple awareness of your breath, body and mind, you’ll begin to:
- connect with your internal energy state
- understand how your day is affecting you
- explore the relationship between breath and nervous system
- gently shift from feeling overwhelmed to feeling more steady
We’ll also touch on the foundations of pranayama - not just as breathing techniques, but as a way of working with your energy through the breath.
This practice is both reflective and regulating, and you can return to it whenever you need a deeper check-in with yourself, a reset during a busy or overwhelming day or a gorgeous moment to reconnect with your energy and priorities.
Enjoy!
If you’re thinking “I want to understand how to actually use my breath to change how I feel”, then I’d love you to join me for my free workshop:
Pranayama: Ancient Practice, Modern Science
In this workshop, we’ll explore:
🫁 how breathing affects your nervous system
🫁 how to move from feeling overwhelmed to steady
🫁 how to practise safely and effectively
The details:
🗓️ Wednesday 17th June
⏰ 12:30
💻 Held on zoom
💛 Save your seat to join live, or get the recording
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
In this episode, we explore the science of slow breathing, a super simple and effective way to regulate your nervous system, including how your breath reflects your internal state, how it influences your brain and body, and how to use it to move from stress to calm.
👉 You’ll learn
- Why your breath changes when you’re stressed
- The link between breathing and the nervous system
- What the relaxation response is
- How slow breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system
- The role of the vagus nerve in calming the body
- How breathwork supports emotional regulation and clarity
👉 The science of slow breathing
When you slow your breathing - particularly by lengthening your exhale - several important physiological changes occur:
- Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and repair mode)
- Stimulation of the vagus nerve, supporting calm and safety
- Reduction in heart rate and muscle tension
- Improved emotional regulation via increased prefrontal cortex activity
This is known as the relaxation response - the antidote to stress.
👉 Free workshop: Pranayama: ancient breath practices, modern science
If you’d like to understand breathwork more deeply - not just how to do it, but why it works - join this free workshop
👉 Useful episodes
🫁 Nadi Shodhana: The what, why and how - listen here
🤪 How stressed are you? (and what to do about it) - listen here
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
Doing more is not the answer!
This episode is a guided meditation centred around brahmacharya - one of the yamas in yoga philosophy.
Often translated as chastity, or celibacy, brahmacharya can also be understood as:
📖 where you place your energy
📖 how your actions align with your intentions
📖 living in a way that supports your future self
If you’ve been feeling stuck in cycles of doing or you feel like you're constantly trying to “get on top of things”… this practice is for you. 💛
In this meditation, you’ll be guided to:
•Reflect on your daily habits and patterns
•Notice how you spend your time, energy, and attention
•Visualise your future self and what matters most to them
•Gently explore whether your current actions are aligned with that vision
This practice is perfect for:
💜 the end of a busy or overwhelming day
💜 moments where you feel stuck in “doing mode”
💜 times when you want to reconnect with your direction and values
Go deeper
If this resonates, come on over to my free workshop:
🧠 Yoga and the Brain: Why Yoga Changes the Way You Think and Feel - book your free space here
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
When I first started teaching yoga (I won't say when 👀), I almost never got asked about the immune system.
Fast forward to now, and the following question - or a variation of it - comes up almost weekly: "How can yoga support my immune system?"
Whether it's feeling like you've just recovered from one bug and then you go down with another, or you're struggling with a suspected autoimmune disorder, the immune system seems to be central to our awareness of how we are.
A resilient immune system:
-
Responds quickly to genuine threats
-
Does not overreact to harmless stimuli
-
Switches off inflammation when appropriate
-
Returns to balance after illness
And yoga can help build immune resiliency 🥳 - we explore how in this episode!
🧠 Free workshop - yoga and the brain
Expect a bridge of modern neuroscience with traditional yoga practices; helping you understand exactly how breath, movement and awareness work together to change how you think and feel.
🗓️ Wednesday 29.04
⏰ 12:30
💻 Held on zoom. Book your space to join live, or receive the recording here
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
When you think of self care, you might picture a bath, a walk, or a quiet moment with a cup of tea.
And while those things can be helpful, there is another aspect to self care:
Future you self care - Small, intentional actions that make your life easier tomorrow, next week, and beyond.
In this episode, we look at how stress affects the brain, why traditional self care doesn’t always work when you’re overwhelmed, and how simple, practical steps can help you feel calmer, clearer, and more in control.
🧠 What you’ll learn
• Why stress changes the way your brain works
• The role of the amygdala and prefrontal cortex in stress and decision-making
• Why self care isn’t always about relaxation
• How “future you self care” helps reduce overwhelm
• Simple ways to support your nervous system in daily life
🌿 Go deeper - free workshop
🧠 Yoga and the brain - why yoga changes the way you think and feel
This workshop explores the science behind that change in feeling, because when you understand what yoga is doing to your brain, you can start to use, and adapt your yoga practice to change how you feel.
This is a science-backed, accessible exploration of the impact that yoga has on your brain, your stress response and your emotional wellbeing.
Save your spot to join us live or get the recording, here
Related episodes
• How stressed are you? (and what to do about it), listen here
• Nadi Shodhana: The What, Why and How, listen here
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
We all know that moment in the afternoon when your energy dips, and you really struggle to focus.
And often, our instinct is to push through - another coffee, another task, more effort.
But what if what you actually need… is a pause and a pick-me-up?
In this episode of the All of Yoga podcast, I’ll guide you through a short, layered practice - your yoga tiramisu - designed to help you reset your nervous system, clear mental load, and return to your day feeling more energised and focused.
Enjoy!
💻 See the shownotes here
☕️ Free guide: Why your energy dips in the afternoon, get yours here
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
As trainees start to prepare for our yoga teacher training, I send over a few journal prompts, just to get cogs turning about the ups and downs of life, how and why things happen, and much more.
One of these is about, what I call: putting your order in.
I realise that this can be very emotive, but, I ask trainees to think of a time that something happened in their life, that they didn't want, and they didn't like. But, when they look back on it, they realise that that situation led to something good - maybe they learnt something about themselves, or they learnt a new skill, or they met someone... or something else.
With that in mind, isn't it a good thing that we can't put our order in.
If you could put your order in for exactly how you want your life to happen, you wouldn't have ordered that challenging thing, and so, you never would have had the growth that followed.
💻 See the shownotes here
🧠 Free lesson, all about the inner tug of war between your prefrontal cortex and your amygdala, get yours here
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
If your mind tends to stay busy at night, or your body feels wired when it should be winding down, this gentle bedtime practice will help guide you into sleep.
In this episode, Holly guides you through a simple sequence of slow breathing, body awareness and nervous system regulation techniques designed to help your body shift into its natural rest and digest mode.
When the nervous system settles, sleep becomes much easier.
This practice is designed to be listened to as you settle into bed, allowing the breath and gentle pacing of the guidance to naturally lead you toward deep, restorative rest.
You don’t need to do anything perfectly. Simply get comfortable, listen, and allow the body to unwind.
You’ll be guided through:
💤 Gentle body awareness to release tension
💤 Slow breathing to calm the nervous system
💤 Letting go of the day’s mental load
💤 A gradual transition into deep sleep
You might find that practising regularly helps train the body to switch off more easily at night.
💻 See the shownotes here
☀️ Free guide - why your energy dips in the afternoon, get yours here
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
Why do some days feel easy… and others completely overwhelming?
One day you can handle traffic, difficult conversations and unexpected problems without much trouble. But, the next day, the smallest inconvenience can tip you over the edge.
This experience is closely related to something called the Window of Tolerance - a concept from neuroscience and psychology that describes the zone in which your nervous system can function in a balanced and regulated way.
When you’re inside your window of tolerance, you can think clearly, respond instead of react, regulate your emotions and have happy physiology.
But when you move outside this window, you can shift into:
⬆️ Hyperarousal: stress, anxiety, overwhelm, frustration
⬇️ Hypoarousal: numbness, disconnection, zoning out or low motivation
The size of this window can change from day to day depending on things like stress, sleep, nutrition, workload, emotional demands and even if you’ve eaten!
The encouraging news is that your window of tolerance can be widened. And yoga is a powerhouse at helping here.
🎧 In this episode, you can expect to learn:
• What the window of tolerance actually is
• Why your reactions can vary from day to day
• The difference between hyperarousal and hypoarousal
• How stress narrows your window
• Simple techniques that help widen it
• Why yoga is uniquely effective for nervous system regulation
Enjoy! 💛
💻 See the shownotes here
🌻 Get your free widening your window toolbox here
👋 work with me
💛 1:1 therapeutic yoga
Personalised support for anxiety, sleep issues, stress or back pain. Take a look here
🌻 therapeutic workshops and retreats
Small, supportive sessions focused on anxiety, deep rest or back health, blending yoga, breathwork and evidence-based education. Come join us here
🦋 vinyasa flow 200 hour yoga teacher training
A welcoming, practical, neuroscience-informed training for people who want to teach yoga, or just learn more about it. Dive in, here
Do you ever get that afternoon slump? Your body is busy digesting lunch, your morning coffee has worn off, and you feel like you could just rest your head on your desk and zzzz....?
This podcast episode is designed for you, at that exact moment. Ok, so practising Yoga Nidra in the middle of your office might not end up being relaxing, but hopefully you have a quiet place you can go, or your have some working from home days... and when you do, this is your practice!
All you need to do is get somewhere you'll be safe and comfortable and soften your gaze or close your eyes... we'll do the rest.
Keep it bookmarked for anytime you need an energy reset 👇
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
Feeling frazzled, foggy, or overstimulated? This episode is your invitation to slow down, balance your nervous system, and discover one of yoga’s breath practices: Nadi Shodhana - also known as Alternate Nostril Breathing.
This simple yet powerful pranayama practice is a game-changer for creating balance, clarity, and calm in your life. 🙌
We cover:
🫁The Sanskrit meaning of Nadi Shodhana and its traditional purpose.
🫁 What it is: The meaning behind Nadi Shodhana and how it works to balance your body and mind.
🫁 Why it’s used: The science-backed benefits, including lowering heart rate and oxygen consumption, increasing heart rate variability (HRV) and vagal tone, improving attention and reducing rumination and anxiety, and more!
Whether you’re new to pranayama or looking to deepen your practice, this episode will leave you feeling inspired to incorporate Nadi Shodhana into your routine.
Resources + links mentioned:
👀 See the shownotes here
💻 Free Guided Nadi Shodhana Practice, join us here
🙏 Learn more about the fullness of yoga here
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
This week’s episode is something a little different; it's a gorgeous Yoga Nidra practice, guiding you through the five layers of you.
What to expect:
- A guided Yoga Nidra you can follow lying down or seated
- Exploration of the five layers of you: physical, energetic, mental, wisdom, and bliss
- A chance to soften the body, calm the mind, and connect with your inner steadiness
Useful resources:
💻 See the shownotes here
✨ Ep 36 - An introduction to the five layers of you, listen here
📖 Free Journal Prompts - To get the most out of this practice, download the free Five Layers of You journal prompts - a printable sheet to help you reflect after the practice and integrate your insights into daily life. Get yours here
🙏 Practice tip - This episode is best done somewhere safe, warm, and comfortable; ideally with blankets, cushions, in fact, anything that helps you feel supported and relaxed.
🎧 Press play when you’re ready to rest, release, and reconnect (and don't forget your free journal prompts!)
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or out of sync with yourself, understanding the five layer of yoga can give you a practical, transformative way to feel better; physically, mentally, and emotionally.
I’ll be breaking down each layer, from the most tangible (your physical body) to the most subtle (your bliss layer), and showing you how they’re all interconnected. Plus, I’ll share how you can use these layers as “routes in” to improve how you feel, whether that’s through movement, breath, or mindset (or all 3!)
Here’s what we cover:
🪷 The Physical Layer: Your skin, bones, muscles, and everything you can touch
🪷 The Energetic Layer: Your breath and vitality, and how frazzled energy is tied to frazzled breathing
🪷 The Mental Layer: Your thoughts, emotions, and inner dialogue, and how they shape your energy and body
🪷 The Wisdom Layer: Your inner compass, insight and intuition
🪷 The Bliss Layer: That deep sense of peace and joy
You’ll learn how to use these layers to shift your state, whether you’re feeling anxious, exhausted, or just out of sorts. By the end, you’ll have three powerful “routes in” to create more clarity, calm, and connection in your daily life.
Useful resources:
💻 See the shownotes here
✨ Living in Alignment: A Yoga Philosophy Journey to Define Your True Values:
Join our free online workshop to uncover your personal values and start living in alignment. You’ll learn yoga wisdom, experience a guided meditation, and leave with a values worksheet to use as your compass for future decisions. Save your seat here
🤩 Last week’s episode:
If you missed last week’s deep dive into prana and pranayama, go back and give it a listen! It’s packed with insights on how your breath shapes your energy. Listen here
🗓️ Next week’s episode:
Get ready for a guided Yoga Nidra meditation that will take you through these exact five laters, can't wait!
As always, happy practising!
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
When most people think of yoga, they picture the physical postures; the asana. But there’s so much more to yoga…
In this week’s All of Yoga podcast, we're exploring the Eight Limbs of Yoga - but with a twist! You're probably already familiar asana (limb 3), so this episode is The Other 7 Limbs. 🥰
Expect to hear how the yamas, niyamas, breathwork, and meditation can become practical tools for daily life, helping you reduce stress, and feel more joy… without spiritual bypassing.
(I also share a personal story from 2020, when yoga philosophy helped me navigate one of the most challenging years of my life.)
Whether you’re new to yoga philosophy or have studied it before, this episode is packed with insights you can start using right now.
Enjoy!
Useful resources:
💻 See the shownotes here
🤩 Watch our free masterclass: Everything you ever wanted to know about yoga teacher training here
💜 Free online workshop - Living in Alignment: A yoga philosophy journey to define your true values, save your seat here
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
We often think of stress as big, dramatic moments, like panic, overwhelm, emotional breakdowns.
But the truth is that stress is often subtle, sneaky, and chronic.
In this episode, we explore:
🧠 How stress affects your brain and body, even when you don’t realise it
😴 The lesser-known signs of chronic stress, including trouble sleeping, irritability, brain fog, and more
🧘♀️ How yoga helps you build nervous system resilience and break the stress cycle
🔁 Why you don’t have to “wait until things calm down” to start feeling better
If you’ve ever said “I’m fine” while secretly feeling frazzled or exhausted… this one’s for you.
Resources & links mentioned:
🌿 Yoga Hero Membership – Join in August and receive your free personalised Stress Assessment, helping you choose the best classes and wellness tools for your needs. Become a member here
🎧 Episode 1: Yoga Nidra for Deep Sleep, listen here
💻 See the shownotes here
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
Whether you’re brand new to yoga, returning after a break, or looking to deepen your practice, this episode is for you; we're exploring the power of a consistent yoga practice.
We’ll explore what consistency really means, why it matters (backed by science!), and how to start and sustain a practice that fits into your busy life. Plus, I’ll share one of my favourite pieces of yoga philosophy to help you stay grounded when life feels unpredictable.
If you’re ready to take the first step toward building a consistent yoga practice, we’ve got you covered with our Unlimited 7-Day Yoga Pass, just £14.99 for unlimited classes over 7 days.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
🌟 What “consistency” in yoga really looks like (hint: it’s not about perfection!)
🌟 The science behind why regular yoga practice rewires your brain and reduces stress
🌟 Practical tips to start and sustain a yoga practice, even with a busy schedule
🌟 A powerful piece of yoga philosophy from the Bhagavad Gita to inspire your journey
🌟 How the Unlimited 7-Day Yoga Pass can help you explore and build your practice
Resources & links mentioned:
🧘♀️ Unlimited 7-Day Yoga Pass: Explore unlimited classes for 7 days for just £14.99. Grab your pass here
🎧 Episode 3: What is Yoga? Listen here
💻 See the shownotes here
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
If you’ve ever felt stuck in “go, go, go” mode, wired but exhausted, this episode is for you - aswe’re exploring a topic that could completely transform how you approach stress, recovery, and your daily energy levels: the parasympathetic rebound.
We’ll explore:
-
What the parasympathetic rebound actually is (in plain English)
-
Why it’s essential for long-term resilience and creating helpful habits
-
How to activate it using yoga, breathwork, and neuroscience-backed tools.
You’ll learn how to shift out of survival mode, complete your stress response, and create the foundation for new, helpful habits that support your future self.
Plus, I’ll share practical tips you can start using today, like elongating your exhale, practicing yoga nidra, and grounding through mindful movement.
Mentioned in this episode:
🧠 Yoga & The Brain: The Neuroscience of Stress Recovery – Watch my free masterclass packed with science, tools, and a clear path forward. Watch it here
💜 8 Weeks to Nervous System Resilience – Ready to fully shift your relationship with stress? Join our brand-new course designed to help you rewire your stress response and build lasting resilience. Take a look here
👀 See the shownotes here
Previous episodes to check out:
Episode 1: Yoga Nidra for deep sleep, listen here
Episode 22: Yoga Nidra for becoming your best self, listen here
Episode 29: What Stress is Doing to Your Brain, listen here
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
Relaxation - it sounds so simple, yet it’s one of the biggest challenges of modern life. Why is it so hard to truly rest, even when we know we need it?
In this episode, we explore the science behind why relaxation doesn’t come easily and, more importantly, how you can train your nervous system to make rest feel safe, natural, and deeply healing.
If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “I’ll relax when this task is done,” or struggling to switch off even when you try, this episode is for you.
Expect practical tools, science-backed insights, and gentle encouragement to help you break free from the stress cycle and embrace rest as a skill you can practice and strengthen.
What you’ll learn:
🧠 Why your nervous system resists relaxation and how stress becomes your “new normal.”
🧠 The role of your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) in keeping you stuck in overdrive.
🧠 How to signal safety to your body and shift into a state of rest and recovery.
🧠 Practical tools to make relaxation easier, including breathwork, grounding movement, and Yoga Nidra.
🧠 Why removing the pressure to “relax perfectly” is key to building a sustainable relaxation practice.
Key takeaways:
✅ Start with Your Nervous System: Relaxation isn’t just a mental decision, it’s a full-body state. Practices like breathwork, grounding movement, and Yoga Nidra help signal to your body that it’s safe to rest.
✅ Remove the pressure: Let go of the idea that relaxation has to look or feel a certain way. Even small moments of rest count.
✅ Practice regularly, not perfectly: Relaxation is a skill that gets easier with practice. The more you train your nervous system, the more natural rest will feel.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
🙏 Workshops in Leeds: The Undoing, Yoga Nidra, and Sound Bath Relaxation workshops - take a look here
💻 Online Yoga Nidra offerings: Explore guided meditations and relaxations you can do anytime, anywhere here
📋 Free Yoga Nidra fact sheet: Includes evidence-based benefits, a guide to getting started, and four practices to try. Get yours here
👀 See the shownotes here
🙌 Free Masterclass – Yoga and the Brain: The Neuroscience of Stress Recovery: Learn how yoga heals your brain and helps you break free from the stress cycle. Save your spot here
If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. And as always, happy practicing!
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
In this episode of All of Yoga, we explore how yoga helps you recover from stress faster, stay calm during challenging times, and feel more emotionally balanced over time. (Yes, really!)
Whether you’re navigating the everyday stresses of life, or you're coming back from a period of burnout and overwhelm, yoga offers so many powerful tools to help your nervous system build resilience.
We’ll cover:
- What “nervous system resilience” means (and why it matters)
- How yoga so profoundly helps regulate the nervous system
- What the science says
- Next steps if you are looking to reduce and reverse the impact of chronic stress
By the end of this episode, you’ll understand why yoga works for stress relief and how to use it to build real-life resilience.
If this episode helped you, please leave a review and share with someone who needs it. Every share helps more people access these important insights for their wellbeing (and we do a happy dance) 🧡
Useful resources:
2️⃣ Episode 2 - Ujjayi pranayama, the what, why and how. Listen here
💻 Free workshop - Yoga & the brain: The neuroscience of stress. Save your spot here
👀 See the shownotes here
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
Stress isn’t just something you feel, it’s something that rewires your brain.
In this episode, we’re looking at the science of how chronic stress impacts your memory, focus, and emotional regulation.
🙌 But here’s the good news: your brain is resilient, and yoga is one of the most powerful tools for healing it.
You'll learn exactly what’s happening in your brain when you’re stressed and how yoga can reverse the damage, helping you move from survival mode to a state of calm, clarity, and balance.
We cover:
👉 The surprising ways stress is changing your brain
👉 How yoga activates your brain’s healing mode (backed by neuroscience).
See the show notes here
🧠 FREE MASTERCLASS
Yoga and the Brain, the neuroscience of Stress recovery. In this masterclass, you'll learn the exact mechanisms of how yoga heals your brain and helps you break free from this pervasive stress cycle. Save your spot here 👀
💜 Loved this episode?
If this episode resonated with you, we’d LOVE to hear your thoughts! Take a screenshot, share it on Instagram, and tag us @beayogahero & don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review, it helps more people find the podcast and we'll do a happy dance. Double win 🙌
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
Have you ever wondered whether yoga teacher training is in your future, or felt unsure about whether a 200-hour or 300-hour course is the right next step for you? In this episode of the All of Yoga Podcast, we’re breaking it all down so you can make an informed, confident decision.
Whether you’re curious about teaching or simply want to deepen your practice, this episode will help you understand:
- The key differences between 200-hour and 300-hour yoga teacher trainings
- Who each training is best suited for (and how to know if you’re ready!)
- The science-backed benefits of yoga teacher training—even if you don’t plan to teach
Plus, I’m sharing my own experience with teacher training and how I overcame the fears that almost stopped me from taking the leap.
If you’ve been feeling the pull to explore teacher training but fear is holding you back, don’t miss this episode, and be sure to check out my free online workshop, “I Want to Train as a Yoga Teacher, But I’m Scared!” - book your spot here
What you’ll learn in this episode:
1️⃣ What a 200-hour yoga teacher training covers, including:
Yoga philosophy and the Eight Limbs of Yoga
Anatomy and physiology for safe, effective practice
Asana clinics, breathwork, meditation, and mindfulness
Sequencing and teaching methodology
The business of yoga (teaching in studios, online, or creating your own offerings)
2️⃣ What a 300-hour yoga teacher training is all about, including:
Advanced philosophy, anatomy, and asana
Refining your teaching voice and growing your confidence
Integrating yoga into every part of your life
3️⃣ How to decide which training is right for you, based on your goals, experience, and readiness
Resources:
🎧 See the shownotes here
💡 Sign up for my FREE online workshop: “I Want to Train as a Yoga Teacher, But I’m Scared!” here
🧘♀️ Learn more about Yoga Hero’s 200-hour teacher training here
🙌 And Yoga Hero's 300-hour teacher training here
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
Have you ever wondered, “Could I become a yoga teacher?” or “Am I ready for teacher training?” - if so, this episode is for you.
In today’s episode, we’re diving into the 10 signs that you might be more ready for yoga teacher training than you realise. Whether you’re feeling unsure about your flexibility, confidence, or experience, this episode will help you see if that little spark inside you is ready to grow.
✨ Here’s what we cover:
How to know if your love for yoga is ready to evolve into something more
Why you don’t need to be the “bendy” type to be an incredible teacher
The biggest sign that yoga teacher training might be your next step
✨ Plus, don’t miss these resources:
👉 Download the free checklist of all 10 signs here
👉 Join our free workshop: I Want to Train as a Yoga Teacher but I’m Scared!
This workshop is your chance to explore your curiosity, move through common doubts, and learn what makes a great yoga teacher (hint: it’s not about being the most flexible!).
👉 See the shownotes here
As always, happy practicing!
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
Ok - let’s start with the doom and gloom: If you’re struggling with anxiety, it most likely won’t get better on its own. In fact, if left to it’s own devices, it’ll most likely get more challenging.
The reality is that you’ll probably need to work diligently and consistently to manage, and reduce your anxiety.
Right, that’s enough doom and gloom right?! Let’s look at the good stuff:
When you start to meet your anxiety with movement, mindfulness and breathwork, the impact on managing and reducing your anxiety can be life-changing.
This episode talks you through what is happening in your body and in your brain with anxiety, and then looks at the evidence: yep, real life science-backed evidence, of how a regular yoga practice can help.
In this episode of All of Yoga, we take a deep dive into:
✅ What anxiety is and how it impacts the body and brain
✅ The science behind why anxiety can feel like it's taking over
✅ How yoga actively reduces anxiety by calming the nervous system, balancing stress hormones, and training the brain to process stress differently
✅ Simple, realistic ways to start or deepen your yoga practise to support mental wellbeing
If you’ve ever felt like anxiety was running the show, this episode is packed with insights, science-backed solutions, and practical tools to help you take back control.
🧘♀️ Want to make yoga part of your routine?
Join us at Yoga Hero in Leeds for in-studio classes, or explore online yoga options that fit your lifestyle. Start small, build gradually, and experience the benefits for yourself.
💜 Book a class or explore our offerings here
💬 Love this episode?
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review – it helps others discover the podcast and start using yoga as a tool for managing anxiety.
Until next time, happy practising! ✨
👀 See the shownotes here
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
Now, if the idea of stepping onto the yoga mat without a teacher guiding you feels really daunting then you are not on your own, but it doesn't have to be daunting at all!
Self practice is such a powerful way to deepen your understanding of yoga, to cultivate a peaceful mindset and to fully connect to your yoga practice, and that's why today I'm sharing five simple steps to help you start your own self led yoga practice.
Plus, if you’re looking for guided support, I’ll be sharing details about our Mysore Style Ashtanga – A 4 Week Intro Course at Yoga Hero, designed to help you build a structured self-practice with expert guidance.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
✅ Why self-led yoga is so valuable for deepening your practice
✅ Five practical steps to start your own yoga journey at home
✅ How to listen to your body
✅ Why Mysore Style Ashtanga is the perfect way to build self-led confidence
Join us for Mysore Style Ashtanga – A 4 Week Intro Course at Yoga Hero! This course is designed to help you:
👉 Develop your own self-practice with guidance from Jess
👉 Understand the Mysore style approach to Ashtanga yoga
👉 Gain confidence in your sequencing and movement
Book your spot here
Enjoy!
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
Start your day with clarity and calm with this 5 minute guided breathwork practice.
If you wake up feeling groggy, overwhelmed, or you just need a little boost, this simple yet powerful practice will help you reset your mind and energise your body for the day ahead.
In this short session, you’ll:
☀️ learn a gentle breathwork technique to calm the nervous system
☀️ increase mental clarity & focus for a productive day
☀️ feel refreshed, and ready for your day.
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Loved this episode?
if you enjoyed this breathwork practice, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review – it helps others discover the podcast (and we'll do a happy dance). 🌿🧡
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See the shownotes here
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
“Sitting is the new smoking!”
Oh crikey - do we really need another thing to worry about?
The reality is for many of us: sitting is necessary.
We need to work in order to pay bills, and work is often desk based. News-flash! Worrying about sitting will not help anyone.
However, adding some functional breathing, some de-desking movements and some midnfulness of our posture could improve both mental and physical health - a lot.
This episode is designed to give you some food for thought, some tools and some answers to ensure that you can earn your living, at your desk, whilst also feeling really, really good.
And here's your FREE desk-based yoga classes to weave into your day (you're welcome!)
Desk Yoga: One Minute Total Reset
Desk Yoga: Two Minute Refresh
Desk Yoga: Five Minute Wrist Relief
And some other things that are totally wonderful for office workers:
🌟 Evening Retreat for Office Workers
🗓️ Thursday 20th March, 6pm
👉 Book your space
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Workplace wellness with Yoga Hero
Yoga is an incredibly effective tool for managing stress, and for keeping stress at bay. With that in mind, bringing yoga in to your workplace can be a no-brainer for helping employees and colleagues feel their best and perform at their best.
We’ll make it really easy for you, you’ll be practicing yoga in the workplace in no time – getting ready to return to work chilled and energised for the rest of the day!
Take a look here
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See the shownotes here
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🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
Become your best self through a deep, delightful relaxing Yoga Nidra 💤
Yoga Nidra is a relaxing, impactful meditation. All you need to do is get as comfortable as possible, and be guided - that's it!
This Yoga Nidra has been designed for anytime in the day or evening to help you become your very best self. You can do this Yoga Nidra sat in a chair, laid on your bed or the floor. You could do it first thing in the morning, or as an afternoon pick-me-up...
...basically, where ever you are, and whenever you want.
Enjoy!
🌍 Practice yoga online, anytime, anywhere with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
🤩 Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌)
Yoga Nidra is a relaxing, impactful meditation.
All you need to do is get as comfortable as possible, and be guided - that's it!
This Yoga Nidra has been designed for the morning to help you have a great day. You can Nidra sat in a chair, laid on your bed or the floor. You could do it first thing in the morning, or as an afternoon pick-me-up.
There’s no rules here. Just relax, and enjoy!
Practice yoga online with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
Sign up to our newsletter here (it's really good!)
Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌 )
How to stop overthinking, according to yoga.
There's a REALLY important concept to explain here, to show you how much emphasis yoga places on the activity of the mind, and that is that the Sanskrit word for thought is vritti, which also translates as - and this is really important - vortex, or whirlpool!
So now that there's some acknowledgement, about how powerful thoughts can be. : let's look at what yoga says about overthinking.
Firstly yoga asks us to be present. When you're thinking about your breath right now, it diverts your attention away from overthinking.
Secondly, physical yoga, is effectively a moving meditation and meditation is an incredibly powerful tool in being able to discern between helpful thoughts, like planning your day and hindering thoughts, like "I'm not good enough for this".
Remember - learning to meditate is a skill just like learning to cook or to play the piano - it takes time.
Be patient with yourself!
Practice yoga online with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
Sign up to our newsletter here (it's really good!)
Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌 )
You have a finite amount of time, mental bandwidth and energy -and being mindful of where you spend these valuable resources is incredibly important.
Put simply if you're trying to control things that are outside of your control, you're spending your valuable resources in a way that won't give you any benefit at all.
There are just three things that you can control, which are your thoughts, your spoken words, and your physical deeds, your actions.
If a large portion of your valuable resources is being spent on uncontrollables, that's going to be a big time suck, a big energy suck, a big mental bandwidth suck, or maybe all three!
So: how do you control the controllables?
Let's start here.
When you find yourself worrying about something, just pause and take a deep breath and ask yourself; what about the situation that you're worried about is within your control? If you have an interview next week, and you really worried about how it'll go - that IS within your control - you can plan, you can prepare, you can practice. But if you're worried about what the weather's going to be like next month, that's NOT within your control.
Good luck yogi, you've got this! 🙌
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See the shownotes here 🌟
Practice yoga online with Yoga Hero, just £9.99 per month here
Sign up to our newsletter here (it's really good!)
Become a yoga teacher with Yoga Hero here (we're in the Top Ten in the UK! 🙌 )
Savasana - Corpse pose - is the rest and relaxation at the end of a yoga class. Although it is practiced in most of our yoga classes... sometimes you feel like you could just do with a bit longer there!
Well.... this podcast episode is for you!
This is 15 minutes of beautiful guided Savasana to round off your practice, help you feel rested and refreshed and balance energy levels. Grab any props you need, and enjoy!
"Holly truly has a gift when it comes to a guided Savasana. She weaves imagery and wisdom into an exquisite tapestry that envelopes you like a warm, comforting duvet. And the way she holds the space allows you to feel safe and supported. I did not want it to end! But when it did, I felt calm, relaxed, and renergized."
@jenny_omnia_yoga
Savasana with Holly was different to anything I have experienced before, and I can't actually stop thinking about how good it was! She gave us all the time we needed to get ourselves settled and prompted us to readjust if we could make ourselves even just that little bit more comfy. Her voice is so soothing, everything she said had purpose , I could really put my trust in her to guide me on a restful journey.
Hannah P
“I was lucky enough to do one of Holly’s Savasana’s in our pregnancy yoga teacher training. It was up there with one of the best savasanas I have ever done and you can tell that Holly is super passionate about teaching it! I felt so relaxed afterwards and especially loved the part about re-birth and death. Highly recommend! Thank you.”
Freya
Practice online with us, for just £9.99 per month: Take a look
Follow Yoga Hero on Instagram @beayogahero
Learn with Yoga Hero yogahero.mykajabi.com
Take a screenshot when you listen and tag us, we'll likely repost you (and we'd be very grateful too!) @beayogahero
And finally; practice with us, in our beautiful studio in Leeds, or online: yogahero.co.uk
Navigating your way through the different styles of yoga can be a bit of a minefield, so, in this episode we break down what Restorative yoga is, the many benefits of Restorative yoga and some bits and bobs to bear in mind when you're practicing, and then we'll let you know how you can learn more about Restorative yoga with us at Yoga Hero if you'd like to.
Restorative yoga is, in essence, any yoga that is restful, nourishing, very calming for the nervous system and healing. Because of that; Restorative yoga is floor based, meaning little or no weight bearing, using props to support the bones - which the muscles detect, and so they start to relax, and they send messages of relaxation in to all the systems of the body - which is the key and the beauty of restorative yoga.
Restorative yoga is a counter-balance to modern day life. Many of us are very on-the-go, trying to fit more and more in to our days, trying to to work harder, to achieve more. There's nothing wrong with ambition and drive, but being all-go with no rest is unsustainable, and unfortunately we're seeing increasing levels of burn out, fatigue and dis-regulated nervous systems as a result.
In this podcast episode, we'll look at how to practice restorative yoga, what the benefits are, and lastly, how you can learn more about restorative yoga with Yoga Hero.
See the show notes
Two day Restorative Yoga immersion: Take a look
Five day Restorative Yoga immersion, with mindfulness and Yoga Nidra: Take a look
Practice online with us, for just £9.99 per month: Take a look
Follow Yoga Hero on Instagram @beayogahero
Learn with Yoga Hero yogahero.mykajabi.com
Take a screenshot when you listen and tag us, we'll likely repost you (and we'd be very grateful too!) @beayogahero
And finally; practice with us, in our beautiful studio in Leeds, or online: yogahero.co.uk
September has that back-to-school, new-term, lovely-fresh start feeling about it. And because of that, it's often a time where people start a gym membership or a new routine, or maybe start to think about their roles and values and intentions in life. Obviously, we at Yoga Hero think yoga is one of THE best things that you can do for your mind, body and soul. And so, we wanted to make it as easy as possible for you to start a yoga practice in September, if that's what you'd like to do.
We'll take a minute to look at the benefits of a yoga practice... there really are so, so many that this could be a whole episode in and of itself really! Then, we'll recap on how to find the right class for you - this is something we've talked about on the podcast before. Then we'll have a look at what yoga really is... because starting yoga again might go beyond the physical practice for you.
And lastly, we'll look at some of the most common reservations, and how to jump over these hurdles - remember - a yoga practice can improve your life in many ways, so it's worth taking a little time to determine, what's holding you back and how you can stop it from holding you back!
See the show notes here
**Ways to start yoga - today!
-> Treat yourself to a Yoga Hero class pass
Use discount code SEPTEMBERHERO for 10% off our five and ten class passes
Treat yourself!**
-> Join our All of Yoga online membership
Use discount code SEPTEMBERHERO for 10% off your first month
10% off All of Yoga membership (remember, there's no minimum term, and no cancellation fees!)
-> Join our Learn to Meditate course
Online and on-demand
Just £7!
Learn to Meditate Course
-> Join our Introduction to Yoga course at Yoga Hero
Starting Monday 5th September
Take a look
Practice online with us, for just £9.99 per month: Take a look
Follow Yoga Hero on Instagram @beayogahero
Learn with Yoga Hero yogahero.mykajabi.com
Take a screenshot when you listen and tag us, we'll likely repost you (and we'd be very grateful too!) @beayogahero
And finally; practice with us, in our beautiful studio in Leeds, or online: yogahero.co.uk
In our most recent episode - episode 14 - we covered how to prepare for your first yoga class. Well, once you've done your first class, it's a lot easier to do your second, then your third and so on... So a sensible next step is looking to develop a regular, consistent and beneficial yoga practice.
If you're looking to bring more yoga in to your life, to practice with more consistency or regularity and you'd like some motivation or guidance, this episode is for you; whether you've done 1 yoga class or 100!
Here's a sneak peek at our top tips to develop a regular, beneficial yoga practice:
- Know why you're practicing yoga
- Be open to trying different styles of yoga, and with different teachers
- Listen to your body
- Create the environment
- Get the equipment
- Get a membership
- Start by moving your spine
See the show notes here
Check out our All of Yoga online yoga membership, just £9.99 per month, no minimum contract: All of Yoga membership Get your copy of Atomic Habits by James Clear, from Bookshop.org which has a very important mission - to support local book shops. In the interests of full disclouse Yoga Hero may receive a small payout when you use these links, which serves to support our little studio too. But please do, of course, shop around if you wish.
Get your copy
Practice online with us, for just £9.99 per month: Take a look
Follow Yoga Hero on Instagram @beayogahero
Learn with Yoga Hero yogahero.mykajabi.com
Take a screenshot when you listen and tag us, we'll likely repost you (and we'd be very grateful too!) @beayogahero
And finally; practice with us, in our beautiful studio in Leeds, or online: yogahero.co.uk
It's no secret that we at Yoga Hero are passionate about the power of yoga. And that it's more than just the physical practice. However, most of us really need the physical practice and that will be where the bulk of our yoga practice goes. If you happen to stumble across yoga in a yoga magazine or on instagram or tiktok, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it's just for skinny, very flexible people who can tie themselves up in knots and walk on their hands. But the truth is, yoga is for everyone. Not every style is for everyone. Not every teacher is for everyone. But, yoga, by its very nature of what it truly is, is for everyone.
With that in mind, we thought it would be useful to put together some tips for how to prepare for your first yoga class, to try to take some of the unknowns and anxiety out of attending a class, so that you can just crack on with setting up a yoga practice that suits you, and that's beneficial to you.
See the show notes here
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Useful Resources:
Episode 1 - Yoga nidra for deep sleepListen here
Episode 9 - Styles of yoga - Ashtanga yoga Listen here
Episode 11 - Styles of yoga - Yin yoga Listen here
Open weekend at Yoga Hero Take a look here
All of Yoga membership Take a look here-----
Practice online with us, for just £9.99 per month: Take a look
Follow Yoga Hero on Instagram @beayogahero
Learn with Yoga Hero yogahero.mykajabi.com
Take a screenshot when you listen and tag us, we'll likely repost you (and we'd be very grateful too!) @beayogahero
And finally; practice with us, in our beautiful studio in Leeds, or online: yogahero.co.uk
This episode is a guided meditation, to help you align your intentions and actions.
See the show notes here
Aligning your intentions and actions...
It sounds so simple doesn't it; that when the things that you spend your time, your mental bandwidth and your energy doing, are different to the things that you enjoy, to the things that light you up, this difference becomes problematic.
However, when the things that you spend your valuable resources doing align with the characteristics, skills and values that you want to cultivate, something incredible special happens.
Have you ever thought 'I'd absolutely love to meditate more, but I really don't have the time...' but then you find yourself scrolling social media after dinner?! Hey there's nooooo judgement here, not one bit. This is all about being aware; being aware of how you spend your time, energy and mental bandwidth and how that contributes back to your life. (And this DOES NOT mean packing more in to your already busy life!)
This meditation is inspired by one of the Yamas, from the Eight Limbs of Yoga. The Yamas are 'ethical guidelines' - ways that you live that affect yourselves and others. We have a brilliant masterclass 'What is Yoga' which explains the eight limbs of yoga, and how we can bring them in to our lives in a non-stressful but incredible beneficial way - take a look here.
There's no previous experience needed for this masterclass, and it really shows the depth of All of Yoga!
Practice online with us, for just £9.99 per month: Take a look
Follow Yoga Hero on Instagram @beayogahero
Learn with Yoga Hero yogahero.mykajabi.com
Take a screenshot when you listen and tag us, we'll likely repost you (and we'd be very grateful too!) @beayogahero
And finally; practice with us, in our beautiful studio in Leeds, or online: yogahero.co.uk
This episode is the four types of people, and the four ways to treat them. Otherwise known as the four locks and the four keys. Otherwise known as sutra 1:33!
See the show notes
Sutra 1:33 is:
'By cultivating attitudes of friendliness towards the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous and disregard toward the wicked, the mind retains its undisturbed calmness.'
This is such an important and incredibly useful sutra. If someone tells us they got a promotion or they've met someone they're really excited about, our first thought is to compare that to our own life 'I haven't had a promotion in years' or 'things are a bit stale in my relationship at the moment'. If someone tell us that they're struggling, things at home are just too tough or work is way too much of a challenge, we compare that to our own lives. When someone mentions they've volunteered for a charity or run 10k for the first time or they're learning a new language, we immediately start to think of our own achievements, and if there's wicked, non-virtuous actions, we condemn them and think how we'd never, ever do something like that.
As you may, or may not know, yoga is the state of a peaceful mind - AND it's the practice of working towards that state of a peaceful mind too.
In this episode, we break down how the four locks, and the four keys help us cultivate, and retain, a peaceful mind.
Practice online with us, for just £9.99 per month: Take a look
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Take a screenshot when you listen and tag us, we'll likely repost you (and we'd be very grateful too!) @beayogahero
And finally; practice with us, in our beautiful studio in Leeds, or online: yogahero.co.uk
Navigating your way through the different styles of yoga can be a bit of a minefield, so, in this episode we break down what Yin yoga is, the benefits of Yin yoga and some bits and bobs to bear in mind when you're practicing, and then we'll let you know how you can practice Yin with us at Yoga Hero if you'd like to.
Yin yoga is, in essence, a slow, passive style of yoga, that's all about letting go. In yin yoga, the postures are held for minutes, rather than breaths, which means that the body weight and gravity work together to release holding patterns, tension and stress. This style of practicing isn't necessarily 'easy', although yin yoga is great for beginners to yoga as there's plenty of time for you to get in to the pose.
Because of the nature of holding the poses for longer, the poses are usually seated or lying down, so you won't find yourself in a plank or a challenging standing pose for a couple of minutes. (phew!) This is because, rather than targeting the muscles, like a Flow or Ashtanga class does, Yin yoga targets the connective tissues.
Yin yoga also integrates learnings from traditional Chinese medicine, from yoga philosophy, from western anatomy; it's a place where all these valuable insights come together, so if you're keen to learn more, do check out our yin yoga training, which is open to people passionate about yin, who want to learn more, as well as yoga teachers. We've had physiotherapists, massage therapists, social workers, counsellors, body workers and so many more professions and interests get an incredible amount from this training in the past.
Practice Yin yoga with us online, for free!
Take a look at our wonderful Yin yoga training
Get updates on our Yin yoga training
See the show notes
Yin - in person!
If you'd love to practice yin with us in the studio at Yoga Hero, here's a peek at the days and times of the yin classes:
Yin Yoga for Stress Relief, Mondays, 19:15 - 20:15
Yin / Yang Yoga, Wednesdays, 16:45 - 17:45
Yin Yoga for Stress Relief, Thursdays, 19:15 - 20:15
Yin / Yang Yoga, Fridays 07:15 - 08:00
Join us!
Practice online with us, for just £9.99 per month: Take a look
Follow Yoga Hero on Instagram @beayogahero
Learn with Yoga Hero yogahero.mykajabi.com
Take a screenshot when you listen and tag us, we'll likely repost you (and we'd be very grateful too!) @beayogahero
And finally; practice with us, in our beautiful studio in Leeds, or online: yogahero.co.uk
This podcast episode is all about a huge thing that can be a drain on joy: FORGIVENESS.
We start by looking at what forgiveness is. (It seems obvious, but let's unpick it anyway.) Then we'll look at some ideas and concepts from yoga philosophy that can help understand how to forgive. The road to forgiving someone can be long and bumpy, but it's not never ending. So let's start down that road...
Listen to your free Forgiveness meditation
See the show notes
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Take a screenshot when you listen and tag us, we'll likely repost you (and we'd be very grateful too!) @beayogahero
And finally; practice with us, in our beautiful studio in Leeds, or online: yogahero.co.uk
Support the show
Navigating your way through the different styles of yoga can be a bit of a minefield, so, in this episode we break down what Ashtanga yoga is, the benefits of Ashtanga yoga and some bits and bobs to bear in mind, and then we'll let you know how you can practice Ashtanga with us at Yoga Hero if you'd like to.
Ashtanga Yoga at Yoga Hero:
Ashtanga 101 Workshop
Saturday 23rd April, 13:30, £15
Within this workshop we will break down the primary series postures, from the standing sequence, to the seated postures and all the way to closing. We will look at modifications to suit your body, mind and energy levels to ensure a mindful and safe practice each time you step on your mat.
https://yogahero.co.uk/event/studio-ashtanga-101
Ashtanga Full Primary Series Workshop
Saturday 2nd April & 7th May, 13:30, £15
This set sequence is a wonderful exploration of body and breath, set to a count and rhythm that keeps you present as you move through the postures. A challenging yet, rewarding sequence, modifications will of course be offered. Each month you will grow more familiar with the sequence and allow yourself to sink into the practice and reap its many benefits.
https://yogahero.co.uk/event/studio-ashtanga-full-primary-3/
Follow Yoga Hero on Instagram @beayogahero
Learn with Yoga Hero yogahero.mykajabi.com
Take a screenshot when you listen and tag us, we'll likely repost you (and we'd be very grateful too!) @beayogahero
And finally; practice with us, in our beautiful studio in Leeds, or online: yogahero.co.uk
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/yogahero)
In this episode, we're breaking down some ways to deepen and advance your yoga practice, to help you stay inspired and motivated in your practice, and to ensure that your yoga is benefiting all areas of your life as much as possible
There are many ways that you can deepen and advance your yoga practice, today we'll be looking at:
- Regularity of practice
- Deepening the physical aspect of your practice, but not succumbing o just going full beans into working really hard but finding motivation and challenge in the poses
- Increasing focus during your practice
- Learning more about all of yoga
All these areas are relevant whether you're new to yoga or you've been practicing for years!
Useful links:
Yoga book recommendations: yogahero.co.uk/allofyoga8
Anatomy Hero: The spine in yoga - learn about the spine
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Rest is often something that we think of, as something to do when everything else is done, or when everything else is under control. But, when we leave rest to do, when everything else is ticked off.... well, we never get to it.
We've created this podcast episode to give you tips, tricks and techniques to bring more rest in to your life, whether that's micro, midi, or maxi rest.
So first of all, what is rest? Often rest is thought of as a long bath, or watching a series on the TV, or being horizontal on the couch, or going on holiday, and let me tell you, there is NOTHING wrong with these things, at all. But we can widen how we look at rest, which is good because it gives us more potential to bring more rest into our lives.
Let's think of rest as not working and not worrying.
See the show notes at yogahero.co.uk/allofyoga7
Considering yoga teacher training? Watch our free insight session 'Everything you ever wanted to know about yoga teacher training (but were afraid to ask!) at yogahero.co.uk/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-yoga-teacher-training
Useful links:
Pure Relaxation Workshop at Yoga Hero: yogahero.co.uk/pure-relaxation
Restorative Training, with Mindfulness and Yoga Nidra: yogahero.co.uk/restorative
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Yoga Teacher Training - can be a life-changing transformative experience, but it's also a big commitment of your time, and your finances. Plus, you might think that you can't enroll on a yoga teacher training because... [insert your relevant reservation here].
With that in mind, we thought it was time to talk about yoga teacher training; what is is, why you would embark on a training, and how's best to go about it. Here's what we cover!
The what: What is yoga teacher training. What does a good course look like, what does a good course involve, what's the deal with accreditation and all that jazz
They why: Aside from 'becoming a yoga teacher' - why would someone enroll on a teacher training? What's to be gained from it?
The how: How do you go about choosing the right course for you, how do you apply, how do you actually undertake the training
And then lastly, we look a little bit at Yoga Hero's training, just in case it happens to the be the perfect option for you.
See the show notes at yogahero.co.uk/allofyoga6
Watch our free insight session 'Everything you ever wanted to know about yoga teacher training (but were afraid to ask!) at yogahero.co.uk/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-yoga-teacher-training
Upcoming teacher trainings at Yoga Hero
April 2022, in person (nearly full)
https://yogahero.co.uk/about-yoga-hero/yoga-teacher-training-courses-leeds-uk/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-course-april-june-2022/
September 2022, in person
https://yogahero.co.uk/about-yoga-hero/yoga-teacher-training-courses-leeds-uk/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-course-september-november-2022/
November 2022, online
https://yogahero.co.uk/winter-online-200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-course-november-2022-february-2023/
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Self love is very subjective and very open to interpretation, and it might well feel very, very far away.
But this episode is practical, immediately implementable to work to feel better about yourself and towards yourself.
We look at a definition of self love which is from positive psychology:
"Self-love is valuing yourself as a human being who is worthy of love and respect."
So why work towards self-love? Actually, self-love often feels selfish, like it's just for you, you're taking time to work on yourself for yourself... and of course that is true, but it's not the full story. When you're in a good place, and you might know this from experience, when you feel good about yourself, you're easier to be around, and you also inspire others to do the same... So don’t hang about, get listening for you and your loved ones.
See the show notes on our website
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The thing about thoughts:
What are thoughts?
Where are they?
What impact do they have on you day-to-day?
How do they affect your physical and mental health?
If i said a thought is something that you can hear inside your own head, would you agree?
The word for thought in Sanskrit is Vritti. The thing is that vritti also translates as vortex, or whirlpool. The yogis were so insightful to see that thoughts go round and round and round, and not only that, but they pull us down with them. In to a vortex. Or that there's a whirlpool of thoughts that gain so much energy that they become, in inverted commas 'true'. Like 'my memory is terrible', 'I'm a rubbish driver', 'I suck at maths.'
In this episode we explore, what a thought is, how biology isn't exactly working in our favour, and how we can take small, practical, implementable steps to overcome thoughts and thought patterns that don't serve us. An incredibly important topic, and potentially, absolutely life-changing.
See the shownotes on yogahero.co.uk
Highlights:
[3:33] What are thoughts?
[7:59] How biology affects thoughts
[12:29] Practical things we can do to overcome thoughts
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Life is stressful! There’s so much to plan and budget for, things to do, screens to look at, notifications to read…. Most of us need to learn to rest and relax, which sounds easy, but it can be really tough to ‘switch off’.
Learn simple, accessible techniques to de-stress with our Manage Stress & Anxiety online course. It's completely practical, immediately implementable and just £15 for lifetime access.
Support the show <3
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/yogahero)
What is yoga? Is yoga working towards a handstand, or towards splits? Is yoga holding hands, chanting with eyes closed while incense burns? Is yoga for bendy people? Let's find out!
If you'd like to dive even deeper in to 'what is yoga?', we have a fab workshop perfect for you - called What is Yoga? and you can get 25% off lifetime access with the code
WHATISYOGAWITHYOGAHERO
Get 25% off What is Yoga?
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Often, in a yoga class, your yoga teacher will say 'now engage the Ujjayi breath if you have that in your practice'. But, if you don't know Ujjayi, or you were never quite sure how to do it, or you've forgotten how to do it, then this doesn't help too much.
This episode has been created for you to listen to now, and come back to as often as you like, to guide you through the what, the why and the how of the Ujjayi breath. The what, the why and the how are all timestamped in the show notes if you want to skip to a particular section!
Once you've mastered the technique, you'll likely want to incorporate it in to a physical practice. In the show notes on our website we've got links to a completely free 10 minute class, so you can experiment at your leisure.
Check out the show notes on our website and enjoy your free 10 minute class!
Enjoy!
[01:29] The what
[03:39] The why
[06:31] The how
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Sleep.
We all know we need it, but it gets more and more elusive.
Setting up a business? Sleep less: achieve more.
Got kids? Lack of sleep is the status quo!
Working hard? Stay up late, it's part of the deal.
How long we're able to sleep for is often dictated by life. But the quality of sleep, that's something we can work on together! This yoga nidra for deep sleep has been created to help to sleep deeply, soundly and completely.
So get comfy (really really really comfy) set your timer so your phone shuts off by itself, and let yourself drift in to a deep, relaxing, refreshing sleep.
Sweet dreams!
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Yoga is so much more than the physical practice. This podcast explores all of yoga; what meditation is and the benefits, the roots, history and philosophy of yoga, how simple concepts can help us live a more peaceful life, and how to approach the physical aspect of yoga in a safe and beneficial way.
If you’re brand new to yoga and wondering what it’s all about, or you’re an experienced yogi looking to learn more about all of yoga - this podcast is for you.
Follow Yoga Hero on Instagram @beayogahero
Learn with Yoga Hero yogahero.mykajabi.com
Take a screenshot when you listen and tag us, we'll likely repost you (and we'd be very grateful too!) @beayogahero
And finally; practice with us, in our beautiful studio in Leeds, or online: yogahero.co.uk
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/yogahero)