This research essay is exploring the evidence of yoga in the field of mental health and young people, with the view to design a protocol of Yoga Therapy for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the UK. The objective of this paper is to shine light on the growing wealth of research which evidences the positive influence of yoga for healing, in the hope that the proposed Yoga Therapy for CAMHS intervention may be considered for therapeutic implementation or pilot research within an appropriate healthcare service to support the emotional health and mental wellbeing of children and young people.

Sex Unshackled. This podcast with Beck Crepsely-Fox focuses on all things sexual and spiritual. Becky and Stephanie speak about the role of social media on our relationship with our bodies, how trauma can effect our relationships both with partners and our own sexuality as well as some yoga therapy tools on how to work on these issues.

This book chapter explores yoga as a therapeutic tool for self-healing, as part of collective healing. The philosophical roots of yoga are detailed and scientific research is discussed to evidence the positive effects of yoga on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Rebuilding connection and hope through yoga following the traumatic global impact of the corona-virus leads to consideration of how to practice yoga, who yoga is for and moving forward to ‘come back home’ through yoga.

Ask the Yoga Psychologist is an opportunity for the MoreYoga community to gain insight and learn about a key topic around mental health. Every month our Resident Psychologist, Dr. Stephanie Minchin will answer your question about mental wellbeing.

Ask the Yoga Psychologist is an opportunity for the MoreYoga community to gain insight and learn about a key topic around mental health. Every month our Resident Psychologist, Dr. Stephanie Minchin will answer your question about mental wellbeing. Stephanie co-founded the MoreMind project with MoreYoga, alongside Liz Joy Oakey, integrating yoga and psychology for positive mental health.

In order to be more mindful, you firstly need to recognize in what way you are too mind-full or mind-less. Is it around particular behaviors, or feelings, or in certain situations where auto-pilot switches on full mode and takes control without any sense of awareness?

When we talk about matters of the heart, many of us think about various concepts of love. Yes Valentines is the February buzzword, the shops are laden with pink and red commercial crock, and those that single are readily othered, to feel unloved and alone. But beyond the hype, the word Valentine is derived from the Latin word ‘valen’, to mean ‘strong and healthy’. So let’s consider how, if we are to feel loved and loving, we first need to feel healthy and strong in heart and mind. And these are the matters of ‘Anahata’, the heart chakra.

Have you ever had a yoga practice that in some way has felt transformative? Where there’s been an inner shift? Something has released and let go, opened up and awakened, or a moment of light that has connected something more deeply?... Well this is where the real power of yoga lies.

“It’s no use going back to yesterday because I was a different person then”

The art of reflection. A sentiment that encourages us to understand our life backwards whilst living it forwards. A process of meaning-making, shining light on what is already known and illuminating shadows to discover the unknown, in the hope of bringing greater awareness in better understanding ourselves and the world around us.

Alice, of Alice In Wonderland, reminds us to be ‘curious and curiouser’. Reflection is not only about looking at the content, but it is an invitation to explore the process. Delve deeper into the hidden meanings through a lens of curiosity, widening perspective and asking yourself the more detailed and specific questions of ‘how?’ and ‘why?’.

Samadhi. Bliss. Liberation. Enlightenment.All such words are loaded with beautiful and divine descriptions and conjure up ideals of a ‘higher consciousness’, awakening oneself to the ‘true self’. Patanjali describes bliss (Samadhi) as a meditative state, being fully absorbed through the practice of focused attention (Dharana) and effortless meditation (Dhyana), supporting a journey of union between the individual true self (Atman) and the universal absolute (Brahman).

Dr Stephanie Minchin is a clinical psychologist, yoga teacher and is currently training in yoga therapy with the Minded Institute.

In this episode we discuss how yoga can be used as therapy, who may benefit from this approach and how to find and choose a therapist. We talk about a host of conditions that yoga therapy is said to alleviate and look into the science behind some of these claims.

To the Albanians, Kala means ‘castle’; to the English it means ‘festival’. You know you’re onto something special when the festival is the first of its kind in a country and the President and the Minister for Tourism come to play (with a donation of cold beers!).

For a whole week at the end of June, a beautiful little Kala community was born on the Albanian Riviera. Despite the traditional image of boozy Brits festival-ling abroad, there were none of your classic festival faux-pas’, no dregs at dawn or mounds of litter and rowdiness. Kala was something special. Unique. Boutique. Without the pretence.

It’s May. We welcome the longer days, a hint of al fresco dining-evenings and a vibrant energy as London-folk wear bigger smiles and smaller garments. With brighter skies and lighter air, less is key. Considering a de-clutter? If Spring signifies being out with the old and in with the new, grant yourself that little more space to breathe… on the inside.

There are some suggestions that the history of spring cleaning dates back to Iranian traditions shared at the time of the Persian New Year, with “khooneh tekouni” meaning to “shake the house”. Similarly, in Chinese traditions around the time of the new year homes are cleaned of bad luck and misfortunes in order to welcome in the new year with prosperity.

Meet the yoga studio crew who really do give more!

Stepping into a yoga studio on a Saturday night isn’t my usual vibe… Yet swapping dance floors and beats for candles and stretching for the launch of More Yoga’s Late Night Lock Ins was a wonderful experience.

More Yoga studios are popping up all over London, offering a range of accessible and affordable yoga. As a Yoga Teacher, it is paramount to keep up my own practice (yet it is so easily overlooked!) and More Yoga is my favourite new hotspot.

The Psychologist in me wants to talk about love and attachment. The Yoga Teacher voice wants to highlight how the practice of yoga enhances self-awareness and self-acceptance. Thus, the core theme here is how do we relate to ourselves with love?

A resolution is a ‘firm decision to do or not to do something’; an intention is a ‘thing intended’ which also suggests purpose and meaning. If these two things already seem far too similar, then continue reading. What I am suggesting is that instead of new year resolutions being about a month of doing or not, rather the new year can be a time of a greater commitment to being, going forward.

How do you discover your intentions?

Detoxing: Mind over munch

Juicing. 5 juices a day, for 7 days, with the hope of losing inches and pounds; yet juicing is more than just a ‘fad diet’.

The juicing journey is peaks and troughs while you wean yourself off refined sugar, salt and fat.

Silence as soul food

Vipassana (as taught by S.N. Goenka) is “one of India’s most ancient meditation techniques” and means “to see things as they really are”. The code of discipline defines Vipassana as a process of “mental purification”, a technique to “eradicate suffering”, to be practiced as an “art of living”.

Vipassana is for everyone; it is not a religious doctrine and it welcomes all people from of all walks of life.

As part of the ‘Myths and Realities’ series of public debates the British Library was host to Professor Gerda Reith, University of Glasgow, Professor David Nutt, Imperial College London and Professor Phil Withington, University of Sheffield who discussed and challenged the myths and assumptions attached to the concept of addiction. The event was chaired by Claire Fox from the Institute of Ideas who questioned the notion of an addictive personality with the term that society may be a nation of ‘addiction addicts’.