Movement and Yoga

Yoga can be an effective part of recovery from injury and for helping to manage various health conditions, like peripheral nerve injuries, MS, Parkinson’s Disease and FND to name but a few.

Since May 2021 I have been working 1 day per week at The Nerve Injury Clinic in Sale, providing patients with one-to-one yoga sessions. These are in addition to their regular physiotherapy or, when they have finished their physiotherapy treatment, but still need a movement practice to progress their physical capabilities and feel a sense of integration of body, mind and breath. Many people benefit from the wide and varied movements and postures of a physical yoga practice, for example – balances, twists and strengthening. Yoga does not equal stretching, although there may be a gentle, relaxing stretch component to the sessions. We work on posture, mobility, strength, and general body awareness.

Often after an injury a patient will have been (rightly) focused on getting functionality back in the injured part(s) of the body. But once they are on the road to healing, a holistic practice can help to nurture the whole body and bring a new focus to health and wellbeing.

We can use gentle breath practices to learn to manage stress and pain levels; this can be purely working with the breath or may include simple, gentle movements or held postures. This is incredibly calming and soothing for the nervous system.

The practices of yoga are many and varied and I can tailor a programme to include the ones most beneficial for the patient at that time. It is very much a collaboration between me and the patient, to ensure we work optimally for the benefits of that individual. I teach people, not postures. It is a person-centred approach.

In the words of one of my regular patients at the clinic - “Since practising yoga; the breathwork, the body awareness work, the postures and movements have massively re-balanced the left and right side of my body”.

 To find out more about yoga and how it can help you contact us