We live in a time that is deeply committed to the reduction of suffering. This is, in many ways, a moral achievement. We have language for mental health, access to support, increasing compassion in systems that once ignored distress. And yet, alongside this, there is a quiet risk: that all suffering becomes something to be
The Intelligence of Suffering Continue »
There is a moment in almost every session when something subtle yet decisive shifts, and it rarely corresponds to the introduction of a new technique or the refinement of a sequence. It happens instead when the young person recognises, often without naming it, that they are in the presence of someone whose attention is not
Attention Is the Medicine: Why Presence, Not Technique, Heals. Continue »
There are moments in this work that do not look like breakthroughs at all. They look small. A shift in posture. A breath that lingers a second longer. A young person choosing, perhaps for the first time, not to leave themselves. And yet these moments build something profound — the return of agency, and with
This isnt compliance – it is agency Continue »
There is something I have come to understand very clearly over the years: real change does not begin with systems, it begins with people. It begins in the body, in the nervous system, in those small, often invisible moments where a young person either feels overwhelmed by life or finds just enough steadiness to stay
Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a medical condition that affects the way the brain and body communicate, leading to a range of physical and neurological symptoms. These can include non-epileptic seizures, motor problems like weakness, paralysis, or involuntary movements, as well as difficulties with balance, coordination, bladder and bowel function, and speech. People with FND
Understanding Functional Neurological Disorder (FND): A Guide for Educators Continue »
There is something slightly uneasy about the word therapy. Not because it is wrong, nor because it has not brought relief and understanding to many, but because it carries with it a particular orientation: one that can, at times, locate the problem within the individual and the solution in an intervention. When we bring this word into the
Cikitsā: a different language for healing Continue »
There is a growing silence among our young people. It is not loud, not rebellious in the ways we have learned to recognise rebellion. It does not march or shout. It withdraws, it pauses, it lingers in the in-between. And we have named it NEET — Not in Education, Employment or Training — a label
The Silent Refusal: Young People, NEET, and the Return to Being Continue »
There are times when the atmosphere of the world changes energetically—something tightens, something hardens, becomes more fragile. War ripples far beyond the places where bombs fall. It enters conversations, homes, classrooms, it enters the inner world of a young person. They feel it in the tone of adults, in the urgency of the news, in
When the World Feels Unsteady: War, Fear and the Shadow in Young People Continue »
I watched our cat the other morning, sitting quietly beside what used to be a lively rat’s nest. She wasn’t pouncing, prowling, or even particularly alert. She was simply there — present, steady, unhurried. Within days the rats had relocated. No drama, no battle. Just the quiet influence of her being. I’ve seen the same
The Subtlety of Being Rather Than Doing Continue »
Listening to the Super-Conscious: Yoga for Young People So much of life as a young person is loud. The noise of school deadlines, friendships, social media, expectations, and the constant hum of “what’s next?” can be overwhelming. We spend so much time in the buzz of doing, reacting, and comparing that it’s easy to forget
Listening To The Super Conscious– Continue »
With eternal rain, wind and dreary, cold days, it is easy to understand why some of us feel “under the weather”. In yoga we tune into Nature’s rhythms; time of day, the weather, the season, our monthly cycle and our age. All this informs us how to behave, whether we should be energetic or passive,
Thought for the day 23rd January 2021 Continue »
As we come into exam season in Australia, many students, teachers and parents will be asking themselves how they can stave off anxiety and manage their stress. This is often a time when schools turn to yoga or mindfulness. Strictly speaking, it is always optimal to bring in yoga earlier, so that it sets a
Australia Exam Time – How Yoga Can Help… Continue »
10am every day, we broadcast live from Facebook (reaching 3k followers) on our TeenYoga Mindfulness page.
The offering includes
1/ simple yoga for everyone to do at home.
2/ wellbeing tip (gargle with salt water, drink a little apple cider vinegar, self-massage, planting seeds…
Currently, yoga is more popular in Australia than pilates or aerobics, with 2.18 million practitioners. Accompanying this steady increase it has started to be introduced as a health toolkit for all
Yoga for Teenagers in Australia and beyond Continue »
Last week, I asked Jim (17) what the bravest thing he’d ever done was and he said, “tell someone I was sad”. Nick (19) said something very similar, “to let someone know I wasn’t coping”.
Yoga, Teens & Bravery Continue »
According to one of the most ancient texts, yoga is about avoiding future suffering. It does this in many ways. When we train our body to be fit and healthy we are less likely to fall ill. When we train our mind through meditation and special breathing techniques, it is less likely that we suffer
Thought for the day Continue »
Many young people are preparing for exams now – whether it is end of year, GCSEs, A Levels, or Uni exams. Yoga is well known to combat stress. In one study we did together with the CBeebies, cortisol (the stress hormone in the body) dropped by 30% at the end of the class, but more
Thought for the Day Continue »
As I was training a group of secondary school teachers, psychologists, social workers and psychiatrists last week to share yoga and mindfulness with teens, it became more apparent than ever that poor mental health of our young adults is not showing any signs of abating. As the group shared the reasons for coming on the
Why are young people ‘disembodied’ and how can we help? Continue »
The APPG on yoga in society was inaugurated in the House of Commons on the 22nd March. This a historic moment as it is the only government to introduce this kind of initiative, it follows in the steps of the very successfully APPG on mindfulness and it heralds a new era in acceptance of yoga
Update on the APPG on Yoga in Society Continue »
