Namaste Yogis,

I have so many wonderful things coming to fruition at the moment and I wanted to share some of my passion with you.

Firstly a reminder that I am heading off on holiday this week so my online classes will be unavailable now, returning for yin on Sunday the 29th of May - hope to see many of you there!

OK - so, I always get an overwhelming sense of gratitude when I stop for a break and take stock of who I've connected with through class or personally and I just wanted to share my thanks with this little Yoga by Elle community, I really couldn't do this job, which I love so much without people, like you, being interested. Word of mouth is the best way for me to get more people to my classes, so please continue to share and if you ever have feedback for me I really am open to hear it - much appreciated.

Many of you will know that I recently embarked on my Yoga Therapy Diploma. I can't wait to see what the future holds for me in that realm. My hope is to get yoga therapy into healthcare and schools, we are seeing that more and more down South so fingers crossed us Aberdonians don't take too long to recognise the undeniable benefits.

So what is yoga therapy and how does it differ from a yoga class?

Yoga therapists undergo a much more rigorous training, 2+ years, aligned with scientific evidence and healthcare protocols. Yoga therapy is a combination of traditional yoga and mindfulness practises alongside a deeper understanding of neuroscience and the biochemistry to create prescriptive practises to meet individual needs. Yoga therapy can be provided on an individual basis or in small groups where individuals have similar conditions or symptoms. Yoga therapists treat the whole person and meet clients where they are in order to encourage them to derive meaning and develop tools to support their eudaimonic wellbeing. The prescription of tools could include; asana (movement), pranayama (breathing), mantra (word or phrase to provide focus), meditation, yoga nidra (deep rest) to suit the clients lifestyle and needs. The idea being that the yoga therapist doesn't create the healing, we simply guide the client to uncover the person they want to become in turn creating healing on a physical, mental and spiritual level.

There is a lot of evidence to suggest mind-body therapies such as this are an excellent way to deal with a whole host of conditions.

If you are interested in learning more or are a healthcare professional who would love to see yoga in and around the NHS please grab a copy of my teacher, Heather Mason's, new book called "Yoga on Prescription" it is out on 21st June and can be pre-ordered. It is a detailed analysis of how yoga therapy can be used on social prescriptions and I would love to be part of the conversation as we move forward in the World!

N.B. I do not stand to gain financially from the sale of the book.

Equally if you are a teacher or in education, please consider a qualified yoga teacher as part of your faculty. During my primary school lessons I teach, neuroscience, anatomy and biochemistry (it's fun, I promise!) alongside movement, breath and relaxation so kids understand why and how yoga helps them!

See you soon,

Elle x