Great for: recovery and hip opening

Step by step instructions:

Kneel on the floor and bring your feet together so your big toes touch. Sit back on your heels and separate your knees to hip width.

Exhale and bring your torso down between your legs. Nestle your lower back and hips on to your inner thighs and lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis. Relax your neck and lift the base off your skull away from the back or your neck.

With your palms facing downwards, extend your arms so they are either side of your head (or keep them parallel to the body, if preferred). Make sure your shoulders and elbow joints are soft.

Stay in this post from anywhere between 20 seconds and a few minutes, inhaling softly and deeply.

Savasana, or corpse pose, is usually performed at the end of a yoga class and gives the body a chance to relax and fully reap the benefits of your practice. While it isn't a physically challenging pose, many yoga teachers regard it as one of the most important poses because it allows the mind and body to realise the full benefits of yoga.

Savasana is, in a sense, a lying down meditation and great for clearing the mind. The body holds stress in the form of muscle contraction and Savasana is the ultimate opportunity to release this tension.

Savasana also allows you to accept yourself and to be at peace with the world. There is no striving or struggle in Savasana; when you surrender to the present moment, you can fully accept who you are and take a break from worrying about the past or planning the future.

When in Savasana, allow your body to fully melt into the floor and your joints to feel heavy. Lengthen your breathing and allow your exhales to become slightly longer than your inhales.

To come out of Savasana, deepen your breath and open your eyes. Wiggle your fingers and toes, then slowly sit up, rolling over to one side and coming to a seated position.

Pilates is commonly associated with core strength, but yoga can be a great way of gently introducing core strengthening into your fitness regime. The great thing about these exercises is that they're bodyweight-based and don’t require any equipment to execute. They can also be done in a confined space or on the move, like on holiday.

Boat pose is great for working your core abdominal muscles. From a sitting position, come into a V-shape by straightening your legs into a 45 degree angle. Point your feet. Tilt your torso back (also into a 45 degree angle), relax your shoulders and hold your hands above the floor. Ensure your stomach muscles are sucked in in the process. Keep breathing and maintain for 2-5 breaths, working up to 10+ breaths when you improve your strength. 

Side plank pose gives your obliques, the muscles at the side of the stomach, a great work out. Starting in plank pose, stack your left foot on top of the right, maintaining a rigid core. Engage your legs, firmly press through the right hand and raise your left hand. Keep your hips high and pull your stomach in. Stay in the pose for a couple of breaths, building up to 5-10 breaths. 

Sports massage uses a variety of soft tissue mobilisation techniques with the goal of improving and maintaining the health of the patient. It has been found to support tissue healing, optimise the body's performance and return it to an uninjured state. Here are some examples of when sports massage would be beneficial:

Tightness: Sports massage can be used to treat general or specific muscle tightness, which can be caused by a number of reasons, but in many cases massage can help reduce this, resulting in reduced pain and stiffness, and an improvement in movement range.

Injuries: Sports massage can be used to support and aid the body's natural healing process, as it encourages blood flow and muscle fibre repair.

Sports massage can be beneficial both before and after sports events. If you've ever suffered from DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) then a sports massage can help reduce this by reducing swelling, relaxing tightened muscles and flushing out unwanted metabolites, eg lactic acid. A post-event sports massage will be shorter than a standard one (5-10 minutes) and the therapist will use less pressure.

Pre-event massage in conjunction with a well-rounded warm up can be an effective way to prepare you for whatever activity you're about to perform. Again, this would be shorter in duration and less pressure would be applied than for a standard massage.

You can book a free consultation at Bodhi Movement: http://www.bodhi-movement.co.uk/free-consultation.html 

For a bit more information about our treatments, see here: http://www.bodhi-movement.co.uk/treatments.html