Before humans arrived in New Zealand the bush rang with bird song, in particular with tui and korimako (bellbird). Cook wrote of the korimako song; “it seemed to be like small bells most exquisitely tuned”. Now however, the numbers of birds have dwindled dramatically and 33% are already extinct. Some disappeared as the forests were… Continue reading Bird song in New Zealand like it used to sound
Category: move
Music streaming for yoga
A recent convert to Spotify, I'm loving having and discovering new music. It really is such a great place to explore and I've come across some previously unknown gems. I've also recently discovered a service music streaming service specifically for yoga. the new and improved Yogi Tunes has a members only streaming service from around… Continue reading Music streaming for yoga
5 ways to beat stress and lift your mood
You know those days, when worry and stress gets the better of you. Soon everything seems too hard, loud and annoying. Your once carefree shoulders are spasming under the weight of the world and thought of conversation is akin to the dentist drill. But don't despair- there are some quick and easy ways to take… Continue reading 5 ways to beat stress and lift your mood
Tai Chi for relaxation
Every morning on my way to work while living in Hong Kong I would pass a group of people practising Tai Chi Chuan with double edged swords. It always seemed odd that such a gentle, flowing and meditative practice should use weapons, but before it gained popularity for health reasons it was a martial art… Continue reading Tai Chi for relaxation
93 year old yoga teacher
In the last few weeks the world media has reported two wonderful stories of age defying women. I love these stories. Firstly because positive news makes such as pleasant reprieve from the usual media diet of misery and violence. And second because they smash the stereotype of aging. The first story was that on 19… Continue reading 93 year old yoga teacher
Stress awareness month
April is apparently stress awareness month (in the US at least) and has been for 20 years. The Health Resource Network, Inc. and Dr. Mort Orman have made three stress relief publications available for download from the National Stress Awareness site. While Mindlev has come up with A Short, Brainy Tale for Stress Awareness Browse more… Continue reading Stress awareness month
You don't have to be bendy to do yoga
One of the highlights of 2011 was finding a yoga class that provided a balance of stress relief, vigour and students of varying abilities, with a great teacher (Barbara) with a sense of humour. Because let's face it, there are certain poses where dignity simply is not an option. For many years I've practiced yoga… Continue reading You don't have to be bendy to do yoga
Is yoga enough?
I've often wondered if I could get by with doing yoga and only yoga as exercise. Yoga teacher friends have told me this over the years, but I have remained sceptical, unsure how yoga would provide the aerobic benefits of jogging. So I decided to do a little digging. The Yoga Journal refers to… Continue reading Is yoga enough?
Walking reduces risk of premature death
In a review of studies about exercise and mortality Dr. Timothy Church, Professor of Preventative Medicine at Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University, found that brisk walking for 30 minutes five times a week reduced a sedentary person’s risk of dying prematurely from any cause by nearly 20 percent. As a lover of walking… Continue reading Walking reduces risk of premature death
Technology comes to aid of stroke patients
Stroke patients have a wide range of disabilities and recovery of physical movement can often take many months or years. Until recently products enabling home based rehabilitation didn't exist, but now two devices may offer people the opportunity to take their recovery into their own hands...and feet.Nintendo's WeHab is a new platform from the University… Continue reading Technology comes to aid of stroke patients
Cool and calma 