Blog

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New locations for the best myofascial release massage & yoga therapy session you’ll ever have!

If you need some deep, structural myofascial release bodywork and are tired of strokey strokey spa massages that you often get in even the most expensive hotels, then good news!

Along with home/hotel visits and triyoga.co.uk I have ad-hoc availability in some beautiful therapy rooms at the following locations very close to London’s best hotels:

Belgravia – Just a short walk from The Peninsula Hotel, The Jumeira, Lanesborough and The Mandarin Oriental

Marylebone – Only 8 minutes walk from The Twenty Two, The Beaumont & The Chancery Rosewood. A 12 minute walk from Claridges, The Biltmore & The Connaught Hotel, 15 mintues walk from The Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, 17 minutes from The Dorchester and 45 Park Lane. 22 minutes walk from Brown’s Hotel Mayfair, The Four Seasons Park Lane, The Intercontinental and The Beaumont Hotel.

Monument – just 6 minutes walk from The Four Seasons Tower Bridge, a 10 minute Walk from The Ned and 12 just minutes from The Pan Pacific Hotel

Old St – 4 minutes walk from Maldron Hotel Shoteditch and very close to Moncalm East, Royal and Shoreditch.

Prices from £155 for 60 and £235 for 90 minutes*

*extra charges may occur for congenstion zone and parking where necessary.

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Yoga, Mental Health & Recovery

Harbor London are one of the world’s leading luxury mental health & addiction service companies and I feel very privileged to be a part of the team, working as a yoga and massage therapist on a 1-1 basis with their clients.

In this video I talk about interoception or body felt sense and how this is so important for those affected by poor mental health and addiction. Basically, the ability to be able to reconnect with your body and not solely rely on external sources to make ourselves feel good.

In our busy modern lives we do very little of what we are actually designed to do. We wake up, sit up, stand up and then sit down again (and then repeat this many times throughout the day) before lying down again for bed. We rarely side bend, back bend or twist.

One of the things I love about yoga is it gives me the feeling of movement I had as a child, the awareness of physical possibility, the freedom to move and play. When you have regained this freedom you don’t ever want to lose it again.

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Seasons Greetings!

I’d just like to take this opportunity to wish all my friends, clients and colleagues a very Merry Christmas!

My eldest daughter Lily age 7 (aka Rose Sparkles) made this animation yesterday and put together this track this morning to accompany it, the lyrics are by Anaya my 4 year old.

I hope you like it and have a lovely Christmas. With love, James & family. x

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Covid-19 and Mental Health First Aid

Positive coping strategies for mental health during the pandemic.

This latest lockdown has been tough. Even though there are more freedoms than the last one many people are really feeling it. They may be isolated, worried about finances, job insecurity, housing problems, unable to accesss mental health services, unable to exercise and access other positive coping mechanisms.

A recent study from the Centre For Mental Health predicts that up to 8.5 million adults and 1.5 million children in England will need support for a variety of mental health conditions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorders and other mental health difficulties. Read their report here.

Positive coping strategies for mental health during covid. Source U.N.

These numbers are terrifying, this is the equivalent of 20% of all adults and 15% of all children.

Mental Health First Aid training gives you knowledge of positive coping mechanisms to improve mental wellbeing and also and the ability to act on the warning signs of poor mental health and give vital support to those who may be suffering.

Recovery from many mental health conditions is much more likely when caught early on.

Now is the time to act and ensure that you have all the tools at your disposal to not only help others but to look after your own mental health too.

I have a few spaces left on my Adult Online Mental Health First Aid course starting on 8th December. Use code MHFA30 at checkout for and extra £30 off the already discounted price.

If you’re struggling with money, as many of us are at present, please contact me as further concessions are possible for those that need it.

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Become a Mental Health First Aider

I am very happy to be able to offer Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England courses both in person and online.

With the current mental health crisis caused by the pandemic it’s vital that we take as many steps as we can to protect our loved ones, work colleagues and of course ourselves.

Internationally recognised MHFA England courses are the only licensed Mental Health First Aid courses in the country and are designed not only to give you the tools to respond to a mental health crisis just as you would a physical one but to notice the early warning signs and respond accordingly. Mental health conditions are treatable and recovery is always possible and likely. The likelyhood of a full and speedy recovery increases massively when caught early on so it’s really important to have the ability to act. MHFA isn’t therapy and we’re not there to diagnose but to have the tools and confidence to support and assist those suffering to get the help they need.

Please see this short video for more information on MHFA and also go to the MHFA section on my website for more information and to book a course.

The course is valued at £300 but I’m offering the online training at a special discount of £230. There are only 16 participants in each training session so book now.

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NOIREFITFEST2020

I’m very happy to be taking part in NoireFitFest this evening at 6.15 where I’ll be taking part in a panel discussing mental health in the Black community.

NOIREFITFEST is dedicated to changing the face of fitness. Creating a platform of visibility for Black fitness experts & the black community.

Please see below for links to some of the information I’ll be sharing but please tune in and be a part of the discussion if you can, we can make a change!

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/b/black-asian-and-minority-ethnic-bame-communities

https://www.bitc.org.uk/fact-sheet/black-asian-and-minority-ethnic-bame-women-mental-health-and-covid-19/

Dr Robert Carter & Associates – Race Based Stress & Trauma Injury (RBSTI)

Runneymede Trust – 7 Actions to Change the History Curriculum

USEMI – Black counselling – all boroughs

Oasis – Black led counselling in Lambeth & Southwark

Dr Gail Parker – Restorative Yoga for Ethinc & Race Based Stress & Trauma

Mind in Haringey

My YouTube channel

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Is it safe to have massages now?

The government has allowed massage to take place for some time now and triyoga have gone above and beyond what’s legally required to ensure that both client and therapist are as safe as possible.

Many people have reported aching necks/shoulders & backs from poor ergonomics at their home office, wrist and hip pain are also common symptoms clients have mentioned.

Some find that even though they’re working from home they’re actually working longer hours, juggling all the usual family & home life commitments whilst spending hours & hours in front of the computer.

Add to that immobility due to lack of exercise and stress from being cooped up, worrying about covid and financial concerns, it’s fair to say that people have been under an incredible amount of not only physical but mental and emotional stress.

So yes, it is safe to get a massage and the more relaxed you are the better your immune system works (see my blog on yoga, massage & immunity).

Now is the time to refocus on your health and wellbeing and make self-care and getting regular treatments part of your monthly routine.

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The Mental Health Emergency

The Mental Health Emergency is a study published by leading mental health charity Mind in June 2020 which looks specifically at the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, and the results are terrifying.

It found that 60% of adults and 58% of young people reported worse mental health.

Young people and those with existing mental health problems were worse affected.

57% of adults and 53% of young people with no prior experience of mental health problems had a lower than average mental health score.

44% young people & 44% of adults have not or rarely felt relaxed during lockdown.

Adults reported concerns about being unable to see friends and family, anxiety about friends/family catching coronavirus, not being able to go out, feeling bored and restless, anxiety about themselves catching coronavirus.

The top five concerns for young people that made their mental health worse were feeling bored/restless, not being able to see friends, not being able to go outside except for essential reasons, feeling lonely and feeling anxious about family or friends getting coronavirus.

The top five positive coping strategies used by adults were connecting with friends or family online, watching TV or films, spending time outside, doing household chores (e.g. cooking and cleaning) & listening to music or the radio.

The top five positive coping strategies used by young people were connecting with friends or family online, watching TV or films, spending time outside, listening to music or the radio and going on social media.

What strikes me about almost all of these things is they are dependant on external gratification and so the chances of disappointment are really high.

When everything around you in life is so uncertain now is the time to start a yoga, meditation & mindfulness practice.

Find something that gives you a sense of inner calm and connection, be your own anchor in a stormy sea.

If you’re struggling with mental health please contact your GP and for further help contact your local Mind or Rethink.

I teach regular yoga for mental health and mindfulness & meditation classes at Mind In Haringey and have uploaded a special yoga for mental health follow along video on my Youtube Channel which you can see below and you can also find other practices on my channel which may be of help during these turbulant times.

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Trauma Sensitive Yoga

I’m pleased to announce a 3.5 hour online workshop on trauma sensitive yoga this weekend 10-1.30 for Central Wellness Lincoln.

This workshop will cover theory but will also be practical and is drawn from both my training in and my years of experience working as a yoga teacher and yoga therapist in the mental health and addiction field.

My goal is to give you enough understanding of the theory behind trauma and the practical tools to be able to feel comfortable working with those suffering from trauma and to also make your general classes trauma sensitive so that everyone in the community can practice safely and enjoy the benefits of a yoga practice.

The cost of the workshop is just £35, I hope you can join us.

Book here