Physio & Yoga – with Cath (Physio and Yogi)

Yoga is often prescribed as something of a “cure all” by both medical practitioners and the general public. Whether you’re suffering from low back pain, are pregnant, have tight muscles, are stressed etc, the answer is often – go do yoga. Now don’t get me wrong, I love yoga and I think it has something to benefit nearly everyone. However, I believe that for the best outcome your yoga practice needs to be just that – yours. It needs to be individualised and guided.  That’s where Barefoot Physiotherapy comes in! We bridge the gap between physio and yoga, to make sure you’re getting the most out of each.

How can Barefoot Physiotherapy help your yoga?

Regardless of your symptom presentation we are here to help you feel good again!  This involves looking at your movements, muscles, joints and any neural irritation. Once we have a picture of your body, we can work on treating and retraining the areas that are important to you. 

Barefoot Physiotherapy can help you decide the best type of yoga for your needs, whether that is yin or restorative, vinyasa or hatha.  We can help you adjust asana (postures) to best suit your body by using cues or props. Along the way, we’ll help you discover a better awareness of your body so you can implement these changes independently in a physio and yoga class.

What are the benefits of yoga?

• Mindfulness: yoga incorporates breathing exercises (pranayama) and meditation.  This awareness is useful in providing a nervous system “reset” and supporting your immune function. 
• Motor Control – yoga is great for increasing body awareness and exploring options for movements.  By changing the cues used and allowing time for observation you can become more aware of subtle changes in your body.
• Flexibility – the more active styles of yoga use gradual loading into range of movement, over time increasing your flexibility. 
• Strength – active yoga styles encourage a co-contraction around joints (bandhas), body weight strength, and challenge your pelvic floor and deep abdominals in a variety of positions.
• Cross-training – yoga nicely complements the more intense forms of training (running, powerlifting etc) and helps get the most out your body.

If you are wanting to find out more about how to include or adjust a yoga practice – or you just want to learn more about yoga and physio – book in with Barefoot Physiotherapy by calling 1300 842 850 or booking online