Wednesday 22nd April, 2026
The autonomic nervous system (ANS)
Your body is always listening: especially your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), the system responsible for regulating stress, rest, digestion, and recovery. When it’s balanced, you feel calm, energised, and resilient. When it’s dysregulated, you may experience anxiety, fatigue, poor sleep, or tension that lingers long after the stress has passed.
In today’s fast-paced world, many of us spend too much time in “fight or flight” mode. From the moment we wake up we are full on. Regardless of whether we work full or part time or we are retired! This chronic activation can take a toll on both physical and emotional wellbeing. That’s why learning to regulate your ANS isn’t just helpful — it’s essential.
This is where yoga and qigong come in. Through mindful movement, breathwork, and intentional awareness, these practices gently guide your body back into “rest and digest.” Slow, flowing sequences and deep breathing stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping you release tension and restore balance.
In my classes, we focus on creating a safe, supportive space where your body can unwind naturally. Whether it’s grounding through yoga postures or cultivating energy flow with qigong, each session is designed to help you reconnect with your inner calm.
When you regulate your ANS, you’re not just relaxing, you’re building resilience, improving health, and creating a more balanced way of living.
So why not come and join us.
Wednesday 15th April, 2026
The 7 minute shavasana
Longer post here so get comfy.
Normally at the end of a yoga class you get a short shavasana from your teacher. I try to give students at least 4 minutes but sometimes it can be a little short..
Here is a challenge for you. Try a 7 minute one at home and here is why:
A 7 minute Shavasana (final relaxation) might sound short, but it can be surprisingly powerful when done intentionally. What makes it “special” isn’t just the time, it’s how your body and mind respond within that window.
1. It’s the “sweet spot” for the nervous system
Around 5 to 10 minutes is often enough for your body to shift from the active sympathetic (“fight or flight”) state into the parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) mode.
In 7 minutes, your:
- Heart rate slows
- Muscles release residual tension
- Brain waves begin to calm
It’s like hitting a reset button without losing momentum.
2. Efficient but still effective
7 minutes is long enough to:
- Integrate the physical benefits of your practice
- Let your breath deepen naturally
- Absorb the mental clarity yoga creates
…but short enough that:
- You don’t get restless
- You don’t fall fully asleep (which can happen in longer Shavasanas)
3. Ideal for modern attention spans
Let’s be honest, many people struggle to lie still for 15 to 20 minutes.
A 7 minute Shavasana feels:
- Manageable
- Accessible
- Less intimidating for beginners
That means you are more likely to actually do it, and consistency matters more than duration.
4. It trains conscious relaxation
Because it’s not overly long, you stay more aware. This helps you practice:
- Scanning the body
- Releasing tension deliberately
- Observing thoughts without drifting off
This is where Shavasana becomes a skill, not just a nap.
**"The real “magic”
A 7 minute Shavasana works best when it’s intentional:
- Set a timer so you don't check your phone.
Done well, 7 minutes can feel like 20 minutes of rest.
Email me and let me know how you get on.
Thursday 9th April, 2026
Seniors yoga in Dunfermline
Am I retired? Perhaps not. My original plan was to properly retire at 59. Instead I took up teaching yoga and qigong. Not a bad way to fill my time.
Are you retired? What do you do with your time? Is there a hole to fill or a gap that you can't quite put your finger on?
Are you looking for something to help you switch off, loosen up, and feel like yourself again?
Come and try one of my 4 week beginners blocks.
The classes are on a Monday and / or Wednesday evening in Dunfermline. Classes help new students to improve their balance and stability as well as calm their minds.
All are welcome. Note for the guys - we get about 50/50 male / female ratio so you are most welcome too!
Dunfermline yoga classes for seniors.
Tuesday 7th April, 2026
Taking time to yourself to reset
Taking time out for yourself is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. In the gentle embrace of Lights Out: Saturday Night Surrender at Zilda’s, you’re invited to step away from the noise, the doing, and the constant demands of daily life. This is your permission to pause. To soften. To simply be.
Through somatic yoga, you begin to reconnect with your body in a deeply intuitive way. Rather than pushing or striving, you listen. You notice. You allow. This mindful awareness helps release stored tension and invites a sense of safety back into the nervous system. As the evening deepens, yoga nidra guides you into a state between waking and sleeping—a space where true restoration happens. Here, the body rests, the mind quiets, and the whole system recalibrates.
Surrendering into stillness on a Saturday night creates a powerful shift. Instead of ending your week in exhaustion, you close it with intention, care, and renewal. You give yourself the gift of coming home to yourself.
Three benefits of this class:
Deep Nervous System Reset: Move out of stress mode and into rest, digest, and repair.
Release of Physical & Emotional Tension: Somatic practices gently unwind held patterns in the body.
Improved Sleep & Inner Calm: Yoga nidra promotes profound relaxation, supporting better sleep and mental clarity.
This is your time. Lights out. Let go. Surrender.
Wednesday 1st April, 2026
Beginners yoga classes in Dunfermline
A long time ago when I wanted to start taking yoga classes there weren't that many options in Dunfermline.
I stumbled on a class being held in The Fire Station Creative on a Tuesday evening. Ironically I now have that slot for my own classes!
The class was a 6 week block for beginners. The idea being to take the block and then join the intermediate class that followed after the beginner's class.
I'm working a similar model. My beginners classes are held in Zilda Holistic Therapies studio on a Monday evening at 6.30pm. Due to demand I am launching another beginners block on Wednesday evenings.
Tuesday 31st March, 2026
Coping with the noise
I don't know about you but the noise at the moment is bonkers. By noise I mean all of the distractions going on in the world.
How do you cope with this? Personally I do 2 things each day. They both benefit me greatly.
1. I practice gratitude. Recently in class I have added a gratitude bowl to our class start. This helps to reinforce being grateful for having what you have and being where you are.
2. Breath. Take 5 minutes and come on to your breath. Just sit and breathe. Do nothing else. Allow your nervous system to slow down.
Monday 30th March, 2026
Zoom meditation
On the last Sunday of the month I run a free Zoom meditation. It's on at 9pm and lasts for 20 minutes.
If you didn't manage to join me for the last one and you would like to listen to it then click the Spring awakening pic. You'll be taken to my Ko-fi page where you can download it and others.
I do these free meditations on a Sunday night as a thank you but also as a way to get people interested in meditation. It's been a blessing for me for many years. Actually from before yoga!
Meditation offers significant, scientifically backed mental and physical health benefits, including reduced stress, anxiety, and depression. It enhances focus, improves sleep quality, and lowers blood pressure. Regular practice can structurally change the brain to boost emotional regulation, self-awareness, and cognitive resilience.
If you would like to give me feed back on my meditations then email me and let me know what you think.