Yoga for · 9 pages
Yoga for better sleep, back care, cramps and more
Need-led guides, each honest about what yoga can and cannot do: sleep, a stiff back, period cramps, anxiety, stress, posture and running.
People rarely come to yoga for yoga itself. They come because they sleep badly, their back aches after a week at the desk, or work has left them wired. These pages start from that reason and say plainly what a gentle practice can offer, what to leave out, and when the right person to see is a doctor.
Most of them lean on the slow end of the practice. If you would like that in person, restorative yoga, propped and unhurried is the style most of these pages point to, and the yoga style quiz can help if you are unsure which class suits your needs.
Rest and the mind
The body
Life stages and sport
What yoga is not
Yoga is not medical care. It does not diagnose anything, and it does not replace a doctor, a physiotherapist, a psychologist or the treatment they advise. Every page here lists the warning signs that mean you should see one first. Please read the health and safety notes before you practise, and if you are wondering whether yoga could stand in for professional help, the guide to yoga for stress relief answers that directly.
Questions
What should I read if my concern is not listed here?
Start with the guide closest to it, then ask your doctor whether gentle yoga suits you. If you are thinking about classes, tell the teacher what is going on before you start; a good teacher will say honestly whether their class is a good fit or whether someone else would serve you better.
Which page should I read if I have more than one concern?
Read the one that bothers you most first, and follow its warning signs. Many of the shapes repeat across these pages, such as Child's Pose, Legs Up the Wall and a supported Savasana, so a short practice built from them often covers more than one need.
Can a yoga class be planned around a health condition?
It can be planned around what you tell the teacher, once your doctor has said yoga is fine for you. A careful teacher will ask about your condition before you start, leave out anything your doctor has advised against, and keep the class slow. A yoga teacher is not a clinician, so they will not assess or treat the condition itself.