Warm Hands - Yoga and Thai Massage

16/06/2026

Thai massage is 2,500 years old and it is rooted in Ayurvedic medicine and Buddhist spiritual practice. Still its benefits are deeply relevant to the pressures of modern life.

So who is Thai massage for?

Thai massage is 2500 years old still its benefits are deeply relevant to the pressures of modern life. So who is Thai massage for?

31/05/2026

As a yoga teacher, I hear the same hesitations all the time. "I'm not flexible enough." "Isn't that all about stretching?" "Yoga isn't for someone like me." And I know these are the misconceptions that are keeping people away from something that could genuinely improve their lives.

So here are 5 myths about yoga and what I think about them.

Flexible? Religious? Expensive? Not necessarily. 5 myths about yoga that are keeping people off the mat and what I think about them.

28/05/2026

How is your squat these days? Are your heels staying on the floor? Do your knees fall in? Can you go all the way down - slowly and in control?

These are all clues to how well one of your body's seven essential functional movements is working. Over the next seven weeks in my yoga classes, we'll work through each one - building strength, improving balance, freeing up stiff joints, and moving in ways that might genuinely surprise you.

Keeping these movements strong is what lets us stay independent and capable as we age. It's some of the most worthwhile work you can do.

Monday is already full, but there are a couple of spots left on Wednesday at 9.30am, St. Leonard's Church Hall.
Don't miss it.

25/05/2026

If you work at a desk, your body is absorbing more strain than you probably realise.

Every hour of sitting tightens your hip flexors, rounds your upper back, and loads your neck with the equivalent weight of a small child. Over time, the body just adapts to that shape — and not in a good way.

I wrote about this and what Thai massage can do about it. Worth a read if you spend most of your day at a screen.

What sitting is doing to your body and how Thai massage can help desk workers.

24/05/2026

What is it most, I wonder. The rhythm of the pace, or the birdsong? The greenery, or the smell of warm pinecones (totally healing, if you ask me) and the occasional horse poo?

You can notice it in the way the conversation changes. At the onset we speak about the topics of the day, then drift toward more philosophical territory, until eventually we just walk in silence together.

Walking in nature has this ability to soak up the quotidian, to evaporate worry, and to bring me back to the pure appreciation of what is right now.

What better way to spend a Sunday.

21/05/2026

Day off for First Aid refresher training.

Actually refreshed? Absolutely not.

So please - no dislocated shoulders, seizures, strains, sprains, burns or fainting until further notice. Thank you for your cooperation 🙏😂

09/05/2026

The new term of yoga classes in Streatham has started and both my groups are amazing.
The Monday evening one has been full for a while and the new Wednesday is already taking shape (pun intended 🙂).

Do get in touch if you want to know more. I offer a taster class so you can come and meet everyone and try what we do before commiting.

We're all losing movement without realising it. A 7-week yoga course exploring the seven functional movements your body was built for.

28/04/2026

How Often Should I Get Thai Massage?

This is a question I often get from new clients. And my answer usually is: it depends. Still, there are some general principles worth knowing.

A question I often get from new clients. And my answer usually is: it depends. Still, there are some general principles worth knowing.

21/04/2026

Does moving in the morning slow down ageing? Body researcher Gil Hedley thinks so. Look up his "Fuzz Speech" online, it is fascinating.

His idea: each night, your muscles grow microscopic collagenous fibres ("fuzz") at the sliding surfaces between muscles. Each morning, moving and stretching melts it away. When we stay still for too long — through injury, habit, or a sedentary lifestyle, that fuzz accumulates and gradually limits our movement.

So, Wednesday morning, 9.30 am we will be doing yoga to keep the fuzz at bay.
We practice in Streatham, St. Leonard's Church Hall.

Get in touch if you want to know more!

18/04/2026

So you have never tried Thai massage and you are curious to know what it’s like? Here’s what you can expect in your first treatment.

You’ll be on the floor

Forget the massage table. Thai massage happens on a soft futon mat. It is also done fully clothed so wear something comfortable and easy to move in.

The closest thing to compare it to is assisted yoga. I will move you through different positions that might involve bending your knees, lifting your arms, slowly rocking your body.

It works along energy lines

In Thai massage as in most Eastern traditions there is this idea that energy moves through certain lines or meridians in the body. So I will apply pressure along these lines using my hands, thumbs, elbows, knees, and feet. The pressure can be light and gentle or quite firm. You can always tell me if you want more or less.

Your whole body gets attention

Thai massage doesn’t just go for the usual suspects – tight shoulders, a stiff lower back. It is based on the understanding that everything in the body is connected and the problem is often not where you feel tension or pain. So if you come with upper back issues I will most probably also work on your feet and your hips. And if your lower back hurts, don’t be surprised if I spend some time focusing on your belly. Anyway, it is always a full body treatment.

How you’ll probably feel after

Most people walk out feeling lighter and more open than when they came in. Some people do feel tired afterwards, and that’s completely fine. Your body has done some work. Over time, people find it helps with sleep, digestion, breathing, and general aches that tend to accumulate from everyday life.