What’s so special about yoga is that there are so many ways to practice it and its benefits extend far beyond just the physical. Dr Gail Parker is a psychologist, yoga therapist and author based in the US. She chats to me about how restorative yoga and even incorporating even small parts of restorative yoga into your daily life can help manage stress and trauma.

With yoga being commercialized by the West – it has been sold as something only flexible white women do that have a tall, slender build. When in reality the practice of yoga was intended for everyone – yoga does not exclude anyone from the practice as its very meaning is to “yolk” or “connection” – to bring better connection with ourselves but also with the world around us. 

This modern manifestation of yoga has left many to feel excluded and unwelcome in yoga spaces. Dianne Bondy is a yoga teacher based in Canada and she aims to change the narrative – she is a specialist in ‘accessible yoga’, she has written two books on the topic. I chat to her about her work, how she suggests teachers make their spaces more inclusive and how you as a yoga practitioner can find the best space to practice yoga that makes you feel comfortable to be yourself.

Yoga is an ancient practice from South-East Asia, but once it was brought to the West it was whitewashed, commercialized and focused mainly on yoga asana (poses) when in fact it is so much more. Today it is a multi-billion-dollar industry. 

While it has become trendy in the West, many South-East Asian people have grown up with the practice, much like Nadia Gilani, she was first introduced to the practice as a child. She is a yoga teacher in the UK, a freelance journalist and now author of the book “The Yoga Manifesto”. We chat about her journey with yoga, her book, and where the yoga industry is now.

In this episode of the Wellness Uprising we want to expand your understanding of what health and wellness means in the broader sense when we look at our community, our greater ecosystem. Remember, if there is anything we have learnt from this season, is that true wellness encompasses far more than nutrition and exercise and can look different to different people depending on their context. 

We cannot impose our personal benchmarks of wellness on someone who is not living the same quality of life we are. Krishen Samuel is a lecturer at the University of Arkansas and is a PhD student studying health behaviour and promotion.

So many people neglect this corner stone of good health, wellness and longevity. We underestimate the effect sleep has on our bodies and the huge knock-on effects when we don’t get enough of it. I spoke to neurologist Dr Bonney Cheyip who runs the sleep clinic at Morningside Medi-Clinic.

The diet industry will have you believe that you should be eating as little as possible to see results when the science behind nutrition says the exact opposite. You should be fueling your body correctly to reach your desired goals be it to do a personal best in a race or simply to not feel drained all day after a tough workout. 

Registered dietitian Rosey Lombard is the official dietitian to the Lions Rugby Club and in private practice, she is also an avid runner herself – she shares her knowledge about how to eat correctly to get the best results.

It is true that if you want to do any sport better, you should practice more doing it, but did you know strength training can fundamentally change your performance in your sport of choice? If you’re a cyclist, runner, triathlete, yogi – strength training can assist in making you better at your favourite sport. I chat to Strength and conditioning coach Deen Boomgaard about this.

It is one of the biggest myths within the fitness industry and despite so many fitness professionals, research trying their best to dispel the myth, many women still believe lifting heavy weights will make them look “bulky” or “like a man” this is not true. We discuss the science, the facts and attempt to put this topic to bed with personal trainer, Crossfit Athlete and professional weightlifter Zaakirah Khalek.

Sam Ryder has been in the fitness industry for over three decades and during this time she has seen everything under the sun when it comes to people’s fitness journeys and the common mistakes people make along the way. She also shares her wisdom as a seasoned personal trainer to new trainers starting in the industry – how they can best serve their clients.

The Diet industry will have you believe that wellness can only look a certain way when in fact there is a huge spectrum of ways good health can look like. To practice, true wellness one must also understand how we fit into a diverse society – filled with many versions of “health and wellness” – In this episode, we learn about the difference between neurodivergent and neurotypical people. 

I speak to Alexa Wilson who is neurodivergent and get a sense of her life experience and then I chat with Chael Nel, a clinical Psychologist.