The Chronic Yogini

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The Chronic Yogini

I live with inflammatory arthritis and have a PhD in Rehabilitation. I help you move better, feel stronger, and embrace your body as it is.

Join me for judgment-free, empowering yoga for every body💪🏾 Message me to start your journey

03/04/2026

We often think that if movement looks easy for someone, it must mean they are naturally flexible or strong or smart.

But what we are really seeing is:

- coordination
- minimal unnecessary tension
- breath control
- appropriate timing
- efficient use of effort

In other words, what looks like ease is often learned.

The body loves best when there is enough effort to create stability, but not so much effort that everything becomes tense and rigid.

Ease is not doing nothing.
Ease is when effort becomes efficient instead of overwhelming.

27/03/2026

This wasn't the dress I planned to wear to the beautiful wedding of my university friend last week.

After a run of long work days, my body was flaring. It was more inflamed, more bloated, and more uncomfortable than I anticipated. The dress I planned just didn't feel good to be in.

So I wore my backup dress instead.

A few years ago, this would have felt like a failure. Like I'd done something wrong or hadn't worked hard enough. Like my body had let me down.

But here..I see it differently.

Bodies change.
Inflammation changes.
Energy changes.
Capacity changes.

One day, or one week, doesn't undo the work you've done.
And it doesn't define your body.

This is true in training as well.

A flare doesn't mean you’re back at the beginning.
A tired week doesn't mean you’re weaker.
And a session that feels harder than last week doesn't mean you're failing.

This is why I care so much about building strength and capacity in a way that works with your body, not against it.

Because real strength isn't about having a body that looks "perfect" or behaves perfectly all the time.

It's about having the confidence and capacity to adapt when it doesn't.

23/03/2026

When inflammation is high, more training is not usually the solution.
But no movement at all isn't always the answer either.

Here are the 3 things I try to focus on:

1. Ease back, don't stop completely.
Gentle movement helps circulation, joint healtg and keeps your baseline capacity dropping.

2. Hydrate earlier in the day.
Hydration affects blood volume, fatigue, and how well your body tolerates load. It is especially important if you deal with dizziness, fatigue or inflammatory conditions.

3. Give yourself permission to rest.
High stress levels spike your cortisol which can lead to inflammation and affect your sleep, creating an inflammatory cycle. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do for your progress is rest and let your system calm down.

This is what "listening to your body" actually looks like in practice. Not doing nothing. But adjusting intelligently.

I explore these topics more in my newsletter (link in bio to receive these insights!)

16/03/2026

Running has never really been my thing.

But I pop to parkrun occasionally.

Why? Because it is good to challenge my body and increase my cardiovascular fitness.

It was cold and windy - a combination my asthmatic lungs do not love.

Within the first few hundred metres, I wondered whether it was worth doing.

Today, I was just aiming to complete the 5K - no PB goals..just get around the course.

An yet, there were still notable wins..

I ran more of it that I have before.
Only walked 3 times.
I ran further in the first stretch than ever.
I needed my inhaler much less than last time.

The win wasn't speed.
It was my body coping better.

Progress doesn't always show up as heavier lifts, faster times or dramatic milestones.

Sometimes it's your system adapting.

A little more capacity.
A little more tolerance.
A little more trust.

If your body doesn't follow a straight line of progress. You're not doing it wrong.

That's just how real bodies work.

12/03/2026

Many people start yoga or mobility work because something in the body feels tight.

Stretching seems like the obvious solution.

And sometimes it helps.

But for some bodies, the issue isn’t a lack of flexibility.

It’s a lack of strength and support within the range the body already has.

This is something I see often with people who have hypermobility, chronic pain, or bodies that simply don’t respond well to generic movement advice.

So I wrote a short guide about it.

Why Some Bodies Need Strength Before More Stretching

It explores:
• why stretching doesn’t always solve discomfort
• the difference between range of motion and control
• why strength can change how the body feels in movement

You can download the guide via the link in my bio.

If this resonates with you, you might also enjoy the monthly newsletter where I explore strength, movement, and complex bodies in more depth.

11/03/2026

Stretching isn't always the answer. 🤔

Flexibility and mobility are often treated as the same thing, but they're not.

Flexibility describes how much range is available in a muscle or joint.

Mobility is about how well you can control that movement within the range.

You might be able to sit comfortably in a deep stretch (hello hypermobile friends!), but everyday movements might still feel challenging.

That's because everyday movements rarely require extreme range. 🤸🏽‍♀️

They require enough range (or flexibility) but also the strength and control to over the range to complete the activity.

Climbing stairs.
Taking a mug of a high shelf.
Getting up off the floor.

These are mobility tasks.

So if stretching hasn't solved the problem, it might not mean your body is just "tight".

It might mean it needs more strength over your range. 💪🏽

❓️ Have you been told to stretch more when you feel stiff?

06/03/2026

Strength isn’t measured by your best week (or your worst).

Four months ago, my body carried me through the biggest physical challenge I’ve ever done: hiking long days with a heavy pack, waking up ready for the next stretch of trail. 🏔

This week?
My body asked for something completely different.

More rest.
More patience.
More listening.

Medication changes. Fatigue. A slower pace.

💪🏽 And neither version of me is stronger or weaker than the other.

Because real strength isn’t about being at your peak all the time.

It’s about learning how to work with your body through every phase: the adventurous ones, the quiet ones, and the weeks where simply taking care of yourself is the work.

Bodies aren’t linear.
Capacity changes.

And strength is built in how we navigate all of it.

If your body feels different right now than it did a few months ago, you're not doing something wrong.

You're just living in a human body. 💜

04/03/2026

Do your reps need to be identical? 🏋🏾‍♀️

One of my clients recently lifted heavier than he ever has before. He was proud but said each rep felt slightly different.

That isn’t failure.
It’s adaptation.

In strength training, we often chase perfectly repeatable reps. And yes, control matters.

But real life isn’t identical.

Motor learning research shows variability is part of how the nervous system adapts.
💪🏽 Tissue capacity improves with progressive overload, NOT perfection.

The goal isn’t robotic repetition.
It’s strength that adapts for the real world.

Especially if you live in a hypermobile, inflamed, or unpredictable body. Slight variation doesn’t automatically mean you’re doing it wrong. It might mean you’re learning. 🤔

Instead of asking: “Were they identical?”

Try:
“Was I in control?”
“Did I stay within capacity?”
“What did I learn?”

Strength isn’t rehearsing a lab experiment.
It’s preparing for real life.

🧡 If this shifts how you see your reps, save it for your next session.

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