Metta Tree Yoga

01/14/2026

📖 Effect of 12 Weeks of Hatha Balance Flow Yoga on Fall and Injury Risk in Postmenopausal Women

A recent study found that just 12 weeks of a balance-focused hatha yoga program significantly improved balance, strength, and upper-body reaction time in women ages 50–70, key factors in preventing falls and injury. These findings highlight yoga as a promising, accessible tool for supporting safer movement and resilience as we age.

Study Details:
🗓️ 12 weeks of a Hatha Balance Flow Yoga class
🧘🏽 36 women between the ages of 50 -70 participated
💪🏼 Significant improvement in balance (one-leg stand), lower-body strength (30-second sit to stand), and upper-body response time after the intervention

Read the full study (IAYT member login required): https://buff.ly/bCTS9HJ

Become a member today at iayt.org and gain access to the International Journal of Yoga Therapy!

01/05/2026

Experience the benefits of Yoga Nidra for yourself in my classes or one-on-one sessions.

12/30/2025

Yay yoga! Also good for pelvic health. DM me to find out more about Yoga Therapy.

𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛: 𝗬𝗼𝗴𝗮'𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗣𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗰 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 & 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

Recent studies into yoga's potential to improve women's public health and hormonal balance highlight how postures (asanas), breathwork (pranayama), and mindfulness reduce stress, regulate cortisol, enhance pelvic floor strength, and support reproductive health. The study show consistent yoga practice benefits conditions like PCOS, menopause symptoms, and incontinence through mechanisms like improved blood flow and nervous system regulation.

Key Findings:
🪷 Hormonal Balance: A review in the International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research (IJFMR) in January 2025 found strong evidence that yoga, through poses, breath, and meditation, influences the endocrine system, lowering cortisol and potentially balancing reproductive hormones, insulin, and metabolic health.

🪷 Pelvic Floor Health: Research published in the Journal of Neonatal Surgery (JNS) in 2025 emphasizes yoga's role in strengthening pelvic floor muscles, improving alignment, and using deep breathing (pranayama) to relax tight muscles, alleviating pain and incontinence.

🪷 Holistic Approach: A September 2025 review in Wolters Kluwer Health noted yoga's holistic approach helps regulate the nervous system, reduce stress, and increase body awareness, making it a valuable complementary therapy for pelvic floor issues like overactive bladder.

🪷 Specific Conditions: Studies and discussions in 2025 point to yoga's promise in managing PCOS symptoms and supporting women through perimenopause by reducing stress and improving overall well-being.

How Yoga Helps:
🧘🏻‍♀️ Reduces Stress: Calms the nervous system, lowering the stress hormone cortisol.
🧘🏼‍♀️ Strengthens & Relaxes: Builds core and pelvic floor strength while also teaching relaxation for tight muscles.
🧘🏽‍♀️ Improves Circulation: Enhances blood flow to reproductive organs.
🧘🏾‍♀️ Mind-Body Connection: Mindfulness fosters awareness of pelvic floor function and stress responses.

______________________________
REFERENCES:
* IJFMR (Jan 2025): "The Role of Yoga in Balancing Hormones" (https://www.ijfmr.com/papers/2025/1/36061.pdf)
* JNS (2025): "Therapeutic Role of Yoga and Pathophysiological Insights of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction PCOS" (https://jneonatalsurg.com/index.php/jns/article/download/7579/6591/24535)
* ScienceDirect (2025): "Study on Yoga for PCOS Weight Management" (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187638202500112X)
* Wolters Kluwer (Sep 2025): "Review on Yoga & Pelvic Floor Literature" (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40960271)

12/27/2025

Start the new year off by nourishing your mind and body. Join my Full Restorative class Sundays 10:00 - 11:30. There will be Yoga Nidra and singing bowls while you lie all cozy in completely supported postures. So good for your health!

DM me to register. $40.

Private Yoga Therapy sessions available - they’re even more therapeutic than classes because they’re tailored to your body, mind, and preferences.

12/22/2025

New class time - Tuesdays 6:00 - 7:00. This gentle class helps you feel better in your body, sleep better, reduce stress, and boost your immune system. We move our bodies in healthy ways and then move into restorative poses with Yoga Nidra. DM me to register.

Gift certificates available!

12/17/2025

"Restorative Yoga teaches us that slowing down is not a luxury. It is a profound way of waking up to our own lives." -JHL

Jai!

12/17/2025

Nothing has been ruined, and there is no such thing as failing... let go, in a moment, and begin again.

12/11/2025

Give the gift of ease, Peace, improved health, or simply feeling better in your body. Gift certificates can be used for yoga classes, Restorative yoga, Sound Healing, individual Yoga Therapy sessions (in person or online), or Couple’s Full Restorative sessions. DM me or e-mail mettatreeyoga@gmail.com to order. Credit cards, Venmo, PayPal, CashApp, cash accepted.

11/30/2025

Experience the therapeutic effects of singing bowls in my classes! It really is amazing. Sundays 10:00 - 11:30 Full Restorative with Sound or Tuesdays 5:30 - 6:30 Gentle Flow with Yoga Nidra. DM me to register.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗼𝘄𝗹𝘀: 𝗔 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀

Researchers investigated Tibetan Singing Bowls as a sound-based intervention. The goal was to determine whether the bowls’ vibrations and tones could measurably reduce stress and improve wellbeing. Singing Bowls are already popular in yoga, meditation, and holistic therapy, but scientific validation has been limited.

🥣 Why the study was conducted:
* To bridge the gap between traditional practice and scientific evidence.
* To assess whether Singing Bowl sessions could be recommended as a complementary therapy for stress management and emotional health.
* To provide therapists and practitioners with data-driven insights into the effectiveness of sound healing.

👩‍🔬 How the Study Was Conducted:
Participants attended structured Singing Bowl sessions. Researchers measured psychological outcomes (stress, mood, anxiety) using validated questionnaires. They also tracked physiological markers such as heart rate and blood pressure before and after sessions. A controlled design allowed comparison between Singing Bowl exposure and baseline conditions.

📊 Results of the Study:
• Significant reductions in stress and anxiety were observed after Singing Bowl sessions.
• Participants reported improved mood, relaxation, and sense of wellbeing.
• Physiological measures showed lower heart rate and blood pressure, indicating a calming effect on the nervous system.
• The effects were consistent across participants, suggesting broad applicability.

🌟 Key Takeaways for Therapists & Practitioners:
• Singing Bowl therapy can be integrated into yoga, meditation, counseling, and wellness retreats as a supportive practice.
• It offers a non-invasive, low-cost intervention for stress reduction.
• The study provides scientific backing for what many practitioners have observed anecdotally.
• Therapists can use Singing Bowls to enhance relaxation, emotional regulation, and client receptivity during sessions.
• While not a replacement for medical treatment, Singing Bowls can serve as a complementary modality in holistic care.

SOURCE: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213422025000241𝗲

11/25/2025

Yoga Therapy for Low Back Pain - DM me to give it a try! See if it works for you.

𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗬: 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝗴𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗟𝗼𝘄 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻

Chronic discogenic low back pain (CDLBP) is a major cause of disability worldwide, often resistant to conventional treatments. It is characterized by persistent back pain that originates from degeneration or damage in the intervertebral discs of the spine. Researchers from the Department of Orthopaedics at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, in collaboration with the Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education, & Research in India, conducted a study to explore whether yoga therapy could serve as a safe, effective, and non-pharmacological intervention for patients suffering from CDLBP.

The primary goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of yoga therapy in reducing pain intensity, improving functional ability, and enhancing quality of life in patients with CDLBP. Researchers aimed to provide quantitative evidence supporting yoga as a therapeutic option.

Study Design:
• Randomized controlled trial.
• 80 patients diagnosed with chronic discogenic low back pain.
• Yoga group (n=40). Received structured yoga therapy sessions.
• Control group (n=40). Received conventional physiotherapy exercises.
• 12 weeks of intervention.
• Assessments: Pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale, VAS), disability (Oswestry Disability Index, ODI), and quality of life (SF-36 questionnaire).
• Measurements were taken before and after the intervention.

Results:
Participants who practiced yoga therapy experienced a substantial reduction in pain intensity, while those in the physiotherapy group saw more modest improvements. The yoga group showed a greater decrease in disability levels, meaning they were able to perform daily activities with more ease compared to the control group. Quality of life improved more significantly in the yoga group, with notable gains in both physical health and mental well-being.
Overall, yoga therapy proved to be more effective than conventional physiotherapy in addressing chronic discogenic low back pain.

Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12244673/

11/07/2025

By Anneke Sips When I entered nursing school in 1998, I also stepped into psychiatry—and, almost simultaneously, into yoga. Those early years were a strange kind of initiation: learning how to steady myself amid human crisis while finding ways to quiet my inner world, sense my body, and get a gent...

10/29/2025

✨ If you’re ready to stop ghosting your body...

My Free 5-Day Mini Series offers gentle, daily practices to help you reconnect without force or pressure.

💬 Comment FEEL and I’ll send you the link.