Doda Yoga

18/09/2026

Here is a little interview I did with the wonderful Liz from I Can Move More and Valley Leisure about some of the amazing work that is happening. Have a little listen and let me know what you think.

If you’d like to join our next programme of Yoga for wellbeing with transformational results please do get in touch.

With love,
Naomi ✨

Hear from Liz, Head of Active Ageing at Valley Leisure Ltd, and Nao...

18/09/2026

This week I had the honour of delivering a Chair Therapy taster session for over 23 people living with or supporting people with Parkinson’s in Andover.

Yoga Therapy is combining evidence-informed principles with the ability to adapt practices for different people, conditions and needs. It allows movement to be considered not just as exercise, but in relation to how the brain and body are working together.

For Parkinson’s, movement can become less automatic and may require more conscious attention. This is one reason I’m interested in bilateral and cross body movement, working with both sides of the body, coordination, attention and purposeful movement can provide a different kind of movement challenge and stimulation.

But what happens in the session is only part of the work.

A therapeutic session involves a lot of thought beforehand: considering the condition, individual differences, fatigue, mobility, confidence, safety and how different movement approaches might be adapted for the people in the room in a language that works for everyone.

So although it may look like a simple chair based movement session, it isn’t simply a yoga class. The practices are selected and adapted with a therapeutic purpose.

And the smiles afterwards were an absolute joy to see.

It was a real honour to spend time with the local Parkinson’s community, (thank you Parkinson’s Cafe - Andover for inviting me!) listen to their experiences and explore what a therapeutic approach to movement might offer alongside existing care and support.

Thank you to everyone who came and took part.

With love,
Naomi ✨

17/09/2026

Over the last few weeks in class, we’ve been giving our breath quality a real focus. Not simply thinking about breathing as something that happens automatically, but noticing how it feels, how it moves through the body and how our breath can change with movement, attention and the way we respond to what is happening around us.

Breathing is something we do thousands of times a day, yet how often do we actually stop and notice it?

Our breath is fundamental to life, but the health of our lungs is also influenced by the environment we live in. This has been on my mind after reading recent research into children’s lung function and air pollution, which has prompted me to think more deeply about what we mean when we talk about health, lifestyle and choice.

We can learn to work with our breath, but we don’t always get to choose the air we breathe.

I’ve written a new blog exploring the science of our lungs, the role of breathing and yoga therapy, and a bigger question that I think is worth asking. How much of our health is really a lifestyle choice, and how much is shaped by the circumstances in which we live?

You can read the full blog on my website, link below 👇 🔗

With love,
Naomi ✨

16/09/2026

Chair Yoga returns this week, and I’m feeling extra grateful.

Grateful for my own practice, for the many ways yoga continues to support me, and for something so simple that can make such a difference, the humble chair. 🪑

It really is such an underrated piece of equipment. A chair can offer support, stability, confidence and, most importantly, an invitation to move and breathe in a way that feels right for you.

I’m so looking forward to sharing Chair Yoga with the Parkinson’s Café later today, and then tomorrow I get to be reunited with my lovely Chair Yoga class after a long summer break! I’ve really missed them.

There may be one or two spaces available if you’ve been curious about Chair Yoga tomorrow or feel it might be something that could support you, these course are run in conjunction with I Can Move More

Sometimes, something as simple as a chair can open the door to a whole new way of moving.

With love,
Naomi ✨

15/09/2026

I recently spent some time in a space with lots of bolsters and mats, and I found myself really making use of all the support available.

It got me thinking about how often we don’t reach for support, both in our yoga practice and in life.

How often do we think we should be able to manage on our own?

How often is help offered and our automatic response is, “I’m fine”?

There was something quite lovely about noticing what happened when I let the props support me rather than trying to hold everything myself.

A little more softness and less effort, more space to notice what was actually happening in my body and to be with it all.

I think there’s something in that beyond the physical practice too.

We often talk about strength as being able to hold ourselves up, keep going and manage whatever is put in front of us.

But perhaps strength can also be recognising when we need support, and also be willing to accept it.

We aren’t necessarily making the practice easier by using support. Sometimes we’re creating the conditions that allow us to stay with the experience a little longer, with a little more awareness and a little less unnecessary effort.

Maybe that’s something we could all experiment with.

Not always asking, “Can I do this on my own?”, but asking, “What might support me here?”.

And then being brave enough to actually reach for it.

If you’re looking for a more supportive practice, consider giving my Yin Yoga sessions a try / they come highly recommended!

My next session is on Friday 9th October at 18:30 at Augusta Park Community Centre, limited spaces remaining.

With love,
Naomi ✨

14/09/2026

I wrote this blog before I went away for my first training weekend in Integrative Yoga Psychotherapy, and already my understanding has started to shift and develop and I debated deleting this.

The blog explores why I’ve chosen to begin this training, what it means to me to become a student again, and my growing belief that talking therapy alone cannot always address everything we carry.

I see this time and time again when working therapeutically around the body. There can be so much happening beyond the words we use to describe how we feel.

The body has its own language, and I want to understand more about how we can work with that safely, thoughtfully and therapeutically.

But I’m also very aware that this is a starting point.

Since writing it, my first training has already given me new things to think about, questions I hadn’t considered and a different perspective on some of the things I thought I understood. I’m actually quite happy for that to happen.

Nothing stays completely fixed. Our understanding changes as we learn, experience, question and grow.

So I’m putting this here as a starting point, knowing that my thinking will continue to evolve.

Perhaps that’s one of the most valuable parts of being a student again, being willing to not have all the answers.

If you’re interested in why I’m taking this next step in my work, I’d love you to have a read, all blogs are on my website.

With love,
Naomi ✨

13/09/2026

“The past beats inside of me like a second heart.”

I passed this on my way to the last day of my first module of Yoga Psychotherapy, and it felt very befitting.

A beautiful reminder of how much we carry in our bodies, breath and being and of the ways we can begin to meet the past with greater awareness, compassion and curiosity.

Feeling renewed, inspired and deeply grateful as I complete this first module and step into the next three years of learning, growth and exploration. This is just the beginning 🧠💡

And now, back to the mat or chair…

Thank you all for being so patient and understanding as I phase back into my full schedule, allowing me the time to attend this training, which is so meaningful to me, both personally and professionally.

The full class schedule returns next week, and I look forward to seeing you at class this week.

With love,
Naomi ✨

11/09/2026

How often do we really look at ourselves? Not in a mirror, not at the reflection we present to the world, but at the person who exists beneath it all. How often do we actually sit still long enough to notice what arises within us, to hear the thoughts, the inner chatter, the noise, the emotions we so quickly distract ourselves from?

We are often so accustomed to looking outward that turning our attention inward can feel unfamiliar, even uncomfortable. Yet when we become still, there is so much to meet. Old stories, fears, expectations, tenderness, resistance, longing. The mind speaks in ways we may have learned to ignore, while the body quietly carries what we have not yet found words for.

Yoga Psychotherapy creates a space for this inward turning. Through awareness of the body, breath, thoughts and emotions, we begin to observe ourselves with a little more curiosity and a little less judgement. We begin to notice not only what we feel, but how we relate to what we feel.

Perhaps this is where the work begins, in being willing to sit with ourselves as we are, without immediately trying to change, silence or escape what arises. To listen deeply enough that beneath all the noise, we may begin to hear something quieter. the part of us that has been patiently waiting all along to be met.

This reflection was inspired by these statues I observed on my walk to my training, and I wanted to share it with you. They reminded me of the importance of pausing, looking within and meeting ourselves in the midst of our everyday lives.

With love,
Naomi ✨

09/09/2026

Read below about this fantastic opportunity and how to apply for Yoga for Wellbeing 💙

💙 Sometimes the first step is the hardest...

Our free Yoga for Wellbeing programme returns this September, helping local people improve their mental wellbeing through gentle movement, breathing techniques and relaxation in a welcoming, non-judgemental environment.

Made possible through recent funding from The National Lottery Community Fund and delivered by Naomi of Doda Yoga, this 12-week course is designed for adults experiencing stress, anxiety, depression or low mood.

📅 Starts Tuesday 29th September 2026

👉 Register your interest today: https://loom.ly/ekgWHgQ

Spaces are limited!

09/09/2026

Tomorrow morning I’m heading off bright and early to London to begin a new chapter.

Having already trained to Level 6 as a Yoga Therapist, this feels like a natural next step, taking my learning to Level 7 through an Integrative Yoga Psychotherapy programme over the next 2/3 years, which feels a bit bonkers saying aloud.

I want to continue to deepen my understanding of the relationship between mind and body, and explore what happens when we become more receptive to what the body is communicating.

I’m always a student, there is always more to learn, more to question and more to explore.

I’ve also been putting the practical pieces in place, becoming a member of the National Council of Integrative Psychotherapy (NCIP), arranging trainee insurance, making sure my DBS is up to date, confirming my supervisor, and finding the right therapist to support me through my own process.

If I’m going to ask others to explore themselves, I want to be willing to keep exploring myself too.

So here is too the next four days in London to start, followed by the next few years.

And I’m wondering…

What will I learn?
What will I discover?
What might I need to let go of?
How might I become more embodied and clear?

And where will this all take me, the honest answer is I really don’t know, but I’m getting more comfortable sitting in the unknown and allowing it to unfold at the right time and pace.

Here’s to being receptive, staying curious and seeing what unfolds.

Do you want to come along for the journey?

With love,
Naomi ✨