Barbara Allison Yoga

16/06/2026

Thank you for joining me tonight - lots of positive vibes in my Tuesday night class !
Feet up now and a cuppa.
🧘‍♂️☕️🍫

15/06/2026

Thank you to my Monday night yogis for joining me and starting the week on the mat.

14/06/2026

This weekend I enjoyed a yoga weekend with fellow yoga teachers in Donegal hosted by Lynda Gregg, Skyblue Yoga. It was great to slow down, practice lots of yoga and enjoy the company of other yoga lovers !

We enjoyed everything from restorative yoga, sound-bath,relaxation, beach walks and lots of healthy food of course.

I hope you all had a great weekend and look forward to you joining me for yoga this week x

11/06/2026

When people think about strength training in later life, they often imagine vanity or athletic performance. But the real reason runs much deeper: independence.

As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass and strength in a process called sarcopenia, unless we actively work to preserve it. This loss is one of the biggest threats to aging well, because strength is what allows you to do the things that keep you independent: rising from a chair, climbing stairs, carrying groceries, catching yourself if you stumble, getting up off the floor.

Research consistently shows that strength training preserves and rebuilds muscle at any age, and that muscle strength is strongly associated with reduced risk of falls, disability, and loss of independence. Studies have found that resistance training in older adults improves not just strength, but balance, bone density, metabolic health, and quality of life.

The stakes are real. The ability to perform everyday physical tasks is one of the strongest predictors of whether someone can continue living independently as they age.

As a physician, I reframe strength training for my older patients this way: you are not lifting weights to look a certain way. You are training to stay free, capable, and in charge of your own life.

Every bit of strength you build is a deposit into your future independence.

What is one simple strengthening movement you could practice this week to protect your independence?

11/06/2026

The Gift of Three Breaths -
In just a few moments you can release tension, help you slow down and feel refreshed.

Take 3 deep breaths - breathe in through the nose to the tummy and into the lungs. Pause Breathe out through the mouth.

Breathe 1 - centre
Breathe 2 - settle
Breathe 3 - reset

Use this any time during the day and feel the benefits.

Thank you for joining me at class this week.
Have a great weekend x

11/06/2026

There is a nerve pathway that runs from the arch of your foot all the way up through the calf, behind the knee, and into the lower back.

You may have never thought about it. But if you deal with back pain or tight hamstrings, your feet are involved more than you might expect.

Rolling a tennis ball under the foot for two to three minutes stimulates the plantar fascia, which is the thick band of connective tissue along the arch. This stimulation loosens the tension that travels upward through the kinetic chain.

The lower leg tightens when the foot is not moving well. The hamstring compensates. The lower back compensates for that. By the time something hurts in your back, the original tightness may have started ten inches lower.

The tennis ball addresses the beginning of that chain rather than the symptom at the end of it.

Start with the arch. Press down enough to feel the ball but not so much that it causes sharp pain. Roll slowly from the heel toward the ball of the foot. Pause on tender areas. Two minutes per foot is enough.

Many people who try this for the first time feel a release in the back of the calf within a minute. Some feel it into the hip.

The roll costs nothing except a tennis ball and two minutes in the morning.

Roll before you get out of bed.
Roll while you are on a phone call.
Roll after you have been standing all day.

Your feet carry everything. They deserve the same attention you give the rest of your body.

09/06/2026

I have decided to cancel tonight’s yoga class. Class will be credited and I look forward to seeing you all next week . Barbara x

08/06/2026

Just what we were practising at yoga this morning !

Here is a simple test you can do right now: stand on one leg. How long can you hold it steady?

Research has found that the ability to balance on one leg is a meaningful marker of health and longevity in middle-aged and older adults. In one study, people who could not hold a ten-second one-legged stand had a significantly higher risk of death over the following years compared to those who could.

Balance, like grip strength, is a window into something larger. It reflects the integrated health of your muscles, your nervous system, your inner ear, and your brain, all working together. As these systems decline, balance is often one of the first things to suffer, and poor balance dramatically raises the risk of falls, a leading cause of injury and loss of independence in older age.

The wonderful news is that balance is highly trainable. Like a muscle, it improves with practice. Standing on one leg while brushing your teeth. Practicing tai chi or yoga. Walking heel to toe. These simple exercises strengthen the systems that keep you steady.

As a physician, I encourage people to treat balance as a skill worth protecting. It is not something you either have or lose. It is something you can actively maintain.

Test it today. Then practice it. Your future independence may depend on it.

How long can you balance on one leg, and could you practice it a little each day?

08/06/2026

Great start to the day and week in Castlerock with yoga and weights. Thank you for joining me
🧘‍♂️💪🏼

07/06/2026

A little yoga goes a long way ! Did you know that one hour on the mat has benefits that lasts all day and longer - helps reduce stress, improves flexibility, gives you more energy and a sense of calmness.

Look forward to you joining me this week 🧘‍♂️

Monday 9.30am Castlerock
Taster Yoga with Weights ( full )
Please remember your weights 💪🏼

Mondays 6pm Coleraine (spaces)
Tuesday 9.30am Castlerock (full)
Tuesday 7.50pm Coleraine (full)
Thursday 10am Coleraine (spaces)

Coleraine - Guide Hall, Terrace Row
Castlerock - Peter Thompson Hall

Please send me a message if you would like to join class. Suits beginners

Invest one hour ( or more ) for yourself this week. Barbara x