This week I'm joined by Virginia Walker, Jim's Gym's resident yoga instructor, and this one goes far deeper than you might expect.

Virginia is a 500-hour trained yoga teacher, a birth doula and a Reiki practitioner. We talk about what yoga actually is, why flexibility is probably the least important thing about it, and how the philosophy behind the practice can change the way you live your life.

We also get into the surprising link between postnatal yoga and yoga for the over 60s, what a birth doula actually does, and what Reiki is and how it works.

Oh, and Virginia shares one simple thing you can do first thing tomorrow morning that gets you out of your head and into your body in about 30 seconds.

Virginia teaches live every Wednesday at 9am at Jim's Gym. After listening to this, you'll understand exactly why our members love her.

In this episode:
•⁠ ⁠Why you don't need to touch your toes to do yoga
•⁠ ⁠The ancient philosophy behind yoga and why it still matters
•⁠ ⁠How the breath is the quickest route to the present moment
•⁠ ⁠The connection between birth doula work and later life yoga
•⁠ ⁠What Reiki actually is, explained simply
•⁠ ⁠Virginia's one actionable tip to try tomorrow morning

Find Jim's Gym at www.jimsgym.fitness
Free Fitness MOT: www.jimsgym.fitness/free-fitness-mot

🎧 Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

*Chapters:*
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:00 - How Virginia found yoga through injury
00:04:00 - Yoga vs Pilates
00:07:00 - Living the yoga off the mat
00:13:00 - The breath and being present
00:18:00 - Yoga at Jim's Gym
00:22:00 - Making yoga accessible after hip replacements, strokes and cancer
00:25:00 - The link between postnatal and later life yoga
00:28:00 - What is a birth doula?
00:33:00 - The dedication of Jim's Gym members
00:38:00 - What is Reiki?
00:43:00 - Virginia's one actionable tip