Covid-19

 

As we all now know, Covid-19 is no ordinary virus and everyone has an opinion or belief on it. I'm not writing this page looking for any debate on what it is or isn't. All I know, is that people are suffering and I have some tools that can help.

 

I've known people who have had it mild and were fine after, I've known many who had it bad and ended up in hospital (and thankfully have since recovered fully), I've unfortuanately also known a few who have passed from it who were healthy and young and then a there are those I know who got it and are still suffering with many varied symptoms months later, some akin to chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyaglia and dysautonomia - the last two of which I know a fair bit of knowledge about as I have been diagnosed with them, apparently brought on by a random virus I had 11 years ago and this is why Long Covid has sparked my research and training in wanting to help. I now accept GP / NHS referrals.

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The numbers of those affected by long Covid are still emerging, but research suggests around one in five people who test positive for Covid-19 have symptoms for five weeks or longer. For around one in ten people, they last twelve weeks or longer.

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So what is Long Covid?

Long Covid  / Post Covid Syndome can encompass a whole range of long-term symptoms from extreme fatigue, aching joints, palpitations, a persistent cough, breathing pattern disorders, headaches, nausea, chest pain, and many more that are consistent with other autonomic dysfunctions such as POTS.

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However, these can change over time and may also be different for each person. Many suffering from the condition are having to feel their way in the dark as medical professionals are still determining how best to treat it, however more clinics are being open and programmes being offered, but as far as I'm aware, only offering mindfulness and gentle movement and not the techniques being offered here that have been helping many people so far, some a little and some drastically.

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Can Yoga really help?

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The answer is yes but with caution and maybe gentler than you would like/think.  You dont want to be returning to or jumping into first time, a vigourous practice, even if you had one before as it could set you back as it has for some yoga teachers.

Many modalities such as gentle and restorative yoga postures and breathwork, meditation, mindfulness and visualisation, hypnotherapy, EFT, CBT, thought reframing/NLP and neuroscience techniques can all have a part in helping to improve and re-balance the nervous, hormonal and immune systems, help breathlessness and anxiety and try to improve the quality of life for those that have been impacted by the virus and may still be suffering months later.  Some things in yoga that you would think to be helpful, could actually be unhelpful for some, so it's important to really discuss what symptoms you have and not treat it as a one size fits all approach but as a very individual programme.

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Most of all, we know that through deployment of some simple practices we can positively change the way people are impacted by  the long-term symptoms of Long Covid.

When breathing is an issue, the most important thing is to make sure that breathing is as easy as possible. In the ICU departments in hospitals, medical staff have found that ‘proning’ patients helps them to breathe more easily. This means that teams of doctors and nurses are turning patients onto their fronts to allow the lungs space in the back chest cavity. Our lungs are bigger at the back than they are at the front. With this in mind, any poses that involve lying flat on your back are unlikely to be helpful as it may increase the heart rate,

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It also makes sense that breathwork would help to strengthen the lungs, but again, this comes with caution as Covid-19 can cause scarring of the delicate lung tissue and any forceful breathing may add to this damage.

At the early stages only breath awareness and equal breath would be advisable, mainly to alleviate any anxiety triggered by the symptoms and then other breath techniques can be added in when comfortable to help strengthen the lungs.

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The simple practices offered include:​

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Re-balancing the immune, hormonal and nervous systems through:

• breath work

• simple, restorative yoga postures

• basic hypnotherapy and unconscious persuasion

• gentle yoga movement

• yoga nidra

• visualisation

• neuroscience

• meditation

• mindfulness

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I have completed specialist yoga therapy programmes for covid/long covid and chronic fatigue as well as NHS Training programmes for healthcare providers, so you can be assured, that all that is offered is safe.

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None of what is offered is claimed to cure or diagnose or to replace any medical advice, but as always with anything on this site and in practice, it is to be complementary and an adjunct to whatever you may already be doing. The techniques offered work alongside any offered by medical practitioners and clinics (many of whom are offering some of the same techniques).

 

These are also the same therapeutic techniques I offer for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Autonomic Nervous Disorders and Perimenopause.

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For more information on private sessions online or in person and workshops, please contact Vernette

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SMALL PRINT
Private sessions and therapies must be cancelled within 48 hours, otherwise full fee is payable.

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You are expected to provide all correct details about your health via the health form prior to attendance for classes or private sessions and YOU are responsible for your own health and level of practice at all times.

Block booked private sessions have time limit of use, see full T&Cs.

 

Private Sessions

1-2 people - Yoga Tuition / Yoga Therapy / Pilates / Personal training in your home, 95minutes £75.00

(first session can include consultation but will incur a shorter practice time).

Private Live Zoom  95minutes £60, 1 hour £35

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10x 1 hour live online, private sessions are available as the Long Covid Tookit Plan on the prices page

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Other Private Sessions Offered 

Relaxation Tuition 1hr    £55.00 - £35 live via zoom

Breath Therapy Tuition 1hr    £55.00 - £35 live via Zoom

Yoga Facial Workout Tuition 1hr    £55.00 - £35 live via Zoom

Nutrition support / Life Coaching 1hr    £55.00 - £35 live via Zoom

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