A recent randomized controlled trial investigated whether practising yoga in the morning or evening produces different outcomes for sleep, mood, wellbeing, and lifestyle habits in young adults. The study involved 156 postgraduate students who were assigned to: - Morning tele-yoga (6–7am) - Evening tele-yoga (6–7pm) - Waitlist control Participants practised a structured 60-minute yoga programme, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. What did they find? Both morning and evening yoga improved wellbeing compared to doing nothing. Participants in both yoga groups reported: - Better sleep quality - Lower stress, anxiety and depression - Improved quality of life - Reduced anger and restlessness - Healthier lifestyle behaviours overall However, there were some interesting differences. Morning yoga seemed to have the edge for: - Reducing sleep disturbances - Increasing energy and feelings of restfulness - Encouraging healthier food choices and less junk food - Developing more "morningness" (earlier body-clock tendencies) - Increasing "sattva" traits, described as greater clarity, harmony and positive mental health Evening yoga showed a unique benefit. Participants reported a greater reduction in feelings of sadness compared with the control group. What might this mean for yoga teachers? Different times of day invite different qualities of practice. Morning classes may lend themselves well to: - Breath-led movement - Energising pranayama - Establishing intention - Building positive daily habits Evening classes may lend themselves well to: - Down-regulation - Reflection - Longer exhalations - Restorative and meditative practices So should we stop assuming all yoga classes should look the same regardless of when they're taught? The authors themselves suggest that more dynamic practices may be better suited to mornings, while slower, more meditative practices may fit evenings. One of the most interesting findings was that participants began making healthier lifestyle choices, even though they were never given advice about diet, sleep, or behaviour change. This raises a question worth exploring in classes, teacher trainings, or communities of whether yoga change behaviour because it gives us information, or because it changes our relationship with ourselves?

This study, "Yoga Professionals' Opinions about Yoga in Health Care" by Christiane Brems and colleagues (2026), did not investigate whether yoga is effective in healthcare. Rather, it explored what nearly 1,900 US yoga professionals think about yoga's role in healthcare and whether additional training or credentialing should be required for those working in clinical settings. What I found most interesting wasn't the support for yoga itself, but the discussion around training. Teachers with more advanced qualifications and those already working in healthcare settings were much more likely to believe that additional specialist training is needed when working with people facing health challenges. So, what makes someone qualified to work with people in a healthcare context? Is it: - More hours of training? - More certificates? - More experience? - Mentorship? - A healthcare qualification? - Or the ability to adapt yoga skilfully to the individual sitting in front of you? As someone influenced by the Krishnamacharya tradition, I'm reminded that yoga was always intended to meet the needs of the individual. Yet working with people living with cancer, trauma, chronic pain, heart disease, or mental health challenges clearly requires knowledge, humility, and appropriate boundaries. So, if you're a practitioner and not a teacher, what qualities do you look for in a yoga teacher when dealing with a health challenge? For teachers: - Where does your scope of practice begin and end? - What experiences have most prepared you to support students with health conditions? - Is a 200-hour training enough for healthcare settings? - What does "competent" actually mean in yoga? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Researchers explored something we all rely on in yoga: How do people judge stretch intensity? - Internal perception = “I feel a stretch here” / “this is my edge” - External perception = a teacher/therapist feeling “tension” in the body They compared the two using: - Hamstring stretch (hip flexion) - Shoulder stretch (extension) This was a small sample size, young adults and only passive stretching was tested. Key findings (translated for yoga) 1. “Feel your stretch” is valid… but not perfect. You can’t assume you feel what they feel. 2. Experience changes everything. More trained / more flexible participants had better awareness of their true edge. 3. Stretch tolerance ≠ stretch sensation. The “Edge” is partly psychological, not just physical. 4. Upper body awareness is weaker 5. Consistency matters more than method What this really means for yoga teaching 1. “Go to your edge” needs better teaching. That cue is too vague for many students. 2. Beginners need guidance, not just freedom. 3. Hands-on assists are not neutral as you could take someone further than they’d choose. 4. Build stretch literacy. Flexibility is not just physical; It’s learned perception. So your teaching should include what they are feeling, where is the resistance?, etc. 5. Consistency beats complexity. Don’t confuse students with mixed signals

Happy Sunday! April has shot by and May is a few days away. There's been something happening quietly in the background, hence why I've been quiet. I can't say what it is just yet, but I will when the time is right. How's the month going for you? Those of you who are ESSENTIAL members and have access to POCKETFUL OF GRACE, I've written something to see you through the last few days of April. PRO members - it was so lovely to spend the day with some of you last week. Tidying up the recording of the day is taking longer than usual and should be up over the next couple of days for replay.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has published a new Position Stand summarising resistance training recommendations for healthy adults; the first major update since 2009. Have a read, and certainly something to consider with KettleflowYOGA. https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/fulltext/2026/04000/american_college_of_sports_medicine_position.21.aspx