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People living with pain

Safe, mindful movement at a pace your own body sets. Nothing forced. Nothing rushed. Support stays in place for as long as it is useful.

You might recognise this

Most people arrive having been told to 'do some yoga'

Usually without being told which kind, or how, or what to avoid. That is the gap this fills.

“I've been told to be careful, so I've stopped moving.”

Which often makes it worse. The answer is rarely rest — it is the right movement, done properly.

“A normal class feels impossible.”

Too fast, too much floor work, nobody watching whether you are compensating. Reasonable to avoid.

“I'm not sure what will hurt.”

So you avoid everything. Fear of moving becomes its own problem, sometimes a bigger one than the pain.

“I want to get down to the floor again.”

Or up the stairs, or into a car. Ordinary things, which is exactly what this trains.

How Poonam works with this

Start well inside your range, then build

Every session begins by finding out what your body can do today, not what it managed last week. Chairs, walls, blocks and straps are part of the method, not a lesser version of it.

Breath comes firstPain tightens the breath, and a tight breath tightens everything else. Movement comes after.
Support stays as long as it helpsA chair is not a compromise. Plenty of people practise from one permanently and get stronger doing it.
Progress measured in daily tasksNot in how deep the pose went. Stairs, socks, sleeping through — that is the measure.
Where to start

Where to begin

This work is one-to-one, because it has to be adapted to your body specifically.

What to expect

What to expect

Slower than you would like, steadier than you expect.

Finding the edgesFirst session

What hurts, what you have been avoiding, and what your doctor or physiotherapist has said. Bring any notes you have.

Confidence before rangeFirst month

Most people notice they are less afraid of moving before they notice moving further. That comes first, and it matters more.

The ordinary thingsTwo to three months

Stairs, getting off the floor, sleeping through the night. Small, and not small at all.

Being clear about what this is

Poonam is qualified in yoga for pain management. That is not physiotherapy, and she will not present it as such. If you are under medical care, bring that guidance and she will work within it — and she will tell you honestly if she is not the right person to help.

Questions people ask

Before you begin

Will this make my pain worse?

Not if the practice is built around it. Poonam holds a qualification in yoga for pain management, and sessions begin well inside what you can do rather than at the edge of it. Tell her what hurts and when, before you begin.

Should I see a doctor first?

For undiagnosed pain, yes. Yoga can help a great deal with how you carry and manage pain, but it is not a diagnosis. If something needs medical attention rather than a teacher, Poonam will say so plainly.

I can't get down to the floor. Is that a problem?

No. A great deal can be done seated, standing, or with support under you. The floor is a convention, not a requirement.

Is this the same as physiotherapy?

No, and it does not replace it. Physiotherapy treats a specific injury; this builds the strength, mobility and breathing that support the whole body around it. The two work well alongside each other.

How long before I notice anything?

Sleep and stiffness usually shift first, often within two or three weeks. Structural change takes months. Anyone promising faster is selling something.

What if I have a bad day and can't practise?

Then you do not practise, or you do ten minutes of breathing instead. Flare-ups are expected and the practice is built to bend around them.

Start from where your body actually is

Tell Poonam what hurts and what you have been avoiding. She will tell you honestly whether she can help.

Others who come to practise