Posted on our facebook site by Vitoria Borg-Olivier on March 10, 2009 at 8:54am The other day my little almost 2 year old munchkin Eric, heard me say “monkey” in a sentence not directed to him and then proceeded to lunge around the house for the next 5 minutes with his little arms in the air holding the branch (as …
Bandha questions
Posted on our facebook site by Peter Satitpunwaycha on March 5, 2009 at 12:22am Hi Simon, I was wondering if you could answer a couple of questions regarding bandhas. Please feel free to take you time as I know you’re quite busy! – When I watch you do various asanas in the advance sequence, you apply a lot of uddiyana bandha. …
How to do the Upward Facing Dog Pose Correctly and Safely: Video instruction by Simon Borg-Olivier
As physiotherapists and long time yoga teachers Bianca and I believe that incorrectly performed upward facing dog poses are the cause of many lower back and neck problems in yoga. We also feel that most people do not perform this quite difficult posture safely or effectively, and although when practiced properly this is a really fantastic exercise and can actually …
Getting started
Posted on our facebook site by Genevieve Godwin on February 18, 2009 at 3:14pm I’m a bit of an outsider because I’ve only seen Simon doing a demonstration: I haven’t actually attended any classes (I live in regional NSW). I attend a weekly Ashtunga class and do as much as my rather short hamstrings will allow. I’d like to buy a …
Anatomy of Yoga
Read the article below for a simple to understand article by Simon Borg-Olivier and Bianca Machliss written for Well Being Magazine on The Anatomy of Yoga. It explains the four main things you can do in a yoga pose around the nine main joint complexes in the body. This concept is elaborated in the YogaSynergy Text Book ‘Applied Anatomy and Physiology of …
Making Triangle Pose (Trikonasana) the best posture ever
Utthita trikonasana is often taught as simple posture but it can be confusing to beginners and even teachers. If done incorrectly it can be at best ineffective and at worse dangerous for your knees and lower back. In this article we present instructions that make your body ‘Firm but calm’ (sthira sukham asanam) and while creating strength without tension and flexibility …
Fitness Life Magazine Article: Interview with Simon Borg-Olivier on Yoga Synergy Style
A scientist with a heart for all things yogic: Simon Borg-Olivier chats to Fitness Life Magazine about his obstacle-ridden journey to balance, his purist food philosophy and the style of yoga he developed to cater specifically to the needs of the Western physique Click here to view the complete Fitness Life Magazine Article on Yoga Synergy Style.
Hatha Yoga for Children with Asthma
by Simon Borg-Olivier & Bianca Machliss Yoga has a recorded history of at least five thousand years (Feuerstein, 1996). Hatha yoga involves the physical aspect of this ancient Indian science. Hatha yoga uses strengthening and stretching exercises, aerobic conditioning, and relaxation exercises, to help improve posture and breathing. The word ‘yoga’ means union, joining, or to link together as one …
Hatha Yoga Stretching and Muscle Strengthening Exercise
A Guide for Physiotherapists by Simon Borg-Olivier & Bianca Machliss (A paper Presented at “The Australian Physiotherapy Association Conference for Alternative Therapies”, at Byron Bay, Australia July 1997) Introduction Yoga has a recorded history of at least five thousand years (Feuerstein, 1996). Hatha yoga involves the physical aspect of this ancient Indian science. Some of the elements of Hatha yoga …
Yoga for Low-Back Pain: Complementary Medicine Journal Article
Simple yoga stretches and exercises can help alleviate one of the highest causes of sick leave, say physiotherapists Simon Borg-Olivier and Bianca Machliss. Simon Borg-Olivier, MScBAppSc(Physiotherapy), and Bianca Machliss, BScBAppSc(Physiotherapy), are the directors of Yoga Synergy. These are diagrams from their 2005 article in the Journal of Complementary Medicine. Click on the diagrams to get the full enlarged views, or …