Originally published in 2021 | Written by Hayley Winter

Editor's Note | Looking Back from 2026

I first introduced the term Slumpasana to yoga teachers around 2011 as a playful way of exploring the anatomy and biomechanics of prolonged sitting.

When I wrote this article in 2021, the COVID pandemic had brought significant changes to how we worked and moved. Many of us were spending even longer periods sitting at computers, often without realising how little movement was happening throughout the day.

Five years on, research continues to highlight the health implications of prolonged sedentary behaviour.

What I find particularly interesting is the distinction between how we sit and how long we remain inactive. A slumped position can change the mechanical demands placed on the body, but sitting in one particular posture doesn't automatically cause injury or accelerate ageing.

The wider evidence reminds us that prolonged sedentary behaviour, limited movement variety and insufficient ph...

Exploring the science of balance, the nervous system and the benefits of everyday movement.

Originally published in 2021 | Written by Hayley Winter 

In this blog, I explore why including a simple everyday balance challenge is important for your brain and everyday movements.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide.

A shocking statistic, and one that reminds us of the importance of maintaining our balance as we move through life.

A YSS favourite, Dr Michael Mosley, referred to this in his podcast series, Just One Thing. He said:

“Our balance is far worse now than it used to be. Having a more sedentary lifestyle comes at a cost - and that cost is a failure of balance.”

Balancing Act: The Science of Staying Upright

In our Yoga Biomechanics teaching, we explore the relationship between gravity, the ground and the body's ability to maintain balance.

Standing might appear effortless, but it'...

Originally published July 2019. Updated August 2026 for clarity and current safety guidance.

Breathing is often misunderstood in sports training, which is odd given it’s something universal to all athletes. Everyone wants to maximise their oxygen uptake, but despite what many people think, funnelling larger volumes of air via our mouth is not the way to do it.

If you’re feeling breathless or wheezy, either during or after exercise, then you may be experiencing exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), where your upper airways tighten and restrict airflow. You may be told it’s due to fitness, but if you disagree, it’s worth checking if the way you’re breathing is a factor.

Ineffective breathing affects around 1 in 10 of the general population, but is higher amongst athletes and those suffering from asthma or anxiety. The incidence of EIB in athletes ranges from 10–50%, depending on the sport and intensity. At the Athens Olympics, 21% of the UK team displayed asthma symptoms.

Whils...

Originally published 2019 · Written by YSS Founder Hayley Winter

Editor's Note | Looking Back from 2026

When I first wrote this article in January 2019, online yoga education was still finding its feet.

Little did any of us know that just over a year later, a global pandemic would close yoga studios, universities, gyms and training centers around the world. Teachers who had spent their careers working face-to-face suddenly had to learn how to teach through a screen.

For us at the Institute of Yoga Sports Science® (YSS), the situation was different.

We had already been teaching online for more than a decade.

And the journey that got us there began with another global crisis.

How it all began 

Teaching a sports-specific yoga session at Ipswich Town FC, UK, 2001

My interest in yoga for athletes began long before online education became part of the picture.

From around 2000, I had been exploring a hypothesis: could yoga be adapted specifically to support athletic performance?

Originally published in 2018 · Written by Hayley Winter, Founder of the Institute of Yoga Sports Science®

Editor's Note | Looking Back from 2026

My interest in esports has a personal connection that goes back long before I founded the Institute of Yoga Sports Science®.

My first degree was in animation, and my background in graphic design and character animation taught me to study human movement in a rather unusual way: frame by frame.

Through drawing, observing and analysing the body in motion, I developed a fascination with how movement is organised. That curiosity continued into my later studies of anatomy, biomechanics and yoga.

I also worked in games education, teaching anatomy and character design on a course run by a dear friend and colleague. At the time this article was published in 2018, she was CEO of Women in Games, a position she continues to hold in 2026.

Looking back, this article reflects another connection between my creative background and the development of Yoga...

Originally published in 2018 · Written by Lisa Jackman, Yoga Sports Coach™

Editor's Note | Looking Back from 2026

When Lisa Jackman wrote this article in 2018, she was reflecting on a remarkable journey from competitive gymnastics to yoga teaching and eventually becoming a Yoga Sports Coach™.

Her story offers a fascinating glimpse into the experiences that brought people to the Institute of Yoga Sports Science®, often from sporting backgrounds that were quite different from traditional yoga teaching.

It also raises some interesting questions about the historical relationship between gymnastics, physical education and modern postural yoga.

We've revisited Lisa's original article to improve its flow and clarity while preserving her humour, personal memories and curiosity. Her reflections on historical connections remain questions for exploration rather than verified conclusions.

I was 47 years old the first time I ever entertained taking a yoga class.

A friend from work suggeste...

Originally published 2018 · Written by Advanced Yoga Sports Coach, Bonnie Strati

Editor's Note | Revisiting Breath Awareness in Tennis

When Bonnie Strati wrote this article in 2018, she was exploring how yoga breathing practices might help tennis players become more aware of their breathing, both during training and between points on the court.

Breathing remains an essential area of study in sports science, particularly in relation to physiological regulation, attention and individual responses to exercise.

We've revisited Bonnie's article to clarify some of the scientific explanations and refine the practical instructions, while preserving her original teaching ideas and conversational style.

We've all been breathing since the moment we were born.

We take our first breath when we arrive in the world, and our breathing continues throughout our lives, usually without us giving it much thought.

An adult takes thousands of breaths every day, with the number changing according t...

This photograph was taken in 2001, sixteen years before Dr Abby Hoffmann wrote this article. It captures an early chapter in the journey that would eventually lead to the development of Yoga Sports Science®.

Originally published 2017 · Written by Dr Abby Hoffmann

Editor's Note | Looking Back from 2026

When Dr Abby Hoffmann wrote this article in 2017, Instagram yogis were becoming increasingly influential in shaping how yoga was presented and perceived.

Nearly a decade later, social media continues to play a role in the yoga community. But Abby's original question remains just as relevant: what gives a yoga teacher professional credibility beyond their online following?

In this article, Abby explores how evidence-informed teaching, specialist knowledge and an understanding of sports science can help yoga teachers develop the confidence and credibility to work with athletes and within professional sport.

We've revisited her original article while preserving the perspective and hist...

Originally published 2017 · Written by YSS Founder, Hayley Winter

Editor's Note | Looking Back from 2026

When I wrote this article in 2017, I had no idea how much further the Yoga Sports Science® journey would take me.

Since then, my work has received recognition by the Olympic Channel, and I've been invited to contribute to the Yoga Alliance's Online Standards Committee.

Yet this moment with the British Wheel of Yoga remains particularly special. It brings me back to where my teaching journey began and to the wonderful teacher, Mikki Marks, who first encouraged me to teach.

I remember the day I decided to do my yoga teacher training with the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY).

I was rolling up my mat at the end of a practice when my wonderful teacher, Mikki Marks, asked me if I felt ready to teach.

I had been practising with Mikki for several years and greatly admired her. She had been a long-time member of the British Wheel of Yoga and was highly respected within the organisation...

Bonnie Strati and Hayley Winter pictured with Monty, their trusted teaching resource, at the Yoga Sports Science® studio in New York, 2017.

Originally published 2017 · Written by Bonnie Strati

Editor's Note | Looking Back from 2026

When Bonnie Strati wrote this article in 2017, she was reflecting on a journey that had taken her from being an athlete and personal trainer to becoming an Advanced Yoga Sports Coach™ and Director of Operations at the Institute of Yoga Sports Science®.

Since then, Bonnie's professional journey has continued to evolve, including becoming an author.

Looking back, her story captures something important about the early development of YSS: how people from different sporting and professional backgrounds brought their experience into the study and application of yoga within sport.

We've revisited Bonnie's original article while preserving her voice, humour and the historical context in which it was written.

My journey to yoga came through being an athlete...