With a combination of good alignment and body awareness, I believe we can all enjoy tension free shoulders. 

At the Dojiva Online Studio, we have dozens of classes that focus on the movement, function and strength of your shoulder girdle. This includes the blades to the back, collar bones to the front and many connective tissues all around. Function of this area is very much related to the ball and socket of the shoulder and rotator cuff muscles.

Before you join in for the embodiment… some concepts and philosophy!

Why there’s no need for tension held in the shoulders

I have always been fascinated with the relationship between the shoulders and tension. Shoulders are right near the top of the body and unless we are carrying a back pack, there is nothing above that needs support. So why then do so many people hold tension there? It’s like they’re pushing up into empty space. Shouldn’t the shoulders (and adjoining arms) simply rest on the ribs and everything else beneath?

An example ...

The tone and flexibility of your ribs affects your posture, spinal flexibility, breath capacity, organ health and even your mood. Too loose and there’s not enough support, too tight however and you’re stuck.

Many of our Dojiva classes help you to find your maximum yet comfortable three dimensional rib potential and lung space... what Judith Aston calls internal volume.

During a private client’s first appointment (and occasionally thereafter), an important part of my assessment was to palpate the whole body. What I discovered over and over again were tight lower ribs (often around the bra line for a lady). This was usually accompanied with round shoulders, a collapsed upper chest and a tucked under pelvis.

However, with a few sessions of body-work and exercise, tight ribs soon neutralised and the flexed posture disappeared. Also, associated spine and shoulder problems tended to self resolve.

Basic anatomy

We have 10 pairs of ribs to the front (attaching to chest bone) and due to th...

Throughout 2025, we had our regular weekly Dojiva themes and many were grouped into one month and even two month series. I have listed these below. If there was a particular aspect that caught your attention, let me know and I will send you the relevant info.

Being patient with your body

I think one of the main reasons people get upset with their body and frustrated with exercise results stems from the minds expectation. The mind wants the body to be a certain weight, shape, age, strength, etc. However the body has its own timeline and can only respond to the stimulus you provide… that’s the thoughts in you head, the foods you choose, the exercise you take, etc.

The secret to lasting success is simple. You just need to be consistent with these five basics:

1. Prioritise sleep by getting to bed at a consistently early time. Rise early and go outside (even just look outside). Surround sleep with a slow start and a mellow end and to each day.
2. Make smart dietary choices by eating home-...

Dojiva has a continuous blend of three areas of self care:

Mental wellbeing

Nutritional health

Natural movement

For this week and next week our focus falls under the category of HEALTH with contemplation about what you eat and drink. We first did this a couple of years back and you might still have your old notes!

Are you up to date with the truth on what it means to eat a natural and healthy diet?

I ask, because the goal posts are constantly moving on this subject and you might be making dietary decisions based on old news and dated beliefs that don’t suit you anymore.

As a mind and movement coach, I want to see my clients and readers reach their goals and without a sound diet, this is unlikely. I have an ongoing personal study and a passion (35 years) for all things nutrition and for you you to thrive, I encourage you to discover your best way.

With this in mind, I have devised a questionnaire with some thought provoking questions that should invoke a deeper curiosity and if ...

For a fulfilled life and a healthy body, Dojiva has a three-pronged approach:

• Maintain a curious and open mind: Regular practices of presence help you to; break free from dated beliefs, raise body awareness and reveal a natural underlying peace

• Eat clean fuel: To maximise energy, ditch processed foods, seed oils and refined flours/sugars. Enjoy a balanced mix of nutrient dense/bio-available carbs, fats and protein.

• Smart movement: Embrace both subtle and dynamic exercise, be posture aware and get a good mix of flexibility, strength and HIIT.

One without the others just won’t cut it. If your diet is poor, you won’t reach your physical potential and appropriate weight. Or, you might eat well and exercise consistently, but if stress isn’t dealt with, results will be lacklustre and happiness will suffer. Or you could be thinking positively all the time but not take action. The three pillars really do support each other….

• Move more and your food choices naturally become healthi...

When you embrace the concepts in any of these Dojiva write ups and embody it all through the daily classes, success is entirely possible. But… it’s not guaranteed. For lasting results, you have to keep showing up, go beyond the seven day cluster and make small daily commitment to your health vowels. 

In line with recent clusters, today we have another self questionnaire. We’ve journeyed from movement capacity, to body fat percentage, to health tests and now we get to mental wellbeing.

But the reality for many is that living ‘the healthy path’ is not easy and it can be frustrating when results are not instant. And, life gives us multiple reasons and distractions that could throw you off track and the truth is, positive change takes time. The key is to be consistent and patient. 

This week’s focus is about your mind

Enter the Dojiva mental wellbeing questionnaire which is something I recommend a couple of times a year. Right now you can get a marker (a literal score) of where you are...

In line with our current series, this week we have more self assessments. So far, we’ve covered movement tests and physical measurements and now, we get to some important health screening.

In 1995, for around two years this used to be a big part of my job. I was a liaison officer for GP referral schemes in Hampshire, UK. Basically, when somebody went to the doctor with an illness or injury, rather than a regular prescription for meds or to get on a waiting list for physio, they were given a prescription for exercise (a ten week programme with fitness testing and workouts).

Every person received a 20 minute assessment with me on week one and again on week ten. This part was free and to join in with the exercise classes they only had to pay £1 a go. It was a great initiative and I literally saw hundreds of people during that time, many of which had a remarkable turn around for their health including reversal of disease such as high blood pressure.

It was only a ten week prescription a...

Here is a brief reminder of my goals for you… that you discover and nurture:

- A mind that is clear and happy 

- A body that is fit and functional and

- Good internal health (cells and organs)

So, this is a self development programme and involves a continuous exploration of finding your best way to great health and vibrancy.

These write ups and daily classes are here to help you make this path smooth. 

Last week had movement tests. This week is about fitness tests. To join in with the whole lot, you do need a few pieces of equipment, however nothing is too expensive and the information you gather could be priceless!

For today, just take measurements with what you have available and for the basics you only need a camera, a full length mirror and a tape measure!

First up, here is a repeat of some wording from last week about the advantages of taking physical measurements:

• They help give you direction of what to work on
• Help with goal setting
• They can reveal an area of fitnes...

First up, please note the above accompanying video

Over the last 35 years, I have had the pleasure of teaching many modalities and they all have one thing in common… they offer positive experiences that support physical and mental health.

So, when you join in with or click play on a Dojiva class, you get a fun combination of martial arts, yoga, Pilates, strength, fitness, flexibility, breath work, posture, body awareness and mental wellbeing.

My role is to keep producing content and your role is to keep committing to your body! 

This is part one of a series of clusters that aim to help you assess your own level of fitness, health and wellbeing. This week is about the physical body with a serious of movement tests. Next week, we’ll focus on body measurements such as girths (hip to waist ratio), calculation of body fat, breath holding and even the use of photos. Then we’ll get to general health screening with tests such as peak flow, blood pressure and oxygen. Finally, we’ll have a q...

Unlike your mind/ego (the head centre), the heart centre does not need to be loud or seek approval, doesn’t judge or need to be heard. Rather it rests quietly (and when in balance) its default is to be at peace and is totally content.

This is our final week where our clusters delve into the philosophy and embodiment of the chakra system.  I love this concise summary of this seven part journey:

1st chakra - I am

2nd chakra - I feel 

3rd chakra - I do

4th chakra - I love

5th chakra - I speak

6th chakra - I see

7th chakra - I know

So, we have covered chakras 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 and for this final week, we are delving into the inner wisdom found at the 4th chakra… the heart centre.

The epicentre of all

Yoga translates as ‘to unite’ and if we consider the broader perspective, we are considering a merger of the finite human experience with a boundless infinite consciousness.

I Find it cool that human cell is around the mid point between the smallest sub-atomic particles we can me...