Dojiva workouts help you self develop on so many levels. They not only boost your physical strength, but also help you to be strong on the inside. Keep up with your training and you’ll be less likely to become fragile. Rather you develop an element of toughness…

‘you become hard-to-break - in mind and body’

In line with this, there is a phrase that I first heard when I was 10 years old and I carry it around to this day. In the depths of a martial arts class, my sensei would often say:

”Use your Ki”

In Japanese, ‘Ki’ translates as ‘vital life force or energy that flows through the body and the universe. Similar terms come from China as ‘Chi’ and India as ‘Prana’. 

But what is required to tap in your vital energy?

“There is an intensity journey to dynamic exercise…

one that begins at the start of fatigue and ends at total failure.

The question is, what stage are you ready for”?

Last week, we had a class cluster about muscle building that included a list of 15 benefits that you c...

Today and this week, our focus is about muscular strength and developing the ability to:

Pull, Push and Lift 

And, read on for info about a great list of benefits that you get from resistance exercise.

Let’s take a simple functional example

When you come to lift a heavy box, you have to push the ground away with your legs at the same time that you pull with your arms. Then you reload to push again, this time with arms and legs to place the box on top of your wardrobe.

It’s a whole body experience of functional movement and we replicate function in our Dojiva workouts.

What happens if you don’t push, pull and lift?

Well, for starters your ability to maintain and develop muscle tissue diminishes and that means your metabolism (which it’s a major driver of over-all health, and body composition) will suffer. But with a good weekly regime of strength training (along with adequate amounts of protein), muscle can not only be spared, but regained! A never ending message from Dojiva is t...

This month, as a lead in to the Posture reset course coming up in March, I would like to address posture related topics. And for this week, we are revisiting the topic of body shape. 

We’re are all built differently and certain measurements such as height are determined by the end of puberty. However, our weight, shape and perhaps more importantly our body composition (lean verses fat) can vary throughout of life.

What can be the norm and unfortunately even expected is that as time goes on, we gain weight and lose height. I say expected because beliefs can shape our life. If you’ve witnessed elderly relatives and friends become hunched over, gain weight around the middle and look a lot shorter, then you might think that’s inevitable for you.

If you do have that belief, it could override or at least influence physiology and before you know it, you’re heading that way too. So before we even consider diet, exercise and postural awareness we need to do something I mention often…

to get...

Let the graceful openness of your facial expression send a message to your whole body to be at rest.

Following on from last week’s write up and classes about head alignment, we now get to the face and especially about expression. But, I also want you to be aware of the relationship to your whole body… a feedback loop from foot to face.

But, first up, did you take on board any of last week’s suggestions? We discussed how your head position can affect neck comfort and breath capacity. E.g. is your screen height matching your natural eye horizon right now? If not, can you lift your screen a little?

Also, why not soften your shoulders and brow and relax your eyes as you continue to read?

Natural human tone

When your head and neck are aligned to the rest of you beneath, your face the best chance to experience a relaxed expression and good tone. Like the foundations of a house… set them well and your roof is more likely to stay in place!

I am sure that I have said words to this effect ...

This week, I would like to draw your attention to your head! Yes, I know, so often I am encouraging you to focus on your body, which we do through awareness, breath and movement. Plus, I’m often asking your mind (head centre) to be quiet.

The quiet piece I’m reffing to here is the ego. Now, the ego can be caring, supportive and uplifting. Yet if allowed to and if stress builds, it can also focus on the negative and amplifying the tension, stories and dramas of life. 

But this week is about your actual head and not the commentator inside! 

Next week, as a head part two we will focus on facial expression.

Here’s a few fun facts

• Your skull protects your brain and has 22 bones (8 cranial and 14 facial bones).
• The head has 22 muscles.
• The average head weighs about 10 lbs (the brain about 3lbs).
• Although your brain is only 2% of your total body weight, it consumes 20% of your calories (feed it well… cut out those processed foods).
• Your head includes all your main sensory organs… e...

My main goal at Dojiva is to provide ideas, exercise classes and mindfulness practices that help you along the path of healthy living. And I want to make it simple and easy so that you don’t have to think too hard about the how, when and what to do. 

But how do you know when you’re on track? Well, I am hoping that you can see and feel the difference. E.g: 

• A shift to good posture becomes natural 
• You forget about that niggling pain
• You realise you have stopped eating a favourite but unhealthy food
• You find yourself training three times a week (and enjoying the process)
• You are naturally more mindful and in the flow of life
• You notice that you react to stressful moments more calmly
• You fall (and stay) asleep more easily and…
• You get compliments on your physique/posture!

The less known wellbeing practice

Following on from a recent focus about positivity, this week the land at gratitude. 

Unless you are familiar with a gratitude practice, reciting to yourself something tha...

 This is Mindfulness class number 57 on the Dojiva membership site!

In moments when I have felt a discomfort or negativity about somebody, I have always found the prayer of light practice to be instantly healing. I leaned this poem/prayer from a friend on a yoga trainer 15 years ago.

This practice has a dual purpose. You can set your intention to have a relative, friend or associate receive the blessings, or your energy could be directed to a person or place that you have a disgruntlement with.

The premise is to let go of any negative emotions associated with that person/place. This can help you move forward as you release old tensions/grudges.

The practice

On either occasion, you first repeat the poem about yourself. Then, for the second round you can choose to send the blessings to a friend who needs healing or when appropriate you can bring to mind that person who is not on your friend list! 

As part of embodiment and clearing the energy around you, we include weight transfer ...

This video blog is number four in a six part series showcasing the Dojiva Online Studio. 

When you have 1/2 an hour spare, hit play on the above video.

Dojiva is a membership site with a great variety of 'lifestyle' strategies that help you restore, maintain and even develop your strength and vitality. As of Jan 2025, the archive has over 500 videos and audios with topics such as:

• Strength training - One hour classes with functional exercises that enhance the strength of your muscles, bones and connective tissues... plus balance development.
• Mobility routines - 35 minute gentle movement classes designed to enhance your posture, flexibility and flow.
• Ergonomics - a sub category of videos aimed to help body comfort and efficiency in daily life.
• Meditation - Soothing practices that raise awareness, deepen connection to nature and calm your mind.
• Interval training - Meet your body where it is as you choose the intensity... low, medium or high (30 minute classes).
• Relaxation - 30
...

The meditative state is not that elusive, it's actually quite natural and simply involves being aware of what is happening. 

This is number three in a six part series of blogs show-casing the Dojiva Online Studio. It's a guided practice into the meditative state.

There are many terms for this:

• Presence
• Being
• Flow
• Mindfullness
• In 'the zone'
• Pure awareness
• Consciousness
• Oneness
• Heart centred-ness
• Liberation 

You can recognise when you’re more present as you will experience a sense of peacefulness, expansiveness and body comfort. When you are distracted and lost in thought, your experience is more of tension, contraction and body tightness.

At first, for many meditation is not easy. But with practice you will soon notice that your thoughts are less bothersome and you’ll find yourself enjoying more clarity and flow in life.

Simply find a quiet space, pop on some headphones and hit play with the above video.

This a just sample from the Dojiva archive that has well over 1...

Have you noticed that after years of stretching you’re not that much more bendy
Please read on for a new approach.

This is number two in a six part series of blogs show-casing the Dojiva Online Studio. 

Please join in with the above video that until now has been exclusive to the Dojiva Online membership site. It falls under the TAB of 'Mobility' and is a gentle movement class designed to improve your posture and suppleness and reduce overall tension.

The result... a more comfortable and functional body - all in just 32 minutes!

It's a free sample from the Dojiva archive
that has of over 500 classes available right now

The Dojiva difference

My philosophy on flexibility does not fit the normal modal. Too often, I see coaches and people pushing a stretch with the belief that the harder they push the more flexible the muscle will become. However, forcing a muscle while at it's full length is not natural and the body's response is in fact to protect itself by shortening and the connecti...