Naked yoga is part of yoga instructor and wellness entrepreneur, Jessamyn Stanley’s daily practice. She believes that it is a freedom of expression and a powerful way to accept the physical body

Jessamyn Stanley is an award-winning voice in wellness, known for her take on social and cultural issues including the modern Black experience, anti-fat bias, LGBTQIA+ representation, and equity in the health industry. So why naked yoga? She finds it much easier to engage with her body without worrying about the clothes she is wearing. Jessamyn believes that naked yoga benefits mental wellness by honouring the divinity that lives within yourself.

In an interview with Vogue she says, “For me, practicing naked and really, truly being forced to accept my body – like, being able to touch it in ways that I was told not to touch because I was taught to be very ashamed in my body, and I started […] feeling deep shame about it – has been transformational in how I show up in my day-to-day life.”

Jessamyn is passionate about disabling the false idea that yoga is just for one type of person and one type of body. Her naked yoga practice is a way of advocating body positivity; all body types should be seen and accepted, not just the polished, ‘instagrammable’ ones. Body positivity is about acknowledging that all body types are worthy of inclusion. She also advocates radically accepting the body, believing that yoga is a deep connection with yourself in the here and now.

Over half (58%) of healthcare professionals have difficulty sourcing reliable health information to share with patients according to a 2022 survey conducted by the Patient Information Forum (PIF)

Even healthcare professionals struggle to source reliable health information, according to a new PIF survey. In response, the Patient Information Forum has launched a new toolkit to help healthcare professionals overcome these struggles and give trusted information to their patients.

What is the PIF TICK toolkit?

The new PIF TICK toolkit has been produced to help professionals overcome the difficulties of misinformation. Endorsed by GPs, the toolkit includes:

• Patient resources on spotting false health information, BMI, and clinical evidence, including easy-to-use factsheets.
• More than 85 independently assessed trusted information creators, sorted by therapy area.

The toolkit will help healthcare professionals confidently signpost trustworthy information. Every organisation within the directory has undergone a tough, independent assessment of their healthcare information production process.

What is the PIF TICK and why is it important?

PIF is a non-profit UK membership organisation working to improve the quality of health information; representing members across NHS, charitable and private sectors.

The PIF TICK accreditation is an excellent way for people to know that health information is dependable and accurate. It is the UK’s only independently-assessed quality mark for print and online health information.

Dr Michael Hughes, consultant rheumatologist, said, “All patients need access to reliable, high-quality, and readable information from their initial diagnosis and throughout the course of their disease. The PIF TICK is a trusted reassurance that clinicians are signposting patients to high-quality and assured information.”

With so much online information available, knowing where to go and who to trust can be tricky. The spread of misinformation can easily escalate with the mix of opinions on social media so it is really important to get health information from reliable sources. While our healthcare system is so stretched, accessing up-to-date and accurate information can better health outcomes and entrust people to make informed decisions about their wellbeing.

Dr Juhi Tandon, GP and co-founder of Cognitant Group, said, “As doctors, we want to encourage our patients to play a more participatory role in their health and empower them with the tools needed to better self-manage their care. This starts with trusted health information.

“In our short consultation time, we struggle to adequately explain health, disease and treatment, so the ability to use the PIF TICK to signpost patients to reliable, accurate and up-to-date, evidence-based health information from trusted sources, is incredibly valuable. It can really augment shared decision-making and informed choice.”

The Counselling Directory and PIF TICK

At Happiful, we’ve put the process to practice, with our website Read more

Kassandra Reinhardt, the face behind popular YouTube channel, Yoga with Kassandra, tells us of her journey into yoga, the importance of practice and why bitesize might be better

Whether you’re a regular yogi or are just starting out, it’s likely you’ll be familiar with Kassandra Reinhardt - or at least her YouTube channel, Yoga with Kassandra.

As one of the first instructors to embrace online teaching, Kassandra is on a mission to help others feel great through yoga, and with over 230 million views, it’s clear the bitesize, accessible approach is resonating. So what’s next for Kassandra and her +2 million community?

Hi Kassandra, when did your yoga journey begin?

I started yoga at 18 years old without knowing much about it. I grew up doing ballet and always struggled with my flexibility, so a friend suggested I try yoga. I took a few drop-in classes here and there, and eventually found a teacher and a style that I really resonated with. I liked how yoga placed no emphasis on the way I looked, and instead focused on mindfulness and personal growth. I ended up leaving the world of dance and completely immersing myself in yoga.

Once I understood the richness of this spiritual practice, I knew I wanted to dive deeper and learn more. After a few years of practicing, I took my first teacher training and haven’t looked back since.

Remember that this is a practice about embracing the journey, there is no destination

Tell us more about your bitesize approach to yoga

I’ve always believed that doing a little bit of yoga every day is more powerful and effective than doing a one-hour session once a week. Longer sessions on the mat are really wonderful, but not always realistic to fit into people’s daily lives, so I wanted to give students permission to embrace a “less is more” philosophy.

Our yoga practice is so much more than poses we do on our yoga mat, it’s also in the way we treat ourselves and others, and how we show up in the world.

By spending a little bit of time every day moving mindfully with our breath, we can remind ourselves of what matters and come back to our center.

Can anyone practice yoga?

In the west, we’ve come to think of yoga as a strictly physical practice, but it also encompasses breathwork, meditation, ethics and philosophy. If you can breathe, you can do yoga!

If movement isn’t accessible for people for any reason, practicing pranayama or breath control is an excellent place to start, as is meditation. For those interested in asana or yoga poses as a beginner, I always recommend starting off slow.

We’re lucky to live in a day and age where so much is accessible to us for free on the internet, so I’m confident that there’s an online yoga class out there for everyone. Search for ‘beginner-friendly yoga classes’ and remember that this is a practice about embracing the journey, there is no destination.

Props are a great way to make yoga poses more accessible, but beginners practicing at home often don’t have any. Instead, you can substitute traditional props like blocks, bolsters and straps with household items such as thick books, dense cushions and blankets and belts.

I liked how yoga placed no emphasis on the way I

With nearly a quarter of us having to wait to start treatment for our mental health, we share eight ways you can look after yourself while waiting to access support

The Royal College of Psychiatrists revealed that two in five (43%) adults with a mental illness feel that long waits for treatment have led to their mental health getting worse. With almost one in four (23%) of us waiting more than 12 weeks to start treatment - and many areas having limited types of support and numbers of sessions available - it’s no wonder so many of us feel like we’re not only struggling with our mental health, but aren’t getting the help that we need when we need it.

Non-urgent referrals for consultant-led treatments in England are legally entitled to be seen within 18 weeks, from the day the service or hospital receives your referral letter or the day your appointment is booked through the NHS e-Referral Service. But that can feel like a long time when you are struggling and feel like you need help now.

Taking that step and seeking a referral is huge. But it’s not always the instant fix we hope for - especially when faced with delays in receiving support. It’s natural to feel disappointed, overwhelmed, or unsure of what you can do while waiting to access help and support. So, what can you do to look after yourself until support becomes available?

Reach out to friends and family

Asking for help from those we love when we’re struggling can feel impossible. When you’re struggling with your mental health, you may worry about opening up to friends or family, as you may fear you are being an inconvenience, adding extra stress to their lives, or may be seen as ‘over-reacting’.

You may worry about being judged or rejected, yet reaching out can help you to feel a deeper sense of connection with others, gain valuable outside perspective, and help to feel unstuck.

Try these tips on how to ask friends and family for help when you’re struggling.

Have a conversation with your boss

Talking about mental health in the workplace has become much more commonplace in recent years. Yet many of us may hesitate to let our employers know when we are struggling. It’s important to remember that your employer is legally obligated to make reasonable adjustments to help accommodate you – but in order to do so, they need to k

Can age-gap relationships really work? We answer your frequently asked questions about age gap relationships and explain more about what the research has to say

If there’s one thing that is bound to make headlines, it’s celebrity relationships with a big age gap. From the trending chart of Leonardo DiCaprio’s dating history (which revealed the then 47-year-old had never dated anyone over the age of 25), to top 10 lists of celeb couples successfully (and not so successfully) navigating big age gaps, we’re fascinated with the idea that there may be a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ number of years between our perfect partner and us.

But why is it that relationships with age gaps cause so much controversy? And what does the research actually have to say? We explore some of the most commonly asked questions about dating someone who is significantly older or younger than you.

What are age gap relationships?

An ‘age gap relationship’ typically refers to a couple who are seriously or casually dating, with an age difference of at least 10 years, though some people use the term to refer to shorter gaps. The exact number of years for a relationship to ‘count’ as having an age gap can also vary based on what is considered culturally normal, with other factors – such as a person’s gender or age – affecting how ‘acceptable’ others may see that gap as. For example, someone may be more likely to show concern over a younger woman dating an older man due to fears of grooming, despite the fact that young people of any gender identity and sexual preference can be at risk of grooming.

Anyone can be in an age-gap relationship – a celebrity, a friend, a family member, or a colleague. Age gap relationships can also happen at any point in your life, though someone in their 20s dating someone in their 30s may be more likely to experience comments or pushback from others than a couple in their 50s and 60s.

Why are age-gap relationships frowned upon?

Many people in age-gap relationships report facing stigma, despite nearly four in 10 (39%) of us have dated someone 10 years older or younger than us. According to research, men are more likely to have dated someone 10 or more years younger than them (25% vs 14% of women), while women are more likely to have dated someone 10+ years older (28% vs 21% of men). Over half (57%) of us would be open to dating someone a decade or more older than us, while just under half of us (49%) would consider seeing someone 10 years younger.

Despite around half of us being open to age-gap dating, research has shown an imbalance in how socially acceptable we see it to be for men and women to date someone significantly younger than them. 55% of people believe it’s