Aimee Newton Osteopath and Yoga is the Remarkable Local Company on the RLC BrandBlog this month. Here’s what she did for me, and what she could do for you…
2023 Update: since publication, Aimee Newton Osteopath and Yoga has rebranded as Poplar Osteopathy and is now based at beautiful new clinic premises in Bletchley.
All links that previoulsy pointed to Aimee’s old website have been updated to go to Poplar Osteopathy instead.
Picture the scene: we’re in the grounds of stunning Warwick Castle on a beautiful August day in 2019. It’s packed with summer tourists, who’ve flocked to the arena by the river to watch the Wars of the Roses played out by jousters on horseback. It’s a not-to-be-missed event…but my Mum and I happened to have two small boys with us, who couldn’t see a thing because of the crowds in front of us. So we picked them up, and they watched the whole 20 minute show from our arms – my Mum with the smaller one, and me with the bigger one, weighing in at 25kg.
In the coming days, my right shoulder ached like crazy – but I dismissed it as a normal after-effect of lumping a great child around (and it had been worth it). But the days turned into weeks, and then months – I’d wake up and it was sore, I couldn’t sleep on my right side, and even simple things like picking up the kettle, or throwing a ball, were accompanied by a stiffness and pain that varied from dull to sharp. But I didn’t do anything about it – mainly because I didn’t know of someone good to go to, and I didn’t make the time to either.
Then I met Aimee, in March 2020. She was at a networking event – the last in-person one I did before the first lockdown – and she was an osteopath, who also taught yoga classes. We got on well and I heard testimonials from others at the meeting who said she’d sorted their problems out, from back pain to hip pain – so I made a mental note to go and see her.
Lockdown, schools shut, juggling work, lessons and home, I put it off again – until we were into the summer, and my shoulder was still bad, and at times proper misery. So I finally made some space in my mind and calendar to address it, and booked a free online consultation with Aimee. It was so thorough – in spite of the distance between us, she could tell what the problem might be by observing my range of movement, and combined with what she gleaned from the Tale of Warwick Castle, she was able to come up with a bespoke movement routine for me to start building up my strength. We booked in a follow-up appointment at her beautiful clinic at Place 8 Wellness, out in the Bucks countryside, so she could see how things were in person and after I’d worked on the exercises.
Following her simple tips, adjustments and movement routines, my shoulder strength started to grow; and at my appointments (completely safe and sanitised) Aimee worked her magic to release areas of tension, explaining all the time about what she was doing, why, what was wrong with my shoulder, and how all of the moving parts are connected. She is such a knowledgeable and generous expert, and I felt in such safe hands the whole time – not just because I could tell that her treatments and advice were healing me, but also because she explained everything so well.
Now here’s where the real beauty and uniqueness of what Aimee can do really comes in. At the same time as my active treatment appointments, I was given free-of-charge access to her yoga classes. She’s been a teacher for over 15 years, and she knows how to harness the power of yoga to nourish and heal the body and mind – but her osteopathic expertise deeply enriches her insight as a yoga teacher, as she understands the balance of power and risk in each posture and gesture.
Everything she does in a class is an invitation, not an instruction – so if you’re brand new to yoga, and don’t know yet whether balancing or twisting will come easily to you, you feel in the safest hands possible. Aimee guides you so carefully and clearly through each movement, telling you where you might be feeling tension or heat, and warning you of the risks of pushing a posture too far. If you’re an osteopath client as well, being able to access the yoga classes – delivered by the same person who is treating your injury, with all of that personalised knowledge and understanding – is such a massive part of getting you well again, and maintaining that wellness.
My shoulder is so much stronger now. I left it too long to get treated for a quick fix, and it still objects if I overdo the gardening or driving; but the strength and knowledge that Aimee has given me mean that the pain is a fraction of what it was. Its resilience has increased tenfold, and I get no pain at all from everyday tasks.
As far as yoga goes, I’m hooked. Although my active osteopathic treatment is finished, I’m still a paid-up member of the weekly online classes, and get so much physical and mental refreshment from each session – I can’t imagine my week being complete without it.
So what can Aimee do for you?
If you have an injury or pain that you’ve been meaning to sort out, or just need to build up your strength, book your free consultation with her – the sooner the better. As an osteopath, she’s a rare combination of highly knowledgeable, empathetic, and capable; you’ll feel in the safest hands, cared for and understood in equal measure.
As for yoga, I’d always wanted to try it, but as a complete beginner (and the un-bendier side of 40) I wasn’t sure where to start. Being able to attend the classes free of charge as part of my treatment was brilliant in so many ways – it’s played its part in my healing, as well as giving me new understanding and acceptance of my body and how it responds.
But the beauty of what Aimee can do is in the combination of these two skills, as each area of expertise complements and enriches the other. This is where her offering becomes truly rare: the healing Aimee cultivates in you as an osteopath, grows in its power through her yoga. “A unique approach to standing tall again” is her strapline – and I can confirm it’s absolutely true.
I believe that Yoga is a versatile practice, it is highly adaptable and should be a bespoke practice.
Following generic posture sequences without thinking about whether it is nurturing for your body can be opening yourself up for injury.
Yoga should meet you where your body is at this moment. Join us!
