Aoife McHugh

World Thrombosis Day: Raising awareness about life-threatening blood clots

Aoife McHugh aims to raise awareness about thrombosis and its symptoms

About one-third of people with undiagnosed and untreated pulmonary embolism don’t survive, according to the Mayo Clinic. When the condition is diagnosed and treated promptly, however, that number drops dramatically.

I am lucky the fractions were in my favour the day it happened to me.

Thrombosis refers to abnormal, life-threatening blood clots that ...

Here are five benefits to exploring the power of writing and how it can serve to brighten and enlighten

How often do you take the time to sit with your words and allow the truth of you to unfurl? Photograph: iStock

One of the most important lessons I have learned from swaddling myself in a serape of self-care in recent years is this: I am not my thoughts. I am merely a riverside spectator observing them as they float past, like leaves bobbing along on a stream. This realisation has been a gra...

It has been almost four years since I resided full-time in my Motherland. Over the course of this time, I have established my status as an Expat and amassed multiple air miles traveling between my two homes, (when borders were open, of course).
As home-birds go, I am a fan of my native nest. But enough time has passed for me to be able to reflect on what I have missed since I switched the Misty Midlands for the Middle East.
Time spent with my head in the clouds has allowed me to tap into the ...

Aoife McHugh is a freelance wellness writer and yoga teacher based in Abu Dhabi. Here she writes about the importance of prioritising presence over presents this Christmas.

There is nothing quite like the build-up to the festive season, that sense of awe you feel as you admire the bright Christmas lights. When you pause for a magical moment in time to watch the world through glittering eyes.

That is until someone accidentally rocks you out of your reverie, their arms weighed down with bags li...

From crochet to baking, writing to bricklaying, we all possess the ability to create

Your thoughts follow your mood. Manage your mindset and master your mood.

In American Football, there is a common phrase that can be heard reverberating around locker rooms throughout this sacred season. I first heard these words when I was in the midst of teen drama series bliss. The year was 2011 and I was very much vibing Friday Night Lights. I’m quite aware that I was late to the party, but good things co...

Aoife McHugh is a freelance wellness writer and yoga teacher based in Abu Dhabi. Here, she explains the importance of a good yoga stretch.

June 21st, the day that Irish people have been waiting for with bated breath. The 10pm sunset and those ethereal evenings with their 'grand oul stretch.'

Call it kismet or fate but there is also another apt celebration on this date. International Day of Yoga falls at this time of year, I am now going to share some of the benefits of stretching your mind an...

Aoife McHugh is a freelance wellness writer and yoga teacher based in Abu Dhabi. Here, she explains why you don't need to be bendy to be zen.

When you picture a yoga teacher, you might envision someone with the pliability of a sea lion (they can rotate their hind flippers under their bodies and walk — who knew?) You may also assume a yogi requires the litheness of Simone Biles to guide someone’s practice. This could lead to self-doubt for a new yoga teacher like me, who struggles with flexibi...

We review the reiki, functional training and nutrition sessions at Bodytree Studio in Abu Dhabi city

Like many people, I have spent most of the past year working from home. As a result, my mind and body have suffered from a lack of sufficient screen-free downtime. After months of work-life imbalance and excessive sitting, there came a time when I needed to truly reset.

As an advocate for preventive and alternative medicine, when I discovered the extent of holistic therapy available just aroun...

Aoife McHugh is a freelance wellness writer and yoga teacher based in Abu Dhabi. Here, she writes about International Meditation Day (May 21st), and how you can take time to pause without even stopping.

Our breath is the only thing that stays with us from the moment we are born to the day that we die. Despite this, it took me 30 years to begin to understand the power of my breath.

Over the past few years, I have become aware of this passive prana that politely goes about its bodily business. ...

Aoife McHugh is a freelance wellness writer and yoga teacher based in Abu Dhabi. Here, she describes the things she'll miss most about Christmas in Ireland.

As an Irish person abroad, I am all too familiar with the festive feeling of flying home for Christmas.

It starts with the first sight of this gloriously green island as you glide over the Poolbeg Chimneys. This is followed by the draught of a fresh breeze as you depart the aircraft. You are then gleefully greeted by your favourite sign: ...

If you’re still wary of leaving the house but want to continue to practice yoga, then that’s still possible. And, if you’re lucky enough to have extra space, you can boost your domestic practice in a number of ways.
Here, Aoife McHugh (who’s also a qualiBed yoga teacher) talks you through three ways to improve your home yoga sessions.

Hip & Healthy contributor, Aoife McHugh, shares the perils of the pill and her warning to the many women who use it as their form of contraception.
“Your blood results would not be concerning for an 88-year old but this is something completely different for an otherwise healthy 32-year old.” These were among the first words shared by the Consultant Interventional Cardiologist when I met him in the Emergency Room of a hospital in Abu Dhabi.
He had been at home that morning when he got a call f...

New to Abu Dhabi? Or just on the lookout for something new?
Seeking somewhere to mindfully cradle a coffee and feed your soul, too?
Maybe you want a cosy corner to read or reKect. Or perhaps you're interested in a book swap base? If you answered yes to any of those, we might just know the place for you.

Looking for somewhere to salute the sun in Abu Dhabi? Maybe you’re in the market for some mindful evening movement? Does a magical moonlit meditation sound dreamy to you? If you are seeking somewhere to stretch yourself post-lockdown, we have the yoga studio Aow-down right here.

Aoife McHugh and her husband Cathal tied the knot summer of 2019, a day she holds dear to her heart. While exchanging vows with her partner will always remain the highlight, this bride will never forget the special moment she shared with her father who walked her down the aisle.
Here she tells EVOKE about that beautiful moment which will forevermore remain etched in her mind.
‘My wedding day was not something I had planned for all my life. As a young girl, Liverpool and Longford jerseys alway...