75-minutes of Hot Hatha Yoga to soften the body and senses, followed by 60 minutes of rejuvenating Yoga Nidra.
This workshop is suitable for all levels including beginners to yoga. The asana class will be a gentle 75-minute Hot Hatha class in a room heated in a range 29°C - 32°C, allowing you to work at a level you are comfortable with. The class provides the preparation for the second part of the workshop; the Yoga Nidra.
Yoga Nidra is described as a state of conscious deep sleep while remaining awake. Used to treat war veterans suffering from PTSD, yoga nidra has been proven to be beneficial in helping to reduce anxiety and tension, contributing to the lowering of blood pressure, heart rate, levels of adrenaline and cortisol.
Caffeine-free drinks, home-made cake, raw chocolate, fruit and other refreshments available free of charge in the break between the two sessions of the workshop.
£15 for one session, £25 for both
Practical Yoga was born out of my realisation that rather than seeking a path to the all-compassing way of life dictated by the founders of ancient yoga, most of us who find our way to a yoga class in the 21st century do so because we’re wanting help to release unhelpful patterns in the body, to manage the limitations brought about by time, injury or illness, or to simply reconnect with our bodies in a way that often isn’t possible in our ultra-busy sedentary lives.
Practical Yoga exists to encourage students to develop a body awareness that allows them to listen to, understand and move their body in ways which not only provide a sense of freedom and minimize injury, but also have knock-on benefits in terms of increased vitality, wellbeing and confidence in the ability of the body to actually do what is being asked of it.
I teach in ways that are readily accessible to anyone. There’s no incense or chanting and you certainly don’t have to be able to tie yourself in knots to walk through the door! I firmly believe that yoga should be a liberating and fun experience that we’re eager to re-experience each week - we have an eclectic, largely Western orientated playlist on our sound system (requests always welcome) and I aim to cultivate a friendly, inclusive environment, which those who work with me gradually come to regard as “home”.
One of the beauties of yoga is that no matter how “fit” you are, there’s always something you can’t do – something that someone who has just walked into the class can apparently manage with ease! While we’re very focused about work, I actively discourage competition or pushing yourself too far too fast in Practical Yoga classes – if you’re going to progress in a real sense and avoid injury, the only person you need to be interested in is YOU. You’ll receive personal instruction and feedback in all classes, but my aim is that you’ll gradually learn for yourself exactly what and how much your own body needs at any one time.
I recognise that we all have different needs and start in different places, so as we develop, we’ll be offering a range of different classes and workshops, from those which focus on the needs of sportspeople and athletes, to sessions for people who’ve had long periods of not doing anything very much, don’t feel very body confident and desperately feel the need to do something about it. I also offer 1:1 sessions via face-to-face or Skype for those who feel they need a more personalised approach.