WORKSHOPS & SPECIAL EVENTS

BATHING IN STILLNESS: YIN YOGA AND YOGA NIDRA

Online Workshop

With Ella Young

Sunday 29th November 2020 | 5.45pm – 7.15pm

A special Sunday evening workshop to indulge in the quiet and gentle practice of Yin Yoga and soak up the transformative power of Yoga Nidra.
Yin Yoga is a healing practice of long-held poses where muscles completely relax & surrender to allow us to access the deeper layers of the body. It works on releasing constrictions in the connective tissue, ligaments, and tendons that support the hips, pelvis and lower spine. It also stimulates & opens the energy meridians of the subtle body, often described as a “needleless acupuncture session” for the body!

This nurturing workshop will take you through a specific series of seated & supine poses. Aimed at improving joint mobility, cultivating flexibility and help you heal yourself by releasing deep seated tension, breaking up blockages and thus encouraging easier flow of energy around the body, moving you out of negative emotions. You’ll discover balance and find a deep peace in your body & mind.
After the physical part of the practice you will release yourself totally with a Yoga Nidra Meditation. Yoga Nidra, or Yogic Sleep, takes you into a deep state of relaxation & ease which shifts the nervous system to a restorative and healing mode. It brings an incredible sense of calmness, quietness, and clarity.

Sooth, restore and relax deeply in this bliss bubbling
Come and enjoy!

£15 

SMALL MOVEMENTS FOR BIG CHANGE

Online Workshop

With David Flemming and Amanda Franklin

Sunday 6th December 2020 | 11am – 1pm

When we explore somatic movement, one of the things to remember is that we are not moving to see how far we can move or how high we can lift. There is nowhere to get to and there’s no particular shape to make or a right way to do something. The purpose of movement in a Somatics class is to refine our brain to muscle connection and to ‘re-boot’ the central nervous system – the part of the brain that is in charge of your muscle function. We do this with small and slow movements, like a gentle moving meditation. We give ourselves time to notice the quality of the movement, the ability to switch on and engage, and the ability to slowly release and switch off. So when we go through this process, we slowly reset our system back to neutral: saving energy and creating greater efficiency.
Join us for a ‘playshop’ of slow, releasing and relaxing movements and give your system a boost.

David and Amanda are Somatic Movement Educators and Trainers, currently teaching online in Goa. They have been teaching movement for over 10 years specialising in Somatics/Somatic Yoga. For more information: www.radiantstaryoga.com

Full Price £25 with an Early Bird offer of £20 running until Sunday 22nd November

A WINTER QIGONG & YOGA FLOW WORKSHOP

Online & Studio Workshop

With Debs Grossman

Saturday 12th December 2020 | 4pm – 6pm

What to expect:
Within this special Winter Qigong Workshop we will cover…
-What is Qigong?
-Why would we practice it?
-Some of the principles of QiGong
-Some of the benefits of QiGong

*Qigong & Yoga Flow – applying the principles of qigong to yoga, combining the two practices to form a steady, flowing practice focusing on movement with breath stimulating meridian lines (energy pathways throughout the body) supporting our organs and systems, stretching and lengthening muscles and moving our joints with ease.

*Nourishing relaxation using qigong and yoga breathing and meditation techniques

Qigong (pronounced ‘chi gung’) means “working with/cultivating life energy…; learning how to control the flow and distribution of qi to improve the health and harmony of mind and body” (Kenneth Cohen)

The Qigong practice is “the ancient Asian system of health and self development that allows us to slow down, create s p a c e, and bring each of us back in harmony with our true Self ” Sifu Matthew Cohen.

Qigong practices include active and dynamic movements (yang), breathing, visualisation and meditation techniques (yin) with the intention of cultivating healthy qi flow through the body’s organs and meridians.
It is called a practice as the intention is for it to be practiced daily as a holistic healing system of self healing exercise in Chinese Medicine.

There are 1000s of forms of Qigong! Some of the more familiar practices include:
-The Eight Brocades, made up of gentle stretching exercises that lengthen the muscles and tendons and stimulate meridians and internal organs.
-Bone Marrow Cleanse, healing postures, gentle movements and concentration techniques to cleanse the marrow of toxins.
-The Five Animal Frolics, a complete qigon system developing strength, grace, flexibility, balance and an abundance of healing qi – one of the most ancient qigong systems still practiced today.
Our practice will incorporate elements of these forms with our yoga flow so we can enjoy a playful, mindful, opening, nourishing and rejuvenating afternoon.

Suitable for anyone new to Qigong or a Yoga Beginner.
Please advise in advance of pregnancies, recent births, injuries or medical conditions.

What you’ll need:
-Yoga Mat
-Bolster
-Eye pillow
-Yoga bricks & blocks
-Blankets
-Cushion

You will be sent some handouts for the course so you can print them or have a notebook to hand should you want to write anything down.

To access a playlist for those practicing at home, please click here 

For this workshop, we have both ONLINE and STUDIO options available, please check which one you are booking onto when you complete your transaction through Mindbody

£20 

DEVELOP YOUR OWN SELF-GUIDED HOME PRACTICE WORKSHOP

Online Workshop

With Heather Gregg

Sunday 20th December 2020 | 11am – 1pm

Join Heather for this two-hour workshop to learn the tools in how you can craft & develop your very own practice that works for you & your body, your environment and schedule.

Have you ever wanted to get on the mat and do your own practice but not sure where to start? Maybe something before work to help you focus or a sequence which will support you post run, bike ride or training to help with recovery, or whilst baby naps/ the kids are in bed? But you’ve not felt confident to do it, because you’re unsure & confused what to do first and what’s comes next?!

In this workshop Heather will guide you with the essentials to build and tailor your own personal yoga practice that will inspire you, motivate you and empower you to get on the mat and lead yourself with confidence in a practice at any time, anywhere.

Through discussion and practice you will learn the basic building blocks of sequencing, so you feel comfortable to get on the mat and know how to get from one place to another – moving at your own pace, tuning in and responding to what your body needs, and developing a greater consistency and frequency in your home practice. By the end of the workshop, you will have designed your very own class that’s simple, playful, interesting, and you’re ready to get going with!

“In my own yoga journey self-practice was one of the standout ways I really started to deepen my own practice and it provided me so much more freedom & understanding with what I was doing as a practitioner of yoga and as I started my journey towards becoming teacher. And as a yoga teacher home practice is one of the most important things is to develop your own practice.”

This workshop is open to all students except complete beginners who want to develop & tailor an enjoyable self-practice for your own body and lifestyle. This will also be a valuable offering for anyone who is considering becoming a Yoga teacher and those already teaching to refine & hone your own practice so you are more equipped to teach others.

This workshop is also included in the Yoga Booster Master Class Series Package

Early Bird Offer £20 before 27th November.

Full price £30.

FLOWING INTO STILLNESS: VINYASA YOGA & YOGA NIDRA WORKSHOP

Online Workshop

With Heather Gregg

Sunday 27th December 2020 | 9.30am – 11am

Join Heather for this Christmas special session to cultivate stillness through movement and deep rest with a joyful yoga flow and nourishing Yoga Nidra meditation. Heather will first guide you with a dynamic Vinyasa style practice uniting breath & movement to create heat, vibrancy and spaciousness in the body and a sense of mental lightness, ease and clarity. We then recline back and get super comfortable in a long Savasana to drop into deep rest and awareness through the art of Yoga Nidra meditation aka Yogic Sleep. Through this guided meditation we practice Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses) that allows you to scan the body and tap into a state of relaxed consciousness as the mind settles in a place between wakefulness and sleep, linking conscious thought with the subconscious mind. Sunday morning is a beautiful time to step onto your mat for this blend of powerful yoga practices which will encourage an experience of both harmony and peace in body and mind to take with you for the rest of your day.

£15

BREATHING YIN POP UP

Online Pop Up

With Debs Grossman

Monday 28th December 2020 | 8pm – 9pm

Join Debs to hit pause during the festive season for an online ‘Breathing Yin’ Pop Up.
This pause offers an opportunity to hit the reset button, to breathe in and breathe out.

“You time” is a necessity to staying grounded and balanced in our lives.

This yin yoga session is all about the breath whilst working with our connective tissue to help open and energize the meridian pathways of the body supporting the restoration of joint mobility.

A slow deep even breath whilst practicing long-held poses creates a relaxed nervous system and yielding a calm mind. This in turn releases the tensions in our body, activating our rest and digest system, improving our heart and lungs function, and lowering blood pressure helping us to feel more relaxed overall. As we let go, we tune in to the sound of our breathing, helping to diminish the distractions of the mind and leading to more inner quietude.

Benefits to experience in this popup include:

-Relieving stress and emotional blockages
-Deep relaxation and increased clarity
-Improved flexibility and joint mobility
-Cleansing and rejuvenating your body
-Expanding awareness of self
-This class is suitable for beginners and more regular yoga practitioners.

If you are pregnant/or have recently given birth please let Debs know.
Likewise if you have any medical conditions or injuries please let us know prior to the class so we can best support you in the class.

What you’ll need:

-Yoga mat/blankets to lie on
-Bolster (or equivalent – pillows/cushions in pillowcase)
-Cushion/pillows
-Blankets
-Yoga Blocks/bricks or equivalent (books/tupperwares)
-Eye pillow/mask if you like one for relaxation
-Comfy clothes (pyjamas welcome!)
Suggestion – no music so you can focus on the sound of the breath.

Price £10

WINTER YIN: THE SEASON OF STILLNESS

Online Workshop

With Freya Thomas

Sunday 10th January 2021 | 4pm – 5.30pm

Settle into the new year and join Freya for 90 minutes of Yin yoga.

This slow but deep practice will be themed around the Meridian lines of the Kidneys and Bladder. Taking inspirations from the ancient practice of Chinese Medicine, we will use each pose to stimulate these two Meridian lines and understand their emotional and energetic effects on the body. Our Meridian lines are pathways within our bodies in which Qi (energy) travels, but can often become blocked or stagnant due to injury, illness or lack of movement.

This practice will aim to open up the body, creating space for Qi to flow freely and strongly. This class is open to all levels, even if you’ve never tried Yin Yoga before! In YIn Yoga we hold each passive pose for between 3-6 minutes, which gives the body time to soften and surrender.

You may want some props for this practice; a brick and a blanket would be recommended.

Price £15

THE ART OF COOKING

Online Workshop

With Ella Young

Sunday 24th January 2021 | 4pm – 6pm

The Art of Cooking-Winter Workshop

This workshop is based on the principles of Ayurveda (the sister science of yoga). Ayurveda means ‘the science of life’ and offers us guidance on how to interact with life in ways that help us to feel well. This covers all sorts of things such as sleep/wake cycles, relationships, treatments, deep introspection and many other lifestyle practices.
One area that we can incorporate Ayurevdic wisdom is through food preparation. Cooking can incorporate practices such as intention, energy awareness, creativity, interaction with nature and gentle herbal medicine

When we really tune in to both the inner and outer cycles of nature, cooking truly becomes an art. The timing of this workshop has been specially selected to land on the last Sunday before the first full moon of 2021. When the moon is in its waxing gibbous, the energy all around us is intensifying. We will draw on that heightened energy to make sacred ghee, known by many as liquid gold.

During the winter, we are transitioning from the elements of air and space that autumn bring (think light wispy wind!) into the more watery earth elements (think cold and wet). The depths of winter are what we call the kapha season. Kapha is a vital energy that is made up of water and earth… more on that in the workshop!

I will introduce you to all 3 of the vital energies that are believed by Ayurveda to make up everything, including us, via the 5 elements. When we gain some understanding about this, it can help us to observe our own tendencies as well as those in nature and then from there, make informed decisions about how best to find balance in the body, mind and spirit.

The first half of this workshop will be a discussion, touching on:

-The 5 Elements
-The 3 Doshas
-Hibernation
-Winter Warmth
-Abhyanga
-Ghee: Liquid Gold

From there we will move into the practical element of the workshop where we will cook-up a kapha-pacifying meal that will build us up which means nutrient-dense, warming and hearty.

1 batch of ghee to see you through the winter
Red Lentil Dahl with Roasted Cashews
Full shopping list will be sent out 1-week before the workshop: Sunday 17th January.

£25 Full Price. £20 Early Bird offer until Sunday 20th Dec