Category Archives: Special Mentions

Jul8

Get Your Om Back

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Get Your Om Back

#getyouromback 31 Day Yoga Challenge from Sweaty Betty.

Here I'm showing some Cat / Cow Pose variations

Here I’m showing some Cat / Cow Pose variations for #getyouromback

Sweaty Betty’s 31 Day Instagram Challenge involves practising one pose each day (a different post for each day of July). I think this is a great way to start building a home yoga practice!

My philosophy behind U Can Yoga from day one has been and remains that you can find your own expression of yoga, that yoga is for anyone who wants to give it a try and experience its many benefits.

I am taking part and will be posting some pose variations and instructions on Instagram with the intention of sharing a few ideas to make these poses a bit more accessible along the way – e.g. some standing and seated versions for those of us who find getting onto the floor a challenge.

Find out how to get involved by visiting the Get Your Om Back page at Sweaty Betty’s website here. And find me on Instagram @ucanyoga1.

Oct5

Body Align: Saturday 18th October Open Day

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Body Align: Saturday 18th October Open Day

To celebrate 1 month of opening its doors, join us for Body Align’s Open Day this month.

Have you had a chance to visit brand new wellbeing studio, Body Align in Elephant & Castle yet? If not, then the October Open Day is the perfect chance for you to sample a range of yoga and Pilates sessions and more all under Body Align’s cool yet quirky roof. Based at the new Artworks development, the studio is housed in refurbished shipping containers.

Some of the classes you can try on the day will include:

Forrest Yoga
Pilates
Sports Yoga
Hatha Yoga & Gentle Flow (which I will be teaching)
Jivamukti
Vinyasa Flow
Broga
Chanting and Meditation

All levels welcome! Class times will be displayed once they are all confirmed on the Open Day Event Page on Facebook here.

(Just remember to turn up 10-15 mins early to register – and do feel free to spread the word!)

The more the merrier, and there will be some freebies and a few prizes too. Look forward to seeing you there :)

If you can’t wait, then you can sign up now for the introductory offer of £30 for 14 consecutive days and try as many classes as you like – from Forrest, Ashtanga, Broga and much more to a wide range of Pilates classes for all levels, there’s plenty to choose from. Plus, you can still join me on Wednesdays for Hatha & Gentle Flow at the NEW time of 7.45-8.45pm.

Keep an eye on the Body Align Facebook page for full Open Day details as they are confirmed. And to see all of the classes currently on offer visit the timetable here.

Aug27

NEW class, NEW Studio – BodyAlign Opens 1st September!

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NEW class, NEW Studio – BodyAlign Opens 1st September!

BodyAlign – Hatha & Gentle Flow Yoga, Wednesdays 20.15-21.15pm – starts 3rd September. Flow, Relax & Unwind from your day.

Brand new wellbeing centre, BodyAlign opens on Monday 1st September at The Artworks, an exciting creative enterprise community on the corner of Elephant and Walworth Road close to Central London.

Offering Pilates, yoga and functional classes, BodyAlign is a small-sized studio offering more personal, specialised sessions with no more than 10 people per class.

I’m really looking forward to teaching Hatha & Gentle Flow Yoga here on Wednesday evenings – ideal for a some mid-week restoration. Be lovely to see you there!

NB – Sign up here by 31st August for a FREE class or to take advantage of the offer of Unlimited Classes for the Month of September for £55.

Visit the BodyAlign website here for further details and see all the classes on offer on the timetable here.

Apr30

Mantra Yoga + Health

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Mantra Yoga + Health

My philosophy behind U Can Yoga from day one has been and remains that you can find your own expression of yoga – that yoga is for anyone who wants to give it a try and experience its many benefits, so I’m honoured to be included in body positive issue of Mantra Yoga + Health Magazine featuring and celebrating women of all body types. Also featured in this issue: Gay Love, Yoga for Cocaine Addiction, Cancer Thrivers, India, Haiti, Dropping Judgment and 145+ Yogis changing the planet. Readers in the USA can pick up this new, exciting publication on newsstands and at these retail outlets now. UK readers, unfortunately Mantra isn’t on sale over here (yet!) but you can check out the page from the feature by scrolling down to the bottom of this blog post and read articles at the Mantra website by clicking here: mantramag.com

This ties in with the subject of my April OM Yoga Magazine Teacher’s Tales column ‘What is a Yoga Body & What Does A Yoga Teacher Look like?’ which seemed to strike a chord with a lot of readers. If you didn’t see it, you can read it here.

Mantra Yoga and Health - My Real Yoga Body feature

Apr4

Paradise Eggs

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Paradise Eggs

Paradise Eggs for Breakfast

Paradise Eggs for Breakfast

Baked avocado egg recipe with Takamaka Virgin Coconut Oil.

I grew up in a household where cooking with coconut oil was the norm with my West Indian family and it seems that increasingly more people are discovering the benefits of coconut oil. I tried Paradise Eggs for the first time recently and wanted to share this simple, healthy, tasty recipe with you. With an ideal blend of protein and good fats, this recipe is taken to the next level with the addition of Takamaka virgin coconut oil. This recipe was shared with me by Jon Denoris, founder of Takamaka and a great guy I have worked with as the founder of Club 51 in Mayfair. Check out how to make Paradise Eggs here and why not try it for breakfast this weekend. Enjoy! :)

Mar16

A New Season – Saluting the Sun

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A New Season – Saluting the Sun

Sun Salutation infographic - via Health Perch, Aldo Baker

Sun Salutation infographic - via Health Perch, Aldo Baker

In my home-town of London it feels like the sun has officially come out of hibernation and that Spring is here at last! With a mix of my own home practice and recently teaching sunrise yoga in the beautiful New York loft-style, light-filled studio at Victor’s Lab on Mondays, I’ve been making the most of the brighter mornings by taking the opportunity to salute the sun for real!

I was recently introduced to this great Sun Salutation infographic by Aldo Baker via Health Perch and it’s a really handy guide to refer to if you’re new to sun salutes and want to practice outside of class. I’ve attached a jpeg alongside this post, but you can see the guide in full at the Health Perch website by clicking here.

On another note, I am always surprised by how time flies! It doesn’t seem long ago that we were just starting the very first south London-based Stretching the City Yoga Beginners course in Pimlico in January – now it’s already the halfway point in the second 6-week Course in Pimlico.

So far we’ve been working on standing poses, forward bends and twists. Week 3 is where we introduce backbends and we’ve also been introducing sun salutations into our practice.

If you’re new to yoga (or know someone who wants to start) and would like to learn in a relaxed group setting, then why not join the next 6-week Pimlico course? It starts on Tues 15th April 7.30-8.30pm. As well the sun salutation mentioned above you’ll get a good overall grounding in yoga basics. I also like to suggest different options to encourage you to safely adapt and modify poses to suit you. By the end of the six weeks you should feel confident enough to attend drop-in yoga classes, practice at home and attend yoga retreats.

You can find further info on Stretching the City’s courses and sign up by clicking here.

In the meantime, take care and I hope the sun is shining where you are :)

Jan30

January T-tox

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January T-tox

Yoga Tea & Flexibilitea with Steeping Glass from T-tox

Yoga Tea & Flexibilitea with Steeping Glass from T-tox

This month I’ve really got into loose-leaf tea thanks to Johnny Hannis – aka Johnny T-tox (@JohnnyTtox on twitter). Johnny has been in the health and fitness industry for more than twelve years and is passionate about spreading the word on the benefits of loose-leaf tea. I had the pleasure of meeting Johnny – whose own story is compelling – at Club 51 in London. As Johnny explains on the T-tox website,

“ When I was 18, I developed Hydrocephalus (excess fluid on the brain), and it took me five years to fully recover. In that time, my priorities had changed somewhat and I shelved my original plans to study European Business at University. I had realised after my illness that the vast majority of us don’t appreciate our health until we lose it – a mantra that stays with me today.”

Johnny introduced me to the Yoga Tea and Flexibilitea flavours in the range before Christmas and I’ve really been enjoying them ever since – it’s become my favourite way to start the day (as well as some yoga of course :)), especially through the cold rainy mornings of the past month. I’ve been finding the process of brewing my tea in my special Tea Glass (a cross between a glass and teapot in one) quite therapeutic too.

Flexibilitea has fast become a favourite of mine

Flexibilitea has fast become a favourite

My favourite so far is the Flexibilitea (a blend of nettle, Burdock Root, Lemon Verbena , Jasmine Flowers and Marshmallow), but I’d like to work my way through the other T-tox teas in the coming months too, just to make sure :).

You can learn more about T-tox and check out some of the teas for yourself at www.t-tox.com. And for an interesting read on the differences between loose leaf teas and teabags see Johnny’s blog here.

Jan15

NEW Studio, New Classes – Victor’s Lab opens in Peckham

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NEW Studio, New Classes – Victor’s Lab opens in Peckham

NEW Studio, New Classes - Victor's Lab opens Mon 20th Jan

NEW Studio, New Classes - Victor's Lab opens Mon 20th Jan in Peckham

Victor’s Lab opens on Monday 20th January!.

I’m really looking forward to teaching at this exciting new space and community hub within the Bussey Building in Peckham offering Yoga, Pilates, Capoeira and more with some brilliant teachers.

Join me for the inaugural class at Victor’s Lab at 7am on Monday 20th January. It will be an energising flow to get your week off to a great start!

You can join me there every Monday 7-8am for your Morning Flow and on Wednesday evenings from 6.45-8.00pm for Yin Yoga.

Victor’s Lab is located at:
Bussey Building, Block B, 1st Floor, 133 Copeland Drive, SE15 4ST

Nearest station: Peckham Rye

For more details including the weekly class timetable and prices please visit www.victorslab.co.uk.

Victor's Lab - location details

Victor's Lab - location details

Dec1

Christmas Comes Early! Exclusive 15% OFF at UrbanLucy.Com

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Christmas Comes Early! Exclusive 15% OFF at UrbanLucy.Com

Enjoy 15% Off transactions at www.urbanlucy.com 1-20 Dec with the CODE: PH15 Happy Shopping x

Enjoy 15% Off transactions at www.urbanlucy.com 1-20 Dec with the CODE: PH15 Happy Shopping x

Enjoy 15% OFF yoga and active wear from 1-20th December at Urban Lucy with this exclusive code – see left. (Note – this offer excludes ‘Sale’ items.)

The fab Urban Lucy is a growing online yoga and active wear website for fitness focussed, fashion savvy women. From comfortable yoga pants and accessories to running leggings and tops from brands including Beyond Yoga, Phat Buddha, Spiritual Gangster, OmGirl and more, Urban Lucy believes there’s no need to leave your stylish self at the door when working out. They’re on a mission to get women moving and feeling great about themselves inside and out, which sounds pretty good to me!

Check out their website where you can also sign up to the newsletter for special offers and news of new arrivals. On their website you can also check out my new monthly Yoga blog. You can read my most recent Urban Lucy post here. Keep an eye out for a brand new post later this month.

In the meantime, Happy Shopping! :)

Oct10

Yogawoman

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Yogawoman

This award-winning movie has been out for a year, though there are still a lot of us out there who haven’t seen it! I’ve been lucky enough to see it twice in the past month. First, during a residential teacher training week and again last night at a special screening at The Prince Charles Cinema in London.

Present at the screening for a Q&A were two fantastic, inspiring teachers who appear in the film: Gabriela Bozic, who I was fortunate to meet and study with at the London Jivamukti Yoga immersion last Autumn, and Caroline Shola Arewa. Shola is one of the tutors on Laxmi Yoga, so I’m excited to meet her at Part 2 of training this weekend :D

I actually enjoyed this documentary even more the second time around. It gave me a great deal to think about as far as why I practice, how and why I have come to follow the path of becoming a teacher and what I can contribute.

Seeing the movie also made me reflect on my own journey over the past year. When I first saw this film being promoted on the web before its US release I was just at the beginning of my teacher training journey after some 10 years since my very first yoga class. Watching the movie I noted that I have been amazingly fortunate to practice and study with some amazing teachers (both male and female) over the past decade and that several of them appear in the film as interviewees including Judith Hanson Lasater, Shiva Rea, Sarah Powers, Cyndi Lee, Gabriela and now, Caroline Shola Arewa.

Naturally, with women being the focus of the movie a significant idea that is explored is what women bring to the yoga practice as practitioners and teachers. But you don’t have to be a woman to enjoy it! :D I came away feeling inspired, uplifted and affirmed. And once again, was the re-iteration of the message that the Yoga is not the Asana. What you do within the confines of your yoga mat is just a tiny part of it. More important than whether we can do handstand in the middle of the room is how and who we choose to be in the world.

If you haven’t had a chance to see the film yet, check it out! Details of worldwide screenings are listed on the yogawoman.tv website and you can keep up to date with them on Facebook and twitter too. Tell your friends! Let’s Spread the Yoga Love :D

You can watch the trailer here: Yogawoman trailer.