Tag Archives: De-Stress

Jul22

NEW CLASS: Flow & Restore with Yoga Nidra at Create

Posted on July 22, 2016 by humbleyogini

NEW CLASS: Flow & Restore with Yoga Nidra at Create

Flow & Restore with Yoga Nidra at Create, Raynes Park – Wednesdays 12.30-13.45 from 3rd August

I’m excited to announce I will be teaching a new yoga class at Create starting this summer every Wednesday from 3rd August.

The first part of this beautifully balanced class guides you through a series of flowing yoga postures to develop strength and flexibility. The pace then slows for the second part of the class with a focus on restorative and yin poses allowing your body to release both physical and mental tension. This prepares the physical body for our closing Yoga Nidra practice – a guided meditation known to be a form of deep relaxation, allowing our bodies and minds some much needed rest. (Yoga Nidra, which translates as ‘yogic sleep’ has also been shown to help relieve stress and anxiety).

To visit the Create website click here.

May29

NEW Class – Slow Flow in SW17

Posted on May 29, 2016 by humbleyogini

NEW Class – Slow Flow in SW17

Slow Flow Yoga – Mondays 6.30-7.30pm at reCentre Health from 6th June

Join me for Slow Flow Yoga – Monday evenings here at the reCentre studio

I’m excited to be teaching this Monday night class at reCentre Health in Balham every week from 6th June.

This class weaves the asanas (postures) together, orchestrated by the breath to build strength, stamina and flexibility. It will release tension from the body, improve your posture and leave you feeling stronger, more energised and happy.

With a good dose of relaxation to top things off, this class will leave you rested, refreshed and ready for the week ahead.

Open to all levels except complete beginners.

You can find more details at the reCentre website here.

Feb1

Open Your Heart – A Yin & Restorative Yoga Workshop

Posted on February 1, 2016 by humbleyogini

Open Your Heart – A Yin & Restorative Yoga Workshop

Join me for ‘Open Your Heart – A Yin & Restorative Yoga Workshop’

Saturday 27th February 1.45-3.45pm at Embody Wellness

Join me at Embody Wellness for this special heart-themed February workshop. We will practice a mix of restorative yoga poses to open the heart space in the physical body and yin yoga poses to stimulate the heart and small intestine meridians which govern our capacity to love and be loved.

Imbalanced heart and small intestine Qi can result in digestive problems, heartburn, poor circulation, heart problems and low moods. When heart Qi is balanced we can have a greater ability to connect with others, feel more vitality, joy and inner peace.

Yin and restorative yoga are both deep, meditative practices which activate the parasympathetic nervous system (calming the body’s fight/flight response). Poses can typically held for 3 to 10 minutes or longer. In yin, the focus is on moving deeper into the connective tissues of the body (ligaments, tendons and fascia – the cling-film-like ‘tissue’ which holds our muscles together), while in restorative the emphasis is more on facilitating physiological rest to promote deep relaxation.

We will close our workshop practice with a calming Yoga Nidra (‘Yogic Sleep’) meditation.

Open to all levels except pregnant students.

To book your place please click here.

Jan21

2016 Yoga Retreat Calendar

Posted on January 21, 2016 by humbleyogini

2016 Yoga Retreat Calendar

Relax and Restore Retreats at Florence House

Join Sally Parkes & I on our Relax & Restore retreats at Florence House

(Re)Treat Yourself in 2016!

I’m looking forward to teaching on three more weekend retreats with Sally Parkes Yoga this year at the stunning Florence House.

Our first Relax and Restore weekend retreat of 2016 is 18th-20th March.

This retreat at Florence House in Seaford in East Sussex is a wonderful blend of Dynamic, Hatha and Restorative Yoga and Pilates.

Classes are suitable for all abilities as well as beginners. There will also be a delicious, healthy menu and plenty of time to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings and stunning Sussex coastline.

There are also a range of treatments available including:

Swedish and Deep Tissue Massage
Holistic and Dermalogica Facials
Indian Head Massage
Pedicures and Manicures

For full details of this retreat and to book your place please visit Sally’s website here. You will also find the complete retreat calendar for 2016.

Read a review of our Florence House retreats by Miss Wheezy here.

Jan7

Detox Yin Yoga at Home

Posted on January 7, 2016 by humbleyogini

Detox Yin Yoga at Home

Stimulate your gallbladder, liver and kidney meridians with Butterfly Pose.

Here I’m demonstrating Butterfly Pose

Thank You to Everyone who came along to my New Year Detox Yin Yoga Workshop where we practised yin poses to stimulate the liver and gallbladder meridians.

If you weren’t able to be there, here is a pose you can try at home.

According to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) the meridians are the channels through which our Qi (energy) flows throughout the body. The gallbladder, liver and kidneys are all important organs in the body’s detoxification process. At this time of year when our minds often turn to detoxing, poses like Butterfly may be of some assistance.

In this pose the gallbladder meridian (running along the outer legs) is stimulated. If you bring the feet closer to the groin, then the liver and kidney meridians (running along the insides of the legs and groin) can be stimulated too.

As well as opening the hips and activating the thighs without straining the hamstrings, Butterfly provides a lovely stretch of the whole back.

To get into the pose:

– Sit with your back straight and legs in front of you
– Bring the soles of your feet together and allow both knees to fall out to the side (your legs should be in a diamond shape, so there is a significant space between your heels and hips)
– From here you can stay upright or begin to fold the upper body forward (allowing the back to round). Come forward as far as your body will allow without forcing or straining.
– If you are folding further forward, you may find some support under the forehead would be more comfortable. In this instance, you could use a block or bolster for support, or you may wish to rest your forehead on your hands.

Remain here for three to five minutes. To exit the pose, on an inhale gently uncurl back up to sitting.

If practising this pose seated is troublesome for your lower back or knees you can try sitting on a cushion or block and placing support under the knees. Another option is to try this pose against a wall (as I’m demonstrating in the picture below). I find this wall version can be very soothing for my lower back.

Enjoy practising this pose!

NB – If you are in London, I am teaching ‘Open Your Heart: A Yin & Restorative Yoga Workshop’ on Saturday 27th February 1.45-3.45pm at Embody Wellness. For details and booking please click here.

Nov15

Recharge with Restorative Yoga

Posted on November 15, 2015 by humbleyogini

Recharge with Restorative Yoga

Relax & Restore Restorative Yoga Workshop – 22nd November 2-4pm at Embody Wellness

Give Yourself Permission to Relax with Restorative Yoga

Give Yourself Permission to Relax

Join me for this calming and nourishing workshop which will introduce you to the principles and many benefits of Restorative Yoga. As we shift into Winter, the yin season, the emphasis of our practice will be to nourish and calm our selves, storing and reserving energy in preparation of the season ahead.

In Restorative Yoga (sometimes referred to as ‘active relaxation’) we consciously manipulate the nervous system to create ease. Props are used to facilitate relaxation by supporting the body in passive postures for extended periods (anything from 5 to 20 minutes). While the body is supported we can completely relax into each posture. This enables us to relieve the negative effects of day-to-day stress, calming the body’s “fight flight” response to facilitate proper rest.

For details and booking via the Embody Wellness website please click here.

Nov9

Banishing the Blues with Backbends

Posted on November 9, 2015 by humbleyogini

Banishing the Blues with Backbends

Here I'm using a bolster to practice Supported Bridge Pose

Here I’m using a bolster in Supported Bridge Pose

Help to Banish the Blues with Supported Bridge Pose

Here in the UK the nights are drawing-in and the temperature is dropping. With this shift into Autumn/Winter low moods and low energy can be more prevalent for some of us. Back-bending poses are known for their energising qualities.

What I like about Supported Bridge Pose is that it is accessible for most of us. The sacrum (directly below the lumbar spine) is supported by a bolster or yoga brick (or you can use cushions if you don’t have access to either of these). Here I am using a bolster (pictured).

Just a few of the benefits of Supported Bridge Pose include:

– Helps to relieve stress and low moods
– Helps to calm the nervous system (activates the parasympathetic nervous system which is in charge of
the body’s ‘rest and digest’ activities)
– Can help to reduce fatigue
– Stretches the spine from the shoulders all the way to the tailbone
– Can help to relieve lower back pain
– Stretches and opens the chest
– Can help to improve digestion

You can watch a video (filmed at Evolve) where I show you how to get into this pose using a yoga block by clicking here. You can move into and out of the pose in the same way if you are using cushions instead of a block.

If you are using a bolster as I am here (pictured above), start by sitting on the bolster, with knees bent and soles of both feet on the floor. Place your hands on the floor behind you, lift your hips and slide them forward so that you can rest your sacrum (the flat bony place just below your lower back curve) onto the bolster. Then using your hands ease yourself back onto the floor so that you are in a supported bridge position. Allow your arms and hands to rest where they feel most comfortable – you may wish to rest arms by your side, or rest hands on your lower abdomen or reach arms back to the floor behind you.

Rest here for five minutes or for as long as you feel comfortable.

Aug24

Workshop: Introduction to Yin Yoga

Posted on August 24, 2015 by humbleyogini

Workshop: Introduction to Yin Yoga

Saturday 29th August 2015 3-5pm at Embody Wellness

If you missed my last Introduction to Yin Yoga workshop at Easter, I am teaching this workshop again at Embody Wellness this August.

Yin Yoga is a quiet, meditative, floor-based practice where poses are held for several minutes. It is about softening and staying.

In this workshop you will experience some of the fundamental Yin postures, gain an understanding of some of the basic concepts and benefits of Yin Yoga, the characteristics of Yin and Yang nature and the value of a passive practice.

An ideal complement to more dynamic practices which emphasise the muscular “yang” tissues, Yin Yoga allows us to target the deeper “yin” tissues of our bodies, stimulating the energy pathways, or meridians and the deep connective tissues of the hips, pelvis, and spine in particular.

Suitable for all levels except complete yoga beginners and pregnant students. To book please click here.

And to learn more about Yin Yoga and it’s benefits, click here to read my article on the Embody Wellness blog.

Aug9

Spanish September Sun

Posted on August 9, 2015 by humbleyogini

Spanish September Sun

Join us at the beautiful Hacienda Retreat in Andalusia

Relax and Restore Spain Retreat with Sally Parkes Yoga 5-11th September

Join Sally Parkes and I in Andalusia for a week of yoga, Pilates, relaxation and delicious food.

Set in the beautiful Andalusian countryside with panoramic views of the Sierra Nevada and in an area of outstanding beauty and ecological diversity, this retreat offers a complete getaway from everyday life.

To find out more and to book visit Sally’s website here.

P.S. Still looking for an excuse to take yourself on retreat? Check out my 5 Reasons to Go on A Yoga Retreat article on En Route Traveler.

Jun11

Simple Self-Care

Posted on June 11, 2015 by humbleyogini

Simple Self-Care

Simple Self-Care with Supported Reclining Cobblers Pose

Restorative Poses like this one are a simple, effective way to practise Self-Care. Here I’m demonstrating Supported Reclining Cobblers Pose

This is one of the most relaxing of all Restorative Yoga poses.

Supported Reclining Cobblers Pose is ideal for relieving fatigue, headaches, breathing problems, aiding digestion and much more.

For women this is also a wonderful pose to practise during your time of the month and during menopause.

Using props such as pillows, cushions and blankets provide support and facilitate physiological relaxation. I sometimes set myself up in this pose for my daily Savasana if I am feeling particularly tired.

You can use a yoga bolster if you happen to have access to one, but you really don’t need any special props for this pose – just grab hold of as many blankets, pillows and cushions as you need to ensure you have enough support and feel comfortable. Stack your pillows/cushions/stacked blankets or bolster on your mat or the floor so that they are on a diagonal (your head will rest at the higher end). Here is how to get into the pose:

– Sit with your tailbone at the lower end of your pillows/cushions/blankets or bolster

– Lie back on your support using your arms to ease yourself down. Your head needs to be supported here too so do adjust as necessary (NB – you may wish to place an optional folded blanket or extra cushion under your head).

– Place the soles of your feet together with your knees out to each side. Place extra support under each knee so that your legs are supported. Allow your arms to relax by your sides or on your abdomen.

– Cover your eyes with an eye pillow or light scarf or close your eyes to take your focus inwards

– Stay in this pose for ideally 10 minutes, but longer if you like. (I can often stay here for 20 minutes.)

Enjoy practising this pose whenever you need it!