Ashtanga Yoga is a set series of postures linked together with a specific breathing technique to progressively purify and tone the body and quiet the mind. The Ashtanga system, founded by Sri Pattabhi Jois, is intelligently sequenced so that each posture prepares the practitioner for the next. The series gets progressively more challenging, building strength, flexibility, agility and balance.

Level: Open

Teachers:
Francisca Rivas

Baby massage has been around for centuries: many cultures start the practice of massage from birth to strengthen the bond with their children, calm and help them sleep, relieve wind and colic and generally assist with healthy development. In India, for example, it is a traditional custom to give the baby a daily massage with oil, followed by yoga and finally a warm bath. The massage routine is made up of Indian-style massage, Swedish massage and some reflexology type movements. Yoga style exercises are introduced at the end of the course, this helps to encourage development ready for crawling, and this also helps to strengthen their backs and aids coordination.

The course will cover:
Behavioural states and when to massage, ideal conditions, positions, relaxation, asking permission and saying thank you

On our baby massage course you will learn:
Massage strokes for the legs, feet, tummy, chest, arms, hands, back and face / A short Gas and Colic routine / Gentle movements / What oils to use / Suggestions on how you can adapt the massage as your child grows.

Incorporated into the massage are some rhymes and songs and there is time set aside each week for discussions; the main topics covered are crying, colic and sleep but it’s also a forum for you to raise any parenting issues you may have. Each course of baby massage consists of five classes. Classes are held on a weekly basis and each class lasts 90 minutes. Each week you will learn one body part and review the strokes you’ve learnt each week. You will take away handouts of the strokes so that you can practice at home and each week we will give you different articles on relevant subjects for discussion. You will also receive a bottle of organic sunflower oil. All you need to bring is a thick towel or blanket.

The classes are appropriate for babies who are 4 weeks to pre crawling. Classes can cater for 3-10 babies in order to keep each class personal and informal. Classes are relaxing and interactive for both parent and baby, and parents are often encouraged to attend to the infants needs as babies often direct the flow of the class. Grandparents, fathers and other caregivers are welcomed at the classes.

Teachers:
Karen James

If you’re new to yoga, it can often seem intimidating and confusing, and perhaps you’d like to give it a go but just don’t know where to start!

We’re here to help you start your yoga journey the right way. We firmly believe that yoga is for absolutely every one and our beginners yoga class is designed to lead you step by step.

We want everyone to feel the benefits of yoga. We run four community classes each week at the reduced rate of £6. Join us for a calming Hatha Yoga Class, a Vinyasa Flow or learn to move freely and let go with an energizing Strala Flow.

Level: Open

Teachers:
Joelle Green
Helena Crabtree
Rosie Buirski
Kristin Crenshaw

Start the day the right way with an uplifting and energising morning yoga class. Expect heart and body warming flows that connect to your breath and focus your mind each weekday morning at 7am and 8:15am. Early morning yoga boosts your metabolism, aids better sleep and improves your posture throughout the day.

Level: Open

Teachers:
Kim Romanik
Bess Shipside
Lucie Norris

Expect to work up a sweat as you build heat in the body with a strong, flowing practice. Each Dynamic Yoga Class safely and creatively transitions between yoga postures (asanas) with breath-synchronized flowing sequences to heat, strengthen and stretch the body.

Level: Open

Teachers:
Benita Glogowska
Olanna Chijioke
Fotini Vasilopoulos
Kim Romanik
Lucie Norris
Laura Jessett
Ann Pidcock

Understanding that all movement is a dynamic and subtle interplay between the nervous system, the muscles and the bones, Feldenkrais ‘Awareness Through Movement’ classes are a unique and effective way of letting go of habitual stress patterns that may have developed over the years due to injury, repetitive movements or emotional stress. The weekly lessons allow your body and mind to absorb new beneficial movement patterns and, as a result, everyday activities such as gardening and walking, as well as sports, yoga and dance become easier, flowing and more pleasurable.

Level: Open

Teachers:
Juliana Brustik

Hatha yoga is the foundation for the different styles of yoga that we know today – a Hatha class is the practice of asanas (yoga postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises), which help bring peace to the mind and body and helps to prepare the body for meditation. Our Hatha Yoga classes are designed to create a balance between strength and flexibility, between effort and acceptance. Hatha yoga is a powerful tool for self-transformation – it asks us to bring our attention to our breath, which helps us to still the fluctuations of the mind and be more present in the unfolding of each moment. Our Hatha yoga classes are a good option for people new to yoga.

Level: Open

Teachers:
Kim Rominik
Helena Crabtree
Joelle Green

Iyengar yoga is a form of Hatha yoga that focuses on the structural alignment of the body through asanas (physical postures) and pranayama (breathing practices). It aims to unite the body mind and spirit for health and well-being. This discipline is considered a powerful tool to relieve the stresses of modern day life and help to relieve deeply held tensions. Iyengar yoga is characterised by great attention to detail and precision of alignment. This form of yoga has pioneered the use of various props such as belts, blocks, blankets chairs etc. to make the poses accessible to those who are unable to fully achieve them and to help practitioners to have greater understanding of them.

Classes focus on various postures, standing, sitting, back bending, twisting, inversions and lying down. Each class is unique and may have a different focus each time while maintaining principles of alignment and precision.

This class is for anyone (non-toe-touchers welcome) except pregnant women and those with a serious medical condition (please speak to the teacher if you are unsure).

Level: Open

Teachers:

Louise Leonard

Lauren Armistead

Baby yoga and baby massage gives your baby an immediate sense of well-being. Yoga helps to stimulate and stretch the body in order to help the body to relax, the physical stimulation helps strengthen the spine, develop supple joints and enliven the body’s systems. Most of all Baby Yoga is about having fun with your baby, interacting, giving you more confidence in handling your baby and meeting other dads. During just one Baby Yoga session, your baby can receive as much stimulation as they normally would in a whole day, this brings about a state of contentment, and promotes a peaceful deep sleep. For babies 6 weeks – 18 months.

Level: Open

Teachers:
Karen James

Pilates is a physical fitness system developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates. This class has a focus on good technique, core stability, improving stamina and building strength. The perfect compliment to a yoga practice.

Teacher: Marta Maroni

Postnatal yoga is a perfect way to bond with your baby, connect with other new mums and nurture and look after your body. The class is designed to support you as a new mum and your body to return to normal. Postures focus on strengthening your abdomen, back and pelvic floor muscles, re-aligning the pelvic region and releasing tension, especially in the shoulders, and you will have the chance to discuss any questions that may arise as a new parent. Classes are suitable for you and your baby from 6 weeks after birth up until crawling.

Level: Open

Teachers:
Yolande Diver

Yoga is a gentle and safe way to stay fit, strong, and energised without compromising you or your child’s wellbeing. Yoga helps you to connect to your breathing, which will help you build awareness of your body and embrace the changes it is gong through. Yoga will help strengthen your birthing muscles and generally promote a healthy conscious birth.
The intention of the class is to create community: to provide a safe environment for women to feel open, supported and empowered. To cultivate a space where they can feel free to talk, the practicalities of birth, how they feel, their fears, worries and hopes.
Classes begin with breathing, moving onto a sequence of flowing postures and ending with visualisation and relaxation.

*classes suitable from 12 weeks

Level: Open – Students must be at least 12 weeks pregnant

Teachers:
Yolande Diver

Restorative yoga is a wonderful way to way to relax and soothe frayed nerves. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to work hard, play hard, push ourselves and achieve a million things in one day, and, while we may sleep, we rarely take time to rest. Restorative yoga helps us learn how to relax and rest deeply which has a huge benefit on all our organs. Relaxation helps lower blood pressure and stabilise blood sugar levels, increase good cholesterol, improve digestion and fertility, and reduce muscle tension, insomnia and generalized fatigue.

In our restorative yoga class you will use bolsters, blankets, blocks and props to support you in passive poses so that your body can experience the benefits of a pose without having to exert any effort.

Level: Open

Teachers:
Olanna Chijioke

Scaravelli is a challenging form of hatha yoga, developed by Vanda Scaravelli. In this approach, you will develop a deep sense of awareness in each posture, guided by detailed verbal cues. You can expect to work hard but with time to explore and ease into the experience of each asana (posture). It’s a playful experience. Moving with the intelligence of the body and the wisdom of the breath to find freedom in the body. Open to all levels.

Level: Open

Teachers:
Frankie Walker

Enjoy flowing through a series of postures and working up a sweat in our Vinyasa Yoga Classes. Our experienced teachers will lead you through sun salutations, standing poses, seated postures, inversions and backward bends whilst bringing your attention to the breath to benefit both your body and your mind. Uplifting and energising, Vinyasa Yoga will help you to tone, build strength and flexibility, and experience greater mental clarity and focus.

Level: Various – please check timetable

Teachers:
Ariadne Kapsali
Benita Glogowska
Bess Shipside
Fotini Vasilopoulos
Joelle Green
Kim Rominik
Laura Jessett
Lucie Norris
Olanna Chijioke
Juliet Cochrane
Ann Pidcock
Rachel Perry

Yin is a soothing, meditative yoga practice which focuses on passive, seated postures designed to lengthen the connective tissues in the hips, pelvis and lower spine. Poses are held for longer periods of time with an aim to increase flexibility and encourage a feeling of release and letting go. A beautiful way to learn the basics of meditation, Yin is the perfect complement to yang classes and the stresses of daily life.

Level: Open

Teachers:
Ann Pidcock
Kim Romanik

Yoga nidra or “yogic sleep” is a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping. It is a systematic form of guided relaxation which often brings immediate physical effects such as reduced stress and release of physical tension – it is said that 30 minutes of Yoga Nidra is equivalent to about two hours’ sleep!

Level: Open

Teachers:
Fotini Vasilopoulos