Vinyasa Flow
Vinyasa translates as “flowing with breath”. It is a dynamic style of Hatha Yoga that joins physical postures, or Asanas, with inhales and exhales, creating steady internal rhythms for the practice. Our Flow classes are designed to cultivate heat in the body with creative sequences. These involve Sun Salutations, standing and seated postures, back bending, arm balancing and a strong focus on the power of breath awareness. Flow Yoga classes tend to be more vigorous and aerobic than other sessions.
Yin
yin yoga comes from the taoist tradition and focuses on passive, mainly seated or laying postures with the aim of increasing circulation in the joints and improving flexibility and to encourage the feeling of release and letting go.
one of the principles of yin yoga is that we relax the the muscles in the pose so that we can effectively stress our deeper connective tissues the fascia, ligaments and tendons at the deepest level. if the muscles are engaged, they will take up the stress, which reduces the stress in the target areas.
the magic of yin yoga is time: longheld poses where we linger in the juicyness of the pose. 2-3 minutes for beginners and up to 10 minutes for the more experienced yinsters.
when going into a pose you arrive at the appropriate edge, relax, and stay there.
while the approach may seem simple – holding floor-based postures for several minutes, don’t be fooled into thinking yin is a restorative type of yoga. it may be slow, but it doesn’t mean its easy. it can be quite confronting and it can feel much more challenging than a faster-paced yoga.
I teach yin yoga, with the use of many props; bolsters, blankets, blocks and straps -“props are our friends”. yinsters know the intention of their yoga practice is not to look any particular way and they don’t care if a little help is needed to get the sensation into the target area. there are many creative and wonderful ways to use props to help achieve our intentions in yin yoga, they can help us increase or decrease stress in a target area, make certain positions available/accessable and to provide support: when bones feel supported, the muscles can release, and to increase comfort: which means you can stay longer and marinate the postures.
my goal following a yin session is to make you feel as if you have opened up your body, as if you have space inside and maybe leave feeling a bit taller, like you have been through traction.
Mat Pilates
Pilates takes its name from its founder Joseph Pilates. A German-born émigré to Britain and then to America, he devised a new approach to exercise and body conditioning in the early decades of the last century. He conceived it as a mental as well as a physical practice in which individuals could work their bodies to their full potential.
Pilates is based on six principles: Breathing, Centering, Flow, Concentration, Control and Precision.
Mat Pilates will focus on strength, flexibility and balance, while improving your posture, raising your levels of body awareness and reducing your risk of injury. It is perfect for developing core strength and body alignment. It also demands a focus on proper inhaling and exhaling with every movement.
Pilates is gentle yet challenging at the same time, so it is safe and effective for nearly everyone, irrespective of age or fitness ability.
Flow and Glow
‘Flow and Glow’ is the Studio’s signature ‘two-in-one’ class: A 45-minute Vinyasa Flow session followed by a 30-minute Face Yoga session.
The Vinyasa Flow Is taught in the Yoga synergy style developed by Australian physiotherapists. Energizing but gentle on the spine, this style emphasizes movement from the core, tapping into the body’s natural strength and a safe range of movement rather than relying on gravity and momentum to ‘throw’ the body into poses.
Having released tension and activated blood flow and the lymphatic system in this way, we are then perfectly prepared to treat our faces in a seated ‘face Yoga’ session. No two classes are the same, but this element is largely a mix of face sculpting techniques (from Danielle Collins’ ‘Face Yoga Method’) combined with a relaxing face massage. We will be ‘hands on’ in this session and you will need a clean face and your favourite face oil (though we’ve got your covered if you forget the oil). This class is a perfect combination to nourish Face, Body and Mind and to get you glowing both inside and out.
Dynamic Vinyasa (Stretch, Strengthen & Balance)
This class will include back release and strengthening, shoulder and hip opening (so important, especially if you have a desk job).
You will improve flexibility of hamstrings and quadriceps, particularly relevant for runners and cyclists.
The classes will also help you to improve your sense of balance by increasing focus and calming the mind with breath, as well as strengthening your core and foundation.
You will experience overall body-and-mind balance achieved by combining movement, breathwork and relaxation techniques to help you feel recharged, transformed and restored.
