My “Yoga for beginners” classes are ideal for those who are new to this discipline or those who don’t have a regular practice. If you do have a regular practice and are familiar with most of the techniques, you may also participate in an “improvers” class.

Beginners classes would also be recommended to those who may have any injuries/mobility restrictions or medical conditions that would make it strenuous to come to a standing position from a seated /lying down position at a moderate pace.

You will learn postures to stretch and strengthen, breathing practices and meditation techniques that will be beneficial to your body and your mind.

My beginners classes, which I also like to refer to as “Yoga for All” classes can be attended no matter what your previous experience of Yoga is, whether you have never done Yoga before or whether you have been practising for years you are always welcome to come along.

In a beginners class I always take the time to explain all practices and techniques in detail; we build gradually our posture work to make sure you learn the Yoga positions, or “asana”, the breathing practices “pranayama” and the meditation techniques correctly and safely, once you become familiar with the basic practices, you can also join an “improvers class”.

A session usually starts with a few minutes spent on developing awareness of the present moment, by focusing on the breath, concentrating inwards and becoming physically grounded.

Then it moves into a series of gentle limbering postures, which help to open up and warm up all the joints and muscles.

Limbering postures are followed by strengthening ones, which create heat and energy in the body.

The session then slows down as we move into a series of calming poses, where we allow the body to soften and release before entering final relaxation.

We are all different when it comes to mobility and range of movement, or we may have some medical conditions that need to be taken into account, this is why it is important that the practice adapts to the individual, not the other way round. For this purpose class size is small so that you can be guaranteed to receive individual attention and feedback as well as suggestions on modifications or alternatives to poses or practices that may not be suitable for you.

Whilst breath awareness is something we focus on throughout a Yoga class, there are also specific breathing techniques (pranayama) which will be used in combination with certain postures and practices. We allow the body to enjoy movement as well as times of complete stillness and relaxation, creating an atmosphere conducive to our meditation practice.

Yoga can help you in many ways, on a physical and mental level. Some of the benefits include:

• Release of muscular tension and mental stress
• Increased energy levels
• Improved posture, balance and flexibility, which will help decreasing back, neck and joint pain associated with poor posture
• Increased strength
• Lubrication of the joints, ligaments and tendons increases, thus helping to increase joint range of motion
• A greater sense of freedom and ease in the body and mind
• Increased self-acceptance

If you would like more information, please feel free to contact me.