Yoga Styles
Yoga we teach
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Hatha combines postures (asanas) with conscious breathing and focus to develop strength, flexibility and mental clarity. Creating flexibility in the joints and connective tissue, encouraging more ease in the body and an improved flow of prana (energy).
Hatha yoga is one of the most practiced yoga forms and has the potential to help with flexibility and focus in all aspects of life. Students can expect to develop body awareness. The word Hatha is a Sanskrit word and literally translates to English as ‘Ha’ = Sun and ‘Tha’ = moon. Therefore and simply, the practice of Hatha yoga is a balancing of the Sun and the moon, the Yin and Yang, male and female, positive and negative and the dark and light which lies within all of us.
On a physical level, when we practice Hatha, we are bringing into balance the left and right sides of the body. Have you ever noticed how it is usually easier to do something one side of the body than the other? This is very normal and the practice of Hatha is a tool to help us learn how to bring our left and right sides into balance.
Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Iyengar and Power Yoga classes are all forms of Hatha Yoga. However in these classes, we will be focusing on the foundational style – or Classical Hatha as it is sometimes referred to. The postures taught, will be focused on alignment and breath while entering, holding and leaving the posture. Poses are broken down, with modifications offered for all levels. There will be flowing sequences, exploring connection with body and movement, taking time to move through the postures to promote healthy habits both on and off the mat. Meditation is included in these classes, which is the whole aim of posture and breath work, to prepare us for the practice of meditation. And the most important thing of all… saving the best for last – learning the art of relaxation. Not always as easy as it sounds. Classes offer a guided relaxation at the end, to help you move into that place of bliss to round the practice off nicely.
If you are a beginner, we appreciate this could sound like a lot. However, the only intention for the class is to show up on the mat, and express yourself in the practice of yoga exactly as you are.
In this modern age, many people suffer from a wide range of physical, emotional, mental and environmental challenges that create a variety of problems in our lives, including minor disturbances and illnesses all the way to severe imbalances that lead to life threatening diseases. The tantric practices empower us take charge of our health, healing and evolution at all levels of our being, from physical to spiritual.
There are techniques in this vast toolbox of the tantric science that address every aspect of human experience and give us the ability to bring balance to our entire being. The tantric path is the path of purification that enables us to return to our natural state of feeling our innate connection to everything around us by focusing on balancing the energy within ourselves which opens us to be pure channels for the healing and invigorating energies of the universe to flow through us, thereby making it possible for each of us to fulfill our potential by stepping into our highest levels of personal power.
As well as asana, breath work, meditation and relaxation, classes will have specific focus of the chakras, the three main nadi’s, sublimation and Pranayama techniques. These practices and techniques will allow the body to open up and invite the energy to flow through, bringing purification of the body.
With these techniques and a regular practice, you can heal physical, emotional and mental pain and experience the most profound expanded states of consciousness that ultimately transcend the limitations of the body and mind. The tantric science gives you the tools to manifest your ultimate reality.
All levels welcome. This will either be a chance for people new to yoga to learn some simple techniques to start the purification process (they really aren’t complicated) or for experienced practitioners to deepen their practice of Hatha Yoga from a tantric perspective.
This is a great class for anyone with sore and achy back’s/joints. It is also a valuable class for those who would simply like to take it slower. Classes focus on releasing tension, working with the joints, strengthening and connecting with the breath. These relaxation focused classes move slowly with breath and movement, through basic poses, encouraging our bodies and minds to slow down, listen and be more present.
A great class for those who enjoy a slower class, welcoming to beginners and those with health concerns. It is also a fantastic class for stress reduction and can be helpful to experienced yogis seeking more refinement while building their yoga practice. Each class includes the practice of pranayama (breath work) and will finish with a deep relaxation called Yoga Nidra.
This practice stretches connective tissue around the joints and bones. A passive practice, Yin Yoga involves variations of poses typically held for up to 3-5 minutes and sometimes longer. Meeting the intensity of a stretch helps you to foster a deep, pervading sense of calm, accessing deeper layers of fascia, calming the mind and nervous system, enabling you to turn inward, and focus on the breath. Whether you are a complete beginner or an advanced student, this is a practice open to all levels.
Yin Yoga teachings were first brought to the Western world in the late 70s, by martial arts expert and Taoist Yoga teacher, Paulie Zink.
Yin yoga is a stilling practice that cultivates a deep sense of awareness through the release of mind and body stresses. An antidote to the busy modern life, Yin focuses on releasing the connective tissue of the body (tendons, ligaments and fascia). Poses are held for long periods, allowing the student to relax as they express patience and quiet.