Community and connectedness

Ingredients to a happy life

At Yoga Spirit Studios you are welcome just as you are. We are a community. People come to do a yoga class and make lifelong friends. You do not need to be flexible, fit, slim or have the latest fashion yoga clothes. You might start with limited movement. You are just welcome as you are and we will help you expand your range of mobility, build your strength, increase your activity , remain independent and fine greater ease within yourself.

Somatics for pain free movement

Stiff? Find movement painful?

Then somatics classes might be perfect for you.

What is somatics?

Most of all it is kind! Gentle movements persuade muscles that are chronically tight to release, and sticky fascia to be freed and the result is an amazing increase in range of motion, even from just one movement process. Expect to be amazed with some of these movements.

Sometimes we have patterns of movement that have become ingrained that are not serving us well. These movement patterns might also cause or exacerbate injuries to joints and muscles which contribute to pain. Somatics is designed to repattern these movements.

Our yoga teachers often incorporate somatic movements in our yoga classes, but we also have two dedicated somatic movement classes on our timetable:

  • Monday evenings at 6pm - Pain Free Body and Mind - Somatics 60 minute class with Jo
  • Thursday evenings at 6pm - Pain Free Body and Mind - Somatics and iRest® Meditation with Tina

If you are finding movement difficult, this could be the place to start. Jo is also a Clinical Somatics practitioner and you can enquire about having private sessions with her to receive tailored support for your unique situation. From time to time Jo also offers short courses and workshops in Somatics.

Gentle yoga you can modify to your needs

Yoga that is not about show-off poses

Yoga with us is not at all about showy poses. And your safety is our primary concern. We encourage and celebrate modifications. We offer props and modified versions of postures for you to try to find the version that works for you. You can even bring a chair to the mat to use when needed.

The greatest benefits of yoga come from sustained practice, entraining movement and breathing. Extreme stretching is not encouraged, just gentle movements that will keep the body active, build strength and improve posture.

And even better are the benefits to the mind!

Meditation for mental health and spiritual fulfillment

Meditation is most definitely a part of yoga. Sometimes it is moving meditation, sometimes seated, sometimes a lying down meditation called yoga nidra.

Meditation is wonderful as it is healing for the traumas we have encountered in life, allowing us to reconnect with a wholeness within we may have forgotten was possible. And in so doing it is deeply nurturing to our spiritual well-being.

You may find meditative moments in any class but in particular we offer the following regular classes:

  • Meditation, Mind & Body 10 am Sunday is a movement and meditation class incorporating very gentle movements with the breath, simple, repetitive, allowing the thinking mind to let go and enter into the rapture of the moment, plus a formal seated (or perhaps lying) meditation practice - usually with either Tina or Anne (90 minute class)
  • Pain Free Body & Mind on Thursdays at 6pm is a 90 minute class that includes a 30 minute (lying) meditation called iRest® Yoga Nidra with Tina.
  • Fridays at about 11.35am (after the 10 am Everyday yoga class) Vittal offers a half hour meditation for free.
  • Saturdays at 9am there is a 60 minute iRest® Yoga Nidra class with Tina. Each week a theme is discussed which is then explored in the meditation. This class is recorded and particupants are emailed the recording after class.

When do you have classes?

We have daytime classes and evening classes, week day and weekends, for you to choose from.

The best thing to do is to head over to our timetable page and take a look, or contact us.