Centred Space Yoga & Thai Yoga Massage

As my dear friend Brea @heartandbonesyoga beautifully vocalised in her post yesterday, telling you about how the lift in my instep while pressing down and bringing attention to the spread of my toes helps me to bring attention all the way up the legs, spine... is not going to solve the soreness of our political situation, it is not going to remove plastics from the ocean or resolve growing racism or homophobia; I’m not going to change the world from my mat.
But... if I am ce...ntred and grounded I may be able to rise above the overwhelm at all these crises to bring focus and clarity to direct action.
If I feel strong and connected to my body I feel more connected to others.
If I study and embody the deeper philosophies of yoga and Buddhism, compassion for world through direct action is inevitable.
And if I can hold space in which others can wake up, feel similarly centred and clear, then this can ripple further. As Thich Nhat Hanh puts it, we are all ‘interbeing’. Whatever it is we ‘do’ in the world, professionally and personally, we must consider our impact.
My current focuses in #xryogaaction are to:
1. Not buy fast fashion. #xr52fastfashion #xrfashionaction #xrboycottfashion
2. Not buy single use plastic.
3. Eat consciously: plant based, reducing food miles and food waste.
4. Respect the precious resources we have: mindful use of water, use only sustainable energy sources.
5. Connect to nature: plant flowers, trees, feed birds...
All of our small, conscious actions make a difference. Larger actions to follow with #xryogaaction: meditation events, savasana ins...
What else?
#extinctionrebellionyogi #extinctionrebellion #extinctionrebellionbrighton #sustainableyoga #yogaoffthemat #movewithlove #vajrasatiyoga #brightonyoga #centredspace
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“Virtually nothing written in English is really authoritative for practitioners of yoga. So why not hold more gently the beliefs you've acquired about yoga, even while you keep learning? Let’s admit we don't fully understand these ancient yoga practices yet; and instead of seeking to be an authority on some oversimplified version of them, you can invite yourself and your students to look more clearly, more honestly, more carefully, and more non-judgmentally at their own inner... experience.”*
For me this is perfect reminder as a yoga teacher, and human, on humility. In this world, especially online, of fast-paced, impact-heavy information, bringing critical enquiry to our sources. Recognising that even evidence-based research often shows one perspective, subjective ‘truth’.
If we come back every time to our direct experience, encourage and support our students to do the same, rather than putting forward opinion as truth, trends or even what we have learnt as empirical fact.
Whether we are talking about the chakras, Sanskrit, physical or meditative practises, the more we learn, if we are honest, the more we know we don’t know.
‘How does this feel to you?’ is surely the most appropriate and useful question. And it is questions rather than answers we should be inviting. The key to the infinite.
The invitation to open body and mind to deepening enquiry #vajrasatiyoga Thursday 12-1 @brightonnaturalhealthcentre.
And #mumandbabyyogabrighton 11-12 where you can reconnect to this inner work and your body with your baby.
*From Chris Wallis’s excellent blog on The Real story on The Chakras. Https://hareesh.org/…/2016/2/5/the-real -story-on-the-chakras.
📸 @lailapoppylaurel 🙏🏻🧡
#sustainableyoga #movewithlove #centredspace #brightonyoga #yogajoy #selfenquiry #yogabrighton #yogabrightonandhove #humility #morequestionsthananswers #meditation #pratayahara #yogaforlife #howtoteachyoga
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Are you feeling out of balance, tense, stressed? Thai massage works on the whole system to bring balance through the physical and the energy body, releasing fascia, muscle tension and promoting general wellbeing. Because there is also movement, the body is mindfully stretched as well as receiving pressure, so there is greater dimension than many other modalities.
Just a couple of appointments left over the next couple of weeks, make time to care for your body and soul and DM... now for your appointment.
I’ll also be @lovesupremefest again so let me know if you’d like to book in while you’re there.
Thanks so much to @lailapoppylaurel for lovely 📸 taken at this weekend’s workshop at #brightonnaturalhealthcentre where we focussed on releasing tension particularly around the spine.
#thaiyogamassage #thaimassagebrighton #lovesupremefest #massagebrighton #massagebrightonandhove #thaimassage #subtlebody #fascialrelease
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So I’ve committed to #xr52fastfashion - to not buy any fast fashion for a year.
And I LOVE clothes. Getting dressed is an expression of joy. Creativity. When I wear colour I am very aware of how it affects my mood - and sometimes ripples out further. We all respond to colour and aesthetics. And that is completely achievable without buying fast fashion: buying second hand; sustainable, ethical brands; or even considering when we don’t need to buy anything.
Because of course ...there is something deeper about self acceptance too - which is another layer to this, and how this links in to #xryogaaction.
Bringing the tenets of yoga, the #yamas off the mat and into the everyday. Non-violence - refusing to support an industry that causes harm to workers, the planet...
Not grasping. Cultivating contentment. Being fully conscious and present right where we are.
The consumer drive is the opposite to this, embedding in us the conditioned response that we are not enough as we are. That we are not satisfied. That to be seen, validated, we should do more, be more, buy more, subscribe to more. This can apparent even in some yoga practices, the drive to practise more, get better, improve; that you, your body, your leggings, your mat, even the posture you are practising... are not acceptable as they are. The cult of newness is pervasive. As is that of individualism - capitalism maximises on our feelings of uniqueness. In other cultures, where people have been conditioned by communism, for example, studies show a much less developed sense of self, more emphasis on community. Of course there is a middle path.
It is absolutely time to challenge this conditioning, for our own mental health and for the good of the world. With every purchase we make (clothes or otherwise), exploring ‘do I need this?’ ‘Why am I buying it?’ ‘What am I buying?’
And if we buy no new clothes exploring the concept that we are good enough as we are.
#sustainableyoga #yogaoffthemat #ethicalfashion #sustainablefashionshopping #sustainableclothes #samskaras
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Playing with the wall to explore balance. Using the floor, wall, bolster... whatever props you have... to push against as much as for support.
And playing. Play is so vital in life as much as yoga. Coming away from set patterns, sequences... noticing when we become formulaic about how we do things, including moving in and out and through our yoga practice. Shifting up so that we can find new focus.
Usual yoga for Climbers today exploring play on the mat that can support pla...y on the wall. 10.15-11.15 @boulderbrighton
Then 6-7.15pm the first of my new class @brightonbuddhistcentre - I’m so happy to be teaching in this beautiful space. In this class we will flow through some familiar postures finding the unfamiliar, playing; followed by a long yoga nidra to completely assimilate, release and drop into the space between conscious and subconscious where we can work with deeper held tensions and patterns.
#sustainableyoga #movewithlove #vajrasatiyoga #centredspace #brightonyoga #yogabrighton #boulderbrighton #brightonbuddhistcentre #wallyoga #yogaplay
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After an evening of deepening study on Bhairavī, the fierce Mahāvidyā associated with tapas - heat, discipline.
I love this upside down version of Adho Mukha Svanasana, as it plays with proprioception, load and adds strength to the practise. Also some fearlessness.
I have to admit, even as a yoga teacher, I am not a great handstander, but this is a wonderful way to work into it, gradually coming away from the wall, one leg at a time - if that feels right, of course. Certain...ly wakes up body and mind and brings a freshness of perspective.
Important to ground this vital energy afterwards, sitting for at least a few breaths in Virasana, or another comfortable seated position if that doesn’t suit your knees.
#sustainableyoga #vajrasatiyoga #bhairavi #mahavidya #agni #energisingpostures #inversionvariation
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Setting up for a workshop: setting the intention of love and care. Both in the quiet preparation, the time and space to ground, invoking gratitude for teachers, ancestors, guides... and preparing to hold the space with love and openness for those who come.
#movewithlove #vajrasatiyoga #centredspace #brightonyoga #brightonyogateacher #brightonnaturalhealthcentre #mettainaction #metta #thaiyogamassage #thaimassage

Fathers’ Day sorted: vouchers available for Thai Massage or why not treat him to an experience - tomorrow’s workshop @brightonnaturalhealthcentre 2-5pm is all about the back, so exploring and easing our tired backs and shoulders with gentle yoga a Thai Massage. http://www.bnhc.co.uk/workshops to book.
Of course you could also come yourself and learn techniques to share on Fathers’ Day - win win!
#thaiyogamassage #thaimassagebrighton #sustainableyoga #movewithlove #fathersdayvouchers #thaimassagevouchers #greatgiftsbrighton #brightonyoga #brightonlife #brightonworkshops #brightonwellbeing #wellbeingworkshops #learnthaimassage #vajrasatiyoga #centredspace

Sore back? Tired shoulders? This is the workshop for you - 3 hours exploring yoga and Thai massage to relieve tension, create space and improve energy.
https://www.facebook.com/events/394605264 479454/?ti=icl

Ahimsa. Non-violence.
One of the ethical tenets of yoga; vital considerations for us as yogis, as humans, as sentient beings beyond the mat: not stealing, not grasping, abstinence, truthfulness. Beyond Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras, the Rig Veda, Upanishads, Hatha Yoga Pradipika and other texts includes further restraints such as moderation in food, compassion, fortitude and sincerity.
So inspired by the ethos of #extinctionrebellion to raise consciousness through direct, non-v...iolent action, to save our planet and all the interconnected life that coexists on it, how can we as yoga practitioners participate more wholeheartedly to uphold the values at the heart of yoga, at the heart of humanity?
I would like to draw together our wonderful community for this purpose. Right now. Who’s with me?
Individually we can embody the Yamas, not only in our classes (which of course ripples out into life) but in so many other possible ways.
Actions such as: #xrfashionaction - only wearing and buying sustainable fashion. Yoga wear is often shockingly unsustainable in both fabric and production.
Where we teach: are products - from mats to cleaning - environmentally friendly? Can we have these conversations with studios where this is not the case?
What and how we eat: consciousness of how sustainable our food is, how much we consume...
Can we use our voices as holders of communities, to embody and vocalise within our offerings the principles of the Yamas in direct action?
Start dialogues, inspire our communities to bring attention and non-judgemental awareness, without prescribing, the subtle shifts in behaviour, body and mind off the mat just as on it. Of course this is with compassion.
I’d also like to get the ball rolling on peaceful events where we can come together to be part of this powerful movement for positive change. Mass meditations, mantras, savasana-ins...
Thoughts and suggestions please.
#xryogaaction #xryogis #xryoga #sustainableyoga #yogaoffthemat #centredspace #ahimsa #extinctionrebellionyogi #extinctionrebellionbrighton #brightonyoga #yogaforlife #beyondasana
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Do you love your bum? If the answer is ‘no’, my guess is it feels that ‘unlove’ as tension. Maybe a sad droop. If you feel great gluteal joy, then you know it deserves some kindness.
Either way, Thai massage gets into all those tight spots, encouraging a feeling of whole body release; all those slightly neglected but much overused bits are given some kindness and attention, some ease; stretched and connected.
... I have some appointments for next week, DM for details. And a couple of spaces left too for this weekend’s workshop @brightonnaturalhealthcentre 2-5pm on Saturday: @vajrasatiyoga and Thai massage focussing on the back - who doesn’t need some dorsal love?
#glutealrelease #greatglutes #thaimassage #thaiyogamassage #thaimassagebrighton #brightonmassage #feelgoodbrighton #brightonwellbeing
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Pregnancy yoga at the Hanover Community Centre, new time of 7.15-8.30pm, every Wednesday.
These classes are more than postural yoga 🧘🏻‍♀️. Of course we care for the changing body, but also explore the breath, meditation techniques, mindfulness and more.
Starting with discussion and a cup of herbal tea, each woman has the opportunity to discuss not only her physical experience but also how she feels, so that each class responds to what is needed. There is no fixed format or ...script.
While we of course bring attention to and build a toolkit to ease pregnancy and birth, we also bring awareness to the myriad changes that occur after the birth, which while a seismic life event, is just a small part of the incredible evolution that becoming a parent involves.
Birth partners are also welcome to participate if they wish in classes, and I also offer private sessions for couples using massage and yoga to support the journey, as well as Thai massage for pregnancy and post-partum.
Come and join the community of Hanover and Brighton mamas to be.
I have been teaching this class for over a decade and am a senior yoga teacher and mama of four. It is my pleasure to be a small part of so many women’s remarkable journeys.
#pregnancyyoga #pregnancyyogabrighton #antentalyogabrighton #movewithlove #antenatalbrighton #pregnantinbrighton #brightonpregnancy #brightonpregnancymassage #centredspace #vajrasatiyoga
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Please note new start time for Hanover’s longest running pregnancy yoga class. 7.15-8.30pm every Wednesday with senior yoga teacher and mum of four.
Join the community of local mums to be for support and friendships that will last for years.

Please note new start time for Pregnancy Yoga as of this week, Wednesdays 7.15-8.30pm at The Hanover Community Centre. Come and join the community of Hanover mums to be <3

Exploring the familiar with blocks is always ‘exciting’ as it shifts balance and load.
Ready to play with my climbing yogis @boulderbrighton then a session with the charming @dv8sussex guys who are enjoying exploring yoga with me as part of their Life Skills sessions, empowering vulnerable young adults.
And what a skill to have, to be able to consciously regulate the nervous system by coming back into the body, locating the breath. This should be part of everyone’s educatio...n - connecting emotions, thoughts and feelings to the felt senses, recognising that they are all fleeting and offer new pathways, new responses.
Of course I’m a yoga evangelist, but realistically, the more people start to make their own connections, find compassion, ease, regulate, even simply feel good, the more this can spread into actions in the world.
#sustainableyoga #movewithlove #centredspace #vajrasatiyoga #boulderbrighton #yogiswhoclimb #yogaforclimbersbrighton #yogaforclimbers #yogaforlife #yogaformentalhealth
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Heading to Cambridge today to be part of the incredible @motherworksuk arts festival @cambridgejunction. Producer @ruthdudman and I first met in UMEMamas, the women’s circle I facilitate in Brighton, a couple of years back. We talked a lot about maternal mental health, the lack of honest, non-judgemental spaces where mothers can express their experiences. How vital support and care is for mothers post-natally, often in the absence of family and community.
This amazing woman ...has since put together the most incredible and inspiring arts festival bringing together a fierce group of artists and a program that is both heartwarming and challenging in the best possible way, all revolving around maternal mental health.
What’s most cool (for me!) is that Ruth wanted to ensure that the space is held and participants nurtured, so I’m holding an opening meditation space to ground and embody, offering hand and foot massage demos at lunchtime and am part of a panel - The Extreme in The Mainstream - talking about tools to support parents emotionally.
Yoga off the mat, bringing philosophy, mind- and bodyfulness into life, full colour.
It’s going to be almost as brilliant as these Push-me Pull-you suits in the show Dadders, in which Dad Daniel is dyspraxic and too slow, Frauke has ADHD and is too fast.
If you’re anywhere near Cambridge this weekend there are still a few tickets left https://www.motherworks.org.uk
UMEMamas Brighton is every Monday in term time, 9.30-11 at the Phoenix Community Centre. Come along with or without your little one.
#cambridgejunction #thejunctioncambridge #cambridgearts #cambridgeartsfestival #cambridgemums #cambridgemamas #maternalmentalhealth #centredspace #letstalkaboutmaternalmentalhealth #umemamas
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Placing some boundaries on movement is always an interesting way to really draw attention more deeply into certain parts of the body.
In many postures, we will move habitually from parts of the body that will ‘helpfully’ take over. We often use momentum, gravity and pull, either by tethering to the floor (for instance, placing a foot and using it to pull bodyweight) or using hands to assist.
Taking the hands out of the picture and limiting movement in the pelvis and belly h...ere brings all the love and focus into the legs and hips (although you can see there will always be some movement from more well-mapped muscle groups, where I use my abs to assist. It is all connected).
With any self-imposed limitations on movement, of course mindful not to hold, tighten, especially around the breath.
This way of fine tuning helps to build strength and stability in the hips and legs here, even though perceived flexibility may be less. But if our practise is in service of waking up connection to the present through the body, here we go!
Vajrasati yoga today @brightonnaturalhealthcentre 12-1, come and explore movement and presence with me 🙏🏻
#sustainableyoga #movewithlove #vajrasatiyoga #centredspace #yogablocks #strengthandstability #brightonyoga #yogajoy #yogateacherbrighton #brightonnaturalhealthcentre
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