Yogasouls

Thank-you to my Friday morning ladies - you are all awesome! You did an amazing job today with the new Bird of Paradise sequence. And that doesn't mean that everyone nailed it first time - I'm still working on straightening up that leg myself. But what was so wonderful was the concentration you put in, the integrity you worked with and the balance of steadiness and ease - sthiram sukham - with which you practiced. Very proud of you all 🙏🏻🕉 #sthirasukhamasanam #yoga #yogastudents #yogateacher #yogaflow #proud #asanapractice

Blankets for yin tonight are a good idea!!

Don't forget that we have Alignment Yoga Flow and Yoga Relaxation on tonight at Broome Hall 7pm and 8.30pm xx

Arrived nice and early for my new after school yoga club at Warren Farm Primary School in Birmingham. Early enough to grab a #hotchocolate ! Really looking forward to this job - taking a group of 11 year 6 pupils every Monday until Christmas. ☃️😊🕉🙏🏻❤ #afterschoolclub #year6 #yogainschool #yogaforkids #Birmingham #yoga #brum #yogabirmingham #westmidlands #wellbeing #healthyschools

Quite a few of you have asked me recently for recommendations of good yoga mats. OK, it doesn't have a fancy design but for value, wear and grip I really don't think this can be beaten! So maybe add this to your Christmas list... 🙏🏻🕉☃️ https://www.mad-hq.com/product/studio-yog a-mat-45mm-red

The experience of a retreat is so much more than the sum of its parts. We benefit from abhyasa - continued or sustained effort. On retreat the sum is to get a small glimpse into the life of a full-time yogi, a person who has dedicated their life to spiritual practice, physical refinement and emotional and mental growth. Now I am not a 'true yogi' in this sense. Yes, I practice and teach yoga and its guidance informs my personal and moral life. But I have a family, commi...tments, work etc. I am a "householder" as the true Yogis term it. That's not to denigrate the value we "householders" bring to the world. We are more on the material plan than the aescetics, whose life purpose is an austere one of renunciation and dedication. Our retreat will not be austere - that's for sure!! But it IS an opportunity to get a small, tiny glimpse into a different life path. To renounce eating meat for a week, watching TV and other things that may be part of your daily life that you don't question. It's also an opportunity to feel the difference for yourself of daily practice, discipline and dedication. If you'd like to join us, please contact me quickly, before early bird prices end on Dec 31st xx Dates June 1st - 6th Andalucia Spain #retreat #abhyasa #yogaretreat #yoga
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So, November's Alignment Flow practise is ready! We're going to build on the work we've done during September and October to culminate in a challenging sequence leading up to Bird of Paradise Pose - seen here in the first pic. But equally pic 2 or 3 may be where you're at (honesty alert - the first pic is the only time I've ever got near to straightening my leg in this asana! Still - the sequence must work!!) It combines balance and strength with openness in the hips, shou...lders AND hamstrings, so a LOT going on here! Pics 4 and 5 are some of the poses we'll practice throughout our sequence to help work towards our peak. Now don't freak out or be intimidated by this pose! It REALLY doesn't matter where you are in the posture, as long as you are AWARE and remain mentally in the moment. Staying aware of your body, your breath & your mind is what differentiates yoga from the gym. Deepening our understanding - and acceptance - of our physical and non-physical selves is what yoga is truly for. The more we practice, the more we become aware of - and able to let go of - the "vrittis" - the modifications of the mind. The little voice that says things like "I'm crap at this/ I'm not as good as her/ he's really annoying me/I'm ignoring that bad feeling in my leg" etc etc. (Especially please don't do the last one!) So, stay present, within the moment, within your experience. The poses are there to serve us, NOT the other way around! And our Nov practice will serve your body wherever you are. The Peak Pose is the last 5-10 minutes of the active part of the class. The real work happens in the stuff we do before! Alignment Yoga Flow classes take place on Tues eves and Fri mornings.(But remember next week we move to weds 6th instead of tue 5th, as a one off) Yoga Basics on Thurs eve will also look, more slowly and in more detail, at some of the elements of the sequence here. Hope to see you on the mat!! #birdofparadisepose #yoga #alignmentyoga #slowflow #strongandsteady #vinyasa #hatha #asana #yogateacher #hamstrings #balance #flow #vrittis #yogachittavrittinirodha #hagley #stourbridge #kidderminster
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Woohoo I am SO excited to share with you all the details of the Yoga Souls Spanish Summer Retreat 2020! 5 days of putting your wellbeing at the top of the priority list! 1st - 6th June, in Andalucia. Early Bird prices until 31st Dec (makes a great Christmas present!!) Contact me for more info and check out the details on the event page. x x x

OK I've never done anything like a product review or plug but I totally LOVE these #yogasocks from the funky little shop Neon Sheep! @neonsheepbarn They are the best ones I've ever worn, so I went back to #merryhill yesterday and bought another 3 pairs! They stay in place, they actually grip and they look really cute with the criss-cross elastic over the top. AND they are only £3 a pair!! Hurry if you want a pair coz there was only 2 pairs left after I hit the store up!! Hopefully they will re-stock soon! 🤣🤣👌🧦🧦 #yogasox #yogateacher #yogalife #yogi #bargain

Just a reminder that there's no eve class tomorrow as the hall has a booking for a wedding! Next week we are swapping tue for weds.. then back to normal! 🙏🏻

We haven't done #headstand in class for a while so here's a reminder of the steps. It's great to keep re-visiting the peak poses we worked on in previous months to remind the body of all the cues and to keep the strength, flexibility and confidence levels high! As you know, different poses activate different parts of the body and have different effects. Inversions have many wonderful benefits, when done carefully and not rushed.
♡Start seated, clasp the hands ♡place elbows ...at shoulder width on the mat (blanket for comfort) ♡crown (top) of head connects to mat ♡tuck toes and lift hips, straighten legs ♡walk feet in as much as you can, hips to come over shoulders. (You may need to work on this bit to find the length in the back body and openness in the upper back) ♡press elbows & forearms into floor and feel weight being taken in the arms and shoulders (not neck!!) Your feet should feel light. Work here for as long as you need to! Repeat until you have the strength (this is the most important step!!) ♡ Engage core, draw one knee in to chest, test your balance, then draw in the other leg ♡ straighten legs, maybe one at a time ♡count your breaths and see how long you can maintain the pose #sirsasana #inversion #yoga #yogavideo #hagley #stourbridge #belbroughton #kidderminster #westmidlands
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Shout out to corporations and business owners - don't let your staff "end up like Emma"!! Bring yoga to your workplace!
"According to William Higham, the author of the Work Colleague Of The Future report, if employers and workers don't act now to address the health risks posed by modern desk jobs, then we will all end up looking like Emma."
https://news.sky.com/…/life-sized-model -shows-what-office-w…

Thursday classes are on half term break now for 2 weeks as we follow Elmfield's term times with these 2. So Yoga Basics and Yin Stretch & Relax are both back on 7th Nov. We're also going to bring the time of yin forward a little to 7.45pm. Booking for both of these classes is per half term block, so this final block of 2019 is 6 wks at £42 (for either class). Please get in touch if you'd like to reserve your spot! ... 🙏🏻🕉 Yoga Basics - 6.30pm Hatha yoga great for beginners and for those wishing to learn all the classical postures in detail.
Candlelight Yin Deep Stretch & Relax 7.45pm Mindful and relaxing, yet challenging deep stretch and release class. Suitable for all ages and abilities.
#yinyoga #beginneryoga #hatha #asana #flexible #stretch #chill #meditate #mindful #relax #stourbridge #yogaclass
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