Essence Yoga

About Me

I first came to yoga in my early twenties, when I joined a class at my workplace as a way to wind down after a busy, often stressful day. Even back then yoga worked its magic, and I would regularly doze off during relaxation. Over the years I continued to attend classes locally and by the time I reached my forties, yoga was part of a regular routine. Having suffered with back pain for many years, I found it a helpful form of movement to ease my discomfort as well as to quieten my rather over-active mind. I am always amazed by the feeling of complete calm a yoga class brings to both head and body; something I refer to now as ‘that yoga feeling’..

After enjoying a wonderful yoga retreat in France back in 2018, I decided I’d like to delve deeper into the teachings of yoga so I could share the benefits with others. This led me to complete my Level 4, 300-hour teacher training with the British Wheel of Yoga and I now teach weekly classes in my hometown of Poole, in Dorset.

Having already seen the benefit of yoga for older adults in my own classes, I decided to deepen my learning in this area. In 2023 I qualified with the British Wheel of Yoga as a gentle years yoga teacher. This is an Ofqual level 4 certificate which teaches yoga techniques to improve both physical and mental health in older adults. I now enjoy sharing and building on the knowledge I've acquired from this in my Monday 'Chair & Mat' class.

Why Yoga?

Yoga means to ‘yoke’ or unite. Simply put, it is about finding a sense of harmony and ‘one-ness’ between the body, the mind and the breath.

A regular yoga practice can bring many benefits. The wide variety of movement builds both strength and flexibility in our muscles, increases the density of our bones (essential as we get older), improves balance and posture, improves cardiovascular health, boosts theimmune system and calms the nervous system, leading to better sleep and a reduced response to stress.

In our busy lives, yoga creates a precious space to have the time to just ‘be’ with your body, simply moving and breathing. The end of each class brings a wonderfulfeeling of calm and clarity - that yoga feeling - and a little more lightness of spirit. Yoga allows us to become more self-aware and therefore better equipped to work through the ups and downs of life.

Essence Yoga

I passionately believe that yoga is for everybody; it’s certainly not about forcing your body to do things it isn’t ready or happy to do. The key guiding principal is steadiness and ease. We’re all different and what may be achievable for one person may never be possible for another. So, it’s really not about what the pose looks like but more about how it feels. This for me is the essence of yoga.

The great thing is that there are so many ways to adapt and modify every yoga ‘asana.’ I encourage the use of props throughout my classes to help support this and deepen what we do. The ‘props’ can be yoga blocks, yoga straps, resistance bands, the wall or a chair. For me, a perfect class is one when I see each student becoming more at ease with their own body, blissfully unaware of their neighbour, with everyone doing something slightly different; something which works and feels good for them.
In classes we move through a variety of ‘asana’ (postures), exploring breathwork as we go, and then allow ourselves some stillness and relaxation. Each class has a theme to help give focus. These themes are influenced by the history and philosophy of yoga, by nature and the seasons, or simply just by life.

My Classes

1:1

Tailored 1:1 classes are available on request, starting at £40 for an hour class.

The beauty of 1:1 classes is that they help you build confidence to get started with yoga. They can also be beneficial if there is something specific you would like to focus on, for example adapting a class if you find it difficult to bear weight on the knees.

They let you practice completely your way, as I design the class to suit your individual requirements. You can have as few or as many as you like.

Feedback:

"Ideal class for not so agile people" DC

"I love coming to your classes and the different themes you do. They are always so relevant and helpful and I always leave feeling better than when I came in." MB

Contact Me

If you would like to find out more, or arrange to join a class, please do get in touch. You can complete this form and reach me by email or connect through social media, links below.

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