Your workshop

Your workshop will be live-streamed via Zoom.

This workshop will focus on balance and stability with the view of working towards a sensitive, supportive and sustainable movement practice that responds to your needs and environments.

In the first half of this workshop, we will take an in-depth look at balance from the ground up: experimenting with movements that prepare, mobilise and challenge our feet, ankles and knees. We will then consider how the position of our pelvis, shoulders and head can affect our sense of body control and experience how our ‘core’ responds to maintain stability.

In the second half of this workshop, we will play with novel and dynamic alternatives to common standing balances found in yoga classes such as: tree (Vrksasana), warrior 3 (Virabhadrasana III) and standing ‘hand to big toe’ (Utthita Hasta Pandangusthasana) poses.

The aim of this workshop is to widen the group’s understanding of balance from an ability to be remain perfectly ‘still’ to a dynamic, whole-body experience that is inherently (and sometimes helpfully) a bit ‘wobbly’.

Schedule

10:00-11:00 Setting the foundation: a look at balance from the feet up

Comfort break

11:15-12:00 Adding novelty and stimulus: how we can find balance through play

This workshop is suitable for:

• beginners

• curious movers from any physical practice discipline, or sport

You will learn ways to:

• adapt your yoga practice to incorporate a wide-range of creative movement

• improve balance, strength and stability outside of a gym environment

• accommodate and address issues surrounding hyper-mobility and injury

Equipment

In addition to your yoga mat, 2 yoga blocks (or chunky books), any small weight you can hold in your hand (under 2kg), a resistance band (or belt), tennis ball (or massage ball/foam roller) may be nice to have, but not essential. Be creative with what you have at home.

How to join

You will receive an automated confirmation email after booking. You will receive a second email containing all of the essential joining information in the week beginning 23rd November.

Any questions, teething issues, or suggestions? Feel free to contact me.

Your workshop

Your workshop will be live-streamed via Zoom.

This workshop will focus on building what is widely referred to as 'core strength', or 'stability', working towards a sensitive and sustainable movement practice.

The group will learn about the complexities of ‘core strength’. The aim of this workshop is to move the spotlight away from the achievement of ‘good-looking’ yoga postures and rock-solid abs, to a whole-body experience that is focused on being curious about how the body organises itself and finding ways that are more helpful, novel and challenging.

Schedule

• 10:00-11:00 Defining 'core': connecting upper and lower body

• Comfort break and group discussion

• 11:15-12:00 Building ‘core’: progressive strength

This workshop is suitable for:

• beginners

• curious yoga practitioners of any discipline

You will learn ways to:

• adapt your yoga practice to incorporate more strengthening elements

• improve core strength outside of a gym environment

Equipment

In addition to your yoga mat, a yoga block (or chunky book), small weight (under 2kg), resistance band (or belt) may be nice to have, but not essential. Be creative with what you have at home.

How to join

You will receive an automated confirmation email after booking. You will receive a second email containing all of the essential joining information in the week beginning 16th August.

Any questions, teething issues, or suggestions? Feel free to contact me.

Your workshop

Your workshop will be live-streamed via Zoom.

This workshop will place importance on making time for rest and recovery, with a view towards developing a sensitive and sustainable practice that takes into account the context of our lives; the fluctuations and challenges we face every day.

Schedule

• 10:00-11:00 ‘Doing’ - a gentle somatic movement session

• Comfort break and group discussion

• 11:15-12:00 ‘Being’ - guided relaxation, basic breathing exercises and an introduction to sitting meditation

This workshop is suitable for:

• beginners

• curious yoga practitioners of any discipline

• those wanting to place ‘rest’ higher on their list of priorities

You will learn ways to:

• adapt your yoga practice to incorporate more recuperative elements

• create time and space for self-reflection

• address stress

The workshop will be divided across two broad categories: ‘active’ and ‘passive’, or, ‘doing’ and ‘being’. We will begin with a gentle somatic movement practice (focused on how movements feel rather than the way they look) and we will conclude with a brief (beginner-friendly) introduction to sitting meditation.

The group will learn about the role of the nervous system, the stress response and how we can take steps to calm ourselves down. The aim of this workshop is not to do, or be ‘better’, but to increase the size of our toolbox, so we have more choice when it comes to making decisions about what would be most helpful to us.

Equipment

In addition to your yoga mat (or carpeted floor), a yoga block (or chunky book), blanket (or duvet), a bolster cushion (or a few pillows), and something to place over your eyes may be nice to have, but not essential. Be creative with what you have at home: think about what might help you relax.

How to join

You will receive an automated confirmation email after booking. You will receive a second email containing all of the essential joining information in the week beginning 13th July.

Any questions, teething issues, or suggestions? Feel free to contact me.

We learn through repetition, but sometimes we get stuck repeating the very thing that hampers our progress, wears us out and runs us down, or we end up focusing so much on achieving that we lose sight of an approach that might serve us better.

This workshop will place importance on making time for rest and recovery, with a view towards developing a sensitive and sustainable practice that takes into account the context of our lives; the fluctuations and challenges we face every day.

The workshop will be divided across two broad categories: ‘active’ and ‘passive’, or, ‘doing’ and ‘being’. We will start the day with a gentle somatic movement practice (focused on how movements feel rather than the way they look) and we will end the day with a brief (beginner-friendly) introduction to sitting meditation.

The group will learn about the role of our nervous systems, the stress response and how we can take steps to calm ourselves down. The aim of this workshop is not to do, or be ‘better’, but to increase the size of our toolbox, so we have more choice when it comes to making decisions about what would be most helpful to us.

Schedule

• 10:00-11:00 ‘Doing’ - a gentle somatic movement session

• Break for refreshments (lots of yummy things are included)

• 11:30-12:30 ‘Being’ - guided relaxation, basic breathing exercises and an introduction to sitting meditation

This workshop is suitable for:

• beginners

• curious yoga practitioners of any discipline

• people that are set on getting ‘rest’ higher up their list of priorities

You will learn ways to:

• adapt your yoga practice to incorporate more recuperative elements

• create time and space for self-reflection

• address stress

Equipment

It's always nice to use your own mat, so if you already have one, please bring it with you. I will have a limited number of spare mats available on the day. If you have yoga blocks, blankets, pillows, eye masks etc. bring them along. These are nice-to-have, rather than essential requirements.

Prices, booking and refunds

Price: £30/£24*

*Concessions: Students and members of the Cowley Road Condors cycling club. If you would struggle to attend for financial reasons, please get in touch, we will make it work.

This workshop is limited to 15 people; attendance must be confirmed in advance. Your place will only be guaranteed once payment has been received in full.

Full refunds will be made if a cancellation is received by 25th January (2 weeks in advance). If a cancellation is made after this time, I will issue you with a full refund as soon as someone has filled your space. If your space remains vacant, and your cancellation is received by 1st February (1 week in advance), I will refund you half of the price paid. No refunds will be made if a cancellation is received less than a week in advance, and your place on the workshop remains empty.

We learn through repetition, but sometimes we get stuck repeating the very thing that hampers our progress, or we end up focusing so much on the achievement of a single posture, that we lose sight of our wider practice and an approach that might serve us better.

This workshop will focus on building what is widely referred to as 'core strength', or 'stability', with a view to working towards a sensitive and sustainable physical practice that focuses on efficiently engaging the whole body, and reduces the likelihood of pains and strains.

We will explore a number of variations and alternatives to yoga postures that feature twisting, lifting away from the floor, and placing weight through the hands, such as supine abdominal twists (Jathara Parivritti), Locust (Salabasana) and Downward-facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) poses. Our aim will be to move the spotlight away from 'doing' postures, to a whole-body experience that is focused on 'being' and 'moving' in the ways that are most helpful to us.

Schedule

• 10:00-11:00 Defining 'core': connecting upper and lower body

• Break for refreshments (lots of yummy things are included)

• 11:30-12:30 Progressive core control practice

This workshop is suitable for:

• physically fit beginners and improvers

• curious yoga practitioners of any discipline

• Ashtanga, or Vinyasa practitioners interested in slowing things down and focusing on technique

You will learn to:

• adapt your yoga practice to incorporate more strengthening elements

• improve core strength outside of a gym environment

• address issues of hypermobility and yoga injuries

Equipment

It's always nice to use your own mat, so if you already have one, please bring it with you. I will have a limited number of spare mats available on the day. If you have 2 yoga blocks, and a blanket (or towel) that you don't mind being used on the floor, please bring them along. These are nice-to-have, rather than essential requirements.

Prices, booking and refunds

Price: £30/£24*

*Concessions: Students and members of the Cowley Road Condors cycling club. If you would struggle to attend for financial reasons, please get in touch, we will make it work.

This workshop is limited to 15 people; attendance must be confirmed in advance. Your place will only be guaranteed once payment has been received in full.

Full refunds will be made if a cancellation is received by 12th October (2 weeks in advance). If a cancellation is made after this time, I will issue you with a full refund as soon as someone has filled your space. If your space remains vacant, and your cancellation is received by 19th October (1 week in advance), I will refund you half of the price paid. No refunds will be made if a cancellation is received less than a week in advance, and your place on the workshop remains empty.

We learn through repetition, but sometimes we get stuck repeating the very thing that hampers our progress, or we end up focusing so much on the achievement of a single posture, that we lose sight of our wider practice and an approach that might serve us better.

This workshop will focus on building strength and improving mobility in the lower body, with a view to working towards a sensitive and sustainable physical practice that reduces the likelihood of hip pain and lower back strain.

We will explore a number of variations and alternatives to yoga postures that feature lunging, squatting and wide-leg movements, such as Warrior (Virabhadrasana), Horse (Vatayanasana) and Gate (Parighasana) poses. Our aim will be to move the spotlight away from 'doing' postures, to a whole-body experience that is focused on 'being' and 'moving' in the ways that are most helpful to us. 

Schedule

• 12:00-13:00 An introduction to dynamic and static stretching

• Break for refreshments (lots of yummy things are included)

• 13:30-14:30 Rethinking 'posture' using movement and bodyweight

This workshop is suitable for:

• physically fit beginners and improvers

• curious yoga practitioners of any discipline

• Ashtanga, or Vinyasa practitioners interested in slowing things down and focusing on technique

You will learn to:

• adapt your yoga practice to incorporate more strengthening elements

• improve lower body strength outside of a gym environment

• address issues of hypermobility and yoga exacerbated lower body injuries

Equipment

It's always nice to use your own mat, so if you already have one, please bring it with you. I will have a limited number of spare mats available on the day. If you have a yoga block, and a blanket (or towel) that you don't mind being used on the floor, please bring them along. NB: these are nice-to-have, rather than essential requirements.

Prices, booking and refunds

Price: £30/£24*

*Concessions: Students and members of the Cowley Road Condors cycling club. If you would struggle to attend for financial reasons, please get in touch, we will make it work.

This workshop is limited to 15 people; attendance must be confirmed in advance. To book, please either contact me for my bank details, or you can pay online. Your place will only be guaranteed once payment has been received in full.

Full refunds will be made if a cancellation is received by 15th June (2 weeks in advance). If a cancellation is made after this time, I will issue you with a full refund as soon as someone has filled your space. If your space remains vacant, and your cancellation is received by 22nd June (1 week in advance), I will refund you half of the price paid. No refunds will be made if a cancellation is received less than a week in advance, and your place on the workshop remains empty.

We learn through repetition, but sometimes we get stuck repeating the very thing that hampers our progress, or we end up focusing so much on the achievement of a single posture, that we lose sight of our wider practice and an approach that might serve us better.

This workshop will focus on building strength and improving mobility in the upper body, with a view to working towards a sustainable physical practice that will ultimately be free of wrist pain, shoulder strain, and patterns of over-achievement.

We will explore a number of progressions and alternatives to Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), the yoga 'push-up' (Chaturanga), and twisting poses that bind the hands. Our aim will be to move the spotlight away from 'doing' postures, to a whole-body experience that is focused on 'finding', 'being' and 'moving' in ways that are most helpful to us.

Schedule

• 10:00-11:00 Exploring the fundamentals of preparation and progressive load

• Break for refreshments (lots of yummy things are included)

• 11:30-12:30 Rethinking Chaturanga and binding poses

This workshop is suitable for:

• physically fit beginners and improvers

• curious yoga practitioners of any discipline

• Ashtanga, or Vinyasa practitioners interested in slowing things down and focusing on technique

You will learn to:

• adapt your yoga practice to incorporate more strengthening elements

• improve upper body strength outside of a gym environment and with inexpensive equipment

• address issues of hypermobility and yoga exacerbated upper-body injuries

Equipment

It's always nice to use your own mat, so if you already have one, please bring it with you. I will have a limited number of spare mats available on the day. If you have a yoga block, or are in possession of any hand-held weights (from 1-3kg), please bring them along. NB: these are nice-to-have, rather than an essential requirement.

Prices, booking and refunds

Price: £30/£24*

*Concessions: Students and members of the Cowley Road Condors cycling club. If you would struggle to attend for financial reasons, please get in touch, we will make it work.

This workshop is limited to 15 people; attendance must be confirmed in advance. To book, please either contact me for my bank details, or you can pay online. Your place will only be guaranteed once payment has been received in full.

Full refunds will be made if a cancellation is received by 23rd February (2 weeks in advance). If a cancellation is made after this time, I will issue you with a full refund as soon as someone has filled your space. If your space remains vacant, and your cancellation is received by 2nd March (1 week in advance), I will refund you half of the price paid. No refunds will be made if a cancellation is received less than a week in advance, and your place on the workshop remains empty.

When the breath is unsteady, the mind is unsteady. When the breath is steady, the mind is steady, and the yogi becomes steady. (Hatha Yoga Pradipika)

The way we breathe has a profound effect on how we move, and how we feel. 

Using breathing exercises as a tool for developing self-awareness, and yoga postures as the basis for physical experimentation, this workshop will focus on exploring the individual components of our breath (inhale - pause - exhale - pause) as we move and as we sit still. By the end of the workshop, you will begin to see how your breath can influence and transform your practice for better and worse. 

This workshop is aimed towards students who would like to delve a bit deeper into their existing yoga practice (any discipline). Not suitable for complete beginners. 

Price: £25

This intensive is aimed towards Ashtanga practitioners in need of a restful alternative, and those with an existing yoga practice who would like an approachable introduction to Vinyasa.

Full day: £30 / £24*

AM or PM session: £18 / £15*

*Concessions: Students and members of the Cowley Road Condors cycling club. If you would struggle to attend for financial reasons, please get in touch, we will make it work.

10 am – 12.30 pm: Chandra Krama (Moon Sequence) Led Practice

"Moon days" are typically rest days for Ashtanga Yoga practitioners. Traditionally speaking, a full moon is likened to a 'high tide' in the body, an abundance of energy. A new moon, on the other hand, is akin to a 'low tide', or a lack of energy. Both states are thought to make us more prone to injury.

Whereas I don't believe that we are necessarily more, or less energetic (and prone to injuring ourselves) on corresponding lunar phases, I do believe we all need suitable alternatives for days when we feel tired or restless. 

We will spend the morning moving through a slow, steady and restorative 'moon sequence' focused on the subtle aspects of the body, building strength in stillness, and taking rest. Slow should not be confused with 'easy'; if you are used to a dynamic practice, or taking part in demanding sports, moving slowly and steadily will come with its own challenges - some of them physical.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm: Break for lunch 

1:30 pm - 3 pm: Backbend Masterclass

We all spend so much time bending forwards. Moving in the opposite direction can be a tonic for our spine and surrounding musculature, as well as building our confidence to move in ways we didn't think were possible. 

Having paid a lot of attention to our backs, legs and hips in the morning session, the afternoon will see us progress with an in-depth look at our back-bending technique. We will learn how to protect our lower backs; build strength in our mid and upper backs; and how we can engage the whole body to safely support more advanced back-bending postures.

Required level of fitness:

New students with an established physical yoga practice (of any discipline) are welcome to attend, as are beginners who engage regularly in other types of physical activity or sport. This workshop is not suitable for those who are completely new to yoga, but you can attend one of my regular classes instead.  

Equipment:

It's always nice to use your own mat, so if you already have one, please bring it with you, (alongside any props you usually use, such as belts or blocks). I will have a limited number of spare mats available on the day, these will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. 

Refreshments:

Hot drinks, fruit and snacks will be provided during the lunch break to see us through to the end of the workshop. If you think you may require something more substantial to eat, there are plenty of shops and cafes where food can be purchased nearby.

Booking and refunds:

As spaces on the workshop are limited, attendance must be confirmed in advance. To book, please either contact me for my bank details, or you can pay online. Your place will only be guaranteed once payment has been received in full.

Full refunds will be made if a cancellation is received by 3rd March (2 weeks in advance). If a cancellation is made after this time, I will issue you with a full refund as soon as someone has filled your space. If your space remains vacant, and your cancellation is received by 10th March (1 week in advance), I will refund you half of the price paid. No refunds will be made if a cancellation is received less than a week in advance, and your place on the workshop remains empty. 

This intensive is aimed towards those who would like to delve a bit deeper into their existing Ashtanga practice, or encounter the full primary series for the first time.

Full day: £30 / £24*

AM or PM session: £18 / £15*

*Concessions: Students and members of the Cowley Road Condors cycling club. If you would struggle to attend for financial reasons, please get in touch, we will make it work.

10 am – 12.30 pm: Full Primary Series Led Practice

We will spend the morning steadily working through the entire primary series, breaking down some of the more challenging (and down-right weird) postures into accessible chunks that take into account differing levels of strength and flexibility.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm: Break for lunch 

1:30 pm - 3 pm: "Strength is not the enemy of yoga"

When speaking of yoga, I often hear people complain that they are 'not flexible enough'. Yet strength is as desirable as flexibility, and in some cases, more so. The afternoon will see us use and adapt primary and secondary series postures as a basis for investigating how we might incorporate more strengthening elements into our individual yoga practice.

Required level of fitness:

Ashtanga Vinyasa is a dynamic and often demanding style of yoga. New students with an established physical yoga practice (of any discipline) are welcome to attend, as are beginners who engage regularly in other types of physical activity or sport. This workshop is not suitable for those who are completely new to yoga, but you can attend one of my regular classes instead.  

Equipment:

It's always nice to use your own mat, so if you already have one, please bring it with you, (alongside any props you usually use, such as belts or blocks). I will have a limited number of spare mats available on the day, these will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. 

Refreshments:

Hot drinks, fruit and snacks will be provided during the lunch break to see us through to the end of the workshop. If you think you may require something more substantial to eat, there are plenty of shops and cafes where food can be purchased nearby.

Booking and refunds:

As spaces on the workshop are limited, attendance must be confirmed in advance. To book, please either contact me for my bank details, or you can pay online. Your place will only be guaranteed once payment has been received in full.

Full refunds will be made if a cancellation is received by 14th October (2 weeks in advance). If a cancellation is made after this time, I will issue you with a full refund as soon as someone has filled your space. If your space remains vacant, and your cancellation is received by 21st October (1 week in advance), I will refund you half of the price paid. No refunds will be made if a cancellation is received less than a week in advance, and your place on the workshop remains empty. 

This intensive is aimed towards those who would like to delve a bit deeper into their existing Ashtanga practice, or encounter the full primary series for the first time.

Full day: £30 / £24*

Morning or afternoon session: £15 / £12*

*Concessions: Students and members of the Cowley Road Condors cycling club. If you would struggle to attend for financial reasons, please get in touch, we will make it work.

10 am – 12.30 pm: Full Primary Series Led Practice

We will spend the morning steadily working through the entire primary series, breaking down some of the more challenging (and down-right weird) postures into accessible chunks that take into account differing levels of strength and flexibility, as well as body type.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm: Break for lunch 

1:30 pm - 3 pm: Highs and Lows: an anatomy of the breath  

Using breathing exercises as a tool for developing self-awareness, and primary series postures as a base for physical experimentation, the afternoon will see us focus on the individual components of our breath (inhale - pause - exhale - pause). Considering the ways we approach specific movements, we will see how our breath can influence and transform our practice (for better and worse!).

Required level of fitness:

Ashtanga Vinyasa is a dynamic and often demanding style of yoga. New students with an established physical yoga practice (of any discipline) are welcome to attend, as are beginners who engage regularly in other types of physical activity or sport. This workshop is not suitable for those who are completely new to yoga, but you can attend one of my regular classes instead.  

Equipment:

There are mats available to use at the Tara Yoga Centre, however, - it's always nice to use your own mat, so if you already have one, bring it with you! If you usually use any props such as belts or blocks, please bring these along. 

Refreshments:

Hot drinks, fruit and snacks will be provided during the lunch break to see us through to the end of the workshop. If you think you may require something more substantial to eat, there are plenty of shops and cafes where you can purchase food near by.

Booking and refunds:

As spaces on the workshop are limited, attendance must be confirmed in advance. To book, please contact me for my bank details, or you can pay online. Your place will only be guaranteed once payment has been received in full.

Full refunds will be made if a cancellation is received by 11th March (2 weeks in advance). If a cancellation is made after this time, I will issue you with a full refund as soon as someone has filled your space. If your space remains vacant, and your cancellation is received by 18th March (1 week in advance), I will refund you half of the price paid. No refunds will be made if a cancellation is received less than a week in advance, and your place on the workshop remains empty.