What To Expect In a Surrey Hills Yoga Class in Guildford:

Your guide to what comes when during  a Surrey Hills Yoga class and why:

You may think your teacher calls out moves randomly or just to torture you (Splitpose, anyone?). But there’s actually a method to her madness. Good instructors carefully follow a sequence so the body is prepared for each subsequent pose and injuries are avoided, Here I’ll  walk you through a typical class.

Centering
Whether it’s a breathing exercise, meditation, or sitting quietly, a few serene moments help your mind segue from crappy Monday to yoga mode. This is also an opportunity to set an intention-a personal goal or hope such as becoming more patient or leaving stress at work-to meditate on during class.

Warm-up
The equivalent of a quick run down the bunny slope before you attempt the headwall. Poses like Cat and Cow release neck and shoulder tension, loosen your spine, and sync your breath to your movements. They also stimulate blood flow to your core, which brings more nutrients to your abdominal organs and spine and gets your body temperature rising.

Sun Salutations
This fluid series of 12 or so postures is a mini practice in itself-it takes your spine through a full range of motion, from a standing forward bend to the back-bending Upward Dog. You’ll get a full-body workout, boost your heart rate, and start sweating a little.

Standing poses
You’re warmed up like Mario Lopez during a salsa number. Poses such as Triangle andWarrior strengthen and lengthen your muscles as they teach alignment. Holding them also requires endurance and concentration, required in the more challenging balancing poses.

Balancing poses
Your talent for never letting your bare feet touch the fungi-ridden locker room floor comes in handy here. Poses like Tree and Eagle are all about developing grace under pressure-you have to stay loose but focused to balance. Directing your gaze on an eye-level spot 4 to 6 feet away (“drishti” in Sanskrit) also helps.

Inversions
All that standing has energized your legs, making feats like Handstand and Forearm Stand easier. By engaging and lifting your legs when you’re upside-down, you’ll have better balance and won’t force your arms to do all the work.

Backbends
Because they open your chest and squeeze the adrenals (the adrenaline-producing glands atop the kidneys), backbends are the yogic equivalent of downing a handful of chocolate-covered espresso beans. They may fall before or after inversions-you just need time to come off the high prior to Savasana.

Twists
Although they can be done at any point in class, twists relax the spine after backbends and squeeze your abdominal organs, wringing out toxins like late-night-TV quips after a political scandal.

Seated poses
Forward bends and hip openers, such as Pigeon or Cobbler’s pose, stretch your quivering muscles and calm your nervous system after the stimulation of backbends and inversions, preparing you for final relaxation.
Shoulder stand
With your head, shoulders, and elbows on the floor and your legs and torso reaching toward the ceiling, this is known as the best all-in-one pose because it rejuvenates your entire body. The inversion gets blood flowing effortlessly from your feet, giving your heart a break, and stimulates the thyroid gland (the metabolism regulator at the base of the throat). It’s often paired with Plow pose (lowering the legs to the floor behind your head) because this deep forward bend encourages introspection-your eyes are looking directly at your heart, after all-and paves the way for lying quietly in Savasana.

Savasana
Because “yoga” means “the union of opposites,” the stillness of Corpse pose is the perfect complement to all the previous action. Lie there for a bit-letting your body sink into the floor and quieting your mind-to fully absorb the benefits of class. You worked hard to earn that blissed-out feeling, so savor it.

Closing
Bowing, chanting “om,” or saying “namaste” expresses thanks to your teacher, fellow students, and yourself for a great class.

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Surrey Hills Yoga Christmas  & New Year Class Timetable in Pirbright:

Wednesday 21st December: CHRISTMASSY Hatha Yoga class for all abilities 7-8.30pm (Stay for Mince pies, teas & chats afterwards)

Thursday 22nd December: CLASS CLOSED

Wednesday 28th December: Hatha Yoga Class for all abilities 7-8.30pm

Thursday 29th Decmeber: CLASS CLOSED

Wednesday 4th January : Hatha Yoga Class for all abilities 7-8.30pm

Thursday 5th January: Hatha Yoga Class for all abilities 6.30-8pm

Wednesday 11th January & Thursday 12 th January CLASS CLOSED

Thereafter classes resume to their normal schedeule!

I hope you have a very Merry Christmas & a very Happy & Prosperous New Year!

Namaste x

Give the Christmas gift of Yoga with Surrey Hills Yoga in Pirbright!

Yoga is one of the most beautiful gifts you can share, it’s not just another Christmas voucher! Consider giving a book of Yoga vouchers to that special someone! It will enlighten and inspire.

We offer Booklets of 6 Yoga Vouchers for £50 or 10 Yoga Vouchers for £80!

Surrey Hills Yoga has classes running at The Church room in Pirbright which is warm & welcoming in a very tranquil setting, overlooking beautiful fields.

Every body is welcome, you don’t have to be fit, flexible, strong or have good balance to give it a try, equally even if you are all of those things, Yoga can provide you with healthy challenges.

The yoga I teach is  Hatha Yoga with an Iyengar discipline in mixed ability classes (beginners through to intermediates) and I also offer individual one to one sessions to suit your needs.

Give the wonderful gift of Yoga this Christmas!

Class Times are:

Day:  Wednesday

Time:  7-8.30pm

Venue:  The Parish Church Room, Church Lane, Pirbright, GU24 0JJ

Day:  Thursday

Time: 10-11.30am

6.30 – 8pm

Venue:  The Parish Church Room, Church Lane, Pirbright, GU24 0JJ

The Church room is behind St Michaels & All Angels Church on the left hand side.

If you go through the main church gate, follow the path upto the church and then take a left, you will see the Church room door around the corner.

Please park as close to or on the curb, as the road is quite narrow.

Call Jade on 07974 305857 for more information.

Namaste x

New Yoga class starting at St Francis Church in Guildford on Thursday evenings!

I hold 2 classes of Hatha Yoga every week, both the Church rooms where my Yoga classes are  held are warm & welcoming, the Church room in Pirbright has a very tranquil setting and overlooks beautiful fields.Every body is welcome, you don’t have to be fit, flexible, strong or have good balance to give it a try, equally even if you are all of those things, Yoga can provide you with healthy challenges. Make some time for YOU! Beginners are welcome to all classes. * All classes are £10 and all classes are drop-in (ie. no need to book!). * You can buy a book of 6 classes for £50 or a book of 10 classes for £80 * Equipment supplied. * If you have any injuries, medical conditions or particular concerns please discuss these with Jade at the start of the class.

Day:  Wednesday

  Time:  7-8.30pm

Venue:  The Parish Church Room at St Michael & All Angels Church, Church Lane, Pirbright, GU24 0JJ. The Church room is behind St Michaels & All Angels Church on the left hand side. If you go through the main church gate, follow the path upto the church and then take a left, you will see the Church room door around the corner. Please park as close to or on the curb, as the road is quite narrow.

Day:  Thursday

Time: 7 – 8.30pm

Venue: The Parish Church Room at St Francis Church, Beckingham Road, Guildford, GU2 8BN. 

Yoga & Fitness:

Most types of exercise are competitive.Yoga , although non- competitive, is nevertheless challenging.The challenge is to one’s will power. It is a competition between one’s self and one’s body.

Exercise usually involves quick and forceful body movements. It has repeated actions which often lead to exertion, tension and fatigue.Yoga asanas, on the other hand, involve movements which bring stability to the body, the senses, the mind, the intellect and finally the conscience. The very essence of an asana is steady movement, a process that does not simply end, but finds fulfillment in tranquility.

Most diseases are caused by fluctuations in the brain and in the behavioral pattern of the body.In yogic practice, the brain is quietened, the senses are stilled, and the perceptions are altered, all generating a calm feeling of detachment.With practise, the student of yoga learns to treat the brain as an object and the body as a subject.Energy is diffused from the brain to the other parts  of the body. The brain and body then work together and the energy is balanced between the two.Yoga is thus termed ‘sarvaanga sadhana’ or ‘holisitic practice’

No other form of excersise so completely involves the mind and self with the body, resulting in all round development and harmony.Other forms of exercise address only particular parts of the body.Such terms are termed ‘angabhaga sadhana’ or physical excercise.

Stimulative Exercise:

Yoga asanas are stimulative exercises, while other endurance exercises are irrative. For instance medical experts claim that  jogging stimulates the heart.In fact , though the heartbeat of the jogger increases, the heart is not stimulated  in the yogic sense of being energized and invigorated.In yoga backbends for example, are more physically demanding than jogging, but the heart beats are a steady, rythmic pace.

Asanas do not lead to breathlessnes.When practicing yoga, strength and power play separate roles to achieve a perfect balance in every part of the body, as well as the mind.After such stimulating exercise, a sense of rejuvenation and a fresh surge of energy follow.

Exercise can be exhausting.Many forms of exercise require physical strength and endurance and can lead to fatigue after 10-15 minutes of practise.Many such exercises improve energy levels by boosting nerve function, but ultimately, this exhausts the cellular reserves and the endocrine glands.Cellular toxins increase and though circulation is enhanced, it is at the cost of irritating the other body systems and increasing the pulse rate and blood pressure.Ultimately the heart is taxed and overworked.

An athlete’s strong lung capacity is achieved by hard, forceful usage, which is not conducive to preserving the health of the lungs.Furthermore, ordinary physical excersise , such as jogging, tennis or football, lends itself to repetitive injuries of the bones , joints and ligaments.

Such forms of exercise work with- and for – the skeletal and muscular systems.They cannot penetrate beyond these limits. But Asanas penetrate each layer of the body, and ultimately, the consciousness itself.Only in Yoga can you keep both the body and mind relaxed, even as you stretch, extend, rotate and flex your body.Yoga unlike other forms of exercise, keeps the nervous system elastic and capable of bearing stress.Although all forms of exercise bring a feeling of well being, they also stress the body.Yoga refreshes the body , while other systems exhaust it.Yoga involves the equal exertion of all parts of the body and does not over strain any one part.In other forms of exercise , the movements are restricted to a part of parts.They are reflex actions, which do not involve the intelligence in their execution.There is little space for precision and perfection, without extra expenditure of energy.

Yoga can be practiced at any age, with advancing age, phyiscially vigorous exercises cannot be performed easily because  of stiffening joints and muscles that have lost tone.Isometric exercises, for example, cannot be practiced with increasing age, as they lead to sprained muscles, painful joints, strained body systems and the degeneration of organs. The great advantage of Yoga is that it can be practiced by anyone, irrespective of age, sex and physical condtion.

In fact Yoga is particularly beneficial in middle age and after.Yoga is a gift to older people when recuperative power of the body is declining and resistance to illness is weakened.Yoga generates energy and does not dissipate it.With Yoga one can look forward to a satisfying, healthier future, rather than reflecting on one’s youthful past.

Unlike other exercises, Yoga results in concentration of immunity cells in areas affected by disease, and thus improves immunity.That is why the ancient sages called Yoga a therapeutic as well as a preventative science.

Yoga, the way to Health!

Good health results from perfect communication between each part of the body and mind, when each cell communes with every other.Although yoga is essentailly a spiritual science, it leads to a sense of physical and emotional well- being.

Health is not just freedom from disease. For good health, the joints, tissues, muscles, cells, nerves, glands and each system of the body must be in a state of perfect balance and harmony.

Health is the equilibrium of the body, mind, intellect and soul.

Health is like the flowing water of a river, always fresh and pure, in a constant state of flux. Humans are a combination of the senses of perception, the organs of action, the mind, the intelligence, the inner consciousness, and the conscience. Each of these is worked on by the practice of Yoga.

Yoga asanas help to ensure an even distribution of bio-energy, or life force, which brings the mind to a state of calm. A practitioner of Yoga faces life not as a victim, but as a master, in control of his or her life situations, circumstances and environment.

Asanas balance the respiratory, circulatory, nervous, hormonal, digestive, excretory and reproductive systems perfectly.The equilibrium in the body then brings mental peace and enhances the intellectual clarity.

Asanas cater to the needs of each individual according to his or her specific constitution and physical condition.They involve vertical, horizontal and cyclical movements, which provide energy to the system by directing the blood supply to the areas of the body that need it most. In Yoga, each cell is observed, attended to and provided with a fresh supply of blood, allowing it to function smoothly.

The mind is naturally active and dynamic, while the soul is luminous. However, unhealthy bodies tend to house inert, dull and sluggish minds. It is the practice of Yoga which removes this sluggishness from the body and brings it to the level of the active mind. Ultimately, both the body and mind rise to the level of the illuminated self.

The practice of Yoga stimulates and changes emotional attitudes, converting apprehensiveness into courage, indecision and poor judgement into positive decision making skills, and emotional instability into confidence and mental equilibrium.

Hatha Yoga Classes are starting in Pirbright & Guildford on the Wednesday 14th September 2011.

The Church rooms where my Yoga classes are being held are warm & welcoming.

Every body is welcome, you don’t have to be fit, flexible, strong or have good balance to give it a try, equally even if you are all of those things, Yoga can provide you with healthy challenges.

Make some time for YOU!

Beginners are welcome to all classes.

• All classes are £10 and all classes are drop-in (ie. no need to book!).

• You can buy a book of 6 classes for £50 or a book of 10 classes for £80

• Equipment supplied.

• If you have any injuries, medical conditions or particular concerns please discuss these with Jade at the start of the class.

Day:

Wednesday

Time:

7-8.30pm

Venue:

The Parish Church Room at St Michael & All Angels Church, Church Lane, Pirbright, GU24 0JJ

The Church room is behind St Michaels & All Angels Church on the left hand side. If you go through the main church gate, follow the path upto the church and then take a left, you will see the Church room door around the corner.

Please park as close to or on the curb, as the road is quite narrow.

Day:

Thursday

Time:

7 – 8.30pm

Venue:

The Parish Church Room at St Francis Church, Beckingham Road, Guildford, GU2 8BN

5 Biggest Misconceptions about Yoga!

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about yoga, it’s that there are no absolutes in this practice. What works for one person might not work for someone else. What works for you today, might not work tomorrow. It’s an incredibly versatile practice that can be modified to suit almost any need or taste. So it bugs the heck out of me when I hear people make generalizations or put labels on the practice of yoga. Here are just a few of the most common misconceptions I’ve heard–and why I don’t buy them!

1. Yoga is just for _____ people. You can fill in the blank. I’ve heard it all. “I’m not flexible enough. I’m not thin enough. I’m not young enough.” Yoga accepts you wherever you are. There are no rules, no expectations, and no judgments. Anyone (and I mean ANYone!) can benefit from the practice of yoga as long as she or he is patient and approaches the practice with an open mind.

2. Yoga is easy, gentle stretching. There’s a great deal of value in gentle yoga, but there are many styles and schools of yoga that are incredibly physically challenging. It takes strength, stamina, and flexibility. There’s a class out there that will meet your needs–whether you’re a dancer, triathlete, or tired grandma.

3. The purpose of yoga is physical fitness. A lot of people put yoga in the same category as a Zumba class because of its health benefits. But one of the reasons that asana practice is so great for you is that it mixes awareness and concentration with movement. In other words, yoga is a moving meditation! That’s SO different from other fitness classes!

4. It conflicts with my religion. It’s true that in some yoga studios, you might see a statue of the Hindu deity Shiva and hear some chanting. The first time I went to a studio like this, I was surprised. It seemed so foreign and different from anything I’d ever seen. I think of the Hindu references as tradition passed down from teacher to teacher, not a religious practice. No one has ever pushed any religion on me during a yoga class.

5. You have to become a health food nut, stop drinking alcohol, and give up all your material belongings. I sure hope this isn’t true, because if it is I might be the worst yogi ever to walk the face of this earth. I think most tofu is yucky. I like junk food on occasion. I enjoy a good glass of wine. And I have a bit of an obsession with clothing–yoga clothing in particular. Is it wrong? Maybe. But my practice makes me more mindful of how I live in this world. Some day maybe I’ll be a health nut or renunciate, but probably not … and because of my yoga practice, I’m OK with that.