The word yoga means yoke or union in Sanskrit.

It's been around for thousands of years in various forms and can mean many things to different people, but ultimately as union between the mind, body and spirit. Yoga is about creating balance across the body, developing both strength and flexibility in the mind and body. 

Postures Asanas

Asanas are a system of movements to create strength and flexibility in every part of the body, stretching and toning the muscles, joints and spine. These postures can be held for up to several minutes, or they can flow between different postures, creating a flow Vinyasa practice creating heat in the body, toning it and increasing stamina.

Breathing Pranayama

Many of us have lost the art of breathing correctly. Breath is the essence of life and most of us take it for granted. It's the first thing we do when we're born and the last thing when we leave. Every moment in between is connected by breath. We use different exercises to increase lung capacity and help focus the mind.

Meditation Dhyana

Meditation, or its cousin relaxation, helps us to unwind, let go and be at peace with ourselves. We practice this at the end of a yoga class for about five or ten minutes, it helps with every day stress and pressure.

Every week we'll work on developing awareness of the breath and good breathing habits, working to create a calm mind and a healthy body. I offer my classes in Rugby, Coventry and the surrounding area. We'll use the breath to lead ourselves in and out of yoga postures (asanas) increasing flexibility and strength as well as toning the body, leaving it energised and free from stress.

A typical class will include…

• breath awareness
• preparing for posture work by mobilising joints and warming up muscles
• progressive yoga postures, using modifications to suit all levels of ability – you work at your own level
• winding down to a deep relaxation
• closing practice of Pranayama (yogic breathing) or meditation

Yoga is not competitive and you'll not be asked to do anything that causes strain or injury to the body. All posture work can be modified to make it exactly right for you. Effort is involved and you will feel the physical work in your muscles, but you should not feel pain. Your teacher will ensure that everything is safe.

Practical stuff

1. Avoid eating a heavy meal two hours before the class. You may have a light snack 30 minutes before the start.
2. Wear loose, comfortable clothing.
3. the class will be practiced in bare feet: socks can be worn at the beginning and end of the class if you want to.
4. Bring water with you and drink plenty after the class.
5. If you have a mat, please bring it with you. I have some to lend and to purchase if you want to.
6. Please switch mobile phones off as they will distract other students.

Men often tell me that they can’t do Yoga because the classes are full of very flexible women, standing on their heads or in poses they could never accomplish. There's a need for mens yoga classes and  it's one of the reasons I started my teacher training diploma. Lots of men tell me that they're not very flexible or feel silly practising these moves. So I've developed a practice especially for men that will increase flexibility, strength and stamina and over weeks will build a strong Yoga practice that will help you in  everyday activities including sports that you may already do.

Yoga can be used for all your health needs and also will help with any back problems you might have. It reduces stress, increases energy, improves sleep, increases lung capacity and brings about an increased sense of well being.

Yoga can help with any personal stress, men are finding that the 21st century is a very stressful experience with work, home life, looking after the children, money – it all helps to make life very complicated. Yoga for Men can help as it helps you focus in a practical way., You'll find that you can concentrate better and your problem solving skills become finely tuned. Still unsure whether it’s for you? Check out this Telegraph article “Do real men do yoga?”

The cost is £58 for six sessions

Thank you to Yoga Sport Science

I offer private one to one Yoga in the comfort of your own home, or for a small extra charge at a small studio, at a time that suits you. Or new to these changing times, video conferencing, vie Skype or Zoom.

These classes are tailored to your personal pace, content, focus and dynamics. Whether you are an experienced yogi or a complete beginner, I can develop the class structure to meet your needs.

I also have a full DBS (Disclosure and Barring Services) certificate, which can be viewed on request.

One to one sessions can help to increase Strength, Stamina and Suppleness. one to one private sessions can be of benefit to you if:

• you're a sports person and want to increase your sporting ambitions, or have a injury that needs some therapy.

• you suffer from any conditions that need that extra care.

• you're new to Yoga and want to get to know the basics before coming to my classes.

• just haven’t the time to go to one of my general classes,

The class starts with a health assessment and a short discussion about what I can offer you and what you want out of Yoga. 

The cost is £220 for a six sessions

"Back pain is the leading cause of long-term sickness in the UK, responsible for more than 15 million lost work days in 2013." NHS

Bad posture, stress and pulled muscles are the main causes and can lead to prolonged pain and time off work. Sometimes it could be something more serious, a slipped disk, Sciatica or Osteoarthritis which can mean a longer period of back pain.

The NHS recommends Yoga for back problems and a large study carried out by the University of York, funded by the Arthritis Research UK and run by the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) and the Iyengar Yoga Institute has proven how effective Yoga can be in helping people with bad backs.

I've used my knowledge of Yoga to develop a 6 week rolling course in conjunction with MB Massage Therapy to help.

This includes gentle movements with the breath, building suppleness in the body and spine to increase body awareness and improve posture. Building core strength, some sitting and standing posture alignment and some mild stretches, finishing with relaxation. 

 The price is £85 for six sessions