Yoga

Yoga practice can take many forms. There are as many styles as there are practitioners, and there will always be phases in your life where different styles will serve you better than others.  Since I started teaching yoga in 2011, I have explored many different styles of yoga and have come to appreciate them all for what they offer.

While my weekly studio classes include Hot Yoga, my non-hot style is based on the classical Hatha-Raja pathway as taught by Sri Dharma Mittra. Since everything needs a name these days, this is now referred to as Dharma Yoga. Dharma himself just refers to his teachings as, Yoga. Throughout my training with Sri Dharma, I have studied many classical Hatha Yoga and Vedic texts which have enabled me to incorporate a variety of effective techniques, postures and insights into my class sequences over the years.

I consider my teaching method 'traditional' in that the purpose of yoga practice is to bring you to a state of stillness in mind, ease in the body to experience liberation from mental and physical suffering. I make reference to the use of muscle groups and give imagery to help activate and release certain areas when establishing a range of movement and postural alignment. Combining knowledge of anatomy and physiology and personal experience with stiffness, injury and deeper posture variations, I enjoy helping students progress from any starting fitness and ability to learning the tools, techniques and personal edges needed to advance (or soften) their practice safely. 

Over time, I've started to refer to my weekly yoga offerings as "sessions" instead of "classes." I find this can be a more accurate way of describing the experience of going into yourself through practice, connecting with where the body, breath and mind meet. Where many people have had some experience with yoga practice, we can enter the space, do the practice with my guidance, and leave feeling a sense of renewal, or expanded awareness. Classes for me, imply more focus on learning the technicalities of postures, and breathing techniques, with sometimes less depth of the experience of practice (given the time available).

Here you'll find the sessions I currently offer at my yoga and holistic wellness centre, Soul Fire Studios, here in Sheffield, UK. I am also happy to provide sessions in any of these styles in your location or online (except for hot sessions).