Yoga Bradford

For many of us, our hips can feel tight for a plethora of reasons:

🚵‍♀️🏃‍♀️Maybe you are an active cyclist/runner; if you don't stretch after activity then leg and hip muscles may shorten and increase the risk of injury and pain.

🪑Long hours spent sitting shorten and weaken the hip flexors, making them trap and accumulate physical tension

😑Also, our bodies can respond to emotional stress. The psoas muscle (the survival muscle) connects your spine to your legs and tightens up to protect your vital organs when we feel stress. And the nervous system has memory; Unprocessed stress or anxiety keeps your muscles in a low-grade state of guarding, even after the stressful event passes during stress or fear.

So tonight we will slowly flow through an effective collection of postures that will stretch out hamstrings, quads, IT band and hip flexors so we can unwind and release tension and increase our range of motion and mobility.

We will use deep breaths to slowly soften and release so we can unwind the body and unhook from our thoughts for a sense of deep calm and relaxation ✨️

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Weekly Class Schedule
All classes are in-studio and on Zoom

Saturday 10:30-11:30am
Rise and Shine Yoga (open to all levels)

Saturday 11:45 – 1:15pm
Ashtanga Yoga

Saturday 1:30 – 2:30pm
Beginners Yoga 6 Week Course
(See website for next start date)

Thursday 6 – 7pm
Slow Flow Yoga (open to all levels)

Thursday 7:15 – 8:15pm
Vinyasa Flow Yoga

It's that time of year when many of us are returning back to a routine...back to work and maybe back to long periods of sitting at a desk tackling to-do lists.

Sitting sedentary and screen-gazing for long periods can often leave us feeling tight. So tonight's flows will release areas of tension from the neck, jaw, shoulders, legs and hips with gentle movement and warmth.

And if those to-do lists feel like a mental merry-go-round, sometimes moving the body is the best way to rest the mind. So give your self a well-deserved break and bring some soothing movement to your day 🙂

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Weekly Class Schedule
All classes are in-studio and on Zoom

Saturday 10:30-11:30am
Rise and Shine Yoga (open to all levels)

Saturday 11:45 – 1:15pm
Ashtanga Yoga

Saturday 1:30 – 2:30pm
Beginners Yoga 6 Week Course
(See website for next start date)

Thursday 6 – 7pm
Slow Flow Yoga (open to all levels)

Thursday 7:15 – 8:15pm
Vinyasa Flow Yoga

Tonight we will move towards taking flight by playing with the arm balance Bakasana (crow)

I love arm balances! I love the combination of strength, exhilaration and calm you feel as you teeter on the brink of balance... taking a chance and upping the ante is all part of the beautiful process of yoga.

Yes, you may topple the first time you attempt something challenging and new - but to show-up and to try is more important than any "achievement" of the posture.

Having the courage to take a risk, to accept that everything is in constant motion, to learn to expose yourself to this mini "stress" in a manageable environment can teach us wonderful lessons about ourselves and our reactions.

Embracing this healthy risk-taking is where we learn how to face resistance, where we learn to adapt and cope and where we can find true security.

Most of the class will be prepping the body with hip and shoulder opening and some strength work, so if today is not the day to fledge, then you can stay firmly planted on your mat until the time feels right ✨️💚

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Weekly Class Schedule
All classes are in-studio and on Zoom

Saturday 10:30-11:30am
Rise and Shine Yoga (open to all levels)

Saturday 11:45 – 1:15pm
Ashtanga Yoga

Saturday 1:30 – 2:30pm
Beginners Yoga 6 Week Course
(See website for next start date)

Thursday 6 – 7pm
Slow Flow Yoga (open to all levels)

Thursday 7:15 – 8:15pm
Vinyasa Flow Yoga

In tonight's classes we play with different variations of plank and build up some heat and arm strength with chaturangas, all the while focussing on our smooth supportive flowing breath.

Reminding ourselves that these challenges aren't permanent. Tolerating discomfort so we build mental resilience to take with us off the mat to help navigate life's road bumps and remember that we are often stronger than we think ✨️

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Weekly Class Schedule
All classes are in-studio and on Zoom

Saturday 10:30-11:30am
Rise and Shine Yoga (open to all levels)

Saturday 11:45 – 1:15pm
Ashtanga Yoga

Saturday 1:30 – 2:30pm
Beginners Yoga 6 Week Course
(See website for next start date)

Thursday 6 – 7pm
Slow Flow Yoga (open to all levels)

Thursday 7:15 – 8:15pm
Vinyasa Flow Yoga

Join me in studio at the German church or online on zoom tonight as we flow through a sequence encompassing stretches for the hips and shoulders with a smattering of twists.

Twisting is a great way to boost circulation, detox the body, relieve congestion and boost the immune system (great for lingering lurgy and hay fever sufferers!). But tightness in the hips and shoulders, the anchors for the spine, can limit our capacity to twist. By focusing on releasing tension in the shoulders and hips we can improve the mobility of the spine and enjoy a deep, twisted release =)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Weekly Class Schedule
All classes are in-studio and on Zoom

Saturday 10:30-11:30am
Rise and Shine Yoga (open to all levels)

Saturday 11:45 – 1:15pm
Ashtanga Yoga

Saturday 1:30 – 2:30pm
Beginners Yoga 6 Week Course
(See website for next start date)

Thursday 6 – 7pm
Slow Flow Yoga (open to all levels)

Thursday 7:15 – 8:15pm
Vinyasa Flow Yoga

*Shameless cross-post ahoy* I have been spending more time than usual at my workbench over the last few weeks preparing for

Lots of looking down and rounding forward has meant my neck and shoulders are needing some extra TLC...

So join me tonight in studio or via zoom for some lovely neck and shoulder release stretches...mmmm...Many of us hold tension in our jaw, neck and shoulders and we carry it around with us without realising. This tension not only creates physical tightness but can affect our quality of sleep and our general wellness. So whether you are tight from over-using your body, or from sitting all day, we will work through some lovely neck and shoulder stretches to ease the strain and release the tightness and breath easy. Staying mellow still in this lovely warm weather!

As I am exhibiting at Kirkstall Art Trail this weekend, there are no classes this Saturday 18th July. If you fancy popping by to Art Trail to say hi, I am at venue 3, 80 Morris Lane. It will be great to see you on or off the mat!

Has the heat sapped your mojo?! When I am too hot I just want to hide under a bush in the shade! I feel heavy and lethargic and moving can feel like a real effort. But a little bit of movement can often shift my energy and help me regulate and re-balance my system. When it's so hot, we want to balance the hot/sharp/light qualities of the heat with cooling/slow/graceful qualities.

So join me tonight in the lovely cool German Church (or online) for a cooling flow where we will use cooling breath and slow movements to breath into the back and side of the body, balancing out the heat and finding comfort and ease as we nurture and restore balance to the body and mind 💙

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Weekly Class Schedule
All classes are in-studio and on Zoom

Saturday 10:30-11:30am
Rise and Shine Yoga (open to all levels)

Saturday 11:45 – 1:15pm
Ashtanga Yoga

Saturday 1:30 – 2:30pm
Beginners Yoga 6 Week Course
(See website for next start date)

Thursday 6 – 7pm
Slow Flow Yoga (open to all levels)

Thursday 7:15 – 8:15pm
Vinyasa Flow Yoga