Bliss Yoga Norwich Christmas Newsletter

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Bliss Yoga Norwich

Ahh What super lovely classes we closed 2013 with at Bliss Yoga.  During our Catton class this week we practiced a calming breath awareness, something a little different with chair Yoga and closing the final class of the year with an extended relaxation and Yoga Nidra to help restore and re-energise during what can be a very busy time for many.  We then had our annual Christmas lunch at the Woodman, Jai and Aylah guests of honour!

Our Pregnancy Yoga class was just perfect for recharging you beautiful mamas, especially after hearing your tales of weary legs and achy backs after your afternoons of Christmas shopping.  We worked in partners and practicing supported stretches, massage techniques and a relaxation/visualisation.

Christmas is for many is a stressful time. During this festive period it can be especially important to take time for yourself.  This truly helps balance out the madness that can ensue around Christmas.   Running around attending Christmas functions, shopping for presents, cooking, family visits, and that is all before we get to Christmas day!!  STOP!  Take time to breathe!  Be present and enjoy this time of joy – whatever Christmas means to you.  

Whether you are able to have a regular time (eg. when you wake in the morning) or if it is just when you remember, take a moment or two, close your eyes, place your hands on your belly and breathe deeply into your belly inflating your belly into your hands.... Before you open your eyes think about something you are grateful for ( a wonderful attitude,  when there is so much excess this time of year).  This is a fabulous way to realise all the wonderful things that you already have in your life and helps bring more energy and abundance in your life.

In the New Year we will be thinking about letting go of those things that no longer serve us and to introduce our Sankalpha , positive statement, resolution for 2014.

New Websites

Yippee!  Thanks to my wonderful husband for finalising my New Look websites.  Baby Yoga was the first site to be converted and after a settling in period we have updated Pregnancy and Community Yoga sites.  Please take time to have a look I am happy to receive any feedback.  While visiting you can also take the opportunity to 'like' them.

www.blissyoganorwich.co.uk

www.norwichpregnancyyoga.co.uk

www.norwichbabyyoga.co.uk

2014 Classes

Monday 6^th January 7:30pm

InnerSpace – I am so happy to be returning to Innerspace classes.  Much thanks and gratitude to Anya for covering classes while on maternity leave and to you all for your continued support.

Wednesday 8 January

Catton 9:30am

A Yoga class for all focusing on breath, movement of the body to stretch and strengthen and well deserved relaxation and the end

Pregnancy Yoga 6:30pm, Silver Road

A 6 week Yoga courses specifically for Pregnant ladies from 14 weeks to birth.  Learn breathing techniques, birthing positions and relaxation techniques to help you on your babies birthing day.

The next available course commences 29 January.  Please contact Jessica for further information and to reserve your place.

Thursday 9 January

Baby Yoga 1:30pm, Silver Road– **Special Offer**  Join Jessica and her baby Jai on the 6 week course for only £36. Learn songs and rhymes to gentle Yoga moves for both baby and you. Helps with sleep, digestion and development. Suitable for babies from 6 weeks to crawling.

Please contact Jessica for further information and to reserve your place.

I would like to thank you all for your continued support and throughout 2013. Enjoy your Christmas.  I look forward to seeing you in the New Year! xxxx

 Breathe, relax be.

 

November Newsletter

I am perfect I am.  Well that’s what I keep telling my husband anyway.   Seriously though, as humans we are imperfect, in Yoga we recognise that and know that each day is a new day and we can be ‘reborn’.  It’s up to you how you lead your life, that’s what makes us unique as humans. We have cognitive thought and are able to make decisions.  Ask yourself “what would the highest version of your self do in this moment?”  Be the best version of yourself you can.

My practice is continually evolving, as it should be. “Yoga is the Art of self-discovery, of being oneself”  Swami Venkatesananda.   At home we have been ‘playing’ with my Tibetan singing bowl, a beautiful sound that resonates around the house and seems to turn a fractious baby into a bundle of giggles. This last few weeks especially have been saturated with Baby Yoga.  Songs everyday.  A few dotted here and there throughout the day and dependant on Jais mood and situation depends on whether we have a boisterous  ‘Row row row your boat’ as he now explores his strong legs or a fun ‘Grand old Duke of York’ gently massaging his tummy to help digestion. A gigglesome ‘round and round the garden’ helping his brain development and anticipation or a more relaxing  ‘this little piggy’ foot massage before bed.  These are the tools that you learn attending one of my Baby Yoga sessions.  I am so happy to be saying that Baby Yoga classes will be returning in January.  Date for your diary:

Baby Yoga commences January 9, 1pm at the Silver Road Baptist Church.

Learn new songs and rhymes to gentle yoga moves.  Improves bond with baby while improving brain function, co-ordination, digestion. Postnatal Yoga for helping your relax refresh and restore. Meet other mums/carers and share experiences .... for further details see my new fresh Baby Yoga website  

Inner Space Monday 6 Janaury

I am so happy to be returning to InnerSpace classes on Monday 6 January 7:30pm.  As always we will be spending some time exploring the breath, gently moving the body lubricating the joints, stretching and strengthening the body and spending time with a lovely relaxation or meditation at the end to help you ease away the stresses of the day. I so look forward to seeing you there.  Dont forget all equipment is provided, but please feel free to bring your own mat and blanket if you would like to.

Catton classes continue until December 18

Catton Classes  will be continuing until December 18^th.  We will be having a Christmas get together after at the Woodman Pub on Spixworth Road at 12:30 all welcome.  Please take a look at the menus  You can choose from the set menu or the regular lunch menu.  Please let me know if you would like to attend.

New Fresh Web design

I am going through the process of relaunching my websites. Great thanks to my husband Paul for his efforts in making this happen in our busy lives.  A big thank you to Kat for the beautiful photos.  Kat is available for those special moments.  Visits Kats website to see more examples of her work  Check out the fresh new design by visiting my Baby Yoga site .  My Bliss Yoga and Pregnancy Yoga sites are to follow shortly.  Watch this space!! 

Baby Yoga - exciting opportunity!

The new Baby Yoga course will be commencing Thursday 9 January 1:30pm

As Jai is the perfect age for this course I would like to bring him along from 16^th January.  I will happily lead the songs and instructions, you would be attending the course with the understanding that I may need to attend to him as you would your own baby.  This is a great opportunity to meet with other mums/carers and share experiences while taking time to bond with your baby to enable you to better read their mood. Learn new ‘tools’ to diffuse a fractious baby, relax a tired baby, sooth a constipated baby all while reconnecting back with your body.

I am offering the first 6 week course of 2014 for only £36 including all equipment and refreshments.

Please contact Jessica for further details or to reserve your space.

Dates for your Diary

Saturday 30 November 5-6pm - Family Kirtan at Yoga Ohm Capital house. I will be going with Jai and Aylah it would be lovely to see you there

Sunday 8 December 10:30-1pm - Yoga day with Anya at the Buddhist Centre

Monday 6  January  - Jessica returns to  InnerSpace 7:30pm

Wednesday 8 January  - Catton 9:30-11am

Wednesday 8 January - Pregnancy Yoga resumes ;

Thursday 9 January – 6 week Baby Yoga course starts

Wednesday 30 January – Next 6 week Pregnancy Yoga course starts

Next workshop with me and a guest in February! More information to follow shortly.

Bliss Yoga Norwich August Newsletter

Dear Friends and Yogis

The summer holidays have gone by in a flash.  My new baby boy has gone from being completely helpless to first finding eye contact, smiling, giggling then using his hands to hold, to wanting to sit upright all of the time.  This summer has been a special time for me and my new family and I thank you all for your love patience and understanding during this most amazing time in my life.

It has been super busy which has made my Yoga practice even more important.  Time to have a stretch and practice on my mat?  The opportunities have been few and far between.  I take the opportunity to  b r e a t h e  whenever I can.  This helps create space.  I have placed Yoga texts next to my favourite places to feed and I take this opportunity to snatch a brief moment to study (this is Raja Yoga).  Recently I have been re-reading Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and in particular the Yama’s and Niyamas. Ways in which we can lead our life. Yamas are restraints we can apply to our everyday. Ahimsa-Non-violence,  Satya –Truth and Asteya – Non stealing are what i have been working with recently. Ahimsa is non violence to yourself and others in thought word and deed.  Satya – Truth. Straight forward? Satya is saying the truth and keeping Ahimsa, non violence in mind.  Saying the truth in a way that does not hurt those around you.  And Asteya – non-stealing, easy enough if you are not into pick pocketing or sneaking that extra ‘shiny’ thing that you cant afford into your coat pocket.  It also means not stealing peoples time.  Do you notice in a group situation that you are the one doing all the talking.  Maybe you could take a step back?

Putting it into practice

Take one of the first three Yamas.  Perhaps sit for a moment and see how it sits, see how you feel about it and then how you can apply it to your life.  Fall at the first hurdle?  Do not worry.  Do not give yourself the guilts.  All you need to do is refocus and try again.  The intention I find is half the battle.  Try and then try again.  Once you feel that you have integrated your chosen Yama into your life, try choosing one of the other Yamas, again sit with it, see how it makes you feel and then apply it to your daily life.  Take one step at a time and then maybe you can apply more than one to your life.  I would love to hear how you get on.

How else have I found I can bring my practice into my everyday?  I practice baby Yoga with Jai daily, singing fun songs and nursery rhymes to gentle moves for him to help him expel pent up energy, regulate digestion and to have that wonderful bond.  This allows me to spend time with my little boy, having fun and sneaking in a little stretch for me too.  We chant, lots.  This is a great way for me to share my devotion with the Divine, something that all of us is part of.  It also seems to work a treat in soothing baby Jai.  In fact Aylah and I float around the house sharing in Kirtan (devotional singing), sharing our love for one another and everything as a whole(this is Bhakti Yoga).

We have spent a lot of time camping outdoors this summer.  The weather has been kind.  My practice instead of being on the mat has infused into my everyday, as it should, breathing, walking on the beach, being in the moment.  I even had fun kicking up into handstands on regular bimbles on the beach.  I take the opportunity wherever I can to be present.  

A dear friend of mine having two hip replacements, is unable to practice on the mat as she used to so she has taken up the practice of mindfulness meditation.  She also crochets the most amazing blankets that I have had the joy in receiving for my children.  Every stitch was taken with love, another form of Bhakti Yoga so you see your practice should and can evolve around your life, no matter what your situation and become part of your everyday.

AUTUMN TERM CLASSES

The time has come for me to spread my devotion and return to classes. I am so looking forward to sharing with you all again. My maternity situation is complicated and for the time being allows for me to return one day a week.  I have chosen Wednesday so that I can return to 2 of my 5 classes.  Wednesday 9:30am Old Catton and 6:30pm Pregnancy Yoga on Silver Road.

CATTON CLASS RETURNS 4 SEPTEMBER
PREGNANCY YOGA - NEW COURSE STARTS 11 SEPTEMBER

For the time being Monday evening classes will continue to be covered by the lovely Anya at a SPECIAL PRICE of £6 per session.  I will definitely be returning to Innerspace in January (my intention is to return sooner however Anyas cover allows space for this to develop, and I am truly grateful for that.)

INNER SPACE CLASSES RETURN 9 SEPTEMBER 7:30pm

Baby Yoga and Active Baby Yoga classes will also return in January.  If your baby is 6weeks+ you can to reserve your Baby Yoga space now.  If your little person is 9 months(crawling) - 18months you can book your Active Baby Yoga space now.  Classes have been on a Thursday afternoon, note your interest as I am planning these sessions now, there may be scope to change times/days to suit the general consensus.

I have also met some wonderful people this summer that I am looking forward to introducing you to and sharing in the workshops that I have planned.  Watch this space!  

Bliss Yoga Norwich July Newsletter

Life is wonderful. Very busy but life is good. 

 I feel that my family is complete and I am so grateful for that.  Daily life can certainly be hectic.  At times it feels that routine things are squeezed into each day.  By the time the list of tasks has been completed it feels there is little time to spend on myself, members of my extended family and friends.  Aha Oho, but then I stop and breathe and create space.  At times I manage to spend those 5 minutes at the beginning of the day and I can certainly notice the space that is then created for the rest of the day.  Those few moments of clarity makes a big difference to how I can then deal with the activities of the day.  Sometimes  it seems impossible to take that time in the morning when juggling feeds, nappies and questions from a very inquisitive little girl, then the evening when “the kids” (it feels so funny yet so satisfying to say that) have gone to bed then that is when I take time for myself.  Needless to say there have not been many opportunities to take an hour out of my day to practice my asana.  Instead I work with what I have and consciously practice asana when I can perhaps a Virabhadrasana (warrior) pose here and there.  I integrate tree pose, or whatever I feel I need, into my every day. Squeezing them in between the ‘routine tasks’.  

Technically you can be practicing yoga at any moment in your life. Yoga is not just about Asana, the poses we do on our mat. Yoga is awareness – conscious living.  There is no denying that Practicing Yoga Asana makes me feel good. However lets take a brief look at the 8 Limbs of Yoga...

Things you can do:

Yamas – these are restraints that we apply to our every day.

            Ahimsa – non harming – Physically but also by word and thought.

            Satya – non lying

            Asteya – non stealing

Brahmacharya – conserve and not waste energy on things that do not serve our purpose

            Aparigraha – non hoarding

Niyamas – observances we can include into our daily life

            Soucha – cleanliness

            Santosha – contentment

            Tapas – zeal for Yoga

            Svadyaya – self study, really looking at yourself. Take action and learn things on your own.

            Ishvarapranidhana - surrender          

Asana – poses, a regular practice is the ideal however whenever you can is perfect.

Pranayama – breathing.  Being conscious of your breath, lengthening deepening.  For me right now a perfect practice when nursing.

Pratyahara – withdrawal of the senses. 

Things that happen to you:

Dhyana – state of meditation

Samadhi – state of oneness

So you can see there are many things that you can integrate into your everyday. I will visit many of these over the coming newsletters however for now I hope you can get a small understanding from some of the examples I have given.

My practice has evolved.  Instead of giving myself a hard time that I am not on the mat as much as I was even 12 weeks ago, I am content and grateful for what I have and what I am learning every day. I know that as a busy mum I may not get the opportunity to sink myself into an hour of Asana practice, so I stretch when I can, consciously breathe in those brief moments and practice Bhakti (Devotional) Yoga by lighting a candle or chanting whenever I can. I invite you to take a step back and observe your Yoga practice.  Make Yoga easy for yourself. Listen to your body and your mind and integrate what you need into your every day.

Wednesday Catton class 9:30-11am

Firstly Thank You to Hannah for covering classes thus far and congratulations on her physiotherapists position. 

Welcome to Joss for  and thank you for covering classes in July.  Please take the opportunity to delve into your Asana practice before the summer break.  Joss will be teaching classes 17, 24 and 31 July.

" ‘Bhava Yoga’. Bhava means 'To Be' in the sense that an actor or dancer feels and becomes their role. It includes flowing sequences of postures to get your body and energy moving, as well as postures held to release deeper tensions. Unlike other approaches to yoga posture Bhava  Yoga does more than pay attention to alignment and sequence, it also sees the whole posture and what the posture imitates (e.g. a Cobra raising up, or a Hare grazing) and captures the feeling of that pose to give mental and emotional strength and flexibility too."

Monday Inner Space 7:30pm

The lovely Anya will be teaching 15, 22 and 29 July.  Take the opportunity to delve into your Asana practice before the summer break.

Anya is also offering the following workshop:

Sunday 28th July - Opening the chest and heart area 

By opening the chest we can improve our breathing.

By opening the heart we allow emotions to flow.

The effect is a free flow of energy and clarity of mind.

Time :      10.30am - 1.30pm

Place :      Norwich Buddhist Centre

               14 Bank Street

               NR2 4SE

               Norwich

All Levels

Cost : £16 / £15

Book by e-mail : kontestacja@yahoo.com , mob. 07982452159 ,  tel.01603 219412 

More details on : http://kontestacja.wix.com/anya-yoga

Holidays can become as hectic as our daily lives, for some maybe more so as we try to squeeze in many attractions.  As we approach the summer holidays let us try and take time for rest, time for relaxing and reflecting.

Hari Om xxxx