March Bliss Yoga Newsletter

As each of us is unique so is each experience of pregnancy.  As I am nearing the final few weeks of this pregnancy I feel that this time has definitely been less indulgent.  The first time it is just you and your baby growing inside you, now I still have the wonderful miracle of new life inside me and I am constantly involved and occupied by my 3 ½ year old.  Where is this heading?  Well perhaps I have had less time to totally focus on this pregnancy however it has made those moments where I can really precious.  I am so blessed to have at least a few hours while I teach Pregnancy Yoga.  I believe it is a really important practice during pregnancy not only to prepare your physical body but to prepare yourself mentally.  This is also an opportunity to share advice and information and to meet other women that are going through the same thing that you are.  Pregnant or know any pregnant ladies?  Check out my Pregnancy Yoga Website

Yoga helps you be aware of your physical self, acknowledging where you’re at and practicing with that in mind.  As my physical body changes I have been even more aware how important  posture is, to have that solid foundation, length in the body, creating space and breathing into that space.  As my centre of gravity has changed this has also introduced areas on tension.  This week we have been focusing on unwinding that tension from the body and as my final weeks approach we will be looking at restoring and conserving energy and the wonderfully healing practice of Yoga Nidra.

Maternity Cover

It seems to have sneaked up on me... my last Inner Space class this coming Monday, 25 March!! (there is no class Easter Monday, 1 April).  I will be teaching at Old Catton on 27 March and 10 April (there is no class on 3 April).  I will be teaching Pregnancy Yoga until 10 April and Baby Yoga until 18 April I really look forward to seeing you on the mat over the next week or two.

I feel extremely fortunate to have met a wonderful group of teachers that will be covering classes while I am on maternity leave:

Community Yoga - Monday Evening 7:30-8:45pm Inner Space, off St Benedicts.

Anya

has many years' experience of practising yoga. She is currently involved with the British Wheel of Yoga. Her professional psychological background gives her a great understanding of relaxation and mindfulness techniques in encouraging positive mental states.

Classes £7.50 drop –in or £37.50 for 6 weeks contact Jessica@blissyoganorwich.co.uk for further information or reservations

Community Yoga - Wednesday 9:30-11am Old Catton Church Hall, Blacksmiths Way

Hannah

has been teaching Hatha yoga 3 years qualifying via independent yoga network BSY (British School of Yoga) in 2010.  She has been a fitness instructor and taught Yoga type classes like freestyle fitness yoga and body balance – she has also been a personal trainer for the last 5 years

Hannah currently teaches regular Yoga and Pilates classes at Dimension Fitness.

Classes £7.50 drop –in or £40 for 6 weeks contact Jessica@blissyoganorwich.co.uk for further information or reservations

Pregnancy Yoga – Wednesday 6:30-8pm St Mary Magdalene Church Hall, Silver Road

Frances

Frances is a Midwife at the N&N and completed her Pregnancy Yoga training with Triyoga in 2012.

Classes £50 for 6 weeks contact Jessica@blissyoganorwich.co.uk for further information or reservations.  Next course commences 8 May

Baby Yoga – Thursday 1:30pm Silver Road Baptist Church Hall, Corner of Silver Road and Mousehold Avenue

Michelle

has been teaching Yoga since 2000.  Michelle holds a diploma of the Friends of Yoga Society International (dipFRYOG) and a diploma from the British Wheel of Yoga and is also a tutor trainer. She has a Birthlight. Baby Yoga and Massage Diploma, Birthlight Aqua Natal Yoga Diploma and Birthlight Infant Aquatics. She is a Certified Infant Massage Instructor (CIMI) with the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM)

Classes £42 for 6 weeks contact Jessica@blissyoganorwich.co.uk for further information or reservations.  Next course commences 25 April

I am so blessed to have such wonderful students and know that you will welcome your cover teacher with open arms and a warm heart.

During my studies this week I came across this wonderful site on the Chakras and really wanted to share it with you. Click here to read :0)

I look forward to seeing you over the next week or so.  Have a wonderful Easter, may the sun shine brightly and I will of course keep you posted on the imminent arrival of bump.

Much love

Jessica

February News letter

Happy New Year!  What a lovely snowy start to the year we have had.  Jack Frost has definitely been on his visits and now new life is bursting from the ground.

I have started the new year with being awarded 500hr Yoga Teacher Accreditation demonstrating excellent Standards by Yoga alliance UK.  Thank you to those that gave statements supporting my case.  You can check out the new logo on my website  

My baby bump is growing and my practice is changing.  No strong back bends, twists or prone postures for me.  It is a time of reflection, time to acknowledge the miracle that is taking place in my body and acknowledging the need to nurture my body.  We all need to take that time out.  Tuning in to our Inner Self,  listening to our Inner voice our heart.  Often we charge forward in our lives.  Striving ahead.   How often to you take time out to listen to your bodies?  The need to nurture, restore, refresh is great.  Heal ourselves from the inside.  And what fun we can have doing that.  Simple daily activities can become a little more challenging for me right now.  Being really aware of my posture is super important as my centre of gravity is constantly changing.  I was really aware of how I was cleaning the fridge the other day and how I needed to adapt my posture to suit.  Cleaning the fridge in a low squat was perfect.   I also found a wide leg forward bend very beneficial as I have been cleaning out my kitchen cupboards!   I kindly pointed out to my sister who was visiting how she could make small changes to her stance whilste washing over the sink would help with her lower back discomfort (tadasana) . 

 

I have heard how Yoga really helps you in your everyday.  Brushing your teeth while in Vrksasana (tree pose) was a great one and how Ujjayi Pranayama (Relaxation breath) really helped while at the dentist.  One student commented “I’m usually petrified of the dentist and was practicing my breathing.  The dentist had to check to see if I was OK as they thought I was asleep.”
Why not share with us any poses you bring to your everyday activities.  Email me Jessica@blissyoganorwich.co.uk and I will share in the next newsletter.

As most of you are aware I will be taking maternity leave from April.  These will be the last of the 6 week courses that I will be running and hope to have a cover teacher thereafter:

ACTIVE BABY YOGA

The Next Active Baby Yoga class is due to commences 21 February. Classes Thursday 3-4pm on Silver Road. This is for babies that are sitting, crawling or walking.  Get  more active  as your little one  does.  Learn songs and nursery rhymes to yoga moves that you can take home and play with.  Meet new people. Bond with your child.  Yoga helps co-ordination, build confidence and strength, helps sleep. Enjoy a relaxation at the end of the class. Includes scarves, balls, blocks and noisy toys.  Have fun with your baby and get fit too.   I need 5 babies to run the course so please contact Jessica@blissyoganorwich.co.uk for further information and reservations.

PREGNANCY YOGA

The next Pregnancy Yoga course commences 6 March.  Strengthen your body, learn breathing, visualisation and relaxation techniques to help you on your babies birthing day.  Class Wednesday 6:30-8pm on Silver Road.  Contact Jessica@blissyoganorwich.co.uk for further information and reservations.

BABY YOGA

Next round of Baby Yoga commences March 14.  Have fun with your baby and get fit too.  A great way to bond with your baby, improves coordination and brain development, improves sleeping and feeding habits.  Class Thursday 1:30-2:45pm on Silver Road. Contact Jessica@blissyoganorwich.co.uk for further information and reservations.

BIRTH PREPARATION WORKSHOP

The next Birth Preparation workshop is taking place
When: Saturday March 30 1:30-4:30pm
Where: The Baptist Church Hall, Silver Road
This is the perfect opportunity for you and your birthing partner to learn breathing techniques, birthing positions, relaxation and massage techniques. Plus loads of handy information to help you on your baby's birthing day.
Cost £40 per couple including handouts and refreshments

Pause for thought Dec 2012

Finding Space During Christmas

Tis the season to be Jolly!  For some though it can be a time of stress, worry and anxiety as we tend to rush around preparing for Christmas. Wrapping paper, buying food, presents, decorations, cards and lets not forget the tree!!  Christmas day for some is the tearing open of presents, forgetting who they are from instantly, hot sticky kitchens and arguments between family!  It of course does not need to be that way.

Take time to be in the moment.  Firstly I would like to suggest appreciating the season.  One (if you look at nature) of rest and restoration.  A time to conserve energy ready for the burst of Spring.  We as a family have been enjoying the fresh sprinkling of frost.  Wrapping up warm and heading out in our boots to hear the crunch under our feet as we venture out into nature to see where Jack Frost has been.  Oh what fun!

Perhaps take time to think about your Sankalpha, or your intention for next year.  Perhaps a wiser choice than to lose those extra pounds put on following the excesses of Christmas??  Having recently moved house there is no room for indulgence, just simple pleasures.  Asking Aylah what she wants from Father Christmas she replies simply a “Yo yo for me and a toy train for my baby” (a baby brother or sister due May)  how sweet and so simple.  This year will be a time for us to really appreciate our Christmas celebrations with Aylah before she is joined by her sibling, and what fun I am sure next year will bring. 

Let us take a look at Patanjali’s Eight fold path of Yoga and in particular the first two steps the Yamas and Niyamas.  Yamas are guidelines to Social Discipline and the Niyamas are guidelines to Individual Discipline.

Yamas

1-      Ahimsa – non violence to self and others

2-      Satya  - truth. Being true to self in words and actions (however see Yama 1)

3-      Asteya – Non stealing

4-      Brahmacarya – Sexual responsibility

5-      Aparigraha – Abstention from greed

Niyama

1-      Sauca – cleanliness

2-      Santosa – Contentment

3-      Tapas – Austerity, commitment to your yoga practice

4-      Svadhyaya – self study

5-      Ishvara Pranidhana – Surrender to the Supreme Soul

During the Christmas Season let us particularly remember Ahimsa - we can really apply this when our family gatherings have the potential to be a little fraught.  Let the moment pass; Aparigraha - Christmas can be a time of over indulgence, remember the balance of moderation; and Santosa – being content with the gifts that you receive

For further reading on the Eight fold path click here

Also take a look at this easy visual guide

Christmas is a time of love, for some the love of the birth of Jesus and for others love for those we share our lives with, family and friends.  Let us give thanks for the many riches that we have – even if we need to ‘pull our belts in’ this year there are many that find Christmas difficult, financially and emotionally.  Let us take time to be grateful for not just the riches of a warm safe home but also of the love and the joy that we are able to share with others.

So when you are buzzing around preparing for Christmas take time to pause.  Enjoy your breath and take time to find the space and the joy between breaths.  ‘tis the season to be jolly’ after all.

Why not take time to find that space during our end of year wind down, relaxation classes and Yoga Nidra Wednesday 12 December at Old Catton Church Hall 9:30am and Monday 10 and 17 December at Inner Space 7:30pm

Thank you

At this time of gratitude and reflection of the year gone past, I would like to express my gratitude and thanks to you all.  I do feel so very blessed to have you in my life.  A special thank you to those that joined me at the Woodman in Catton four our now traditional Christmas gathering. It was so lovely to see you there.

There is still the Christmas tea gathering for the Inner Space crew at the Bicycle shop after class on Monday 17 December.

Active Baby Yoga

Hooray! Thank you to those that have shown interest in the Active Baby Yoga class.  This is to start Thursday 3pm.  This is a 6 week course for your more active baby.  Baby needs to be sitting strongly and moving around/crawling or walking.  We learn new songs to more active Yoga moves.  Classes include scarves, balls and noisy toys. A fabulous way to bond with your little person.  If you would like to join this course please message Jessica@blissyoganowich.com

Festive Season Schedule

Last Class

Catton Wednesday 12 December

Baby Yoga Thursday 13 December

Inner Space Monday 17 December

Pregnancy Wednesday 19 December

Classes in the New Year

All classes resume week commencing 7 January

InnerSpace Monday 7 January 7:30pm

Catton Wednesday 9 January 9:30am

Pregnancy Wednesday 9 January 6:30pm

Baby Yoga Thursday 10 January 1:30pm

Active Baby Yoga Thursday 10 January 3pm

Have a super safe and Joy filled Christmas.  See you on the mat. Much love xxx

Bliss Yoga November Newsletter

Hello beautiful people!  :0) xx

Well I have really noticed the dark nights drawing in since the clocks went back.  Autumn is well and truly here.  The leaves are falling, my brown bin is full every week now and it can be all too easy to fall into a dark slump of misery.  I feel that warm clothing is key.  I suffer terribly in the cold so even now have several layers, scarves and thick sock.  Helps make me feel all warm and fuzzy.  Practicing Yoga also helps me feel all warm and fuzzy.  I came across this lovely quote and although I have shared in class would like to share it again as I feel it is very apt for this time of year:

"People are like stain-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their beauty is revealed only if there is a light within." Elizabeth Kubler-Ross.

Remember that your inner light is always there, sometime a little duller than at other times however we can use Yoga to help cultivate and radiate this light.

We have been having fun in class cultivating our inner radiance by practicing Kapalabhati (literal translation  - shining skull)  Kapalabhati is a kriya technique or cleansing technique so great for cleansing lungs and airways.  It is also a heating practice which is always great to do this time of year.  Backbends and dynamic poses like chair have also featured in the last few weeks to again help our inner radiance shine, opening and radiating forwards from our heart.

This week has been a blast and we have been having fun with sharing our practice with one another.  Our practice is usually a more individual internal experience, we do not worry about an others practice around us, we listen to our body and our breath.  However I took inspiration from watching my daughter (3) playing at a friends house.  Poor little friend was having great difficulty in sharing his toys as most 3 year olds do.  It brought such joy to my heart to see my little girl see the distress of the boy and offer him a toy, and then offer another little girl a toy.  This little girl then mimicked the behaviour and gave the little boy and Aylah a toy.  Such beautiful sharing and such a lovely act of kindness.  We can learn so much from children and as I was so inspired thought it time to practice some partner Yoga so that we too may share, share our practice with one another.  Listen not only to our own body but to one another, breathe our breath but also see if we could comfortably synchronise our breath with our partners. It was great to see you all sharing and supporting one another but to also feel the joy and hear your laughs.

Along the same theme of random acts of kindness, if you have not seen the movie ‘Pay it forward’ I would recommend as it is a lovely movie where a young boy has a plan to change the world.  He does this my completing 3 random acts of kindness.  When the recipients thank him he does not ask for any payment in return only that they then carry out a random act of kindness, that they ‘Pay it forward’. 

As I could easily see from watching Aylah and her friends.  A random act of kindness can bring a smile to someones face.....and score you good Karma points while you are at it :0)

Although I nearly walked out of a store last week because they were playing Christmas songs already! I do need to be planning for classes over the Christmas break. I will of course send a further reminder nearer to the time but here are the dates for your diary.

The last class in December for:

Catton is 12 December

Baby Yoga is 13 December

Inner Space 17 December

Pregnancy 19 December

Classes will return in January the week commencing 7^th.

The annual Christmas dinner for Catton students will take place after class on Wednesday 5 December at the Woodman pub as usual.  Time to be confirmed.  Partners welcome.  Usual format of choosing and paying for your own meal and the opportunity to share in one anothers company.

Inner space students are welcome to join me at the Bicycle shop after class on 17 December for a hot drink and chat.

PREGNANCY YOGA COURSE

There are few spaces left of the next Pregnancy Yoga course starting November 28 6:30pm on Silver Road.  Learn breathing techniques, birthing positions, relaxation and visualisation techniques.  Strengthen your body and your mind to help you on your baby’s birthing day.  

BIRTH PREPARATION WORKSHOP

A wonderful opportunity for you and your birthing partner to learn together all the things covered in class and more including massage techniques and handy tips to help the woman feel supported during the birth of your baby.

Date: Saturday 24 November

Time: 1:30-4:40pm

Venue: Silver Road Baptist Church hall

Cost: £35 per couple including all handouts and refreshments.

BABY YOGA COURSE

Suitable from 6 weeks and after your postnatal check.  Learn songs and rhymes to gentle Yoga moves for both you and your baby. Helps improve baby’s sleep and eating patterns, improves muscle strength and co-ordination.  Get the opportunity to have a well deserved relax at the end of the class. Rest, relax restore, have fun with your baby and get fit too.

Cost £42 for 6 weeks including all equipment and refreshments

Next course commences Thursday 29 November

Time: 1:30-2:45pm

Venue: Silver Road Baptist Church

ACTIVE BABY YOGA

For babies 9 months +.  Get more active with your baby as your baby starts to get more active too.  We learn new songs using scarves, balls and noisy toys with fun Yoga moves integrated too.  Also includes a relaxation at the end of the class

Cost £42 for 6 weeks including all equipment and refreshments

Venue: Silver Road Baptist Church

Please register your interest to enable Jessica to plan for the next course.

Give a family member or friend the gift of Yoga for Christmas.  Vouchers available for all Yoga classes.  Contact Jessica to arrange your personally made gift card.

Keep warm and well, Why not try and Ayurvedic breakfast of Lemon, ginger and honey drink with a warm bowl of porridge and cinnamon. For a comprehensive Ayurvedic recepie click here 

Until next time I see you on the mat try a walk in the woods, appreciate the beautiful golden colours of autumn and a good jump skip and hop in the leaves and remember combat the dark nights and let your inner light shine brightly.

Hari Om

Much love Jessica xxx