Having taught yoga since 1999 when I was in my mid-twenties, my classes have evolved with me.
I am very aware that yoga sometimes has the wrong image of super bendy young students in tight lycra.
These images are usually of models that are simply hypermobile and therefore can bend their bodies into pretzel shapes without any effort at all. This certainly isn’t the norm.
Despite teaching yoga 20+ years, if I tried bending into a pretzel I would snap!
My students who I teach know and enjoy the fact I have an ordinary shape, and ordinary level of flexibility … I understand and feel stiff in the mornings and the thing that always helps the most is stretching / my yoga practise.
I teach classes online as it makes classes accessible to so many more, and they are specifically geared to make yoga safe for students over 50. My classes are safe, fun and light hearted with wonderful music playlists for you to enjoy during the session. I also sometimes sing some Indian chants during final relaxation which always goes down very well.
Read below these green boxes for further insights into why I chose to teach online and to over 50s … This can also be found in the blog which is entitled "Why I teach Yoga online"
My classes online make home practise safe because I am able to see you in your poses very clearly and can individually correct.
I always suggest modifications and less challenging poses in every online class that feels right for an individual attending. Furthermore when students make me aware of any injuries prior to a session, I am able to mention them and make poses safe for them which enhances the yoga knowledge of everyone present or watching a recording.
It is also my goal to encourage more men to my yoga classes. I have quite a few men already in my classes who benefit greatly from regular yoga.
I also have husbands and wives come to online classes very happily, encouraging each other to take part with no one other than their teacher watching. This makes joining a class easier in my opinion.
I think starting or continuing a yoga practice in the comfort of your own home can give you confidence knowing I am monitoring your progress on my large screen, but you are not being seen by other class members, so there is no reason not to start classes because of the worry of feeling self-conscious.
My classes are always very varied, no one class is ever the same. I have a rule that all areas of the body are stretched and mobilised in every session. A forward bend, back bend, side bend, inversion, twist and balance are incorporated every time I teach. Along with focus on breathing and relaxation this optimises full body and mind health.
I would like to mention that despite the emphasis on over 50s, younger participants are always welcome, If you like how my style sounds to you, then please do try a class. Yoga teachers vary so much, I always encourage students to try as many different teachers as necessary to find the right one for them. You will know when you have found your teacher as it will just feel right in your mind and body.
