What is nidra and how can it help me?
What is Yoga Nidra and how can it help me? By Rina Modi teacher training Manager at the Shala Over the last few years I have heard more and more yogi’s talk about Yoga Nidra, with an increasing number of teachers offering this practice as well as the demand for teacher trainings in this area. […]
What is Yoga?
What is Yoga? Yoga is many things to many people. When we ask this question on our teacher training programmes we usually end up with many words scrawled all over a huge whiteboard. Yoga is hard to define as it is so expansive and all-encompassing. Here we have chosen 8 words we associate with yoga. […]
Pregnancy yoga – Benefits for prenatal wellness and birth
Pregnancy Yoga – Benefits for Pre-Natal Wellness & Birth “Whenever and however you give birth, your experience will impact your emotions, your mind, your body and spirit for the rest of your life” Ina May Gaskin Designer Pregnancy and birth is a multi-faceted time in a woman’s life. Whatever the journey, there are for sure […]
Burnout | Wellness Series
Yoga for Burnout What is burnout? It is a term we often refer to, particularly interchangeably with stress, but what does it actually mean? As a wellbeing coach working with adults and young people, burnout often presents in a plethora of ways with one common factor – exhaustion. Recently the World Health Organisation classified burnout […]
Yoga nidra & the art of relaxation
The inability to rest and sleep is a common disorder of our modern day age and many of us feel that we must be switched on and available 24/7. We spend more and more time concentrating on the many channels of digital communication on top of everyday pressures, and it can easily be the case […]
What is the brains most important job?
What is the brain’s most important job? Thinking? Feeling. Making us feel happy or sad, In fact it’s not any of the jobs you may associate with the brain. The brain’s most important job is running a budget for your body. Every thought we have, every action we take, every move we make is ultimately […]
How to support your home restore (yin) classes
In these strange times of imposed isolation, an accessible yoga practice can help ground the body and calm the mind. The Restore classes at the Shala often encompass poses from several styles that range from the prop-heavy Restorative Yoga style to the traditionally prop-free Yin Yoga. Over the few weeks I have been teaching online, […]
Practice while you can
This is a mantra I’ve repeated hundreds of thousands of times over the years when I was too hungover, depressed, heartbroken, anxious, sad or just couldn’t be arsed to get to the yoga studio. It’s also what I’ve told many people I’ve taught. Not just the able-bodied ones, but especially the less able, older people, […]
Yoga nidra as a journey through the brain waves
Yoga Nidra as a journey through the brain waves by Melanie Cooper . Like yoga itself, Yoga Nidra is both a process and state. It is a set of techniques to help people get into the state of consciousness between waking and sleeping. Yoga Nidra literally means “Yogic Sleep”, but it’s not really about sleeping, it’s […]
The motherhood journey
We felt it was about time we said Hello 👋🏽 Christina & Carly We first met at pregnancy yoga the Shala in 2015. Our babies were due a few days apart but we ended up giving birth on the same day (with the same midwives!). Since then we have become closest friends and have a […]
The gift of mindfulness
‘The precious gift of Mindfulness; like putting on a shade of brightness and clarity, mindfulness works in its simplicity. Years ago, I remember being in Moscow on a prestigious acting course and the teacher asking us pupils: “When are we truly happy?”. There was a lot of silence and thinking, followed by talking about what […]
Exploring mysore classes
A common misconception about Mysore “self-practice” classes is that they are for advanced practitioners only, but this is not the case. In fact we regularly encourage students who are newer to the practice to join our Mysore classes, especially if they have specific needs due to injury, health conditions etc. The only real prerequisite to […]
Open your voice, open your heart
Mantras are a powerful tool to calm the mind, reduce incessant thinking, and create focus and empowerment in our lives. They work on the principle of sound vibrations affecting our subtle, spiritual and physical bodies in a specific way. Mantras originate not only from India but also from cultures and traditions all around the world. […]
Overcoming insomnia
Wouldn’t a guaranteed good night’s sleep make everything in life so much better? Poor sleep is linked to depression, anxiety, heart attack, hypertension, diabetes, weight gain and obesity. If you’ve ever found yourself staring at the ceiling at 4am without a clue how to get back to sleep or if you’re one of the 80 per […]
Harness the energy of the full moon
By Amy Bisazza The first full moon of the year in Cancer offers us an opportunity to create a strong foundation for the direction we wish to move in during 2017. The new and full moon have long been recognised and celebrated as auspicious times of the month in Yogic, Buddhist, farming and gardening traditions. Every […]
Brightening our inner skies
By Norman Blair I have been planning to write Brightening Our Inner Skies for more than ten years. There are notes that I made in April 2005. In 2008, I was writing down possible titles such as Opening Doors. Brightening Our Inner Skies seeks to help the reader to have a better understanding of Yin yoga. And […]
New on the yin yoga team
We welcome Emma Peel and Yoska Bosch to our yin yoga team to take over Raluca’s classes while she is away on maternity leave from early September (and also covering once or twice in the interim). Emma will be teaching the Friday night wind down Deep Release class and will focus on moving with consciousness, body awareness, understanding individual anatomy and […]
Breath work for depression & negativity
Worries, Overwhelm, Brain Fog, Intrusive Thoughts, Negative Self Talk, Depression and Low-Mood? If this is you, you are in good company. Millions of people are leading lives of quiet desperation inside their own heads without the natural tools to change things instantly. There are simple ways to make your head a happy place to hang out. Turn […]
Bathing in the sound of the gong
This weekend the incredible hypnotic and healing sounds of the gong filled the Shala for our first Moon Gong Meditation. The healing and transformational vibrations of the gong have been used for centuries. Bathing in the sounds of the gong takes us on a meditative journey, aiding stress, releasing emotional blockages, increasing prana, stimulating the […]
Introducing moon gong meditations
To launch our monthly Moon Gong Meditations at the Shala we will be offering a free introductory session to our students on the evening of Sunday 5th June (6.30-8pm). These monthly workshops, led by Amy Bisazza, will include a seated meditation, mantra, pranayama and yoga nidra preparing mind and body for the healing vibrations of […]
Rolling your way to a happier body
By Nichi Green The instant I started body rolling, my body felt more relaxed, more balanced, I felt better alignment in my joints, I felt my weight differently in my feet. My legs felt more alive and more toned. It was like the best massage I’d ever had but I was able to give this to […]
Improve sleep, accelerate healing and change your life
Three Reasons to Master the Art of Sleep In the Western World about a third of the population now have sleep issues significant enough to adversely affect how they live their lives Eighty per cent of people report that their anxiety whirlwinds out of control at night Poor sleep is […]
What can mindfulness do for you?
by Susie Ball Mindfulness seems to be having its moment right now. Everyone from Ruby Wax, to Google, to the UK parliament is singing its praises. Is mindfulness a fad, or can it bring sustainable and meaningful benefits to our lives? For me, mindfulness is far from a flash in the pan – it’s a way […]
Yoga & qigong winter workshop
Water is the element associated with the winter season in the Chinese Five Element theories. It’s a time of rest, storing, and pausing before the creativity and busyness of spring. In this yoga and qigong workshop with Mimi Kuo-Deemer, we will consider the complex dimensions of water and fluids, and look at how we can invite our bodies – […]
On the ball
When someone gives you a ball, the first thing that comes into your mind is to drop kick it, or head it into a goal – it certainly isn’t to spend a Sunday afternoon rolling your body around it. “Breath into the ball” Nichi says pushing my hip down as the ball meets a deep […]
Thai massage – the benefits
A Thai massage is a unique form of bodywork: it is a healing art that uses a combination of traditional massage, energy line work, pressure point work, and applied yoga stretches. This gives a new, invigorating, and balancing experience that enhances the flow of energy through the body and leaves you fully relaxed and revitalized. This style […]
Aromatherapy massage & reflexology
Introducing Sunny Jaspal: Massage therapist, Aromatherapist, Reflexologist and trainee Acupuncturist to our team. Sunny began studying complementary medicine after first-hand experience of its fantastic benefits. She has passion for helping others and uses a multidisciplinary approach to create a unique and synergistic treatment. Aromatherapy massage can help with aches, address feelings of anxiety and tension, aid general […]
Yamuna body rolling
By Nichi Green The moment I started body rolling I loved it. Instantly my body felt more relaxed, more balanced. I felt better alignment in my joints. I felt my weight differently in my feet. My legs felt more alive and more toned. It was like the best massage I’d ever had but I was […]
Introduction to zen meditation with brad warner
The Zen Art of Sitting Down and Shutting Up 2–5pm Sunday 20th September 2015 Cost: £25 Brad Warner is widely regarded as one of the most exciting new voices in Buddhism, bringing an informal, witty and down-to-earth approach to meditation and life in general. Brad is certainly not your typical Zen Buddhist monk, so if your […]
Slowing down with yin yoga
Beneath our busy and hectic modern lives, can lie oceans of exhaustion. In this world of speed where the senses are intensely stimulated, in our culture of distractions and instant gratification, what we often most deeply require is…slowing down. Come and experience yin yoga this Saturday afternoon with Norman Blair one of the most experienced […]
qigong at the apple mac store
This weekend we hosted the lovely Mimi Kuo-Deemer for the first of her five yoga and qigong seasonal (five elements) workshops. A naturally gifted teacher, Mimi has a captivating, joyful presence and a deep understanding of yoga and Daiost philosophy. Her workshops are uplifting, informed and full of laughter and her teachings are profound and […]
Hear the silence
Life in the city doesn’t get a whole lot calmer than this. Monthly Relaxation and Meditation Workshop will bring a quietness, stillness and deep inner calm to our practices with a combination of pranayama (breath work), guided meditation, chanting and yoga philosophy. The workshop will run once a month starting from Saturday 9 May at the Shala in […]
Wild bathing
Winding right down to a soporific state is the main agenda at Eco Yoga in Scotland. A retreat here involves ashtanga yoga practice to the sound of the waterfall, high-quality vegetarian food, massages, star-lit hot tubs and wild bathing al fresco in the glorious Scottish countryside. The healing and rejuvenating water therapies (Jacuzzi, sauna, outdoor baths) are a cure-all for […]