Yoga

My name is Samantha and I have been practicing yoga for over 14 years. I took part in my teacher training in 2018 to learn more about yoga but have fell in love with it even more and have been teaching classes ever since. Below is a little bit about the different styles of yoga I teach.

Hatha Yoga

The word Yoga means ‘union’ and is used to describe the mind, body and soul connection that happens when you do Yoga. Each Yoga practice will include doing postures, breathing exercises, meditation and applying certain lifestyle habits.

Yoga provides you with the basic tools needed to take on any experience in your life. During each Yoga class you will deepen your experience and grow further as a person. Yoga gives you an opportunity to tap into your inner self to look at the areas in your body and mind that may need some attention. 

You are able to learn new skills which you can use throughout your day to day life to help you to become a happier and more peaceful human being. You will also learn techniques which enable you to calm your mind and take control of your own thoughts. Every week throughout my classes and private sessions you will feel your body strengthen and continue to grow with positive energy. Yoga is not only about moving your body it is about the journey you experience when doing so.

Throughout my yoga sessions we will continue to look deeper into the 8 Limbs of Yoga:

  • Yama – attitudes toward our environment

  • Niyama – attitudes toward ourselves

  • Asana – physical postures

  • Pranayama – restraint or expansion of the breath

  • Pratyahara – withdrawal of the senses

  • Dharana – concentration

  • Dhyana – meditation

  • Samadhi – complete integration

Yoga gives you the space to completely allow and even encouraged yourself to release the obsessive, irrational, never-ending thoughts that run through my head all day. Within this space, you are also encouraged to forget about others (disconnecting from their thoughts, feelings, actions, reactions, etc.). Giving yourself the freedom to just be. By yourself. No explanations. No judgement. Nothing else but you and the present moment. Breathing and moving through sequences of movements.

Listen to your body

Yin Yoga

Yin Yoga is a passive practice designed to help you sit more comfortably and for longer periods of time in meditation by stretching connective tissue around the joints.

In a Yin Yoga practice, we hold poses anywhere from 1 to 20 minutes (usually 3 to 7, or 2 minutes for beginners) in order to access deeper layers of fascia.

Yin Yoga has 3 main Principles:

Come - come to your appropriate edge. The intention here is to make sure that you come into the posture honouring your body in a way that is gentle and kind.

Make - make a commitment to find stillness allowing your muscles to soften.

Hold - hold each pose for a period of time that you determine.

There are may benefits of Yin Yoga including improving your range of motion and flexibility. As you hold the asana's longer without any props than you would in any other style of yoga, Yin Yoga helps increase circulation in and around the joints. which makes this style of yoga very beneficial for anyone who may have joint pain such as arthritis.

Restorative Yoga

Restorative Yoga as a gentle, very relaxing type of Yoga. It is a more passive form of Yoga and is a style of Yoga that allows participants to relax and helps the body release into a gentle stretch.

Restorative Yoga can use a range of props such as bolsters, blocks, straps and blankets to support each pose and make the positions/poses easier to do.

During a Restorative Yoga class you may not feel like you are doing a lot, or it may not feel like exercise, but that is the point; you are trying to do a more relaxing type of Yoga.

In general, the physical aspects of practising Yoga are meant to improve joint and ligament flexibility and ease muscle tensions.

Restorative Yoga involves slow and fluid movements. By using Yoga postures to stretch, extend and flex the spine, you are creating increased physical coordination, improved flexibility and overall posture.

When you practise Yoga with proper breathing techniques, the whole body benefits. Restorative Yoga also involves elements of releasing tension, re-establishing inner balance, renewing energy and restoring health. This style of Yoga can be helpful for people who experience anxiety or insomnia.