Enjoy all the benefits of yoga from the comfort of a chair. Chair Yoga is a great way to release tension and improve flexibility whatever your age or stage of life. It’s also great when you have limited space available or reduced opportunity to get up and move around. This 30 minute, introductory class is fun and informal. You simply sit, stretch and strengthen your way to a happier, healthier you.
Read morePop the kettle on and enjoy some med-TEA-tation
‘Thirst aid for the soul.’… I’m thrilled to partner with the wonderful Brew+Bear, Sheffield's eco friendly tea service. When you subscribe to their new tea home delivery service you can enjoy your cuppa with a side helping of mental health wellbeing. They provide the highest quality loose leaf tea and I provide the weekly meditations to listen to whilst you wait for the kettle boil and your tea to brew.
Read more10 Science-Based Reasons Meditation Makes Such a Difference
Practicing mediation is a wonderfully simple way to improve your quality of life, even if you only have a few minutes to do it each day. There are a growing number of evidence-based research studies into the many benefits of meditating. Here’s my top 10 scientifically proven reasons that meditation can make such a difference to you and your life.
Read moreThe 7 Benefits of Dru Yoga
More and more people around the globe are enjoying the benefits of Dru Yoga. This therapeutic and trauma sensitive style of yoga has been shown to offer a wide variety of benefits for your body, mind and emotions.
As you would expect, Dru Yoga can help reduce physical tension in the body, bring greater flexibility, improve posture, build strength and increase agility. But it can also help to increase positive thinking and give you the tools to transform your life in a way that ripples out to benefit all of those around you.
Read moreWhat’s so funny about Laughter Yoga?
We all know laughter makes us feel good but there is also a growing body of evidence that shows that is also does us good. Laughter Yoga is so called because it combines simple and enjoyable Laughter Exercises with the deep, restorative breathing techniques of yoga. It’s not just great fun, it’s seriously good for you too. Who’s laughing now?
Read moreDru it online with TOBY YOGA
All the benefits of your weekly Dru Yoga class, live from the comfort of your own home. This class is suitable for all ages and abilities, and is the perfect way to relax, relieve tension and reduce stress. Now more than ever we need our yoga practice to help us cope, build resilience and find balance. I want to ensure that everyone is able to take part, regardless of their financial circumstances, which is why I’m running these classes on a ‘Pay What You Can’ basis.
Read morePowerful poses: From worrier to warrior
So many of us are dealing with stressful situation at home or work that it’s good to use ‘power postures’ to help us step from worriers into warriors. These dynamic triangle postures can be performed individually or combined into a flowing sequence. Physically they build strength and stamina, whilst emotionally they give an increased sense of vigour, courage and resilience.
Read moreHow to make resolutions that work
Getting in shape, finding a new job, sorting out your life: for millions of us the start of a new year is a time to make resolutions for the year ahead. Unfortunately, more than half of us reach the end of the year without achieving our goals. So, here’s how you can increase your chances of staying committed and really breathing life into your intentions.
Read moreA Guide to Developing a Home Yoga Practice
My students often tell me that whilst they would like to practice yoga outside of our lessons, they find it hard to start and harder to stay committed. In this article, I’m going to look at the benefits, challenges and solutions to starting your home yoga practice. We’ll be exploring: What is a daily yoga practice? Why do we need one? Why do we sometimes find it so hard to keep it up? How do we encourage ourselves to improve our practice?
Read moreDru Yoga for All Seasons - the power of letting go
As the summer comes to and end and the nights start drawing in, your weekly Dru Yoga classes return for the Autumn. This autumn’s Dru Yoga classes are characterised by movements which help to release and resolve the past, letting go of that which is no longer helpful or required. Giving you the space to reflect on what has been worthwhile and meaningful, leading to greater clarity and focus.
Read moreYoga on the Radio
It’s been a busy week of radio interviews with two appearances on BBC Radio Sheffield talking about the benefits of yoga in general and Dru Yoga in particular. Why not have a listen?
Read moreYoga on Prescription
I’m marking International Day of Yoga, on Friday 21 June, by spearheading an initiative to see yoga offered on prescription as part of the NHS social prescribing initiative. The campaign will see me join yoga teachers across the UK offering free yoga classes at GP surgeries, hospitals and community centres in South Yorkshire and across the UK.
Read moreYoga for Clarity and Calm Urban Retreat
I’m really excited to be co-teaching this special half-day ‘Yoga for Clarity & Inner Calm’ workshop alongside other amazing Dru Yoga teachers and one of the senior tutors from Dru Midlands. Through the practice of postures, sequences, meditation and mudras you’ll re-discover the ‘still point’ within and gain a clearer perspective on your life.
Read moreTreat Yourself to One-to-One Dru Yoga
Do you want to take your Dru Yoga practice deeper? Would you like the chance to discover a home Dru Yoga practice that’s right for you? Why not treat yourself to a bespoke yoga class? Now that my home studio is finished I’m pleased to offer one-to-one targeted Dru Yoga consultations.
Read moreThe Magic of Mudra
A mudra is a symbolic gesture or posture. Traditional yoga philosophy teaches that every part of the hand represents an associated part of the body and brain. Mudras are used to effect change physically, mentally and emotionally. Find out more…
Read moreFloating Down to Earth
When times are fraught and emotions are running high, we can find our emotions like dark clouds racing across a stormy sky. This is when Privthvi Namsaskara (the salutation to the earth) comes into its own. This unique Dru Yoga sequence is the perfect way bring yourself gently back down to earth.
Read moreOne snake you don't need to be afraid of!
We’ve been working with the special Dru Yoga version of Bhujangasana, the Four Stage Cobra. This a stretching and strengthening pose for the back. Done in four stage, it allows you to warm up gracefully into the full lift or to stop at the level that feels right for your back. This is one snake, that you don’t need to be afraid of.
Read moreTake it Lying Down – the power of Savasana
I know from experience that simply lying in stillness is both profoundly effective and deeply challenging. We’ve all been there. Those times when the relaxation is the high-light of the Yoga class and you don’t want it to end. And those other times, when it feels like interminable torture because you can’t get comfortable or stop your mind from racing.
Read moreThe Wonderful Windmill Breath
The ancient Yogis talked about the importance of practicing extension or control of the breath, believing that life is measured not by the number of our years but by the number of our breaths. On a basic level we practice pranayama to increase both the capacity of our lungs and to help them work more efficiently. Here we look at the Dru Yoga Windmill Breath.
Read moreWhat is Core Stability?
Watch this video to find out where your core muscles are are and how to find them - and then use them!
The concept of core stability is very important in the practice of Dru Yoga. And in this article I’m going to look a little more closely at what exactly I mean when I talk about your core muscles.
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