This interactive course provides an introduction to Hatha Yoga, a physical form of yoga designed to balance the body and mind. Every week the course will focus on a specific group of postures, giving you a foundation from which to explore how yoga can work for you.
Who is the course for?
Everyone from complete beginners to more seasoned yogis who are looking to dive into the detail of
their practice.
What can you expect from the course?
• A steady supportive small group environment offering a high level of personal attention with plenty of room for questions and laughs along the way
• An introduction to yoga postures, alignment and breath work
• An understanding of the body and how to prevent injury
• An introduction to meditation and relaxation techniques
• Mind and body benefits including greater strength and flexibility as well as new ways to cope with stress
• A sun salutation sequence to take away and work with at home
Last updated Nov. 22, 2014, 9:50 p.m. UTC
My name is Blanka Priddle, and I am a fully qualified Hatha Yoga teacher certified by British Wheel of Yoga . My qualifications include British Wheel of Yoga and Yoga Alliance USA certified 200hr Yoga Teacher Training, 390 hour Yoga Teacher Training Diploma with Triyoga in London UK. I have recently completed the Embodied Relational Yoga Therapy teacher training with Kate Ellis bringing a deeper focus to teaching in 1 on 1 environment with application of yoga therapy elements. I continually take part in ‘anatomy in motion’ immersion workshops to ensure I can guide students safely through their yoga practice. I also hold 200 hour Kundalini Yoga teacher qualification from Rama Lotus Yoga Centre in Canada.
I first tried yoga back in 1996, soon after I arrived in London. Until that point all I knew about yoga came from books, and like many others I felt I could never achieve those pretzel postures, however good this ‘yoga stuff’ was supposed to be. The only thing I remember about my first class was that I struggled to follow the instructions, as my English was still a bit basic, but thanks to the teacher’s guidance I still enjoyed the class and kept coming back. Over the years I have experienced and played with a wide variety of yoga styles, from Kundalini yoga, focusing on the health and vigour of our spine and nervous system and involving lots of meditation, mantra and long held static poses, to a purely physical and sweaty Bikram yoga classes while living through the tough Canadian winters a few years back. I have trained as a Kundalini yoga teacher while living in Canada, but felt a bit restricted by the pre-designed Kriyas given to Kundalini yoga teachers, and so, a few years down the line, I have decided to train as a Hatha yoga teacher.
I was lucky to have studied for my diploma with Mimi Kuo-Deemer and Jean Hall at the Triyoga teaching academy, and my teaching style has been further influenced by other wonderful teachers, among them Elena Brower, Leila Sadeghee and Kate Ellis.
I teach slow flow Hatha yoga classes with a strong focus on anatomical alignment and individual students’ needs, rather than on achieving the ‘book-perfect’ pose, to ensure a safe and enjoyable practice for the student. I love designing my classes with the students in mind, working with students on a more personal level enabled by keeping my classes relatively small, and assisting students in their practice so that they can learn to re-pattern their body habits and develop a sound and safe practice.
My personal practice is constantly evolving, depending on how my body and mind feel, what is happening in the rest of my life, and also due to implementing the newest approach to physical asana I have learned as a teacher. I am fascinated by anatomy and am continually learning how the body works, and how to bring it into or keep it in balance using yoga, meditation and nutrition.
Apart from my big love of yoga I am passionate about essential oils as part of our daily routines to bring well-being, to nourish us and inspire our souls. I love playing with food and am always learning more about healthy diet and nutrition, with a special interest in raw living foods and their effect on our overall well-being. I am also a qualified aromatherapist and an aesthetician with deeply ingrained belief that we should not put on our skin what we would not eat or what we cannot pronounce.