All levels are welcome, including beginners, and all are encouraged to work to their optimum level, in strength as well as flexibility. Smiles and laughter are encouraged! Happiness is yoga in action. Kay Russell came into yoga through a breakdown - her second! - so the subject of stress, anxiety and depression are of particular interest. Luckily there was yoga in the therapy department of the hospital and she hasn't looked back in thirty years! British Wheel of Yoga teachers are thoroughly trained and safe.
The first time anyone comes to try out a class, they just pay for that one class (£9). The following week they pay the balance of the classes left in that period of 10, i.e. if you come on the third class of that group of ten, the next week there would be 7 x £9 to pay.
Last updated July 31, 2015, 2:48 p.m. UTC
I've been teaching since 1984 and hold the British Wheel of Yoga Diploma. This association is the Governing Body to the Sports Council for yoga in Britain and, as such, is responsible for standards of teaching and teacher-training. Basically, this means that our teachers are all thoroughly trained, safe, and undergo continuous, in-service training. My particular interest is helping the condition of anxiety and depression.
Everyone tries a class before joining to make sure they want to work with me and students pay every ten weeks. The first payment would depend on where we are in the ten-week cycle when you join. If you can't make your regular class, you can call me to see about coming to a replacement.
All my classes are mixed ability and everyone works at their own level. The style I teach is Hatha yoga. We are not fast and furious, but work with concentration on the body and the breath. My belief is that flexibility is not a great deal of use without strength, but no-one can work to more than their personal optimum, as it is on that particular day. In fact, I believe that if you force your body towards a posture, that is a retrograde step and will only take you further from the possibility of eventually improving or completing the posture.
Beginners will soon realise that there is no competitive spirit in yoga. Each student concentrates upon their self. You are also encouraged not to compete with yourself; just because a posture came easily to you one week, if the body is reluctant the following week, don’t push it.
Generally speaking, men are stronger than women and women are more flexible than men. That doesn’t mean to say that men can’t become more flexible in time and women stronger.
These are not courses, as in A-Z in ten weeks, but a variety of postures each week, so it doesn’t matter where in the ten weeks you begin and all classes are mixed ability.