Firstly, Welcome! And Thank you for finding us, we are thrilled that you are interested in starting yoga, and that you have chosen to connect with us! All of our classes are suitable for all levels, but we know how daunting it can be trying something new for the first time, So why not try our Flow Foundations class. This 90 minute class starts and ends with a cuppa, with a chance to chat to everyone in class, and to ask any questions that you have, after this we spend some time working through all aspects of yoga, looking at Asana (Poses) Pranayama (Breath work) philosophy and History. This class is the perfect stepping stone and chance to build your confidence before you start to enjoy more of the classes that we offer.
Stretchy, comfortable clothing, and an open mind! Everything else that you need we have!
Whilst our floor is gently heated, you won’t ever feel over whelmed by the atmosphere in our studio, we believe that our bodies are already pretty good at regulating our temperature, and so our heating is designed to make our space inviting, to help you settle and melt the worries of the day away, to aid the opening and gentle stretching of the body you do yoga for rather than making you sweat. You will sweat at our studio, but its sweat from your practice, not from the heat of the room.
Most of our classes are based on Hatha principles, Hatha is a pretty big umbrella term for all types of Yoga that involve physical movements and Yoga poses. We take elements of Vinyasa, and flow through our postures guided by our breath, and we vary the amount of time that we spend in each pose, building internal heat, and strength. We have longer held classes, which focus on building mental strength, and physical flexibility, We Offer Pilates classes and as our studio grows, so will our list of regular and guest teachers, along with our class schedule. If you want something added to the schedule, then don't be shy, let us know! We are also thrilled to be have Terri Foster (Asher Yoga) Teaching Vinyasa Flows which are physically challenging flowing classes, and Jivamukti which binds the physical, and philosophical elements of traditional yoga.
Wear whatever you feel comfortable in, Yoga isn’t about impressing anyone else, and once you are on your mat and delving into your practice, you will be amazed how quickly your tensions, worries, and hang-ups disappear, pretty soon into a class, it’s just you, the mat, and the teachers voice, so make sure what you wear suits you, no one else. Lycra isn’t a pre-requisite, just try to make sure whatever you chose is comfortable, stretchy, and washable.
Absolutely not! Chanting does form part of some yoga classes, and you will hear chanting in our studio, at some point, you may even feel the chant resonate with you, and may choose to join in, but nothing we do in class is an instruction, its’ always an offering, chanting is the same as any part of yoga, it’s something you may learn to love, but never something you have to do to be a better yogi.
This is completely up to you, and is dependent on different factors, your level of fitness, your work schedule, your aims and intentions for a yoga practice. Even just 1 hour a week, will give you the tools to develop and deepen a strong practice and you will notice the benefits if you dedicate one hour, every week to a guided practice, Yoga doesn’t have to be done in a dedicated studio, but sometimes it’s nice to go to a class to share experiences with other Yogis, and to learn new things. The more time you are able to dedicate to your practice, the more quickly you will notice the benefits of yoga, but you won’t be a better yogi.
Unlike stretching or fitness, yoga is more than just physical postures. Patanjali's eight-fold path illustrates how the physical practice is just one aspect of yoga. Even within the physical practice, yoga is unique because we connect the movement of the body and the fluctuations of the mind to the rhythm of our breath. Connecting the mind, body, and breath helps us to direct our attention inward. Through this process of inward attention, we learn to recognize our habitual thought patterns without labeling them, judging them, or trying to change them. We become more aware of our experiences from moment to moment. The awareness that we cultivate is what makes yoga a practice, rather than a task or a goal to be completed. Your body will most likely become much more flexible by doing yoga, and so will your mind.
Yoga is not a religion. It is a philosophy that began in India an estimated 5,000 years ago. The father of classical yoga (the eight-limbed path, not to be confused with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois' Ashtanga yoga) is said to be Patanjali, who wrote the Yoga Sutra. These scriptures provide a framework for spiritual growth and mastery over the physical and mental body. Yoga sometimes interweaves other philosophies such as Hinduism or Buddhism, but it is not necessary to study those paths in order to practice or study yoga. It is also not necessary to surrender your own religious beliefs to practice yoga.
YES! We don't accept payments in our studio, and to manage the spaces available for each class fairly and fully for everyone, we need to know who is coming to class. You can book your class on our website, and after you have created your log-in, it doesn't take more than a few breaths! It also allows you to complete your health questionnaire and look at our lovely website some more. If you book, you are guaranteed a mat space, however, if "your name ain't on the list, you ain't comin' in"
We have tried to keep our cancellation policy clear and concise, we try and make it fair and easy for everyone who wants to come to class to book a mat space, so we really only want you to book a mat space if you know you can make class! We are a small studio, and our mat spaces are limited, so if you book and can't come, please message us to let us know so that we don't wait for you to start class. We can't offer you a refund, but we also wont re-sell your mat.
Our studio is adjacent to Bird street Car park, this is a large city centre car park with plenty of parking. The parking is Pay and display (Free after 18:30) and the post code is WS13 6QT https://www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/directory-record/7/bird-street-car-park
Our classes are suitable for abilities, and whilst we have no upper age limit, the youngest person we can admit to a class is 16 (if accompanied by an adult), otherwise anyone over the age of 18 can attend. We leave it up to the individual to assess their own practice needs, and ability level, and encourage everyone to try our various classes and see what they enjoy and benefit from the most.
© 2024 by Humble Warrior Yoga Limited.