Due to popularity and demand from my students, I am bringing back the Early Morning Yoga & Detox sessions to run the first week of 2nd - 6th June.
The five classes include Mindfulness / Meditation, Pranayama (breath-work), Asanas (postures) specifically selected to cleanse, tone and detoxify the body plus gentle Sun Salutations.
It's a great way to start the day and you will receive a superfood smoothie prepared with a selection of fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices for you to take away which will assist eliminate toxins from the body.
You can drop in and do one or two classes during the week but the benefit will be greater if you cover the whole week. (The cost is £10 per day.)
Classes will be held at the Yogic Arts Centre in Hubert's Lane, opposite Fusion Systems Limited. Parking is available at the Odeon Car Park, with a short walk up from the top right hand corner to Hubert's Lane.
Please can you confirm whether you would like a slot and whether you will be doing all five sessions, so that I have numbers to make the right amount of smoothies. (Please also let me know if there is anything that you are not able to eat, so that I can prepare appropriately.)
Om, namaste
Caroline
Monday, 3 March 2014
******SORRY THERE WILL BE NO CLASSES ON 5, 6 & 7 MARCH*****
CURRENT TIMETABLE OF CLASSES AT HUBERT'S LANE - RUNNING THROUGH MARCH & APRIL
* Mondays - Budokon Yoga Flow - 6.00 to 7.30 pm
* Tuesdays - Gentle Yoga & Relaxation - 9.30 to 11.00 am
* Tuesdays - Yoga for Back Pain - 5.30 to 6.45 pm OR 7.00 to 8.15 pm
* Wednesdays - Early Morning Yoga - 7.00 to 8.00 am
* Wednesdays - SunPower Yoga - 6.00 to 7.30 pm
* Thursdays - NEW to Yoga - 6.00 to 7.15 pm
* Fridays - Yin Yoga & Yoga Chill Out - 5.45 to 7.00 pm
* Saturdays - NEW to Yoga - 9.00 to 10.15 am
* Saturdays - PowerYoga - 10.45 to 12.15 pm
Full timetable details and prices can be found at www.poweryogaguernsey.com - all classes are DROP-INS - NO booking necessary.
Classes will run as normal over the Easter weekend.
End of April my current schedule of classes will cease and there will be a new, revised but reduced PowerYoga programme over the summer months.
MORNING GENTLE YOGA & RELAXATION CLASSES FOR MUM'S - 9.30 to 11.00 am on TUESDAYS at The Yogic Arts Centre
If you know anyone is looking for a 'gentle' Yoga & Relaxation class, please direct them to this class. Thank-you.
CAROLINE 'SHOLA' AREWA - Women at One on Thursday 24 April
Shola has been my guest to present 'Energy 4 Life' to PowerYoga students back in 2012. I'm thrilled she will be returning to speak for 'Women at One' on Thursday 24 April on the subject of 'Spiritual Intelligence' and how today this is becoming so increasingly valuable to us. If you'd like to join a PowerYoga table (or 2), please let me know and I can book us space. The price for a ticket is £22.50 with £5 of that going to the Tumaini Fund - check out the amazing work done by this inspirational local charity. http://www.tumainifund.org.uk/
(Women at One takes place at the St Pierre Park Hotel, starting 12.00, finishing around 2.30 pm)
MINI YOGA & MEDITATION RETREAT on LIHOU ISLAND - Sunday 15 & Monday 16 June
Stroll across to Lihou island lunchtime on Sunday, spend the afternoon, evening and night away from the hubbub and get as close back to nature as possible, as we approach summer solstice. There will be yoga, meditation, abundant nature, swimming in the venus pool plus an opportunity to try some yogic chanting. You can do as much or as little as you wish, with a vegan diet to bring you back to health as nature intended. There will be a morning meditation, gentle yoga and a wholesome breakfast plus more time to explore the peace and quietitude of the island, leaving totally refreshed, inspired and invigorated at lunchtime on Monday. This is a one-off opportunity and numbers restricted so please let Caroline know early if interested. (Full details coming shortly....)
DUNCAN WONG visiting London in June
I have been following Duncan since 2008 and have always been drawn to his boundless energy and 'other worldliness'! He is one of the world's leading yoga teachers and when he's teaching in London, I make sure I am present. I will be attending sessions with Duncan 19-21 June in London and have been given the privilege of inviting students who have already experienced Yogic Arts teaching (with me). If anybody feels 'ready' to experience Duncan in the flesh, please let me know. It would be the cost of the airfare to London, one (or two) nights' accommodation + £45 for a 3 hour class (0900 to 1130). Please let me know EARLY as these places will be taken quickly and need to be booked (with payment).
Following the success of previous PowerYoga retreats, this year I will be running three very different retreats during the third quarter (October & November 2014) - full details can be found on my website. If you are looking to accelerate your yoga practice and experience more of what this ancient system has to offer, then attending a week or two-week yoga retreat is a great opportunity to do so. It has also proven to be a great experience to meet like-minded people and build a close net-work of yogic colleagues and friends. I believe there is one room left in Turkey and Kerala likewise is booking up quickly with Guernsey students. Herm details will be published shortly and we have the full use of the White House Hotel again this year.
Look forward to seeing you all in class and making the most of the Yogic Arts Centre before we say a sad 'goodbye' at end of April.
Om, Namaste
Caroline
Saturday, 1 March 2014
Thoughts, beliefs, perceptions and your health Ann Bowditch
Glastonbury Detox & Spiritual Healing Retreat has left all 13 of us attending on such a natural high that I feel pretty confident we will be coming back for more.
Difficult to put into words quite the 'unique experience' we all shared. Described by one as 'being in the 'parallel universe' and another's response on arriving home was 'I'm finding it hard to describe to my family quite what we experienced, my description just does not conjure up the atmosphere!'
We arrived on Friday in time for our first vegan lunch, an incredible array of vegetables and salad. Even though I'm vegetarian, I never realised how different and varied going vegan would be. No dairy products, no wheat or bread and no stimulants including onions, garlic and chillies - only pure Sattvic food. I felt amazing and the difference was that my body felt much stronger by day two. I noticed this in my yoga postures and also noticed a loss of water retention (as well as a headache) not drinking coffee - a revelation and felt much better for giving it up too!
Friday evening we took part in the kirtan call and response chanting for two hours - quite incredible and fascinating. Never believed I'd end up chanting 'Hare Krishna', but we all got drawn into the hypnotic buzz of the crowd and simply following the sanskrit chant. I think they realised we were new to this and kept the script to Hare Krishna - as you can hardly go wrong with few words!
We got to experience first hand the path of the Bhakti yogi - the branch of yoga which denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to a personal form of God. Yogis who develop this branch express and develop tolerance, acceptance and love for all living things. Life on the ashram and life in Glastonbury offered us more than we had bargained for and left a lasting impression and a deeper connection and understanding on what the true purpose of Yoga is all about.
Mandalas ("circles" in Sanskrit) are sacred symbols used for meditation, prayer, healing, and art therapy. Clinical studies have shown Mandalas can have several healthy effects: boosting the immune system, reducing stress and pain, lowering blood pressure, promoting sleep, and easing depression. "[Mandalas] are archetypal manifestations of higher consciousness" (Dr. Deepak Chopra, quote from: Divine Forces by Paul Heussenstamm). Imagery is a form of meditation that helps exercise the brain's right side, which processes imagining and feelings; while the brain's left side is specialised in logical thinking and analysis. Mandala meditation will bring your brain's two sides in harmony and will create a different state of mind where Alpha waves are predominant.
Early Morning PowerYoga & Detox finished today with the best smoothie yet: Nature's Red Bull (see recipe below...)
The one hour sessions (0700 to 0800) have included a blend of Meditation, Pranayama & Yoga postures, all aimed at detoxing and cleansing the body. Results have been amazing and this is what some of my PowerYoga students had to say about it:
"I feel much better getting up early, having a quiet start to the day and doing the exercises. The breathing is particularly beneficial, my abdomen is flatter. The more gentle sun salutations are great for me first thing as I am at my most stiff at this time of day and find the more strenuous yoga too much so early."
"I felt refreshed after yoga in the morning and my body ached in a good way- showing I had done something so didn’t feel lazy and stiff! It also made me more aware of my posture whilst sitting at my desk and generally made me feel healthier after having the goodness from the smoothies."
"Felt I have far more energy than I did at the start of the week. I feel energised and balanced (the opposite to over Christmas without doing yoga). As well as doing my normal yoga classes, this seems to have doubled the benefits and I'd definitely recommend to other students. It has got me back to my pre-Christmas fitness in just over a week. And I have been able to get deeper into some of the moves than I ever have."
"I felt happier going to work rather than my usual get out of bed late and rushing there not really in the mood as I had got up and done something for myself beforehand."
"I have noticed a couple of health-related things: Firstly my breathing is a whole lot better. Everything else also feels better / looser. My back doesn't ache, my shoulders feel better - all good really! I've also started making smoothies for myself at home!"
"Felt better in myself, more energy, more flexibility and a sense of achievement!"
"I had a lot more energy and felt very awake when I went into work. I was a lot more productive work wise throughout the morning. My digestive system felt a lot more cleansed after all the exercises and twisting. By the end of the week I had definitely noticed that the bags under my eyes had reduced quite a bit!"
The feedback has been amazing and I feel so pleased to have been able to offer these sessions. The idea came from what I thought would be useful for people before work - to kick 2014 off to a great start.
Needless to say, was ambushed at the end of class today by students requesting to continue these early morning sessions - Tuesdays and Thursdays specifically, so keep a look on the website for more details coming shortly....
Natures Red Bull smoothie recipe (makes .5 - 1 litre):
Ingredients:
1-2 cups seedless grapes (red for a nicer colour)
1-2 strawberries
1 slice of pineapple (with core)
1 small slice lime (with peel)
1 small slice ginger (with peel)
1 cup ice
Method:
Put all the ingredients into the blender (this recipe is for a Vitamix) in the order listed and secure lid.
Select variable 1. Turn the machine on and slowly increase the speed to 10, then to High.
