Unity Yoga

Yoga Fundamentals 1 / Beginners

This Hatha Yoga class is suitable for anyone who has never tried yoga before or who wants to go back to basics. In Fundamentals 1 you will learn some basic Asanas (postures) and posture flows and gain a basic understanding of important alignment principles. As well as Asana, each class includes 10-15 minutes of basic Pranayama (breathing practise) and finishes with 10-15 minutes of guided Deep Relaxation. The emphasis of the Fundamentals 1 class is on building confidence and ease in the postures, to deepen natural breathing, increase relaxation and introduce the practices of yoga in a manner that is accessible, clear and fun!

Yoga Fundamentals 2

This class is suitable for anyone who has attended at least 12 weeks of Yoga Fundamentals / Beginners at least 8 weeks of which have been at Unity Yoga. In this class we will build a deeper confidence in the Asanas and sequences that were covered in Fundamentals 1 as well as learning new Asanas and sequences. This class will begin to introduce the practice of Meditation as well as different kinds of Pranayama (breathing) practices.

Explorations in Yoga: Improvers (2 hour class) (NEW!!)

This class is suitable for students who have a minimum of 9 months of regular yoga practice and want to deepen their understanding and experience of Yoga. This class integrates the full 8 Limbs of Yoga: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dhyana, Dharana and Samadhi within the framework of a primarily Asana and movement based class. Some of the themes included in this class are: Developmental Movement, Embodied Anatomy, Energetic Alignment, Chakra Balancing, Meditative Movement and their application to Asana. Students can expect to deepen their understanding of Asanas both with regard to structural alignment and anatomical principles as well as from the perspective of the energy body. Each class will begin with a movement and/or breath enquiry. This is followed by a warm up and flowing Asana sequences (Vinyasa). Each week we will also focus on one or two Asanas and explore them in depth. The class will conclude with a full 30 minute Yoga Nidra practice or Meditation.

Hanna Somatic Movement Education

Somatic Movement Education (SME – In the Tradition of Thomas Hanna), also known as Hanna Somatics, is a system of neuromuscular education (mind-body training) which helps you to enjoy freedom from pain and more comfortable movement for the rest of your life.
Somatic Movement Education teaches you to recognize, release, and reverse chronic pain patterns resulting from injury, stress, repetitive motion strain, or habituated postures.
Somatic Movement Education particularly helps relieve pain and disability associated with common health complaints such as: headaches, stiff or painful joints and muscles, fatigue, poor posture, breathing problems, impaired movement, accident trauma and whiplash effects, back pain, repetitive use/stress injuries etc.  By learning the Somatic exercises, you can awaken your ability to sense and move your body deliberately, freely, and naturally. You also learn Somatic Exercise so that you can continue to explore movement and improve yourself on a daily basis. Somatic Movement Education can enhance the effectiveness of most other health improvement methods you may use

Ashtanga

Ashtanga is the system of Yoga taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, India. This method of Yoga involves synchronizing the breath with progressive series of postures—a process producing intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs. The result is improved circulation, a light and strong body, and a calm mind.

Our classes focus particularly on developing body awareness and balance, moving safely from one “asana” (posture) to the following one. Special attention is given to alignment and to personal adjustments, ensuring an enjoyable yoga experience. The classes are a mixed level and are equally suitable for beginners and more experienced practitioners. Enjoy a deeply moving yoga experience that will leave you lighter and refreshed!

Kundalini

Kundalini Yoga, the yoga of awareness, is an ancient technology that combines physical exercise, breathing exercises, mantra and other forms of meditation to create balance, harmony and higher consciousness. Both physically challenging and mentally rewarding, Kundalini Yoga is suitable for most anyone.

Gentle Yoga & Movement (NEW!!)

The Gentle Yoga class is designed to meet the demand for a yoga class that is not so physically challenging but rather emphasizes simple and accessible postures combined with relaxation practices. The class will include gentle stretches and movement sequences, gentle breathing practices, restorative yoga asanas, guided deep relaxation and meditation.

Many of us suffer from stress and exhaustion; over time this depletion of the body’s natural energy reserves becomes more and more difficult to restore as we become ‘hooked’ on adrenaline and find it increasingly difficult to ‘switch off’. Gentle Yoga offers us the opportunity to renew our energy reserves by soothing the nervous system and encouraging a free flow of energy through the body. Benefits include a bolstered immune system, healthy functioning of the organs, relief from stress and tension etc…

Yoga for Pregnancy

The Unity Yoga Pregnancy program of weekly classes offers a comprehensive system for learning and using yoga throughout pregnancy, labour, and birth. Students learn simple but effective yoga postures to manage common pregnancy physical ailments. Students also learn breathing, relaxation and visualisation techniques to build confidence and assist in easeful birth.
The course offer a complete program of breath-work, relaxation, postures, movement, voice-work and meditations suited to all stages of pregnancy, from 12 - 42 weeks. We recommend beginning the classes in the third month of pregnancy and continuing throughout (once or twice a week, as time permits) in order to gain maximum benefit, but it is possible to begin at any point in your pregnancy.

Breathing Class (NEW!!)

To live is to breathe! Despite this, few of us pay much attention to our breath. Generally we barely realize that we are even breathing at all, until the day that something goes awry with our breath such as an asthma attack, a chest infection or an anxiety attack! These are extreme examples; during our day to day lives, the way we breath both influences and is effected by our state of mind: think for a moment about how your breath changes when you relax, when you are stressed or when you experience fear. The Breathing Class is designed to increase your awareness of how you breathe and provide you with tools (postures, breathing techniques, meditation) that can help you to experience deeper, freer and more energising breath. This can lead to greater energy reserves as well as a greater sense of well being! Those who suffer from asthma, panic attacks, chronic lung infections and other breathing challenges will find this class of particular benefit. It is also a great class for anyone who would like to learn to increase their breathing capacity for example for athletes and other sports enthusiasts.

Yoga Therapy

Different classes will be offered throughout the year, each focusing on specific health issues e.g asthma, back pain, depression, chronic fatigue… Phone or check our website for updates.

RESTORATIVE YOGA

Restorative yoga consists of yoga poses that have been specially modified to eliminate all strain and effort in the posture thus leading to a state of ‘active relaxation’. Poses are supported using props (bolsters, blankets etc.) and held for several minutes in order to maximize the healing effects of each posture. The restorative yoga class will also include gentle breathing practices as well as guided relaxation.
This class is beneficial for anyone suffering from general stress and is especially recommended for those suffering from anxiety, insomnia, chronic fatigue, MS and stress related disorders. The slow and meditative pace makes this class very suitable for pregnant and postnatal women. Finally, restorative yoga is recommended for anyone going through difficult life changes and when recovering from illness and injury.

Tribal Belly Dance

At its simplest, dance is a language. Tribal Dance is a modern revival of a very old language, with roots going back as far as ancient Babylon and beyond. But, its form is modern and today you will find many different takes on the dance itself. True Tribal Dance, however, has always been about celebrating the women we are, not the women the media tells us we are supposed to be. That image is just plastic, real women have a beauty that comes from being just who they are, rather than an imitation of something else. We are all shapes and sizes, all ages and abilities. We are all creative. And all of us can dance!

Self Practice

Open friendly space for your personal practise (for yoga teachers and yoga lovers of any ability). This is a drop in class and is run on a donations only basis. There will be a fully qualified yoga teacher present at each session to offer participants assistance and answer questions. Please phone or text us if you would like to attend.