Dates: Sundays 6th April; 18th May; 29th June 2025
Time:  3.30pm – 5.30pm
Venue: The Canvas, 27 Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green, E2 9PJ
Cost: £25.00
Pre-booking required via St Margaret’s House

In the society in which we live, which emphasises productivity over everything, rest isn’t given proper credit and self-care is often deemed indulgent and selfish rather than essential. The truth is, when you make time to rest and care for yourself, you’re actually more productive. In carving out time to gently move your body and to really rest, you will feel more energetic and show up better for those around you as well as for yourself.

So why not join me for these monthly Sunday afternoon workshops that are all about taking care of yourself? They will be an opportunity to really slow down, turn inwards, take care of yourself and explore practices that soothe and rejuvenate the mind, body and whole nervous system.

Dedicating some extra time away from the busyness of daily life, screens and to do lists can be so beneficial. Our mind can begin to quieten, our body can release deeply held tension and tightness and find more ease and our nervous system can begin to calm down and help us to feel soothed, rested and relaxed.

You’ll begin the afternoon with a series of gentle, grounding, mindful and somatic movements to release stress and tension, allowing energy to flow freely but calmly through the body again. You will also explore a number of soothing and calming practices, including breath work, mudras and self-massage, before eventually settling into some longer-held restorative poses (supported by props) to soak up some deep rest and connect to a place of inner calm and stillness.

The afternoon will finish with a grounding and calming yoga nidra (deep yoga sleep) practice. Yoga nidra has been described as “an effortless state of restfulness in the form of a horizontal meditation that takes place just on the threshold of sleep.” (Uma Dinsmore Tuli). Thirty minutes of yoga nidra is said to be the equivalent of three hours of sleep, and this practice is deeply nourishing and restorative. By the end of the afternoon, you will feel deeply rested, refreshed, recharged and ready to step into the new week ahead.

No previous experience of yoga is necessary. If you are new to yoga, you are most welcome.

 “Stillness is like water
moving deep inside the earth
seeping slowly between rocks
trickling down 
in the dark
a tide moving inwards.

Stillness is the space
between breaths
inside heartbeats
the silence of the gathering wave
that never breaks.”

Judith Prest

Sogyal Rinpoche, Tibetan Lama

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Next Dates: 
Thursdays 27th March – 1st May 2025 (6 weeks) – a few spaces still available
Thursdays 15th May – 12th June 2025 – booking now open
Thursdays 26th June – 24th July 2025
Thursdays 31st July – 28th August 2025
More dates to be announced shortly
Time: 10:15 – 11:15
Cost: £70.00 for 5 week course/ £84.00 for 6 week course
Location: FieldWorks Dance, 274 Richmond Road, London E8 3QW
Pre-booking required for the 5 weeks – spaces are limited to ensure everyone feels comfortable and has enough space

A fun, engaging and relaxing class for mums & babies and a great way to get moving safely again after your pregnancy and birth

This 5 week course is specially designed to help with new mothers’ postnatal recovery whilst also allowing time for engaging, bonding and relaxing with baby.

The course is suitable for all news mums from 6+ weeks postnatal (8 weeks after a Caesarean birth) up until babies are fully crawling.

Each week the focus will be on helping new mothers to begin moving their body again in a safe and gentle way, to regain strength, to open and release areas of tightness and tension in the back, neck and shoulders, and to find space for relaxation. We will also include some gentle yoga stretches, movements and songs for babies.

The course will include movements and breath work to safely and gently tone the abdominal muscles from deep within, allowing them to ‘knit back’ together, and to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles in conjunction with the breath: a ‘closing of the body’ after pregnancy and labour.

The classes also focus on the re-alignment of the spine and pelvis, and encourage an awareness of posture in all movements, including the care and handling of babies.

An emphasis on the breath throughout the classes will help to develop a sense of wellbeing, and we build in time for relaxation so both mothers and babies feel nurtured.

We explore postures and practices mums can do with and without their babies so they can easily continue their yoga at home.

The classes will be informal, fun and relaxed, and mums are free to feed, change, comfort or soothe babies to sleep whenever necessary.

The benefits of regularly attending postnatal classes in the form of a course include:

• the course allows us to build on practices and progress each week
• regular attendance allows you to really feel the benefits of the practice
• it also allows babies to feel more comfortable and at ease in the class, and with other babies
• a regular group builds a greater sense of support and community amongst new mums and babies

The course is a great opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces from pregnancy yoga classes and to get to know other new mums in the local area, and many long-term friendships have been made in these classes.

Please contact me if you have any questions regarding the course or would like to book a place.

T&Cs: please note that the course is non-refundable.