Hatha

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Hatha is also translated as ha meaning ‘Sun’ and tha meaning ‘Moon’. This refers to the balance of masculine (solar) – active, fire, high energy - and feminine (lunar) – receptive, sensitive, calm – that is within all of us.

Hatha yoga is a path that moves toward creating a balance and uniting opposites. In both our physical and internal bodies, we develop equilibrium between strength and flexibility.

Hatha yoga is a powerful tool for self-transformation and discovering what boundless energy and strength is found within us. Hatha asks us to bring our attention to our breath, which helps us to slow down the fluctuations of the mind and be more present and aware of the unfolding of each moment.

All Hatha and Hatha flow classes are open level.

Flow

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All Flow classes are based on building the relationship between breath and movement, with a sequence of poses taught with a backbone of either Hatha or Vinyasa tradition.

Classic Hatha and Vinyasa postures flow from one to another in union, with some pauses for added instruction and teacher demonstration. Vinyasa is often more choreographed as an uninterrupted flow, like a wave.

The idea behind all flow classes is to find stillness in the flow, to flow in the stillness.

All Flow classes are open level, suitable for every body.

Beginners and foundation

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These courses are for you if you’re completely new to yoga, IF YOU’VE HAD A BREAK FROM YOGA FOR A WHILE, OR SIMPLY if you’ve tried SOME classes and PREFER A SLOWER-PACED STYLE.

Over 6 weeks you'll cover the basic building blocks of yoga so that you can feel confident taking any Level 1 class at ekam or a regular yoga class in a studio.

Learn about the importance of the breath in yoga and how to synchronise it with movement.
Explore some of the most common yoga poses and how you can adapt them to suit your body.
Practise putting poses together in Sun Salutations and flows.
Discover the other elements of yoga beyond just asana (yoga poses) with an introduction to Pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation.

These yoga classes will help you feel stronger, more flexible and more relaxed.

Yin

Yoga

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Yin Yoga has the same goals and objectives as any other school of yoga; however, it directs the stimulation normally created in the asana portion of the practice deeper than the superficial or muscular tissues (which we are calling the yang tissues).

Yin Yoga targets the connective tissues, such as the ligaments, bones, and even the joints of the body that normally are not exercised very much in a more active style of asana practice. Suitable for almost all levels of students. Yin Yoga generally targets the connective tissues of the hips, pelvis, and lower spine.

Over55s

No matter how much we age, the benefits of yoga remain the same. The only thing that changes is the way in which the sequences of poses are taught in class. As we get older, muscles tend to stiffen, our joints lose their range of motion and we become more susceptible to chronic problems such as osteoporosis, arthritis and heart disease.

Yoga can help slow down the effects of ageing by maintaining muscle softness and flexibility, keeping the mind alert and present, and encouraging relaxation in both the physical and mental bodies.

If you fall in to this category, a regular yoga practice, say 2-3 times a week, would be really beneficial.

Some other benefits of yoga include –

· Reduced swelling in joints

· Improve balance and stability

· Increase joint mobility and strength

· Improve cardiovascular health

· Aid digestion and elimination

· Improve sleep

· Lower blood pressure

· Improve sleep

· Improve blood flow

· Improve mood and well-being

· Aid in depression and anxiety

Restorative

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Restorative yoga is a delicious way to relax and soothe those frayed nerves. Also often advertised as Yin Yoga,

restorative classes use all bolsters, blankets and blocks to help you get most comfortable in passive postures so the physical body can experience the benefits of a pose without having to exert any effort. A good restorative class is more rejuvenating than a nap!

Yoga nidra

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Yoga Nidra translates directly to ‘yogic sleep’ and is a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping – that sweet spot right before you drift off to dreamland. It is a systematic form of guided relaxation, which often exudes immediate physical effects such as reduced stress, and release of physical tension.

It is said 40 minutes of Yoga Nidra is equivalent to about two hours’ sleep! An immensely powerful meditation technique, Yoga Nidra is one of the easiest yoga practices to develop and maintain. You will lay in savasana (corpse pose) for the whole length of the class, while the meditation takes you through the Pancha Maya Kosha (Five Layers of the Self), leaving you with a sense of calm and wholeness.

Sound bath

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As the name suggests, a Sound Bath is an immersion in beautiful sounds and vibrations that are healing for your body, mind and spirit. A Sound Bath is a deeply relaxing, meditative experience which can take you on a journey of deep relaxation, healing and self discovery. Everything in the Universe, including our body, is composed of vibrations. Every organ and every cell in our body vibrates at a particular frequency. Sound and vibration travels up to five times more effectively through water. As the human body is made up of over 70% water we can understand that sound and vibration can effect us at a cellular level.

Pregnancy and Baby

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Pregnancy & Mumma baby yoga

Pregnancy: Whether you’re an experienced yogi or you’ve never set foot on a mat, ekams pregnancy yoga is the perfect preparation for labour. The sessions are a soothing flowing sequence of moving yoga and are a great way of meeting other local mums.

Practicing pregnancy yoga-based movements is a simple and easy process, which gives a number of different benefits to both mind and body. This pregnancy yoga & active birth course is tailored to help prevent and ease pregnancy symptoms, bring awareness to your changing posture and create space for your growing baby.

Weekly classes help bring physical balance to encourage optimum position for your baby’s birth and promote an awareness of how to release within your body during labour. Rosie’s yoga teaching method draws on elements of traditional pregnancy yoga, adding active birth and traditional antenatal education along with birth yoga nidra, class meeting all your pregnancy and birth preparation needs.

Women, really need these kinds of classes, courses, information, education and community.

As women, as pregnant ladies, as mothers, we need time out for ourselves. We need head space. We need to process the fact we are 'pregnant' or where ever we are at with 'life's challenges and stresses' and all that brings. We need to relax. We need to connect with others. We need to feel part of a community.

Postnatal & mumma baby yoga:

Pregnancy can be tough on a woman’s body. Carrying and nurturing the foetus for nine-months takes a physical and emotional toll. And after the birth, it can be very easy for new mother’s to be so absorbed in feeding and looking after their new-born baby, that they often forget to look after themselves and let their bodies recover. Practising postnatal yoga supports and facilitates the healing and recovery of the body and mind, by using gentle movement, balancing asanas, breathing and relaxation.

Here, ekam shares five of the benefits of prenatal yoga for new mothers and their babies.

Builds up spinal strength and flexibility: During the 9 months of pregnancy, the spine goes through a lot of stress and strain to accommodate the new growth inside the uterus. Postnatal yoga can help to realign the spine and strengthen the joints and the muscles around the spine, making way for a healthier, stronger spine all round.
Rebuild flexibility, strength and muscle tone: Caring for a new baby can be very strenuous on the physical body, with new mothers spending a lot of time carrying and feeding the baby and lifting heavy object like car seat and new baby furniture. Postnatal yoga can help support your body by building core strength and muscle tone. Stronger core muscles will also help reduce any back pains that may have developed through pregnancy or postpartum baby care. During birth the deep abdominal muscles can separate. Toning through postnatal yoga can help to knit these muscles back together and close the body after birth.
Eases stress and restores hormonal balance: Pregnancy and birth is a time of intense hormonal changes in the mother’s body. Postnatal yoga can help this issue, by encouraging relaxation and the restoration of hormonal balance in the body, easing pressure on the nervous system and creating a safe space where new mothers can focus on relaxing and letting go of stress. Postnatal yoga has also been known to help reduce anxiety and postnatal depression.

4. Encourages deep Mother-Baby bonding and connection: Having a new baby in your life is life-changing and can be difficult to adapt to. As postnatal yoga is designed for new mothers to practise with their babies, it can help foster a deep connection between mother and baby and cultivates patience for the intensive amount of energy needed to look after a new born.

5. Eases pain and stiffness in the pelvis, back, neck and shoulders: Any new mother knows how carrying and breastfeeding your new baby makes the shoulders ache with stiffness. The gentle movements practised in Postnatal yoga classes will help reduce these pains, making breastfeeding easier and helping the body to recover after pregnancy and birth.