Seasonal Yoga is a style of flow yoga designed to align you with the changing energies of nature and the seasons. A practice that improves physical strength and flexibility and brings balance and harmony to your life. The concept was created in 1995 by Julie Hanson and Sue Woodd as an antidote to the stress and anxiety of modern life. It combines Yoga, Tai Chi, Chi Kung and a modern understanding about body movement, with Traditional Chinese Medicine ideas about the changing nature of the seasons around us, and within.
As our days brighten and warm, SPRING is a time of growth, renewal and rising energy after the dormancy of winter. Spring is associated with the the wood element and through that to the Liver and Gallbladder. Our practice focuses on side bends and twists from strong foundations detoxifying and massaging the internal organs.
Spring is a great time to plan for the year ahead. That new energy we experience propels us into forward planning with clear vision to bring clarity into our lives. Don't be afraid to strive for personal growth and embrace new challenges. Take the time to "spring-clean" cleansing your body, your mind, and your home; time to detox and de-clutter.
Before the full heat of summer we find that life-affirming period when Nature treats us to longer days and ever-warming weather. In Early Summer seasonal yoga we prepare and warm our bodies for the heat of summer; the most yang phase of the year.
Early summer yoga is all about igniting fire, or agni, in our bodies, warming up and stretching the connective tissue, generating heat and circulating energy.
The associated organs for this season are the pericardium the sac that surrounds are heart and the triple heater particularly linked to our fascia and connective tissue right through our bodies. Our practice focuses on stretching the fascia and on opening and closing the fabric of our body to create heat.
Summer is a time of inner and outer abundance and under the influence of summer's fire element we radiate joy, laughter and enthusiasm.
Summer is associated with the Heart and Small Intestine which work together to produce and pump nourishing blood to every cell in our body. Our practice reflects building the "fire within" in the most invigorating practices of the year. But the key is to enjoy our sessions and finish feeling cleansed and energised.
Once the peak fire of summer has passed we feel nature slowing down. Late summer is a time of harvest and ripening and rotting as the earth absorbs the remnants of the growing seasons. Late summer is an important transitional season: a time to nurture, return to our centre and to reflect on our lives, to digest and bring our focus inwards.
The stomach and spleen are the organs associated with the earth element. Our practice in Late Summer focuses on core stability and balance, on connecting to the earth and feeling centred and a sense of well-being.
The energetic yang energy of Summer merges into the cooler, calmer yin of Autumn. Days are getting shorter under leaden skies and there is the sense that the earth’s energy is gathering inward and preparing to "let go" for winter. We too should let go of things we may be holding on to: remove the useless and detritus from our lives and focus only on what we truly value.
Autumn is the season of the metal element and associated with the lungs and large intestine, both organs of elimination in the body. Pranayama is very important in Autumn and is a focus of our practice. Breath awareness and gathering energy inwards is the foundation for every posture as we find our true essence in this season.
In Winter classes focus on renewal and conserving energy, taking care of your body with a slow steady practice that will you restored. In this most Yin of seasons nature is dormant, resting and rejuvenating. This is reflected in our classes.
Winter is the season of water and spinal fluidity is a focus for our classes. As is working with the kidney and bladder meridians to find our place of inner peace and fulfilment.