After a short Easter break we are back on the mat at Emma’s Yoga Hut! We were very lucky to be in the Lake District for Easter, daily yoga practice with THIS view over Lake Windemere.......

....Pretty special! Plus we lucked out on the weather, we had packed all the waterproofs and some family favourite indoor games (quick round of Exploding Kittens anyone?) but they didn’t even get unpacked, in fact, we had to go and buy sun cream. Surely unheard of in the Lakes in April? Lots of long walks, boat rides and clambering up to see waterfalls counterbalanced with some very hearty meals!
I hope that you all enjoyed a beautiful Easter with plenty of chocolate and relaxation too?
So, after a short break we are back to the yoga mats, and I am so looking forward to seeing you all! Our theme this term is all linked to opening and creating space in the body. This earlier part of summer, this late spring into early summer period is all about growth, movement and opening, the plants, birds and animals are out, the days are longer, and sometimes the sun is out too! In turn, we are often more out and about too, having shaken off our winter quietness we step into more activity and may find that we feel we have more energy in this time of the year. Being outdoors in the warmth, getting out more in the longer days, seeing the trees come into leaf and hearing the birdsong are all part of this lovely opening up after the quiet of winter.

So, as I said, for our yoga this term we are also focusing on opening - creating space in the body and mind to support our increase in outward activity. But, what does it actually mean when we talk about opening and creating space in yoga practice? Well, obviously we can’t create ACTUAL room and space in the body, but we can create the sensation of space, moving our bodies against their habitual daily patterns and through adding stretch, strength and movement in our bodies. For example, our hips are usually walking or sitting, when we open up the muscles around the hips we stretch the front of the hips, the hip flexors – think low lunges and back bends, and we also open the hips out – external rotation - in poses such as cobblers pose, we use the muscle in the opposite way that it gets used in daily life, hence the sensation of space and opening. This helps release habitual held tension in the bodies, leaving us able to move more freely into this early summer period of greater activity and growth.
We will work through a series of classes using yoga for opening, strengthening and stretching in the hips, shoulders, sides of body and front and back of the body.
There will also be a class designed for creating space in your mind. Partially yin / restorative yoga and partially yoga nidra (a special kind of extended guided meditation) to allow you to create space in your mind too, the quietness and stillness can be the most challenging part of yoga for many people, allowing yourself to stop for rest and restoration can feel like a needless luxury, an indulgence, however the benefits are huge. These sort of practices totally immerse the central nervous system in messages that it is safe to relax and rest and recuperate, the nervous system in turn passes that message back to the body, mind and soul, releasing stress and tension and leaving you calm and with a feeling of being reset.
Mid May sees a lunar eclipse, and we will mark this with a full moon salutation sequence, running through four rounds to honour the four phases of the moon (new, waxing, full and waning) followed by some balance work and a guided moon based meditation. For those who are into this sort of thing the May full moon carries the rather fabulous name “flower moon” and the full moon is in the same week as the lunar eclipse.

Fancy some of this yoga goodness? Well, we have 1 spot left on a Wednesday at 8:15pm if you are interested!
As well as that, we have 2 Super Soothing Sundays lined up, one in June, one in July, there are only 3 spaces on these sessions so grab a spot now if you are a fan of deep rest and relaxation!
I am very much looking forward to seeing you back on the yoga mat this week.
With love,
Emma x
(Emma runs Emmas Yoga Hut in Earley. A tiny garden studio for small group yoga tuition. She is a yoga student and yoga teacher and has practiced yoga for over 25 years. She trained with the Traditional Yoga Association right here in Reading between 2016 and 2018 to achieve her 500 hour yoga teaching accreditation. She has additional teaching qualifications in Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra which she subsequently undertook online during the great lockdown of 2020. Emma tries her best to practice yoga every day, and loves being able to roll her yoga mat out to practice in the garden on a sunny day!)
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