We’re looking for good flexibility and a strong, supple body; a soft eye and a relaxed jaw. No signs of holding the breath. Fluid movement and total focus on this moment in time, and wonderful evenness in effort.
Wait - are we talking about a horse or a human?! Here’s a thought; if you’re asking all of the above from your equine partner, isn’t it fair that you should be working on the same too?
Would you like to…
Improve your ‘feel’ in the saddle?
Get better body awareness?
Learn practical ways to ease common aches and pains?
Ease anxiety and soothe stress?
Build a body that will keep you fitter and more flexible?
There’s a lot of common ground between yoga and riding (apart from the involuntary noises, strange smells and need for a good bra) and yoga can give us a whole load of practical tools and techniques to help us in both body and mind.
In this workshop we will;
Learn about combining body and breath to work with that pesky mind muscle.
Dive into simple breathing techniques with powerful benefits.
Move our bodies, working on flexibility and strength.
Give you time when YOU are your priority…
If you’re not riding for hours every day (or even if you are!) there are things you can do when you’re not in the saddle to positively impact your everyday equine experiences.
Whether it’s developing your focus for next time you’re in a lesson; finding ways to stop the mental panic next time you’re hacking on bin day; or addressing the wonkiness that you know is leading to that little niggle in your lower back, this workshop will dip into a little bit of it all.
Our horses do so much for us - they’re our teachers, best friends, counsellors, stress-relievers, and mood-lifters. Without them, what would we be? (Ok - apart from considerably richer.) But considering our equine companions give their all for us, we owe it to them to be the best version of ourselves in body and mind.
Here’s what our time together might look like -
We’ll introduce ourselves and have a quick chat about what we’d like to get out of our time together. (The group will be small and informal, but if you’d rather not speak that’s totally fine.)
Then we’ll consider a bit of theory; how your body and breath are key communicators when you’re in and out of the saddle, why balance is more than carrying a water bucket in each hand, and what it means to be a ‘conscious rider’ (hint: it’s not just about avoiding a thwack on the helmet).
Now we get into it. First, we’ll take a few moments just to allow ourselves to ‘arrive’ into the room. This is your chance to press the pause button on all the stuff going on in the rest of your life.
Sitting or lying however you comfortably can we’ll start to tune in. Just noticing our minds, our bodies, and our breath for a few minutes. It’s settling ourselves so that we can focus. (Think of it as giving an excitable pony a quick lunge before you get on!)
Now we’ll start to move. Beginning with the basics, and focussing on the yoga poses of most benefit to us riders. There will be some floor-based stretches to start with, before moving through some simple standing poses, and maybe adding a few together to get a little ‘flow’ going.
I want you to be able to takeaway some useful practices that you can continue to use when you’re off the sticky mat, so we’ll explore some simple breathing practices and maybe a bit of mindfulness.
And finally we get to the best bit - a lovely lie down! We luxuriate in a few minutes of some guided relaxation and the opportunity to rest before heading on out into the rest of your Sunday - a little closer to being the very best version of yourself.
SOUNDS AMAZING! WHAT’S THE COST?
For the 2 hour workshop your investment is just £25. The group will be small, friendly and super supportive.
WHERE IS THE WORKSHOP HAPPENING?
The workshop will be held at the beautiful Stroud Yoga Space which is on Nelson Street. Click here for more location details.
WHAT IS THE DATE AND TIME?
The workshop is on Saturday 23rd September from 2pm ‘til around 4pm.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD I KNOW?
Real Life Yoga is all about helping real people bring a little (or a lot) of yoga into their real lives. Absolutely no prior bendiness is required, and this workshop is for total yoga beginners. But please note that there will be movements that take us from standing, down to the floor, and back up again. Whilst these will be incremental, gentle and slow if you have problems with these kinds of movements, learning yoga in a group scenario such as this may not be for you. Please contact Meg to discuss if you have any questions or concerns.
