Yogi Claire - Summer Newsletter 2017

I've not put out a newsletter for a little while and there are a few bits of information about the classes which I would like to inform people of.

Schedule Changes for Summer - As usual we have a slight schedule change over the Summer months with the following changes beginning week commencing 24th July. 

Mondays - No Parent & Toddler Classes at DW Fitness
Tuesdays - No classes at Claremont Centre.
Fridays - No Avenue Methodist Classes.

Please note there WILL be a Tuesday evening session running 6.15-7.15pm but as of the 1st August will be at the alternative venue of Sale Moor Methodist Church, Northenden Rd (the usual Thursday venue) 
The later Tues session usually run by my Mum (Barbara) will not be on for the month of August but she may teach some of the early sessions.

DW Fitness classes (adults) on Wed and Fri (for members only) are running as normal.

**My Thursday evening class at Sale Moor Methodist Church, Northenden Rd will run as usual, all through the summer. 

If you are thinking of coming to a yoga class for the first time - the summer is a good time as sometimes classes are a little quieter, far better than starting in January when everyone else has the
same idea!!

Everything will be back to normal w/c Monday 11th Sept. (with The Avenue class returning on 8th Sept)

 

Many thanks to all who have signed up for the free online content - these are weekly 12 minute yoga videos on You Tube and guided relaxations on Soundcloud.  There is a way to contribute to the running of these via a PayPal button on my website, this is purely optional and just helps towards my subscription to Soundcloud and other expenses incurred by providing this service.  Many thanks to those who have contributed already.  If you'd like to receive weekly emails with the secret links please just message me your email address.  cdpickin@hotmail.com

Finally, a few people have asked me about the next yoga workshop.  I haven't forgotten!!  I have been pretty busy with family and other yoga related work but I will definitely be running a workshop in the Autumn.  I never want to run a workshop just for the sake of it - I only want to run one when I have something useful and valuable to share with you, something above and beyond what we do in weekly classes.  Rest assured I will be busy researching and studying the next theme!!

Make sure you 'Like' my Facebook page to keep bang up to date with all info on classes.  Plus interesting articles and some light hearted content too.

I'll leave you with a little summer poem which I remember reading when I was a little yogi....

Summer Sun - Robert Louis Stevenson

Great is the sun, and wide he goes
Through empty heaven with repose;
And in the blue and glowing days
More thick than rain he showers his rays.

Though closer still the blinds we pull
To keep the shady parlour cool,
Yet he will find a chink or two
To slip his golden fingers through.

The dusty attic spider-clad
He, through the keyhole, maketh glad;
And through the broken edge of tiles
Into the laddered hay-loft smiles.

Meantime his golden face around
He bares to all the garden ground,
And sheds a warm and glittering look
Among the ivy's inmost nook.

Above the hills, along the blue,
Round the bright air with footing true,
To please the child, to paint the rose,
The gardener of the World, he goes.

See www.yogiclaire.com for details of all Claire's classes in Sale.                        
                                

 

Just a Little Trick...

This is actually just another mindfulness blog post really!!  I do occasionally get a bit irritated by the word sometimes, as if it's something new and fashionable.  I was taught a form of mindfulness (I now realise) many years ago just from advice from my Mum when I was growing up.  She wouldn't have even called it mindfulness anyway!  She would just say things like "don't look too far ahead"  when I was worrying about this and that.  So I have introduced the concept of mindfulness to my children - but I just call it a "little trick".  I am a fan of plain speaking these days!! 

In September my youngest son who is 7 years old started in the juniors at primary school and in the first term he was starting swimming lessons from school and was continuing his gymnastics club after school.  Typically both activities (which he really enjoys) were taking place on the same day.
Now, as my youngest boy is a little bit of a worry wart sometimes (can't think where he get it from....) he was stressing about all the stuff he had to remember.  Endless drawstring bags with all the relevant kit, remembering what he was doing, at which time etc.  So I taught him the "little trick" - just focus all your attention on the first thing you are doing in the day, don't even think about the next thing.  Of course we had to organise the bags and stuff in the morning but we had a simple chart on the wall with all the info on and once we had double checked that, he could focus on the first activity.

Every time I saw him starting to get stressed and start to worry about all the overwhelming things that were going on I reminded him to simply focus on the first thing.  So it was swimming in the morning and all he had to do was to be in the moment and enjoy his swimming.  When that was done he could move on in his mind and focus on the next thing.  I know, I know - this seems so simple but sometimes we forget to explain the simplest of things to our kids.  So by the time he finished his two terms of swimming he was really sorry to be stopping and he actually repeated back to me the instructions I'd given him and he said "That little trick actually works you know Mummy!"  It was so great to give him this simple tool to help him really enjoy activities he loves without feeling overwhelmed.

I sometimes tell him now when I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with things.  If my teaching schedule is really busy with my regular classes, cover work and private clients or even just general overwhelm with domestic chores!  I tell him I do a bit of planning then focus on the first thing I have to do.  He gives me a knowing look and says "Yes! Just use the little trick Mummy"

(Image: Taken from Google Images)  I have used the image with a bit of  'tongue in cheek'  Mindful kids don't have to sit in a meditation posture and try to look serene, they just need to know that they can focus and enjoy the thing they are doing in the present moment and let the future take care of itself!!


For details of my yoga classes in Sale see www.yogiclaire.com

What The Class Members Say.....Part 8

Feel like starting yoga, but not sure?  Have a read of what my class members say.  I've not published one of these since 2014, but it's always lovely to hear about personal yoga stories...this was kindly filled in by one of my Thursday evening class members. 

Photo on the left is of our lovely venue for Thursday evening classes and also is the seasonal workshop venue.

1. How long have you been practicing yoga?

Since September 2016.  I was looking online for a local class, some were Saturday only, then this one popped up and as it is later in the evening it suits my work life and I have time to eat and to digest my meal before the class starts at 8.15pm.

2.       What do you feel you get out of your yoga practice? 

My own personal space.  Some "me time" I come out feeling balanced and refreshed after class.

 

3.       How do you feel your life has changed since you have been doing a regular yoga practice?

I'm calmer, I get less anxious, the deep yogic breathing can be applied in many situations to ease anxiety in my busy work life and at home.

 

4.       What is your favourite posture and why?

Anything that eases my sciatica and the backbends.  I like learning new postures and how my body responds.

 

 

 

 

See website for details of all Claire's yoga classes www.yogiclaire.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peace of Mind

I teach a lovely Friday morning Hatha Yoga class in a local church.  It's a class I took over from another local teacher about 5 or 6 years ago when she retired.  The class has been going since 1976, so it's a bit special.  I have blogged before about our lovely class member Mary who will celebrate her 99th Birthday in June but this post is about one of the other members of the class, prompted by a short conversation I had with her today.

She is a lovely, bubbly, confident lady with dark hair and twinkly eyes who I had assumed was in her mid 60s.  She had a hip replacement a few years ago and took a short time off from yoga but came back stronger and fitter as soon as she could.  After todays conversation I now know she is actually a very spritely 82 years young!  She also wanted to tell me why she started yoga twenty years ago.

She told me she had had PTSD and depression from a bad car accident in which she was not physically hurt but emotionally scarred from.   It left her completely full of fear - not even able to venture along the small cul-de-sac where she lived.  She was depressed and it was all triggered by this terrible accident in which the car had rolled over and over and had ended up in a field. 

So this morning she quite matter of factly told me that this was the reason she started yoga all those years ago, managing to get herself to a class and noticing that immediately there was something that helped her to find some peace of mind.  Something I had talked about in my introduction today had resonated with her and she felt she wanted me to know why she had begun her yoga practice.

We sometimes get so bogged down with different types of yoga, what IS yoga, what ISN'T yoga? What types of yoga are best?  Which class should we choose?  Which teacher? How often should we practice? 

Sometimes that first step of going to a class can lead us into places of great healing.  If the first class you attend is not quite the right fit for you - then don't be afraid to try other classes.  Message the teacher to ask questions, have a good read of their blog or website and see if anything they write resonates with you.  It could be the start of something really special that will last you a lifetime (or perhaps many lifetimes....)

For details of Claire's Classes in Sale see www.yogiclaire.com 

2017 New Year Newsletter

Well here we find ourselves in 2017 - that does not even sound like a year!  Just some random number. 

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas and New Year and is feeling eager to get back to the normality of every day life (or maybe start planning a holiday!)

A few little changes in my pricing structure to inform you of.  It will only affect the Parent and Toddler class members and the Tuesday lunchtime group.

Since I started the Parent and Toddler class there has been a facility to book a block of 6 classes and only pay for five.  I have decided however to make the block booking price £30 instead of £25 so you will not get the 6th class for free.  You can still use up your prepaid sessions any time before the end of the academic year (July) so it is still super flexible.  I have never actually increased the class price for this class since I started nearly 5 years ago so I am hoping this adjustment won't impact anyone too much.

The Tuesday lunchtime class at Red Sky is going to change from £5.50 per session to £6 - this is due to the change in arrangements of how I pay for the room hire and also due to last minute cancellations and finding the slots difficult to fill at the last minute.  As the room does not fit many people in, it does have a big impact if a couple of people cancel as I still have all my overheads to pay.

On the plus side - my other classes are all staying the same price and Tuesday and Thursday evenings remain as 'drop in' so you can attend as and when is practical for you.  I have always tried my hardest to provide classes which are reasonably priced so as never to preclude any groups of people from practicing yoga. 

Don't forget the Detox and Revive Workshop this coming Saturday 7th - it is fully booked and I'm hoping it is going to be a fun and lively session with some lovely relaxation at the end (and a few healthy treats and teas after)

Many thanks to you all for your continued support of my classes and workshops.


For all details of my classes see www.yogiclaire.com

Winter Newsletter

Now we are settling into the colder months I thought it timely to issue a newsletter to keep you all up to date on Yogi Claire Hatha Yoga news.

The Yin & Flow workshop in October was a great success with everyone enjoying the contrasts of the two styles of yoga.  As my classes and workshops attract a whole range of different abilities it was quite a task planning the sequences to ensure everyone felt included and empowered by finding variations of postures to suit them.  The feed back was good so I am sure I will run this type of workshop again in the future.  My experimental bakes and the different herbal teas seemed to go down well too!

The next workshop will be in January 2017, at the risk of being predictable it will be my "Detox and Revive Workshop" as it usually is at this time of year!  I think we all need a kick start after the festive season.  It's definitely not about making you feel guilty or bad about indulgences - just balancing them out and empowering you to carry on into 2017 with a regular yoga practice.

Speaking of Christmas please note there will be no classes during the week between Christmas and New Year - remember you can always double check the calendar schedule on my Yoga Trail profile.  There is a link to this from my website Class Schedule

The Monday morning Parent & Toddler class has been doing really well, I am pleased to say, very well attended most weeks, with the little yogis having a fabulous time with Meddy Teddy - my new little friend who helps me out.  The block booking system will change slightly in the New Year.  I will keep all the class members informed of that.

I'm still collecting old and broken jewellery for the Alzheimer's Society, so please keep on bringing in all that bling that you don't need or want anymore - costume jewellery is fine!

As usual I will not be giving out Christmas cards to my class members but will be donating the money to charity instead.  In past years I have donated to local charities but this year I will be sending a little extra money over to the little boy I sponsor in India - his name is Vijay.  We sponsor him through Plan UK - a fantastic charity.  Please ask me if you are interested in doing the same, they do great work in Africa too.

I'll leave you with a lovely Wintry Poem, I really love the imagery in this one.....

Winter Time by Robert Louis Stevenson

Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,
A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;
Blinks but an hour or two; and then,
A blood-red orange, sets again.

Before the stars have left the skies,
At morning in the dark I rise;
And shivering in my nakedness,
By the cold candle, bathe and dress.

Close by the jolly fire I sit
To warm my frozen bones a bit;
Or with a reindeer-sled, explore
The colder countries round the door.

When to go out, my nurse doth wrap
Me in my comforter and cap;
The cold wind burns my face, and blows
Its frosty pepper up my nose.

Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding cake. 


                        
For details of Claire's classes see www.yogiclaire.com                                  

 

Don't Hide Behind the Beans....

Another ridiculous blog post title - I make no apology!

On one or two occasions I have been casually doing my weekly shop and I'll see a familiar face on another aisle and just as I try to bring their name to mind and where I know them from,  they've gone, scuttled out of sight - behind the baked beans no doubt.  Then I realise it is someone who used to come to one of my yoga classes.

I feel sad that they feel the need to scuttle - please don't feel you have to scuttle.  I'm the least scary person ever!  I'd like to hear how you are getting on.  How you may have found another yoga class which fits in better with your schedule, or you've found a teacher that teaches in a different way to me that you really enjoy, just a better 'fit' for you.  I'm not everyone's cup of tea - a very honest lady once told me that I laugh too much in class, I'm hoping she went on and joined a more appropriate class for her!

Or maybe you learnt all you could from me and decided to delve deeper into another style of yoga - again this is wonderful news!  Or perhaps you have developed a home practice and you are loving the beauty and solitude that a self practice brings.

Perhaps you decided to try Tai Chi, Pilates or Qi Gong and found this resonated with you more than yoga - it's fabulous that you have found a movement practice you really love.


Or maybe....you felt it has just been a little bit too long to make a return...this will never be the case.  Even if you haven't been to class for 5 years or more, but you feel you want to come back, just come back - there will be no judgment!  Just don't scuttle and hide behind the baked beans - come and say hello and let me know how you are.

On a more serious note it could be there was an injury, a private health issue or personal problem you don't wish to discuss with me over the avocados.  It is none of my business - I get that.  But just a nod and a wave is fine, just so I know you are ok....

For details of Claire's classes in Sale - see www.yogiclaire.com