Yoga Movement Serenity Sessions

Yoga Movement Serenity Sessions

These sessions are in addition to the weekly timetables classes. They are usually on either a Friday evening or a Sunday morning. With a mixture of offerings - Yin Yoga - Restorative yoga - Nidra - Sound baths (crystal singing bowls). 

Serenity Sessions are about you time and investing in your own well-being and healing - whether that be physical, mental/emotional or spiritual. A non-judgemental space for you to leave the day to day stresses, strains and worries to one side and relax, refresh and rejuvenate.

Yin Yoga

A mainly floor based practice.

Although on the outside it may not seem like functional yoga, functional is exactly what it is!

Yin yoga should not be confused with restorative yoga.  

Yin yoga activates change at a very deep level in the body. 

Restorative yoga the focus is on the passive release of mind-body tension.

In yin yoga we hold poses for several minutes (at a degree that is right for our own induvial bodies). Yin poses look very different in each body.

In holding these poses we are creating forces within the body deep within the connective tissues. These forces help to create healthy stress for the body, leading to improved flexibility and strength of the connective tissues. This in turn helps to maintain healthy joints. The long term goal of yin yoga is to develop strong and flexible joints.  

"We do not use our body to get into a pose. We use the pose to get into the body" - Bernie Clarke

The 3 principals of Yin 

1. Time - we take our time with the poses

Caterpillar pose with bolster support

2. Passivity - we surrender to gravity and find relaxation. 

3.Stillness - both physical and mental stillness - finding a single pointed focus.

 The 3 tattvas/qualities of yin yoga 

1. Stillness/steadiness of the body

2. Stillness/steadiness of the breath 

3. Stillness/steadiness of the mind

Restorative yoga

A floor based practice.

Gentle poses held for several minutes at a time. Props are use to get as comfortable as possible.

Restorative yoga the focus is on the passive release of mind-body tension.

Helping us to release from day to day stresses and strains.

The principals and qualities of yin can also be applied to this practice.

Nidra - Yogic Sleep

Guided deep relaxation 

No movement required - get as comfortable as possible and rest while you are guided deep into relaxation. 

20 minutes of  Nidra is said to have the same effects as 2 hours of sleep.

You're welcome to come to these session in your PJ's.

Sound Bath - Vibes - Bowls -Sound.

Here at YMS I use Crystal singing bowls for these sessions. I usually couple a sound bath with the other modalities of the serenity offerings.

All of the modalities used in the serenity sessions - 

Support a reduction in the feelings of anxiety and stress.

Promote deep rest. 

Support the immune and nervous systems. 

Promote the sense of well-being.

I hope to see you at a Serenity session soon. 

Sarsha x

Sign up for the newsletter to find out up and coming Serenity Sessions at YMS. 

https://mailchi.mp/8051d213350d/yms

If this link doesn't work a sign up link can be found on the website yogamovement.studio 

Yoga - Well-being

 

Yoga can increase flexibility but yoga really is for the willing. You have to be willing to let go of what you expect from yoga and let it guide you - it has guided me to balanced well-being.  

Yoga for me is about balanced well-being - 

a balance of physical, mental, emotional and grounded spiritual well-being. 

When I first came to yoga it was more about the physical as I had a bad back and just wanted it to feel better, yoga was suggested and within a couple of sessions I started to notice the difference and my passion for yoga was born. Firstly, yes the physical as a practice but it didn't take long before the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of yoga started to impact my life. Over the years the dynamics of my yoga practice has changed and evolved at times it was much more physical and aired towards flexibility training and at times it has been more about my mental well-being (with very little physical practice). I find now that my yoga is is providing me with the tools to have a body that is ready and able to cope with the life I wish to lead and my mental and emotional health is in a good place too. 

Yoga is an everyday practice. I do yoga everyday but I do not step on to my mat everyday. Yoga is not just a bendy body its how and what you think and feel too. 

I have learnt over the years too much flexibility training and my body doesn't feel at its best - I have to find the balance between flexibility and stability - sustainable practice. And that mental health is something we work on everyday - and not something that just magically happens overnight. A spiritual practice for me is a self care practice about core values and boundaries as well as being about how I relate and translate religion within my life.

Yoga can be something you do, it can be something you are, it can be a way you choose to live and it can all of these at the same time. It can be on the mat and off the mat, Yoga is something that evolves within you constantly. Yoga is something that gives you sense of understanding of who you really are and freedom and the courage to be that person. 

In my last blog I listed the yoga and movement qualifications I have taken over the years.  

So it only seems fitting to list here the people who have inspired me and who's teachings and offerings have helped to open, expand and free my mind beyond what is conventional not just with yoga but the whole of life. 

This list is people I have spent in-person time with ; -  

In no particular order

Paul Chek - changed my life - saved my life - I don't agree with everything he says, he taught me to have my own mind.

Summer Huntington - Changed my physical yoga practice and continues to inspire me with her passion for movement. 

Cecily Milne - Changed my teaching habits and taught me to trust what I know.

Brea Johnson - Was the knowledge, the light and the love I needed to find to keep my heart on track in this journey called life.

Hannah Stewart & Emma Epton - taught me among lots of scientific and fun yoga stuff, that I am on the right path and I am not alone.

Richard Geldard & Matt Bryan - Stay in my own lane, be confident in who I am and what I know and feel.  

Mark, Zoe & Alfie - Love and its true infiniteness. 

Bye for now

Sarsha 

Experience, Qualification's, CPD,s.

Updated September 2023

Yoga Movement Sarsha

Yoga the journey of never-ending self development. 

My experience, qualification's, CPD's and registration services!

Yoga has been in my life since the mid 1990's, I have taught yoga since the mid noughties.

I saw an Instagram post the other day about how many hours yoga training someone had done.

And it got me thinking, I wonder how many I have if I total them all up! 

Something I hadn't thought about before. 

So here goes:

Yoga / yoga related training

British School of Yoga -  Yoga teaching Hatha  -  200hours

                                       Yoga class instructor -   25 hours CPD

                                       Pre & post natal yoga level 3 - 80 hours 

Other Continued professional Development - CPD courses  

                                        Clubbell yoga -  30 hours

                                        Scientific stretching  - 8 hours

                                        Pure stretch - 16 hours

                                        Yoga Reloaded  - 28 hours

                                        Yoga detour - Method 18 hours

                                        Yoga detour - Synthesis 40 hours

                                        Yoga Nidra - 5 hours

         Heart & Bones Yoga online modern yoga teacher development - 50 hours

                             Heart & Bones  Yoga Teacher training 300hrs

                                       Yin yoga - Yoga reloaded - Emma Epton - 100 hours

                                         

Chiang Mai - Crystal singing bowl Therapy - 20 hours

                             

Central YMCA - Modern Pilates:

                                        Mat Pilates - 200 hours

                                        Pregnancy Pilates - 16 hours CPD 

                                         

                                                                    

Total training hours 1136 to date

Currently studying the next level of Yoga Nidra

Teaching experience hours = 17 years + @ average of 10 hours per week and counting. 

I am also a reiki level 2 practitioner. 

The above does not take in to account the hundreds maybe even thousands of hours I have spent with personal practice, reading and listening to yoga/movement/health/including mental health/spiritual related books, podcasts and blogs.  

I am not registered with any registration services as I don't feel the need to be. My training is so diverse I don't know which registration service would suit me best anyway. 

I am fully insured for my work/teaching. 

Yoga is an ancient art and the study of yoga is never-ending. Right now there has never been so much scientific research into stretching, flexibility and mental health that is filtering its way into the modern yoga trainings. This can only be a good thing. And this also opens up a whole new way of being able to share and enjoy yoga.

                                     

Yoga Movement with Sarsha is a combination of all I have learnt over the years.

I draw on my experience as a yoga practitioner and a teacher to deliver fun,  enjoyable, relaxed  yoga.  Movement, flow, breath rhythm, asanas/postures, breaking down the poses into manageable chunks and then rebuilding them making adjustments as needed. Using strength work and softening work. I like to use movement as medicine.  

In my yoga classes I provide a space for you to be you with no expectations.
A place for you to truly explore your movement and personal potential.

Here's what people who attend say about my classes -  promote increased mobility, better sleep, confidence boost, increased strength, happiness, self belief, enjoyment of yoga and understanding of modern yoga and how it impacts the body, mind and soul.  

Remember YOU are Amazing! 

Sarsha ✨