Experience, Qualification's, CPD,s.

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:

British School of Yoga -  Yoga teaching Hatha  -  200hours

                                       Yoga class instructor -   25 hours CPD

                                       Pre & post natal yoga level 3 - 80 hours 

Heart & Bones -             Yoga Teacher training 300hrs

                                       online modern yoga teacher development - 50 hours

                                     

Central YMCA - Modern Pilates:

                                        Mat Pilates - 200 hours

                                        Pregnancy Pilates - 16 hours CPD 

Other Continued professional Development - CPD courses  

 

                                        Clubbell yoga -  30 hours

                                        Yoga Reloaded  - 28 hours

                                        Yin yoga - Yoga Reloaded - Emma Epton - 100 hours

                                       

                                        Yoga detour - Method 18 hours

                                        Yoga detour - Synthesis 40 hours

                                       

                                         Yoga Nidra Level 1- 5 hours

                                         Yoga Nidra Level 2 - in progress

                                        Scientific stretching  - 8 hours

                                        Pure stretch - 16 hours

                                        Chiang Mai - Crystal singing bowl Therapy - 20 hours                                                                      Tibetan bowls therapy - 20 hours

                                        

                                  Usui Shiki Ryoho Second degree reiki  

                      

                                Kevin Ellerton - Meditation Master class - Meditation teacher                          

Over 1000 hours of training.  Yet the learning never ends.

The above does not take in to account the hours I have spent with personal practice, reading and listening to yoga/movement/health/including mental health/spiritual related books, podcasts and blogs. I think we are amazing beings and find learning about how we move, breath and relax interesting. 

Although this is quite a lot of training I still belief it's not the amount of training you have but how you deliver it that really counts. I enjoy sharing what I have learned with others. It's not what you know, its how you make people feel that really counts.

I am not registered with any registration services as I don't feel the need to be. And the only one I would have been interested in joining, closed down. I have been registered before and it cost me a lot of money per year for the privilege and I am still to understand what the benefits for myself were!  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/movement/self 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/movement and stillness.

                                     

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 ✨

  

 

It's only a photograph!

It's only a photograph! 

But is it!

Cameras change the air - they pull people out of presence. 

They whisper "someone is watching"

It may only be a little bristle of broken consent for some but for others it's a big deal.

As a yoga teacher it's not my job to capturer the moment. It's my job to protect the moment/space. To hold it gently and let it stay private. 

Consent for photographs/recording during a yoga class, sound session or any similar holistic type session. 

In a world were consent is a big topic, how is your consent gained to take and use photographs of you while attending one of the sessions above. 

Have you even considered this?

Or do you just make the assumption that having your photograph taken (and that photo possibly being used to promote the class) is part of a yoga class.

How should consent be gained? Prior to the session - at the session?  Individually or as a group?  Verbally or written? Was there a disclaimer saying photograph/s may/will be taken during the session/sessions that you attend? 

I know there are many reasons someone may not want their photograph taken in a one of these sessions and then shared. The reasons for this are again a massive topic - I'm not getting into that here. Some people may say yes when they mean no if they are put on the spot as they enter a class. I was one of those people. Even if you say no are you then asked to move to a place where you will be out of shot and left feeling like you don't belong. 

After completing several yoga courses that covered the topics of consent, trauma and yoga as a safe space. I realised I'm not the only who is not comfortable with having my photo take during a class. And just how big this topic is!

I have a no photographs in class policy at YMS. 

I want YMS to feel like a safe space to all who attend classes and sessions here.

I personally have never been one for taking photos during the classes I facilitate - I am too in the moment to remember and it doesn't feel appropriate for me to break off from teaching to take photos. 

I would never take photographs in classes or sessions I facilitate. 

Not even the rest at the end of class. 

Especially not in the rest at the end.  

That said I have been asked occasionally to take a photo of a student after class for their personal use, I am more than happy to do this.

Most people may be more than happy to have their photograph taken during a class but what about those who are uncomfortable with this - I am one of them. This could lead to them thinking that a yoga class is not a safe space and this becomes a barrier to them attending classes. 

At YMS photographs are never taken of you in any of the classes or sessions without prior notice/consent.

Sarsha ✨

For me yoga is a place go let go of the social pressures of how I should and shouldn't be/look/perform. I look to yoga as safe space. This is not a place I personally would want others taking photographs of me. 

If I was to want or need photographs during a class/session there would be full disclosure that photography would be happening in this session and what the photographs would be used for. Prior written consent gained, with full option for declining the use of any photographs taken during the session. So only those who are perfectly happy about this would attend. And they would still get to approve the use of the photographs once taken.   

 

Doubt but do it anyway! - Off the mat

 “I doubt I'll be able to do yoga because I'm not flexible enough”

 Well guess what I was not flexible when I started yoga. The flexibility is a side effect of moving your body mindfully through safe yet effective ranges of movement. 

“I doubt I'll be able to get the breathing right” 

Do not worry everybody thinks that. I often don't get the perfect connection between body and breath but it ain't that bigger deal. It's called yoga practice for a reason because practice is what we are doing and sometimes it's not perfect and that's ok.

“I doubt I'll be able to stop my monkey mind” 

You don't have to stop it, but it's amazing how by giving yourself something else to concentrate on like movement and breathing that the monkeys all fall asleep anyway.

Doubt, doubt, doubt everywhere! 

Doubt is said to be the biggest slayer of dreams!

There is nothing wrong with doubt, just don't let it stop you. 

Let if be your friend, let it guide you, 

let it be an energy you can redirect into great things. 

Sarsha 

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

More details can be found on the website yogamovement.studio where you can also sign up for the newsletter - to get all the latest YMS information sent to your inbox.

Can you take a picture of yoga?

 Can you take a picture of yoga? 

Scroll through social media and it seems so, but what is yoga! 

Ok I'm going to honest here when I first found Instagram (several years ago) and the yoga community there I jumped on the band wagon and joined lots of the yoga challenges. Taking pictures of poses and posting them daily. Check out my Instagram feed it's all there - yogamovement_sash_gainsborough.  I guess I was looking for a sense of belonging.  The pictures where solely about making the shape of the yoga pose.  Will I fit in to this yoga world better if my poses look better. I pushed myself to attain better looking poses. It always left me with a sense of what do these pictures say about my practice. I was looking for external validation that my yoga was "good enough". Then my body started to hurt and I got a couple of yoga related injuries - minor but enough to make me reflect take stock and then pursue a more authentic journey of honouring me and not being bothered by how it looks outwardly. I stopped doing yoga challenges on Instagram. 

 So I guess you can take a picture of a yoga pose but yoga goes way deeper than the shape you make with the body. In a picture, can you tell the internal state of the person.  Are they in chaos or serenity?  Is there an internal acceptance of self and what feels right for their body?  Are they smiling through pain!

Does it matter about attaining more in the pose or is it about being happy with the practice and the process. Is the practice about truly listen to the body, mind and maybe the soul.

Can you take a picture that truly reflects self awareness and self acceptance? A picture that shows the inner work and healing that the process of yoga brings! 

The two pictures on this blog are both me and were taken approximately 8 years apart. Can you tell the difference. In which picture am I honouring myself  and the practice of yoga the most - Both - neither. Which is the older picture, which the more recent!

With Yoga Movement I aim to inspire you to honour YOU in the practice of yoga. I aim for never-ending self development so I can deliver classes and sessions to the best of my ever expanding knowledge and  ability. 

Can I take a picture of this? I believe the answer is no. The only way you will be able to gauge my ability as a yoga guide is to come along to class and experience it.  

See you on the mat

Sarsha ✨

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