Endeavour to Yoga

Hope you are all managing to stay healthy and away from colds and flu.

I think we deserve a Restorative session, where we focus on stretching and familiarising ourselves with the space we take up when we are still. Really exploring how we feel as we tune in to stillness and our bodies.

Bring a pillow, blanket, anything to help you relax and feel comfortable. Come along and try a session, we meet every Thursday evening 19.00-20.00 at The Nuthall Temple Center. The class is for beginners so come along.

Nuthall Parish Council The Nugget

A little plug!

Good Morning! Hope everyone is doing well. This week I am planning a class that is in two parts. We will return to sun salutation for some repetition, linking breath and movements, like a moving meditation to help us focus.

And then we will have a calm reflective practice similar to the restorative sessions. Helping us quiet our mind and reflect on whatever we wish. Whether it is our practice, a decision we are trying to make or on the year so far. Have a think what you would like to reflect on.

Hope to see you Thursday 19.00-20.00 at the Nuthall Temple Centre. If you are new to Yoga come along and see what you think, first class is free.

Hello! Hope you are all having a great week. Planning Thursday’s class and I have a four week plan in mind.

Joy, reflection, gratitude, change. Thursday we will reflect on the joy we experience from holidays to a quiet few minutes of the bliss you feel doing your hobbies. So let’s have fun and play with our practice.

So bring your joyous memories and contemplate these whilst we practice joy.

Please invite friends and neighbours.

See you Thursday for those who can make it and those on adventures enjoy your joy!

Nuthall Temple Center, 19.00-20.00 every Thursday.

Heart ❤️, some of us wear it on our sleeve, others lead with it but what role does your heart play in your day to day?

Thursday’s class we will explore heart opening postures that help to get the blood flowing and help us practice leading with our hearts. For some of us this maybe easy and for others this may be very difficult, some of us maybe use to leading with our hearts. But for those who lead with their head be assured that when leading with your heart you be coming from a place of authenticity and this is never a bad starting point. Leading from or with our hearts may provide just the change in perspective we needed.

If you haven’t already why now come along and see what this all means, join our beginners Yoga class, we meet every Thursday from 19.00-20.00 at the Nuthall Temple Center, free trial class so nothing to loose, hope to see you Thursday. Nuthall Parish Council The Nugget

“The body follows the mind and the mind follows the breath.” Unknown

I am inspired by this quote and am building our Thursday class around this concept. Intrigued by what I am thinking and how that is influencing my body and how my life force or breath is being impacted by my subconscious breathing.

I have been taking a minute every few hours during the day to calm my mind and connect with my breath this has worked wonders over the last few weeks in calming my nerves and helping me to refocus. Amazing how often I am shallow breathing and I feel anxious as a result. Changing the way I breathe actively helps to calm me.

We will explore this mind, body and breath connection, paying close attention to the thoughts we have and how these can interrupt or even disrupt our practice. By taking time to notice we can put ourselves back on track connecting with a practice that will nourish and inspire us.

If you haven’t tried a class why not pop along it may be just the thing you need to lift your mood or change your mindset. Come and join our class any and every Thursday 19.00-20.00 the Nuthall Temple Centre Nuthall Parish Council The Nugget

Not sure about you but my energy levels are low. I need a boost.

Every now and then fatigue, stress, even seasonal changes can zap energy levels. It is important to recognise low energy and take action to promote an increase in energy levels.

Tonight’s class will be energising and hopefully give a little boost to help as the nights draw in.

Come join us 19.00-20.00 Nuthall Temple Center.

Class this evening will be a restorative session so bring along any blocks, pillows or thick blanket that will help to assist in getting comfortable. We will begin by practicing the Ujjayi breath to calm our mind, centre our focus and warming our core from the inside.

We will continue with some very simple but effective stretches which we will hold for a period so again, a throw pillow or thick blanket would be great to bring along to help support you.

And to finish we will have an extended Savasana, I will try to keep the guidance to a minimum to allow for us to practice our mindful meditation.

If you haven’t already tried a session tonight is a very calm practice so this may be the perfect time to pop along and give it a try.

Nuthall Temple Center 19.00-20.00 every Thursday.

How great is this little plug for Yoga!! Thank you Nuthall Parish Council

Thursday's in Nuthall...
Slimming World 9.30am at Temple Centre function room. Call Caroline on 07956 082755 for more details

KSKC Karate Group 7-8pm in Temple Centre sports hall. E-mail [email protected] for more details

Yoga with Jenny 7-8pm at Temple Centre function room. Relaxing sessions, see poster for details

In tomorrow’s class we will look at our posture and how our alignment and posture can benefit our poses and improve our body confidence. We will trial postures in a few ways to see what feels best. This practice is a continuation of our exploration in cultivating a practice that is individual and one we connect with.

There is also an invitation to carry on exploring off the mat. The way we hold ourselves can directly influence the way we think and vice versa.

Once an hour take your thoughts to your body and recognise the signals you are creating, they aren’t just projecting to the world but are being fed-back and acted upon by your mind. Perhaps sitting up straight and practicing a smile that reaches your eyes, can help you concentrate more, or improve your mood.

The act of adjusting your posture at regular intervals can become habit.

Encourage a confident body posture is our theme.

If you are interested in joining pop along to class, held every Thursday, Nuthall Temple Centre 19.00-20.00, no need to contact ahead just come along we would love you to join.

Resilience, the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness,
perhaps a quality we all could benefit from cultivating. Personally the past 2 years have been been very challenging for me and I have tried very hard to to cultivate resilience but recently I have had to concede. I have had to recognise that resilience comes in many forms. Whether it is persevering or knowing when enough is enough, resilience can take different forms and have different results.

In yoga we can build resilience by connecting to our breath, when we control our breath we signal to the body that we are calm, in moments of stress we can find resilience in the breath.

We can build strength and balance that allows us resilience against physical challenges like periods of prolonged stress or physical exertion.

Scientific research shows if we act a particular emotion we can feel and be that emotion, so I invite us to embrace resilience, embody what this means for us in Thursday’s class and notice how we feel.

If you haven’t tried yoga yet, what is stopping you? Why not try a class, contact me to arrange a free trial or just pop along. You are under no obligation to commit so why not try something new, you may just like what Yoga has to offer.

Beginners Yoga classes at The Nuthall Temple Centre. 19.00-20.00 every Thursday, no prior experience necessary just a willingness to try.

I have been enjoying the last few days of the summer holidays with my family this week, it doesn’t mean I haven’t prepared for class but it does mean my weekly post is late.

So much fun has been had this summer, the weather has been amazing and it has felt like a proper summer. I am keen to reflect on the highs and lows of the past few weeks and months becoming aware of the subtle changes, progresses and areas where progress is needed. This reflection seemed a great theme for class today.

I encourage us all to reflect on our lives, these check ins are vital to progress and a sense of accomplishment. Within your practice I invite you to reflect on your movements, your breath and your thoughts. Here are some questions to get you started; When you come to our practice what do you bring, what do you leave behind? How do you feel before and after your practice? What do you want to work on, what have you improved upon? What are you most proud of in your practice?

Looking forward to our reflection practice this evening, 18.00-20.00 at the Nuthall Temple Centre. Anyone interested in attending a class no need to book just come along and see what you think.

Planning for Thursday’s class and thinking of ways we can create a sustainable practice one which draws us in daily and asks us to refocus and tune in.

The thing I love about Yoga is that you don’t have to pull out your mat to practice you can stretch and breathe without any planning or set up. Yoga is with you each time you take a moment to notice your breath.

This week our class theme is sustainability and looking at ways we can encourage our practice and sustain it.

If you haven’t tried Yoga but think you would like it, what is stopping you? I would be interested to know. Perhaps you could give it a go this Thursday at the Nuthall Temple Center 19.00-20.00, we always have a good time at the very least. Hope to see you this week.

Traffic is awful, been waiting for 20minutes with little movement plan on still having class of course and we can hopefully make time up. So sorry everyone.

Wow! 4 weeks off and feeling refreshed. Slightly worried that my students will not come back as they have appreciated the time off and found other hobbies, but here’s hoping the practice was missed and you are all ready to get started again. I am really looking forward to class this Thursday and sharing the practices I have been working on.

All are welcome, regulars or anyone wishing to try something new. I look forward to whomever shows up, I can’t wait to share my Yoga practice with you.

This week I have a gentle, practice planned to ease us back in to our routine, hoping that the challenge will come from our exaggeration of postures, slowing things down and not rushing through our practice.

Please come and join us for classes every Thursday 19.00-20.00 at the Nuthall Temple Centre. £8 per class or block booking discount, 4 classes for £28. Free taster class for new students, no need to book just show up.

Parish Council Nugget

This week is our last class for four weeks, a lovely break for the summer holidays and with the weather cooperating we are bound to enjoy the long summer evenings.

Been thinking a lot about how to spend the time away from teaching Yoga but also what all of you will be up to. Will you explore your home practice, leading your own personal sessions, utilising the tools we have gained over the past few months? I want to take the next four weeks to explore my own practice and develop some fun classes for our return on the 18 August, maybe work on my meditations and seamless transitions.

Some of us have been coming together for over a year and a half and I am grateful every day for the opportunity to teach and share my love for Yoga. I hope after the break you will all join me again in our practice and perhaps we will see some new faces too. Have a great break.

This week we will explore our final components of building a beneficial practice that can be sustained, this is, put simply, enjoyment. Do you enjoy your Yoga practice or hobby? There are so many things that pull us away from our joy and that is where having kindness and forgiveness toward oneself is important because building a habit is hard when you do not support it with properly but if you enjoy it l surely you will make your way back to it. An example of this is I recently had to put swimming on hold, work commitments and home commitments have been adjusted and I don’t have the time in the mornings to 🏊🏻‍♀️. This isn’t forever just for now, of course it is a shame as I really enjoy it. I will return to swimming now just is t the time. Finding enjoyment can add a further layer to building a strong relationship with your practice or hobby even if things change to keep you away the first chance you get you will go back to it.

What about you?

If you haven’t tried Yoga yet but want to give it a go feel free to come join us Thursday evenings 19.00-20.00 at the Nuthall Temple Center. Classes are £8.50 but you can trial for free. Please note Thursday 14 July is the last class for four weeks, classes resume on the 18 August 2022. Come join us this week or after our break, enjoy and see you soon.

Please note our month long break is approaching dates below.*

For this week’s class I would like for us to explore the concept of keeping things fresh and exciting. In my practice I like to add bits from Pilates, Barre and some weight training to keep things fresh. I think adding new elements keeps me returning to it day in day out.

How we integrate this into our daily lives is another thing. I invite us all to look at the things we do and ensure that we do not get stuck in a rut but chase fresh and exciting ways to approach our life and our Yoga practice.

If you haven’t tried Yoga and have an interest in having a go please pop along there is no need to prebook. Classes are on Thursday evenings 19.00-20.00 and are beginners level but I try to add modifications to cater for intermediate students.

*No classes 21 July - 11 Aug first class back is 18 August.

Thursday’s class is the third of a series of classes exploring the key elements of a sustainable and hopefully rewarding Yoga practice. So far we have explored vitality and endurance this week the theme is knowledge. When I think of knowledge and building a Yoga practice two elements spring to mind, building knowledge of yourself and knowledge around Yoga as a way of life not just a practice. For this week I invite you to consider both aspects of knowledge building.
Integral to any practice is knowing and listening to your body, ensuring that all of the stretching and strength building you do is in concert with your body so you can fully benefit physically. Any endeavour that is done with your body and mind at the centre has the capacity to withstand challenges and become a positive habit both mentally and physically.

Building knowledge around Yoga as a way of life can help further fortify a longstanding habit, can positively change your outlook and approach to all aspects of your life. Simply acknowledging that there are different ways to view knowledge and Yoga demonstrates a curiosity that will help in all areas of life.

So for Thursday’s class I encourage you to think about knowledge, what this looks like in your practice and what it means to you.

If you have yet to try a class please come along, there is no obligation to regularly attend just a chance to try something new to/for you. We meet Thursday 19.00-20.00 at The Nuthall Temple Centre.

*Please note summer holiday dates, no classes will be held from the 21 July-11 Aug, class will resume on the 18 August 2022.

A day late I thought I posted this yesterday….

Happy International Yoga Day 2022! Whilst I am aware that there seems to be a day for anything and everything I am a bit partial to this day. Today is a chance to celebrate a practice, a way of life, a philosophy. Yoga isn’t just about bending in to shapes, it is so much more and I urge you to look up a local class or go online for a beginners practice, YouTube is a great resource. There are all sorts of movement and breathing practices that you can do from the comfort of your home. You will not regret it you may never do it again but trying something that is safe and private you have little to loose.

As I prepare for Thursday’s class, which I hope we will de able to do outside again, I am thinking about the principles underpinning my practice. Last week we explored vitality, our asanas were strength building postures, spine lengthening and twisted to encourage blood flow and organ stimulation.

This week is endurance, and for me I am not necessarily thinking marathon or 3 peaks challenge I am thinking the capacity of something to last or to withstand the test of time. My practice at best is sporadic, in 8 years I think I have managed two weeks of practicing everyday and inevitably something comes up and I miss a day. I use to be so hard on myself thinking I can’t even commit to something I really enjoy but I realise that this is not helpful because my practice always picks up again. My practice is mine and it works for me. That is the beauty of Yoga it endures, it is the one thing I return to time and time again. I am always so fulfilled and grateful for my practice. Cultivating endurance in your practice is something that will help you sustain the habit.

Anyone interested in trying Yoga please join us 19.00-20.00 every Thursday Nuthall Temple Center. Please note classes are not running for 4 weeks starting 21 July - 11 Aug, classes resume 18 August.

Vitality, a word that I feel is synonymous with with Yoga practice. As we breathe and move our way through an asana class or rest supine, fully supported by the ground we stretched and grow our bodies and minds we increase our vitality.

One of the definitions of vitality is the power or ability to continue in existence, live, or grow, as we support and build our practice we cultivate the power and ability to continue to live and grow. We also, with any luck, enjoy the benefits that our practice brings both mentally and physically but we also learn things about ourselves. Like how we respond under pressure or the words that fill our minds as we hold challenging postures. Yoga can be a thoroughly rewarding practice but also a way of life.

Join me for class this evening, new students are welcome, as we cultivate vitality, Nuthall Temple Centre 19:00 -20.00 every Thursday.

Summer holiday dates to follow this week

Really looking forward to getting back to class after a last minute cancellation given the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. I hope everyone had a lovely few days off, doing the things you love.

The theme for our upcoming class is inspired by a suggestion from a student, we will salute the sun in honour of the upcoming summer solstice. Our asana practice is inspired by sun salutation with a playful spin. Hopefully this will result in some summer weather instead of the autumnal temperatures we are experiencing.

Here comes the Sun, hopefully. Join us at the Nuthall Temple Center every Thursday 19.00-20.00 for a beginners asana practice followed by a short meditation practice. Anyone and everyone welcome.
Nuthall Parish Council

Haven’t put much thought in to whether we should have class or not on Thursday, I think it is safe to say people will be busy. Is there anyone who wants class to go ahead on Thursday? Please message me and let me know.

The theme of class this Thursday is Samadhi, which is the 8th and final Limb of Yoga, perhaps the perceived result/purpose of practicing Yoga, it is total self connectedness, disentangled from everything external. A state in which we no longer ascribe our value and worth to external concepts. We are one with our selves, aware of our connection to all that is living and loving but free from the distractions and attachments that divide our attention.
As we practice and extend our exploration in to Yoga we may find a natural balance begins to form and we notice we are able to calm, to be present, to observe and each time we notice these shifts we get closer to Samadhi. Like anything practice is required, the state of Samadhi doesn’t just happen without tremendous effort but knowing we can achieve this may be just the motivation we need to continue each day returning to our mat, taking the time for ourselves to discover something new.

Our class will be a mixture of asana and meditation practice as we try to explore this theme/concept and see if we can find spaces in our practice where Samadhi can be felt.

Classes are every Thursday from 19.00-20.00 at the Nuthall Temple Center, classes are for beginners, no experience necessary. If you do have experience you still might find something new so come along if you are interested.If you have any questions or concerns about attendance please do not hesitate to contact. Hope to see you in class, looking forward to sharing this class with you. Nuthall Parish Council

Dhyana the 7th Limb of Yoga, is the theme for this week’s class. Dhyana is translated to mean contemplation, reflection, meditation. We discussed last week that Dharana is focusing in on one point and Dhyana is contemplating that point. Practicing Dhyana takes us from a state of doing to a state of being.

Our class will consist of an asana practice that will help us focus our minds on our bodies ,tuning inward and away from external distractions. The fewer distractions we have the closer we get to a state of Dhyana.

‘Dhyana teaches us to observe something without judgement, or attachment – instead contemplating it in all its colours and forms in a profound, abstract state of meditation.’ - Kirsty Tomlinson

Come along and see what all this Yoga is about, every Thursday 19.00-20.00 Nuthall Temple Center.

21 June 2022 is International Yoga day, so the class on Thursday 23 June class will be a great opportunity to come along if you are new to yoga to see what it is all about. On this day donations for Ukraine Crisis Appeal - The British Red Cross are welcome but classes will be free for new and existing students, so put the date in the diary tell your friends and family and come along.

Dharana the sixth of the 8 limbs of Yoga, means focuses or collected concentration.

This may sound similar to practicing Pratyahara or withdrawing from our external senses to focus internally but actually Dharana is more precise. Practicing Dharana is focusing our attention on one thing for a long period of time. Our minds are not wired to think on one object or thought for a prolonged period we move from thought to thought, we are easily distracted.

This week we will practice a sequence which we will repeat giving us a chance to focus to initially focus on a set of Asanas but then after practice perhaps we could zoom in on one thing. We often do this already in class when we return to our breath to ground our selves and connect with the present moment so we aren’t far off understanding this practice.

Each step in the 8 Limbs of Yoga builds on the previous philosophy, we are fine tuning our practice in preparation for total self collectiveness, or the 8 Limb of Yoga, Samadhi.

Come along and see for yourself what Yoga is all about, classes are beginners level so no previous experience is necessary, join us every Thursday 19.00-20.00 at the Nuthall Temple Center. Please feel free to message me if you have any questions.

In tomorrows class we will be exploring the 5th Limb of Yoga Pratyahara, prati, means “to withdraw,” and ahara, means “food;” in this case, “food” refers to any external stimuli that you consume with your mind. A more simplistic meaning is a withdrawal of the senses.

Our lives make it difficult to switch off, we are constantly in a state of receiving, whether it is information, images or opinion, it is hard to switch off from all the noise. Practicing Pratyahara can help us tune out and tune in to ourselves, giving us a better understanding of what we feel, what we need and what we desire. With all the noise it is hard to be fully aware of what we need, constantly filling our time we may not be aware that our bodies could benefit from rest. It is common for people to discover things they never know about themselves when the practice a withdrawal of the senses and tune inward.

Our practice this week will begin with a five minute relaxation which aims to help us tune out, withdraw from the external distractions and tune in to ourselves. In our Asana practice we will play around with closing our eyes in some postures to help us move away from our senses and connect internally. All very safe of course. Pratyahara is not an easy concept but we will do our best to explore it, discovering for ourselves what this concept can being to our practice.

All classes are beginners level and run every Thursday 19.00-20.00 at the Nuthall Temple Center, new students are welcome, bring a friend and come along, see what this Yoga thing is all about.

Pranayama is the fourth Limb of Yoga and and this practice invites us to turn our attentions to how we engage with our breath. Pranayama is a Sanskrit word, Prana= life force Ayama= extend.

Our breath, it goes without saying is vital to our survival and hence the automatic nature of the action. Thankfully we do not have to remember to breathe (I might be in a bit of trouble if that were the case, I forget from room to room what I came to retrieve) and because of this we pay little attention to how we utilise the breath in our actions.

Pranayama as a practice however can help us reconnect with our breath, our life force, by helping us to be more mindful of the breath so that we can use it to it’s full potential. When we learn to recognise, regulate or even control our breath we can influence our mood, performance and energy levels.

In our class this week we will explore a few breathing techniques that will help us reconnect with our breath, moving away from auto action to something measured and deliberate that connects us to the present moment.

Please join us if you are slightly curious, you may find the experience enjoyable, grab a friend and come along, classes are for beginners every Thursday, Nuthall Temple Center, 19.00-20.00.

Hope you all had a lovely, long Bank holiday weekend. After two weeks off I am really looking forward to getting back to classes, there is something reassuring about routine and repetition. The patterns of life and the calm that can come from knowing what is next. Repetition and routine can however foster a disconnect from our actions, this can be true of our Yoga practice too. Sometimes we come to our mats so distracted that we do not connect with our postures so in this week’s class I invite us all to focus on our Asana practice appreciating every aspect of the postures.

The theme for our class on Thursday is the third Limb of Yoga, Asana, these are the postures we practice in class. We will do our best to stay present, choosing a few aspects to focus on and see how we go. Connecting with our postures can help us practice staying present and resisting automatic pilot mode, we can use this attentiveness off the mat to help us connect with our family, friends, work and hobbies.

New students are always welcome to join and what a lovely time to start something new, join us Every Thursday 19.00-20.00 Nuthall Temple Centre. We hope you will join us.

Hope all of you Yogis are enjoying some sunshine and the lengthening days. I had hoped to visit family over this two week hiatus however Covid interrupted this trip too.

I have taken a week off to recalibrate and now back to planning classes. I am going to pick up the 8 Limbs of Yoga again as we have explored the first two limbs, Yamas and Niyamas each containing 5 observances and behaviours that underpin Yoga Philosophy.

The third limb is Asana, postures or what people usually most associate with Yoga practice. When we return to class on the 21st we will look at the Asanas in depth and how our movement informs us on and off our mats.

I look forward to getting back to our practice and hope the warmer weather begins. Please take care.

Anyone looking to try something new this Spring please join us from the 21st April every Thursday 19.00-20.00. No prior experience just an open mind, why not try it, you might like it!

Preparing Thursday 31 March class on the theme of Practice.

How often do we practice tuning in to ourselves and hearing what we need?

In class we will build up to an intermediate posture, Ardha Chandrasana or Half-Moon posture. It is a very strong balance posture that engages both legs, back and abdominal wall, this posture leaves virtually no muscle group out. Each posture will help demonstrate the importance of practicing and building up to a posture. Each of us will have our own way that this posture will come alive for us and we have to be authentic, by tuning in and recognising what works for us we will find our Half-moon that suits and challenges us.

I look forward to this class before our 2 week break. If you haven’t come along to a class now is the perfect time to try as the days get longer and Spring helps us back to life so can a new hobby. Come along Thursday’s 19.00-20.00 Nuthall Temple Centre, have a stretch, build strength and have a laugh with us.

****Please note classes will not be held on 7 or 14 April 2022, but will resume 21 April 2022