Chelsey Yoga

🔺️Trikonasana🔻

Triangle pose is one of the foundational poses in yoga, here's why: 🧐

▶️ It engages your core muscles, helping to build strength & stabilise your spine.
▶️ Reduces stiffness in your back, increasing spinal flexibility.
▶️ Opens hips & shoulders, supporting better mobility.
▶️ Gentley stimulates internal organs, aiding digestion
▶️ Relieving the hip/low back & shoulders - where many of us carry tension - Triangle pose can also help improve emotional & mental wellbeing by helping reduce stress.

There are different variations & modifications depending on your needs. Some yoga schools practice with a longer stance, which will challenge the legs & balance more. Practicing with a shorter stance is more stabilising and can help work into the hip/side body.

For some reason, i don't give this pose enough credit... it always makes my hips & low back feel amaaazing afterwards 🧘‍♀️✨️

💪🧘‍♀️✨️

Way more than you pay for 💪

No Contract 📰
Open 24/7 🕑
Unlimited Classes 🏋🏻‍♂️
Low Monthly Prices 📆

There will never be a better time to join the gym, great your body and mind. Come down and have a tour of our club and start your journey 😊

This mama duck is hands down, the most ferocious river bird i've ever seen! 😆😆 she may not look it in the photo, but just 2mins before this was taken (i was too engrossed to think of filming at the time 😆) - she jumped a seagull, had a hold of it's back with her beak and wouldn't let it go. She was going full on 'bear mode', attacking any seagull that got within an inch of her babies 🦆👊 i've never seen a duck take on a pack of gulls before... it was impressive 😆 she obviously takes her job very seriously and has done a great job protecting her 4 babies 💪👀

Just goes to show, maybe we're capable of a lot more than others (and even ourselves) might realise ✨️

So let's never underestimate ourselves, or others! Whether we're in a yoga class, or anywhere off the mat, the same is true. You might be surprised how strong & brave you truly are when the challenge presents itself 🦁😁😆

✨️ Brahmacharya ✨️

Brahmacharya is the 4th of the 5 Yamas (yogic philosophy). It's usually translated to mean 'abstenence' or 'non-excess'. 💫

We all tend to find ourselves overdoing things nowadays. Maybe it's in terms of eating, work, sleep, exercise, alcohol, smoking, buying... the list goes on. We have many influences encouraging us to do more, consume more & have more. Understandably, many of us lose the balance and that's when excess/overindulgence can cause problems, one way or another. When we're feeling greedy/overindulgent, it might feel good at the time to have that extra thing... but afterwards we might feel disappointed or ashamed with ourselves. This can affect the trust we have towards ourselves massively. 😬

It's like the sayings 'enough's as good as a feast', or 'everything in moderation'... Brahmacharya is about learning how to notice that perfect moment in time where we reach the natural limit of what we're engaged in, or need. This takes practice, as habits can take time to change. It's about recognising that moment of 'just enough' and learning the difference between what we actually need, and the story our mind tells us about what we need. 🧐

I definitely understand the 'treat yourself' mindset... i'm not against a glass of wine or a slice of cake 😆 sometimes it's good to reward yourself, especially if you're working towards a goal or if you've achieved something 🎉 but i think sometimes we can use that statement as an excuse to justify short term pleasures rather than doing what's actually good for ourselves in the long term. ☯️

When we take a moment, we realise it's the simple things in life that give us the most (purest) joy. Whether it's taking a walk in nature, curling up with a good book, relaxing in the garden, the comforting touch of a loved one, laughing with friends, or making memories with your children. These feelings of joy are expansive, humbling & guilt-free... unlike what excess brings us.

Classes this week at PureGym Dumfries 💞
🌸 Thurs 7-8pm
🌸 Sat 8-9am

Hope to see you all there ☺️💛

Our weekend adventures in Oban/Fort William were so much fun! It was my first time visiting Oban and i highly recommend it! Such a beautiful place, friendly locals and great company 🥰✨️🙏

We stopped by Spean Bridge to see the Marine memorial 💖 my papa was a Marine and he did his training there back in the 1950s. I loved reading all the beautiful tributes and the scenery is so captivating.

We've already decided we'll be back there again, hopefully soon ☺️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🌞

Hope to see you on the mat tonight at PureGym Dumfries from 7-8pm 🧘‍♀️💫

There's no class on Sat morning this week (25th May), as we're off to Oban for the weekend 🌞✨️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

So don't miss out on your weekly yoga bliss ☺️💛😆 book in via the app and i"ll see ya there 💞

Send a message to learn more

Happy Monday, folks 💛✨️

Is it just me, or are Sat & Sun the fastest days of the week?! We had a great day at Mabie Forest at the weekend. Playing in the stream, collecting sticks & pine cones and looking for unicorns 🦄☺️

It really is the simple things in life 💞👨‍👩‍👧‍👧💫

Hope you all have a great week 🙏🌸

✨️ Mental Wellbeing ✨️

This is not my image, but a good one to share! Stress, anxiety & depression affect us all at some point. Whether it's yourself, or someone close to you, we can all struggle - cos life can be full of challenges 🧐😬

Some days we're totally unstoppable - we're productive, creative, joyful, emotially available/stable and thing feel great 💃 other days are fine, maybe a bit so so but we can manage. Then there are the days where we just feel lousy, lost, sad, afraid, disappointed, ashamed... hopeless, maybe.

In my experience, yoga is basically like an anchor ⚓️ whether i'm having a great day, a miserable day, or anything inbetween... i know if i practice, it might not solve all life's problems - but i'll at least feel a little calmer, stronger and more confident to handle those problems 💪 it gives me discipline and routine, which i find to be just as useful on my good & challenging days. It's the quickest way for me to get out of my own head and to relax my mind... let my body work out my frustrations/tensions, in a way 😅😅 also, going to a public class and sharing space to practice every week allows us to build a community and helps with feelings of lonliness & isolation.

Our yoga practice itself is like a journey too. We all start at the beginning. Sometimes we have to start again several times - whether through disease/injury/pregnancy/postpartum or even returning after a short break. No matter where in life's journey you find yourself, yoga always offers a beautiful nourishing practice that will bring so many benefits for our mental (and general) wellbeing 🧘‍♀️💛🌱

I hope to see you on the mat this week at PureGym Dumfries
🌸 Thursday 7-8pm
🌸 Saturday 8-9am

✨️🙏✨️

✨️ New Class Time ✨️

Come join me at PureGym Dumfries bright and early tomorrow (Saturday) morning 🧘‍♀️ it'll be from 8-9am, first thing 🪱🐦

Book in now via the app 🙏 start your weekend feeling refreshed and peaceful and then enjoy the rest of your day in this glorious weather 🌞💃🥰

See ya on the mat 💞

Did you know that yoga is a great way to balance your hormones?! In fact, exercise in general is so beneficial to the Endocrine System 💪 Yoga helps massage and pressurise particular glands and this gentle stimulation can help regulate hormone secretions. 🧘‍♀️💮🤸‍♂️

Okay, so what are hormones and what's that gotta do with yoga?! 🤔😅📚

You may already know, hormones are chemical signals that travel throughout the brain & body and tell our cells what to do. They control things like; growth, repair, reproduction & digestion. Like the Nervous System, the Endocrine System is essentially a communication system in our body, and uses hormones to spread the word 🔉 Both the NS & ES work differently but interact in many ways and are linked by the Hypothalamas (a tiny part at the base of the brain), which controls much of our emotional & stress response 🧠🤓🧐 this relates to yoga bc many of us experience our emotional & stress response (and more) improve, when we have a regular yoga practice 💃✨️

So what are the main hormones that we can positively impact through movement, such as a regular yoga practice?
🌸 Dopamine
Studies have shown that exercise increases dopamine in the brain, which decreases stress & depression
🌸 Serotonin
Boosts mood, digestion, memory and helps improve sleep
🌸 Testosterone
This decreases with age and can affect muscle mass & strength but can increase with exercise
🌸 Estrogen
Boosting estrogen levels (by increasing heart rate for up to 30mins a day) can help take the edge off menopause symptoms.
🌸 Insulin
Yoga may help reduce blood pressure & blood sugar levels and is often recommended by doctors to help manage diabetes
🌸 Cortisol
Mindfulness, meditation, breathing exercises are all useful ways to help reduce cortisol & help us manage stress

Come join me for a lovely nourishing practice at PureGym Dumfries this week, book via the app
💮 Thursday (tonight) 7-8pm
💮 Saturday 8-9am

See ya on the mat 🌞💞

Thank you all for coming to class this morning, it was great to see everyone 🙏💛

Here's the link to the video i mentioned in class ☺️ i was referred to it when prepping for this week's classes based on the nervous system 💫 the human body and how it works has to be one of the most fascinating things! 🧘

It's worth a watch, if you get the chance... insanely interesting and insightful 🧠

Let me know what you think ✨️

My stroke of insight | Jill Bolte Taylor | TED Visit http://TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.Jill Bolte Taylor got a re...

Love this quote 🙏💛 nice one to reflect on ☺️

I hope to see you tomorrow morning in class 10.30-11.30am at PureGym Dumfries 🧘‍♀️✨️

I have a lovely, soothing class planned to get you settled into the weekend 😌🌞💃

Have a smashing weekend, see ya on the mat 💫

Happy Saturday!

Yoga gives us so many wonderful benefits; physically, mentally & emotionally. 🧘‍♀️💛

Our ability to focus is so important in many ways. In a world full of distractions, both internally & externally, it can be so easy to allow our minds to wander into the abyss 🌊 Maybe it's a task/job you need to complete, or maybe something you're reading/writing. Or maybe you're trying to have a conversation/meeting with others. Maybe you're trying to hold onto an idea without other intrusive thoughts stealing the limelight. Or maybe you just need to gut the house, on top of 101 other things that also require your attention! Whatever it is... you're concentration is gone and you're no further forward at achieving what you set out to do 😅😅

Yoga gives us the chance to practice our concentration skills, helping us feel mentally stronger. This takes time, but is definitely a skill that we can all work on ☺️ Having that embodied experience really helps bring us into the present moment 🤸‍♂️ Even after years of practice, i still lose my focus during asana practice (and elsewhere) sometimes! But i've learned that whatever it is that i need to concentrate on, usually i try and talk myself out of it before i've even started - almost looking for something to allow me to procrastinate! 🧐 yoga has taught me, with a little discipline (without judgement) and perseverence, after a few mins of actually starting the task, i begin to find the flow. Everything is easier in the flow state 💫 Then after a while, i find myself totally engrossed in the activity, wondering what all the fuss was about 🤷‍♀️😆 Maybe i can only concentrate for 10/20mins, or maybe 3hrs pass and i barely even notice. It can make even the most tedious tasks wayyy more interesting & meditative ✨️

Thoughts will come and go... we can't choose what our next thought will be, but we can choose how much attention we pay them. Get past that first few minutes of resistance, use your breath to help focus your attention. Everytime you notice yourself getting distracted again, observe with kindness, then come back to the breath & the body. That will help anchor you back to the present moment and allow you to achieve whatever your aims are, much more calmly & effectively 💃💪✨️

See ya on the mat this week at PureGym Dumfries
🌸 Thursday 7-8pm (tonight)
🌸 Saturday 10.30-11.30am (will change to 8-9am on 11th May)

Enjoy the sunshine till then 🌞💛

Weekend fun with Aunt Rach 🍫💛🌞

It was basically a chocolate explosion 💥🤎 and fab weather for panning for gold ✨️

Thanks for the lovely day out, we had a smashing time 🙏💫

Not my image, but too cute and had to share 😆😆

There are still spaces for tomorrow morning's class at PureGym Dumfries from 10.30-11.30am 🧘‍♀️💫

We'll be keeping things nice and simple, working on some foundational poses and taking time to decompress after a busy week 💞

Hope everyone has a fab weekend 🙏💛

📢 NEW CLASS TIME PENDING 📢☺️🌸

Our Saturday morning class will be changing to 8-9am starting from 11th May 🧘‍♀️💛 having spoken to a lot of you, the earlier time seems to be more suitable 💫 it's the perfect start to the weekend, helping us reset & relax. Then still have time the rest of the day - who says we can't have it all?! 😆😆

You can still book in via PureGym Dumfries app for our usual 10.30-11.30am Saturday class till then 💃💃💃

And of course our Thursday 7-8pm class will continue as normal 💖

See you on the mat 🙏✨️

Navasana (boat pose) 🚣‍♂️

A great wee pose with loads of variations so great for building/rebuilding strength & connection for all levels 💞 i love this wee variation, it takes some pressure off the hip flexors and helps work into releasing the hamstrings 🧘‍♀️😁

I learned the sanskrit name for this pose because it sounds like Navy and in my mind, Navy = boats 🛥🤷‍♀️😆 buuuut it is also associated with the naval (your tummy) - and for good reason!

Navasana has lots of benefits:
🌊 Strengthens the abdominal muscles, spine, hip flexors & quads
🌊 Stretches the hamstrings
🌊 Engages pelvic floor
🌊 Stimulates internal organs & digestion
🌊 Improves balance & posture
🌊 Increases circulation to abdomen & helps to reduce belly fat
🌊 Helps relieve back pain

One to avoid during pregnancy, and also to be mindful of post partum (variations available).

Come join me on the mat this week at PureGym Dumfries
🌸 Thursday 7-8pm
🌸 Saturday 10.30-11.30am *(new class time of 8-9am beginning 11th May)*

Enjoy the sunshine, till then 🌞🙏🤞

It was great to see everyone at class tonight, thank you all for showing up for practice ☺️🙏🧘‍♀️

We focused on legs (quads & hammies) and standing balances. 🦵🧐

This study was done a few years ago, and i came across this article last week. I mentioned this in class earlier and had to share 😁 It's so interesting to see the correlation between life expectancy & ability to balance on one leg ⚖️🌳💫 yoga has known the benefits of balancing asanas (poses) for 1000s of years and it's great to see this reflected in the present day 💖

It's funny cos i do this wee game with the girls, where we run along and i say "run, run, run... STAND ON ONE LEG" and we all have to balance on one side, then the other and so on 😆😆😆 there is actual method to this madness 💪😆

It makes sense, strength helps build balance and this is something that can be worked on and improved over time. Better ability to balance means less risk of falls as we get older, and higher strength & fitness levels in general. Both of which will hopefully make our journey through life a lot easier & enjoyable long term 💃🤸‍♀️🥳

This is a hopeful & empowering message, because it means our hard work on the mat pays off in dividends as we age. Plus, It's never to late to start your journey! No matter your current age/level/experience - we can all practice standing on one leg for 10secs! You can use a chair/wall for support to get you started and then practice regularly, experience the progress at your own pace. Then enjoy ☺️

Hope you all have a fab weekend, see ya next week 🙏✨️💞

Better balance may mean a longer life - Harvard Health Being unable to stand on one leg for 10 seconds in middle and later life is associated with a sharply increased risk of premature death, according to a study published online June 21, 2022, by the ...

How do you feel after Yoga?

One of the best things about Yoga is how i feel afterwards! That floaty, glowing, relaxed, buttery feeling is veryyyy rewarding 💪💫

It's funny, some of the best practices i've ever had, have been when i wasn't in the mood/couldn't be bothered... Life gets full sometimes and it can be so hard to balance everything! Sometimes we have off days, feel tired, stressed, strung out, and just don't get off to a good start 😮‍💨😬 the trick is feeling this way, notice it, observe it with kindness. Then roll out the mat and practice anyway 🧘‍♀️🌸 even if only for 10mins to tune into your breath and reset. Let your practice give you what you need, and take away anything else that no longer serves you ☯️

Who knows what magic might happen ✨️ maybe you'll feel more energised/refreshed. Maybe you'll feel calmer and relaxed. Maybe you'll feel strong & empowered. Maybe you'll feel all loosey goosey and smiley. Maybe any of those niggley bits will feel a little smoother & softer 🥰

Join me tonight (Thursday) at PureGym Dumfries from 7-8pm and experience some of the magic of yoga for yourself 🤸‍♀️💞

Remember no class this Saturday (20th April), so get booked in for your weekly destress now 😌🙏💛

Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog) 👇🐶🙃

DD is one of the most practiced poses in many different styles of Yoga. It's probably one of the most recognisable yoga poses. So why is DD so focused on? What are the benefits of doing this pose, exactly?

There are many benefits to practicing DD regularly, here are a few 🤓🧐:
🌸 Strengthens upper body (hands, wrists, arms, shoulders & upper back)
🌸 Lengthens & elongates spine
🌸 Strethes the backs of the legs (glutes, hamstrings, calves & ankles)
🌸 Activates core muscles (builds awareness of the bandhas)
🌸 Boosts circulation (gentle & accessible inversion)
🌸 Relieves tension & stress (blood flow to the brain helps relieve headaches, mild depression & calms the mind)
🌸 One of the most foundational poses that helps prepare for other asanas
🌸 Changes the perspective & experience different parts of the body doing different things at the same time
🌸 Great transitional pose to flow from/to

Can you think of any other benefits?

If you feel inspired to have an upside down head 🤸‍♀️😆 come join me at PureGym Dumfries tomorrow (Sat) 10.30-11.30am. Always such a lovely & welcoming wee class and a perfect way to start the weekend & unwind 🥰🧘‍♀️💛

Have a fab weekend, everyone 💞

The Easter holidays feel like a distant memory already (yes, they are wearing christmas jammies in April) 😅😆 think we all needed that wee break but it also feels good to get back into our daily routine (even though the 6am alarm is already kicking my butt and it's only day 3 😬😆).

The girls love a lazy morning; playing, watching cartoons, drawing/colouring, movies, snuggles, snacks & a bit of time on the yoga mat... it's nice to take it easy and not have to rush out the door sometimes. Although, i usually spend the rest of the day chasing my tail 🙃😆 i'm missing the laid back mornings & cuddles with both my girlys but am simultaneously glad to get back into our normal routine 😁💛

Hope everyone is enjoying your week and avoiding the rain! Remember to book in for yoga at PureGym Dumfries via the app 🧘‍♀️💮 Thursday 7-8pm & Saturday 10.30-11.30am

Sometimes we don't get things right the first time... or the fifth time 😬 It can be frustrating, embarrassing and off-putting when we realise our limitations.

Some people are naturally (sometimes annoyingly 😅) good at certain things or take to new challenges immediately. When we feel like everyone else is better at X than us, that thinking can trap us into believing that we'll never be able to do X. So what's the point in trying? That's just the way things are... right?

There might be things that we can never do... i'll never be an olympic swimmer! I still like to swim and beat my own time. Is that less valuable? Maybe... but it certainly still feels good after an achievement 🥳🤸‍♀️
I'll never sell out the o2 arena (to say the least 😆), but i loooove singing cos those endorphins feel amazing. Should only people who are 'good' singers ever be allowed to sing? That would make music less fun, for sure 😎

Yoga is one of those things that you get better at over time and practice. We get good at what we practice! While there might be someone that can slide up into headstand first time, there will be another equally valuable practice going on in the same room, where that pose might take patience & modification and a bit more time. Both people are starting where they are and experiencing yoga 🧘‍♀️🌸 one is not 'right' and the other 'wrong'. One is not 'better' than the other. We all have anatomical differences, we carry things (physically/mentally/emotionally) differently. So each expression of a pose will look different on everyone, and that's okay! Your practice is allowed to look the way it does 💞

It's a way that we can build trust in ourselves. When we willingly try and do something that is hard, several times, with grace & kindness and discipline, it starts to get easier. We can start to believe that we can do X. Then it gets easier to apply that same attitude towards other aspects of life. 💛🌼💛

Come join me in class this week PureGym Dumfries ☺️🧘

💮 Saturday 10.30-11.30am
💮 Thursday 7-8pm

Happy Easter 🐰 hope everyone is enjoying the Easter weekend and the sunshine 🌞🐣🌸

The girls have had a fun, chocolate-filled day ☺️🌼🥰

Dumfries friends, can anyone recommend a local Chiropractor please?

Preferrably one that has availability asap, thank you 🙏

Come and explore Satya (truthfulness/non lying) with me this evening PureGym Dumfries 7-8pm 🙏🌸

Satya is the second of the Yamas & Niyamas - these are the moral & ethical parts of the Ashtanga yoga practice.

Hope to see you there 🧘‍♀️💮

'Be real rather than nice.' This quote helped me a lot. Don't get me wrong, it's not to say that you shouldn't be kind, compassionate and caring. All those things are ultimately paramount!
In yoga philosophy, 'satya' (truthfulness) plays an important part in our lives, both on and off the mat. The physical side of this may be more obvious... for example, you must be honest with yourself if you're trying a certain pose, and it's not working for you. That truthfulness may help you avoid an injury.
Personally, i've always tried to be seen as a 'nice person'. Sometimes at the cost of my own happiness/wellbeing. Saying i'll do something that i don't really feel right about, just to be 'nice'. Or not saying what i really feel, just to be 'nice'. Whenever i do these things, i feel a sense of disappointment or maybe get annoyed at myself. This isn't good for anyone's mental wellbeing. Of course, we must practise nonviolence, and show kindness. It should never be our intention to harm any other being, especially just to make yourself feel better. However, sometimes 'nice' is an illusion, covering up lies. If you hold the truth inside for too long, eventually you might break and errupt. And that's usually not pretty for you, or those around you 💣🤯
Being 'real' shows that you have nothing to defend, or manage. It isn't prepackaged in a 'nice' presentable box. Real, although sometimes unpleasant, is trustworthy.
As with most things, it's all about balance. Truthfulness keeps nonviolence from being a cop-out and nonviolence keeps truthfulness from being hurtful.
With this in mind, i hope you all have a beautiful week and keep it real 🙂🙏😆
Class is on as normal 21st Oct 🧘‍♀️🕉 as always, i hope to see you all there. Om shanti ❤❤❤

The Easter holidays have begun 🐰😆 we've had fun making bunny masks and finding snails in the garden (after the rain) 🐌🌱

I'm excited for a nice energising class tomorrow at PureGym Dumfries 10.30-11.30am (still spaces available 😁). It's a great way to start the weekend, feeling balanced & clear minded 🧘‍♀️🌸

Hope to see you on the mat 🙏🌼💛

Winter is officially over 🌸🥳 i love the spring equinox, it feels like an exciting time of year. With new beginnings, light nights & mornings and all the new life around, it feels so revitalising 🤸‍♀️🐣

We might also need to balance out our own sun (Ha 🌞) and moon (Tha🌛) energies. It's also a really nice time to think about our intentions. Spring has a lovely, hopeful, busy, forward looking energy. One that encourages us to push forward with our goals and achieve our aims. It's a fertile time so let's get creative and prepare for new opportunities 🌼🐰

Come and explore and rebalance with me this week 🌱🧘‍♀️💞
Classes:
Thursdays (still spaces for tonight 😁) 7-8pm & Saturdays 10.30-11.30am PureGym Dumfries book in via the pure gym app now ☺️

Yesterday, we enjoyed the sunshine 🌞 we had fun at the park making daisy chains and Moll's first time on the swing and a lovely walk ☺️❤

We were out for over 2hrs but it felt like 30mins 😆 time flies when yer having fun!

It's been a while since i posted (sorry, i'm not great at the whole social media malarky 😅). I thought i'd check in with you all and spread some smiles nevertheless 😁💛

Happy due date to us 🤱💕

It's been lovely spending this past 6 days getting to know our new wee girl and my goodness! What an absolute sweetheart she is ❤ 🙏 it's funny, i find myself really missing my bump and the blessing of pregnancy - can any other mamas relate?🤰 letting go of the pregnancy stage with grace and welcoming all things newborn with a heart full of love is quite the journey... one that i'm so glad to be on 🙏 i'm excited to hibernate this autumn/winter with my beautiful wee family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧🍂

Wishing everyone autumnal joy and happiness all round 🧡🧘‍♀️🕉