Yoga with Karien

Happy Father's Day to all the dads, step dads, fur-kid dads, and grandpas.☺️

Next week, we will celebrate the International Day of Yoga and the winter Solstice on 21 June.
Our focus will be on the unifying qualities of yoga and how we can bring more light into the world.
Studio closed for the public holiday on Monday.
Hatha yoga -
Thursday evening at 5:45 pm
Friday morning at 8:30am
Restorative Yoga -
Wednesday morning at 8:30am
Wednesday evening at 5:45pm

Next week, we turn our attention back to the breath.
Strengthening the lungs to help fight infections.
Stimulating the parasypathetic nervous system to move out of fight/flight/freeze mode.
Where do you breathe to - the chest or the belly?
Is your breath fast and shallow or deep and slow?
How does your breath change when we surrender to a pose, or when we flow?
Hatha yoga -
Monday evening at 5:45pm
Thursday evening at 5:45pm
Friday morning at 8:30am
Yin yoga -
Wednesday morning at 8h30 and
Wednesday evening at 5:45pm
Booking essential

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Next week, we investigate the balance between movement and stillness. Moving through our asanas and then pausing to explore the messages our body is sending us while we work on our balance and breathe.
Hatha yoga -
Monday evening at 5:45pm
Thursday evening at 5:45pm
Friday morning at 8:30am
Gentle restorative yoga-
Wednesday morning at 8:30am and
Wednesday evening at 5:45pm
Booking essential.

Daily Sadana / self practice.

What does your daily routine include?
Meditation?
Breathwork/ Pranayama?
A gentle nurturing yoga practice?
Vigorous yoga?
Are you working on a specific asana / posture?
Foam roller and trigger point ball self-massage?
A walk outside?
Do you actually make time for yourself every day?
Let me know in the comments below.






-care

Next week, our focus is on hip mobility and stability.
Our very sedentary lifestyles result in stiffness and weakness in our hips - we'll work on strength, mobility, and stability in our Hatha yoga classes and release tension and stiffness in our restorative classes.
Hatha yoga -
Monday evening at 5:45pm
Friday morning at 8:30am
Restorative yoga moves to
Thursday morning at 8:30am and
Thursday evening at 5:45pm due to Voting Day on Wednesday.
Booking essential

Next week, our focus is on strengthening the glutes in our Hatha yoga classes.
In our restorative classes, we will work with releasing tension in and strengthening of the psoas and hip flexor group of muscles.
Hatha yoga -
Monday evening at 5:45pm
Thursday evening at 5:45pm
Friday morning at 8:30am
Restorative yoga -
Wednesday morning at 8:30am
Wednesday evening at 5:45pm
Booking essential

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, step-moms, foster moms, furry moms, godmothers, grannies, and aunties.
Hope you all have a fabulous day 💜

We had the most beautiful sky at Kloofendal this morning 🤩.
Thanks to the ladies who joined me, it was great to be outside and breathe the fresh air.
Remember to give yourself a bit of gentleness 💜

Next week, our focus is shoulder strength and stability of the shoulder girdle in the Hatha yoga classes.
In our restorative classes, we will focus on releasing tightness and strain in the shoulders and neck.
Hatha yoga -
Monday evening at 5:45pm
Thursday evening at 5:45pm
Friday morning at 8:30am
Restorative yoga-
Wednesday morning at 8:30am
Wednesday evening at 5:45pm

For the next month, our focus is on building strength in our Hatha Yoga classes - targeting different areas in the body each week.
Join us next week as we focus on core and back strength.
In our restorative and yin classes, we will focus on releasing long-held tension in targeted areas of the body.
In next week Wednesday's classes, our focus is on releasing tension in the lower back.
Hatha Yoga -
Monday evening at 5:45pm
Thursday evening at 5:45pm
Friday morning at 8:30am
Gentle restorative yoga -
Wednesday morning at 8:30am
Wednesday evening at 5:45pm
Booking essential

How do we get ourselves out of the anxious stressed-out mode, the fight/flight/freeze mode we so often find ourselves in?
Yoga helps us to recognise the signals, helps us to notice when we hold tension in our bodies, when our breath is fast or shallow.
Pranayama / breathwork helps to focus the mind again, and again, on just the breath -
It helps to release the tension,
It helps to release the anxious thoughts, and
It introduces a state of calmness.
Let's sigh out tension, worry, and stress
Let's inhale calmness, relaxation, and peace.

Next week, we ground our energies - become more stable and find stillness on the mat.
Hatha yoga -
Monday evening at 5:45 pm
Thursday evening at 5:45 pm
Friday morning at 8:30 am.
Restorative yoga-
Thursday morning at 8:30am
Studio closed on Wednesday for the public holiday.



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While I am taking a short break and the studio is closed next week, have a look at my Youtube Channel for some new Hatha, Flow, gentle restorative and Yin classes.
Do share feedback, subscribe to the channel if you want to see more, and please share with friends!

YogawithKarien - YouTube Welcome to my Youtube Channel.Here I share recorded meditations and on occasion, a full-length yoga class.There are also two subscription-based courses avail...

It was a chilly morning at Kloofendal but a great way to appreciate the fresh crispness of Autumn air 😬.
We moved to Let Go and stay warm.
Thanks to everyone who joined the session this morning.

As part of our Autumn focused theme for the month, we focus on postures that support our immune system next week.
Hatha yoga -
Monday evening at 5:45pm
Thursday evening at 5:45pm
Friday morning at 8:30am
Gentle restorative yoga
Wednesday morning at 8:30am
Wednesday evening at 5:45pm

Next week, our focus is on letting go and releasing what we no longer need, to move forward with lightness.

Let it go for Autumn.
Hatha yoga -
Monday evening at 5:45pm
Thursday evening at 5:45pm
Friday .morning at 8:30am
Yin yoga -
Wednesday morning at 8:30am
Wednesday evening at 5:45pm

At Breathe Studio, we celebrate our 5th birthday this month!
It is wonderful to share my love of yoga with each of the yogis who attend class here! Without you, our studio wouldn't be here.
Thank you, thank you, thank you 🙏🤗🧘‍♀️

This week, our focus is on resilience -
what makes us resilient?
how do we become more resilient?
What is the difference between physical, emotional, and mental resilience?
We'll focus on transitions between the asanas in class to build strength and physical resilience.
Gentle restorative yoga -
Wednesday morning at 8:30am
Wednesday evening at 5:45pm
Hatha flow-
Thursday evening at 5:45pm
Friday morning at 8:30am.

Blessed and happy Easter!
Our yoga studio is closed for the long weekend.
Classes resume on Wednesday 3 April.

Next week, we celebrate full moon and a lunar eclipse 😊
Full moons symbolise completion and letting go.
Hatha yoga -
Monday evening at 5:45pm
Thursday evening at 5:45pm
Restorative yoga -
Wednesday morning at 8:30am
Wednesday evening at 5:45pm
Studio closed on Friday for Easter Weekend.

Next week's focus is on finding balance. At Equinox, day and night is in complete balance .
How do we bring balance into our lives, work - play - rest - family - friends.
Join me on the mat to find balance between
Movement and Stillness.
Activity and rest
Hatha with yin & yang -
Monday evening at 5:45pm
Friday morning at 8:30am
Gentle yoga -
Wednesday morning at 8:30am and
Wednesday evening at 5:45pm
No class on Thursday- studio is closed for Human Rights Day.

Banana pose and a stunning morning at Kloofendal Nature Reserve 😊
We loved the breeze and the vibe this morning, and it is an open day for the Friends of Kloofendal.
Thanks for joining me, ladies ⚘️

Next week, we focus on the breath.
How does your breathing change during your yoga practice- when we twist, flow, hold a pose, relax...
How does your breathing change when you are anxious or stressed compared to when you are relaxed?
Being aware of our breathing can assist us to consciously and mindfully breathe, to let go of the 'fight and flight' response triggered by our daily lives.
Hatha yoga -
Monday and Thursday evening at 5:45pm
Restorative yoga -
Wednesday morning at 8:30am and
Wednesday evening at 5:45pm.

Here is our class schedule from March 2024 😃

Next week, we focus on abundance! It is late summer according to traditional Chinese Medicine. A season to prepare for the harvest, and to prepare for the slower autumn and winter seasons.
What does abundance mean to you?
Hatha yoga -
Monday evening at 5:45pm
Thursday evening at 5:45pm
Friday morning at 8:30am
Yin yoga -
Wednesday morning at 8:30am and
Wednesday evening at 5:45pm
Booking essential

I'm excited to announce that we're adding another evening Hatha yoga class every Thursday evening at 5:45pm, starting next week, 7 March 💃
The studio is based in Little Falls.
Fee packages are available and booking is essential.
Enquiries and bookings via DM or Whatsapp or.visit www.yogawithkarien.co.za

With over 75% of autoimmune diseases presenting in women, we have to look at the role a life time of suppressing and pleasing does to our bodies.

From a young age many women are taught to seen and not heard. To keep secrets. To produce and achieve. To carry shame that was never their own. And most of the time they’re taught to do it alone— without any adults to help them through the issue. To validate it. Or to say: “that wasn’t ok.”

Add this to the cultural push to forgive (which often creates even deeper repression) the good girl has no outlet for her anger. Instead she smiles, says it’s ok when it isn’t, and stays quiet. Going through life in survival mode, her body remembers. And one day she presents with an autoimmune disease, a functional freeze state, or a mystery illness.

Often, she’s told it’s just in her head. That her test results came back normal. That she probably “just has anxiety or depression”— but her body remembers.

And it’s loudly speaking: NO. And enough.

The Holistic Psychologist

It was another beautiful morning at Kloofendal Nature Reserve this morning!
Thanks for joining me everyone.
Happy full moon 🌝 🌕

Next week, in our practice, we conclude our chakra balancing journey by focusing on the two higher chakras / energy points in our bodies.
Third eye chakra for intuition and listening to our inner voice,
Crown chakra to connect to the higher self and our soul journey.
Hatha yoga -
Monday evening at 5:45pm
Friday morning at 8:30am
Restorative yoga -
Wednesday morning at 8:30am
Wednesday evening at 5:45pm