About
About me.
Hi I’m Morgan
I started on my journey into yoga about 10 years ago, attending a weekly yoga class with my mum at the local leisure centre.
I initially started yoga as a purely physical practice, a way to incorporate additional movement into my daily life which included lots of running, cycling and swimming. I began to appreciate the benefits of including additional movement and the way that yoga can help restore the body, build strength, flexibility and mobility.
Over time my yoga practice developed into more than a physical practice and helped me in my general day to day life, helped along by my wonderful teacher – Aby Kate. She inspired in me a love for moving the body and wanting to share this with others. By including breath work and elements of philosophy, this aspect of my practice has been deeply personal and shaped my outlook on life. This transformation is the reason I decided to deepen my knowledge by completing a yoga teacher training course with Richard Adamo via the British Wheel of Yoga.
I wish to share the advantages of moving the body and how yoga can help with stress and anxiety and to bring this energy and enthusiasm into a class.
My daughter loves to join in yoga with me on her own little mat, either doing downward dog, pretending to stand on her head, balancing on one leg or climbing on top of me!!
About Yoga.
The physical practice of yoga enables us to deal with mental and emotional problems with physical activity, focus on the breath and bodily awareness. All kinds of physical activity provide health benefits, but the practice of yoga incorporates many lifestyle factors that promote a good outlook. Clinical trials have shown yoga to be an effective intervention for a range of conditions including depression, anxiety and IBS.
Yoga helps us to control the body and mind, during a yoga class the mind is completely present on the body and breath and rarely wanders, taking the mind away from nagging thoughts and worries. Meditative practices are associated with reduced perceived stress, lowered anxiety and reduced inflammatory response.
The physical aspect builds flexibility and strength. Being able to retain good balance is associated with healthier ageing. The breath allows the body to deal with the stress of the yoga posture on the body. The breath keeps the system calm during difficult postures, using the exhale to relax. Most yoga slows the metabolism and produces a reduction in cortisol.
By controlling the breath, using long and slow exhales we can keep the system calm. The breath is our access point to regulating the nervous system. On the inhale we momentarily increase the stress response and on the exhale there is increased parasympathetic activity and the heart is more relaxed. Long, slow exhalation stimulates the vagus nerve, providing a powerful anti-inflammatory effect.
Benefits of Yoga.
Regardless of your level of yoga expertise, if you’re practicing regularly, you can feel better from head to toe. Yoga can support the healing process and help the person experience symptoms with less distress.
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1.
Improves strength, balance and flexibility.
Slow movements and deep breathing increase blood flow and warm up muscles, while holding a pose can build strength.
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2.
Helps with back pain relief.
Yoga is as good as basic stretching for easing pain and improving mobility in people with lower back pain.
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3.
Can ease arthritis symptoms.
Gentle yoga has been shown to ease some of the discomfort of tender, swollen joints for people with arthritis.
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4.
Benefits with heart health.
Regular yoga practice may reduce levels of stress and body-wide inflammation, contributing to healthier hearts. Several of the factors contributing to heart disease, including high blood pressure and excess weight, can also be addressed through yoga.
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5.
Relaxes you and helps you sleep better.
Research shows that a consistent bedtime yoga routine can help you get in the right mindset and prepare your body to fall asleep and stay asleep.
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6.
Gives you more energy and brighter moods.
You may feel increased mental and physical energy, a boost in alertness and enthusiasm, and fewer negative feelings after getting into a routine of practicing yoga.
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7.
Helps you manage stress.
According to the National Institutes of Health, scientific evidence shows that yoga supports stress management, mental health, mindfulness, healthy eating, weight loss and quality sleep.
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8.
Connects you with a supportive community.
Participating in yoga classes can ease loneliness and provide an environment for group healing and support. Even during one-on-one sessions loneliness is reduced.
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9.
Yoga promotes better self-care.
If you’ve done your “downward dog” yoga pose today, you’re probably feeling more relaxed. Regardless of your level of yoga expertise, if you’re practicing regularly, you can feel better from head to toe.
What happens in class?
My style of yoga classes are a vinyasa flow class, fluid, playful and always evolving. My yoga classes typically start with a warm up, a series of physical postures (Asanas), simple breathing techniques (Pranayama), finished with relaxation or meditation practices. They are designed to focus your mind, and be a source of inspiration for the spirit, the soul, and the body, suiting all levels from beginners to advanced.
I demonstrate postures throughout the class and give modifications, options and adjustments when needed.
History of Yoga.
Yoga has a rich history rooted in ancient India and has been practiced for thousand of years. The beginnings of Yoga were developed by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India over 5,000 years ago. The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘yuj’ meaning ‘to bind, yoke, attach’.
There are many scriptures describing yoga, the most renowned of the Yogic scriptures is the Bhagavad-Gîtâ, composed around 500 B.C.E. The Upanishads took the idea of ritual sacrifice from the Vedas and internalised it, teaching the sacrifice of the ego through self-knowledge, action (karma yoga) and wisdom (jnana yoga). The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali from 500 B.C.E are a collection of verses or ‘threads’ woven together to form one of the foundational texts of classical Yoga philosophy. The Yoga Sutras describe yoga as ‘calming the fluctuations of the mind’ to provide liberation from suffering.
Yoga has evolved dramatically over time and now incorporates many gymnastic style movements that we associate with todays modern practice of yoga. Many more western and Indian teachers have become pioneers, popularising hatha yoga and gaining millions of followers. Hatha Yoga now has many different schools or styles, all emphasising the many different aspects of the practice.
Types of Yoga.
There are many different types of yoga classes available, my classes are based on a hatha vinyasa flow class.
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Hatha.
Hatha yoga refers to a set of physical exercises (known as asanas or postures), and sequences of asanas, designed to align your skin, muscles, and bones. Hatha yoga is a path toward creating balance and uniting opposites. In our physical bodies we develop a balance of strength and flexibility.
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Vinyasa.
Vinyasa is a style of yoga characterised by stringing postures together so that you move from one to another, seamlessly, using breath. Vinyasa Yoga helps to develop a more balanced body as well as prevent repetitive motion injuries that can happen if you are always doing the same thing every day.
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Yin.
Yin Yoga is a slow paced and passive style of yoga practice where postures are practiced on the floor in a static way for an extended period of time ranging from two to five minutes. In this style we position our body in a particular pose and then let go of all muscular efforts and surrender it to the floor for gravity to do the work.
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Ashtanga.
This method of yoga involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of postures, a process producing intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs. The result is improved circulation, a light and strong body, and a calm mind.