Writing from our teachers and students, on mindfulness, the nervous system, nutrition and life off the mat.
The Yoga Loft opened in Burbage in 2016 and turns 10 this autumn. Everyone is welcome at our free birthday celebration on Friday 16 October, 5pm to 7.40pm, with drinks and nibbles. Bring a friend, neighbour or family member, and book your place, as spaces are limited.
Yoga can support your mental wellbeing by giving you time to slow down, breathe and connect with your body without judging it. Slow, steady breathing helps calm the "fight or flight" response that keeps anxiety going, and a regular practice can build self-acceptance. Yoga isn't a replacement for medical care: if you're struggling, speak to your GP.
Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment, on purpose and without judgement. It is simply awareness of whatever is happening right now, accepting it rather than labelling it good or bad. Yoga and meditation are ways to practise it, and regular practice can bring more insight into your thoughts and feelings, clearer decisions and more gratitude in everyday life.
The teachers and websites that inspire our practice, starting with Kat's mentor John Scott, a world renowned Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga teacher.
International yoga teacher Lucy Crawford spent a three-day weekend teaching at our small village studio in Burbage in 2019. Here's how it went.
By Kat Jennings
Jo's life had become so fast paced that her anxiety was through the roof. This is the story of her year out, and how yoga helped her come home to herself.
By Jo Crossfield
How a regular yoga practice changes the way you move through the world off the mat, at work, at home, in relationships.
Your autonomic nervous system has two modes: fight or flight (sympathetic) and rest and digest (parasympathetic). Most of us spend too much of the day in fight or flight. Slow, breath-led yoga is one way to build more rest and repair time into your week.
Eating yogic: simple ideas for eating to feel grounded and energised, plus the food blogs and recipes we turn to for wholesome, healthy cooking.
