Pilates

Class Descriptions

Joseph Pilates believed that poor health is rooted in bad posture, shallow breathing, and a lack of physical exercise. He created unique exercises and equipment which now have worldwide popularity and nearly 100 years of proven effectiveness. No other exercise technique delivers so many benefits.

 

Pilates is a system of exercise and movement that is designed to increase strength, flexibility, and balance. Pilates integrates breath and movement with proper body mechanics to increase greater physical and mental awareness of how the body moves and feels.

 

Pilates uses a combination of approximately 50 simple, repetitive exercises to create muscular exertion. Advocates of this system of exercise claim that exercises can be adapted to provide either gentle strength training for rehabilitation or a strenuous workout vigorous enough to challenge skilled athletes.

 

Whether you're new to exercise or work out regularly, Pilates is a low-impact training style that can help you build strength and stability. While Pilates is definitely a disciplined practice.

 

Health benefits of Pilates

  • improved flexibility.

  • increased muscle strength and tone, particularly of your abdominal muscles, lower back, hips and buttocks (the 'core muscles' of your body)

  • balanced muscular strength on both sides of your body.

  • enhanced muscular control of your back and limbs.

 

 

Beginner Pilates - introduction on to Pilates and how to practice safely.

 

Pilates concentrates on strengthening the body with an emphasis on your posture, balance, and flexibility. This helps to improve general fitness alongside your overall well-being. Believing that physical and mental health were closely connected, Pilates was originally developed.

Get your body stronger, increase your mobility, flexibility and balance whilst really creating awareness of your body.

 

Pilates is for all and you work with your body and its requirements.

All exercises can be modified with adaptation and progressions so you get the level of exercise for you.

 

Improver Pilates

 

This is  a class that progresses the key basics of Pilates into higher levels to the beginner's class. It is aimed for those who have a moderate level of exercise and want to challenge their core-stability and strength further. Not ideal for complete beginners to exercise or Pilates.

 

Pilates with props – all classes will have props in from time to time to keep adding to your progression whilst challenging your body.

 

The class consists of gentle, effective exercises, occasionally using equipment such as light weights, mini balls and resistance bands, magic wheel and bar to increase the challenge of some of the exercises, and it is suitable for men and women of all ages who wish to further their Pilates practice.

 

Mens' Pilates – Pilates but in an environment some men may feel more comfortable.

Men are not excluded from any of the classes on the timetable.

 

Pilates concentrates on strengthening the body with an emphasis on your posture, balance, and flexibility. This helps to improve general fitness alongside your overall well-being. Believing that physical and mental health were closely connected, Pilates was originally developed.

 

Get your body stronger, increase your mobility, flexibility and balance whilst really creating awareness of your body.

 

Pilates is for all and you work with your body and its requirements whilst getting a strong core, deeper understanding and awareness of your body and bringing some holistic well-being into every class.

Yoga

 

Hatha Yoga

 

Hatha yoga focuses on posture and breathing techniques, traditionally to channel vital energy source. In Sanskrit, Hatha translates to force. The practice involves breath, body, and mind, and classes are usually 45 minutes to 90 minutes of breathing, yoga poses, and meditation.

 

Hatha yoga benefits

  • Better sleep. According to a 2013 review, doing yoga can not only help people to fall asleep faster but can also improve their quality of sleep.

  • Reduce stress.

  • Improve balance and core strength.

  • Relieve neck and back pain.

  • Lower levels of depression.

  • Strengthen flexibility.

  • Enhance mindfulness.

 

 

Vinyasa Flow/Power Yoga

 

Vinyasa yoga is a dynamic practice where you move through a flow of different yoga poses. Typically, you will flow a few times in and out of a pose, before staying there for several breaths. Doing your best to follow the guidance of your breath.

 

The Benefits of Vinyasa Yoga

 

  • Improved Cardiovascular Fitness.

  • Strengthened Muscles.

  • Increased Flexibility and Mobility.

  • Reduced Stress Levels.

 

Yin Yoga

 

Yin yoga is a quiet contemplative practice. It targets the deepest tissues of the body, our connective tissues – ligaments, joints, bones, the deep fascia networks of the body and the meridians.

 

This is contrast to a Yang yoga practice such as Vinyasa yoga which targets the muscles.

 

What Are the Benefits of Yin Yoga?

 

  • Increasing your overall flexibility.

  • Improving circulation.

  • Enhancing the range of motion of your joints and ligaments.

  • Encouraging you to connect with your breath.

  • Improving emotional balance.

  • Reducing symptoms of stress, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances

 

Yin to Yang Yoga

 

Yang Yoga (also Vinyasa flow)

Originating in traditional Chinese Medicine, the concepts of yin and yang can be thought of as opposite, yet complementary forces in nature, that interact to form a dynamic system, in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts.

Everything has both yin and yang aspects – one is always ascending while the other is descending – for example shadow cannot exist without light. Either of the two major aspects can manifest more strongly in a particular object; and whilst opposites, yin and yang can’t exist independently. The aim is to unite Yin and Yang energies together to allow for a stronger mind and body connection.


It is wise to bring ourselves back into harmony by identifying those areas which are becoming polarised. Stress and illness are nature’s way of telling us that our yin and yang energies are out of balance.

Doing too much or too little, of either will deplete your energy. So, it is all about balance! Take the time to nourish and nurture yourself and find your way back to balance and optimum health – Yoga is a great way of finding and maintaining the balance!



Benefits of Yang – Knowing when it’s time to do

 

  • Boosts immune system.

  • Detoxify through skin, blood, liver and lungs.

  • Re-energizing.

  • Synchronised breathing relaxes the mind.

  • Encourages energy to flow throughout body, releasing blockages or stagnation.

     

A Yang Yoga class may include:  Active, fiery flows synchronised movement with breath, encouraging energy to flow freely, helping to energize the body and relax the mind.



Breathwork class



Breathwork refers to any breathing exercise or technique. People often perform them to improve mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. During breathwork, you intentionally change your breathing pattern. All od which will be guided.

This beautiful class will allow you to connect with yourself, your breath and simply let go..

As humans we typically only use 30% of our lung capacity, which leaves carbon dioxide at the base of the lungs.

This class will include yogic (yoga and Kundalini) breathing exercises (Pranayama). Connecting you to the para-sympathetic side of the brain to allow for rest and digest!

Deep breathing and relaxation activate the other part of your nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system, which sends a signal to your brain to tell the anxious part that you're safe and don't need to use the fight, flight, or freeze response. 



A chance in our busy lives to JUST LET IT OUT AND LET GO!