Ashtanga Yoga Plymouth

Why Practice the Same Sequence?

Some people say Ashtanga Yoga is repetitive. As it's the same sequence each practice.

But for practitioners, that repetition isn't a limitation….it's the doorway to transformation.

The fixed series of postures, synchronised with steady breath and mindful movement, gradually settles the body and mind into rhythm.
Over time, the nervous system settles into the parasympathetic "rest and digest" state, where the senses grow quiet and the mind shifts into alpha brainwaves.
And the practice evolves into a moving meditation.

Modern science supports what Ashtangis have known for centuries - the body opens most effectively through relaxation, not force. The Ashtanga method with its very familiar series creates the perfect environment for that ease. 

What may seem repetitive from the outside becomes, for the practitioner, a powerful path to inner peace, vitality, and lasting transformation.

As taught by Patanjali: "Yoga chitta vritti nirodhah" - Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind. And Ashtanga’s repetition is its living embodiment. 

Join us on Sunday morning in the gorgeous Secret Garden at RWY (only if temp is less than 22°) and experience how Ashtanga Yoga can cultivate strength, calm, clarity, and a deeper connection with yourself....

✨ Every Body welcome. No matter your age, flexibility, or experience, your practice begins exactly where you are 😀🧘‍♀️🧘‍♂️🙏

⚠️This is my ONLY class this week so come get your Ashtanga fix ☺️

Huge thanks for your continued, loyalty and support. Whether you attend class once a week, once a month, or once in a blue moon, I’m hugely grateful that you continue to share and embrace your Ashtanga yoga journey with me, and I couldn’t do it without you 🫶

Here’s the current class schedule for August. As requested I’ve kept Wednesday class going as much as possible.
I’d love to see you on the mat over the coming weeks....Every Body welcome 😀🧘‍♀️🧘‍♂️🙏
This may be subject to change depending on my holiday plans, but I will of course let you know 😀

Please book here - www.plymouthyoga.co.uk 💛

A few days finding some balance on the gorgeous Lizard Peninsula 💙

I’m back now and looking forward to seeing you back on the mats tomorrow at 6.15 at lovely Stoke Damerel church….Every Body welcome 😀🧘‍♀️🧘🏻‍♂️🙏

A reminder from fab Ashtangi Kino - "Ashtanga Yoga is not only about mastering difficult postures. It is about cultivating a spirit that is resilient enough to meet life’s challenges and light enough to dance with its blessings. A joyful heart is not separate from the practice. It is one of its greatest fruits"

See you tomorrow ✨

Here’s the current class schedule for August. I’d love to see you on the mat over the coming weeks.
This may be subject to change depending on my holiday plans, but I will of course let you know 😀

Please book here - www.plymouthyoga.co.uk 💛

✨ Sunday Morning Reset ✨
Slow down. Breathe deeply. Move mindfully🪷

Join us this Sunday at 10am at Block Gym for an uplifting Ashtanga yoga practice devised to leave you feeling grounded, balanced and energised from the inside out ☺️

Then make the most of your Sunday...☀️🌊
Enjoy a walk by the sea, wander around the market, grab a coffee and carry that post-yoga calm into the rest of your day.

💛 Every Body welcome….Whether you’re completely new to yoga or have an established practice, you’ll be welcomed just as you are 😀🧘‍♀️🧘🏻‍♂️🙏

(We’ll be practising indoors this week as it’s likely to be too hot outside and the market will make the secret garden busy)

✨ A little reminder...
Your yoga mat isn’t a place to perform.
It’s a place to come home to yourself.

Ashtanga yoga has never been about achieving the “perfect” pose or seeking external approval. It’s an inward journey - a practice that supports physical, mental and emotional wellbeing while cultivating strength, resilience and peace.

There is nothing to prove.
Nothing to compare.
Nothing to achieve.

Just breath.
Movement.
Presence.

The more we practice, the less it’s about what the body can do and the more it’s about how we feel, how we respond to life, and the peace we create within ourselves ☺️

See you on the mat on Sunday 🙏

Please note: There is no class on Monday as I’ll be away, but I’ll be back for Wednesday’s class. My full August timetable will be shared soon.

Strong. Structured. Soulful 💫

Ashtanga yoga is the foundation of the Vinyasa tradition - a dynamic, breath-led practice built on a set sequence of postures that cultivate strength, flexibility, focus, and resilience.

In each session, we flow through sun salutations, forward folds, twists, backbends, inversions, and deep rest - creating a sense of balance, clarity, and inner calm.

The sequence stays the same, but its never the same experience. Some days feel light and fluid, others more grounded and intense - and that’s part of the magic.

Expect hands-on support, intelligent alignment, and space to meet yourself exactly as you are.

✨ Join us tomorrow at 6pm at Compton Church....Every Body welcome - come and experience the endless benefits for yourself 😀🧘‍♀️🧘‍♂️🙏

Why not make the most of your weekend with some Outdoor Ashtanga Yoga 🌳🧘‍♀️🌼🧘🏻‍♂️🌞
The weather is looking great so see you tomorrow at 10am at Block Gym, before we stroll over to the gorgeous Secret Garden for balancing, grounding, calming yet energising Ashtanga yoga session. If the weather has other plans, we'll simply stay in the Block Gym studio…..
Every Body welcome 😀🙏

Book your space here - www.plymouthyoga.co.uk

The Ashtanga yoga Primary Series is called ‘Yoga Chikitsa’ (meaning ‘yoga therapy’) because of the grounding and cleansing effect it has on both body and mind....The movement builds our inner fire naturally so we gently sweat out toxins, while the comforting warmth of the sun, when we practice outside, helps to encourage this cleansing process. And being barefoot outdoors enables us to be really rooted to the earth, helping us to stay centred as we move through the series of dynamic grounding postures....
So practicing ashtanga outside is physically and energetically grounding and balancing, as well as allowing us to connect with nature yet, at the same time, recognise that our practice is all about the inner experience and exists within us wherever we are…..moving the body to still the mind😌🙏

Forever grateful to all the amazing students who choose to practice with me 💛 Your support and commitment mean more than you know🙏

So good news - I'll be continuing my Wednesday evening classes at our gorgeous new venue until my August break 😀
Then from September, they'll become a permanent fixture on the timetable! ✨

And before then, our next class is this Sunday in the lovely secret garden (weather permitting) at RWY. I can't wait to see you there 😊🧘‍♀️🌳🧘‍♂️🌿

Book here- www.plymouthyoga.co.uk

THE VAGUS NERVE & ASHTANGA YOGA ✨

You may have heard me mention it in class – and scientific studies are showing – the vagus nerve is a major player in the mood-lifting, immune-boosting, and stress-busting benefits of Ashtanga yoga.

Personally, starting my practice 2 decades ago, I no longer have hay fever, and have noticed fewer migraines, and general illness – and I’m convinced this nerve is a key contributing factor 🙏

🧠 The Vagus Nerve is longest nerve in the body, running from the base of the brain down through the neck, vocal cords, lungs, heart, liver, pancreas, spleen, digestive system – essentially winding through almost every major organ in the torso.

Its “tone” (how well it functions) is crucial to how our body handles stress and restores balance afterward.

✔ High vagal tone = better health, digestion, mood, recovery

❌ Low vagal tone = linked to chronic inflammation, depression, fatigue, heart issues, etc.

The great news – Ashtanga yoga naturally stimulates the vagus nerve through:

💨 Deep diaphragmatic breathing

↩️ Inversions, twists, forward bends always being followed by backbends (stimulating the vagus nerve fibres in the torso and neck)

🧘 A balanced sequence that supports both activation and release, helping to regulate the nervous system.

Each time you step on the mat, you’re not just building strength or flexibility – you’re literally rewiring your nervous system for more calm, clarity, and resilience ✨

✨Tomorrow is the final class of our 4-week Wednesday trial.
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported these Wednesday sessions so far ❤️🙏

If you'd like to see them continue into September (with perhaps a couple of classes in August), please come along this week. Your support really does make the difference.

As the saying goes...If you don't use it, you lose it 😀

🕒 Come give your vagus nerve some love at tomorrow’s 6.15pm Ashtanga session at Stoke Damerel Church.

Every Body welcome 😀🧘🧘‍♂️🙏

Ashtanga Yoga is so much more than just movement. It’s a journey inward - one that nurtures the body, calms the mind, and brings us back to the present moment.
Whether you’re new or experienced every session is an opportunity to reconnect, reset, and grow.

Some awesome benefits of practising Ashtanga regularly:

• Increases flexibility and strength
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Improves posture and balance
• Enhances mental clarity and focus
• Boosts overall well-being and mood

Every breath, every posture is a step toward deeper self-awareness and peace.

Why not join us and discover the endless benefits for yourself ✨

🗓️Tomorrow at 6pm
📍 Compton Church

Every Body welcome 😀🧘‍♀️🧘🏻‍♂️🙏

⭐ Class confirmation: To help me plan, I'll be confirming tomorrow's class at 9pm this evening (as its my daughter's birthday tomorrow) If I have 5 or more bookings by then, we'll be going ahead. If not, I'll unfortunately need to cancel this week's class. Please book before 9pm if you'd like to join us 🙏