Introducing RnR Yoga; Move. Restore. Connect.

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One of the things I hear surprisingly often when I tell someone I teach yoga is:

“Oh, I couldn’t do yoga. I’m not flexible enough.”

Which always makes me smile, because that’s rather like saying you’re too unfit to start exercising. You don’t have to arrive at yoga flexible, strong, calm or knowing what you’re doing. That’s what the practice is there for.

Yoga is about more than flexibility; a well-rounded yoga practice combines mobility, strength, balance and flexibility.

And actually, the more I've taught yoga, the more I've realsied that what I want to create with RnR goes beyond what happens on the mat.

Move.

A well rounded yoga practice combines mobility, strength, balance and flexibility.

We move joints through different ranges of motion, use our own body weight to develop strength and work with areas of the body that may get neglected in everyday life.

It’s one reason I particularly love yoga alongside running and other sports. Running asks my body to repeat broadly the same movement thousands of times; yoga gives it the opportunity to move differently. An added benefit is that the core strength and conditioning of yoga benefits the rest of my life; balance, strength and time to stretch those limbs we beat with everyday movements - running, gym, sitting at a desk all day, lifting.

Movement also doesn't have to be about pushing harder. Sometimes it can be about feeling good in your body.

Restore.

And then there’s the bit we can’t see. For me, this is just as important. Life can be incredibly noisy. Work. Children. Messages. Notifications. Appointments. Things that need organising. People who need something from us.

Sometimes we don’t need another workout or another thing to achieve. We need somewhere to stop.

Breathwork, slower movement, Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra can give us an opportunity to slow down and shift away from that constantly switched-on feeling.

It’s why you’ll find different styles in my RnR classes and experiences.

Sometimes we move; with Hatha and flowing sequences that develop mobility, balance and strength.

Sometimes we restore; slowing things right down with supported poses, breathing practices and Yoga Nidra.

Both count and I tailor my classes to to suit the pace of life through the seasons.

Connect.

And increasingly there is another part of wellbeing that we don't talk about enough: Connection.

You can exercise alone. Follow yoga on YouTube. You can grab coffee by yourself.

There is something very different about walking into a room where you're welcomed, moving alongside other people and having time to actually talk afterwards.

I've seen it in my own classes to date, those conversations before we start, the laughter when things don't go to plan, and people lingering for a chat afterwards as we clear away the class.

I want to create opportunities to connect too, for someone it could be the first conversation they have had all day.

That's why you will start to see RnR developing beyond regular classes, with workshops, Sunday Socials and other experiences designed around three simple ideas:

Move. Restore. Connect.

Because looking after ourselves isn't just about getting fitter and becoming more flexible.

Come as you are.

There isn’t one yoga; there are multiple styles. If you've walked away from a class feeling less than satisfied you just haven't find the right one for you. Keep trying and to be honest what you need from week to week from your practice may be different. Your yoga might be an energetic flow one week and lying over a bolster under a blanket the next. It might support your running, help you maintain strength and mobility through midlife, give you some much-needed space during perimenopause, or simply be the one hour of your week when nobody needs anything from you.

Yoga doesn’t need to become another thing you’re trying to be good at. As I often remind people in my classes:

“Life asks a lot of us. Yoga is the space where, for a little while, nothing is being asked of you.”

You don’t need to be flexible.

You don’t need to know the poses.

You don’t need the “right” body.

I'll leave you one of my favourite yoga poems by Danna Faulds, Just for now;

Just for Now,

Without asking how, let yourself sink into stillness.

Just for now, lay down the weight

You so patiently bear upon your shoulders.

Feel the earth receive you,

And the infinite expanse of the sky grow even wider,

as your awareness reaches up to meet it.

Just for now,

Allow a wave of breath to enliven your experience.

Breathe out whatever blocks you from the truth.

Just for now,

Be boundless, free,

with awakened energy tingling in your hands and feet.

Drink in the possibility

Of being who and what you really are —

So fully alive that the world looks different,

Newly born and vibrant, just for now.

See you in class!

Becky, RnR Yoga.