Why choose ArkYoga?

Yoga classes seem to be everywhere these days and new teachers are qualifying all the time.  So, apart from deciding on what type of yoga you want to do, there is also the question of which teacher you should learn with and which environment you want to learn in.

These are the reasons why I think you should choose to do yoga at Ark:

The teaching

Not everyone can teach and being able to do the most perfect yoga posture is very different from being able to teach it.

Given my years of experience, I have a knowledge that is simply not available to many of the new, younger teachers.  I have an understanding of how the body works and I know how to adjust students safely and how to utilise the equipment so that they can attain better postures.

As someone who is not naturally supple and has known both ill health and injury, I am sensitive to a student’s needs, particularly beginners or those with limited experience, and I bring a sympathetic and un-daunting approach to my teaching.  Students always work hard in my classes but leave feeling exhilarated with a body that has been stretched and challenged in the way that nature intended.

The type of yoga taught

The teaching at Ark emphasises the physical rather than the spiritual or meditative side of yoga and is heavily influenced by the teaching of B. K. S. Iyengar.  It is characterised by precision and attention to detail and develops strength, stamina, balance and flexibility whilst toning the whole body and improving posture.

Unlike other styles of yoga, we do not follow a set series of poses where the student is simply left to follow the teacher.  My classes are imaginative and interesting and I actively adjust students so that the risks that come with poor practice, such as injury, are avoided.  Aids such as belts, blocks, blankets, bolsters and chairs are used as these allow students to experience the postures more easily and more deeply than might otherwise be the case.

My classes are suitable for men and women of all ages and all shapes and sizes and it certainly doesn’t matter how stiff or flexible you are or whether you have done any yoga before.  Everyone is welcome.

The studio

These days, yoga can be found in the gym, the local community centre, the church hall or specialist studios but it can often involve a class of twenty or thirty students, a different teacher every week or a dance/fitness instructor who happens to teach a little yoga.  Equipment might be limited, the surroundings unsuitable and the teacher simply unable to give students the care and attention that they require.

The studio at Ark is an intimate space where classes are small and the teaching is personal and all the equipment is provided.  In the summer, the doors are opened so that students can appreciate the lovely garden and attendance by the term means that students get to know each other and can work and progress together.