As its name suggests, this style of yoga is designed to help bring about restoration of the mind, body and spirit through a slow paced, nurturing yoga practise. Where other styles of yoga may encourage you to strive for deeper, or stronger movements, restorative yoga invites an approach of ‘letting go’. Rather than flowing from one posture to the next, this style facilitates extended time in each pose, allowing muscles to lengthen and the body to truly yield. An important aspect of restorative yoga is the use of props to fully support you and to avoid pain or strain. Joga offers blocks, belts, chairs and other props to ensure that clients move safely and comfortably. Classes are modified to ensure accessibility to all, regardless of age or ability.

The breath is intrinsic to safe yoga practise and Joga actively encourages clients to harness the breath throughout. By uniting breath with movement, we stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. This brings us into a state of relaxation or ‘rest and digest’. Joga prides itself on promoting self- regulation, which is all about knowing how to bring yourself back in to a calm state. In our classes, we explore techniques to aid this process, such as self- massage, tapping, humming and chanting. If any of this sounds a bit whacky, don’t worry-we invite plenty of laughter in our sessions too! Indeed, combining exercise and laughter has been shown to lower mortality and to reduce risk of a number of chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, stroke and osteoporosis (Christopher Bergland, Phsychology Today 2018)

Joga classes always finish with an extended relaxation period, where we lie down on the mat and get cosy under a blanket. Deep relaxation is facilitated through various techniques, including yoga nidra, progressive muscle relaxation, visualisations and more. We also facilitate engagement of the senses by listening to the Tibetan singing bowl, inhaling the aromas of essential oils and enjoying soothing music. A delicious way to let the body absorb the benefits of the class and to give you the time out that you deserve.