<![CDATA[Bristol YogaSpace - Our Blog]]>Mon, 12 Oct 2026 14:09:34 +0100Weebly<![CDATA[What flavour of yoga?]]>Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:40:32 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/what-flavour-of-yoga
What flavour is your yoga
Yoga comes in different flavours, a bit like ice cream. Vanilla, Chocolate, Rocky Road etc. We like what we like. We avoid what we don't like.
 
But what is in the different flavours? 
 
Some yoga teachings are wildly different from others. Strong, strict, gentle, adaptive, fast, flowing, slow, detailed, static, dynamic, breath-based, restful, physical, mental, meditative. Varying degrees of all of these. 
 
They all offer something different and finding what you need, as well as what you like is the best recipe. ​
You want to enjoy it, and do what will actually help you (hint: they might be different). 
 
Finding our best flavour should be both delicious to us, and good for us in equal measure. The effects of yoga should shift our view positively, get us back to ourselves in a more full and balanced way physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically. 
 
Initially your goal might be to ease your ham strings or strengthen your core, improve your mood or settle your stress. Our practice will very likely help with this. Brilliant.
 
But along the way these initial goals become less important as we find more ease with ourselves, more acceptance of our bodies and minds, and a greater ability to feel contented even with unsatisfactory circumstances. 
 
Life will never be how we imagine, and finding peace and balance in the face of all that life dishes out can be a transformative. 
 
What methods do this for you?
 
Get in touch if you aren't sure where to start. Or talk to your teacher more so that they can get to know what is helping you and where your obstacles are to support you in getting what you need from your yoga.
 
And enjoy...
]]><![CDATA[Showing up and doing it]]>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 11:54:42 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/showing-up-and-doing-it
Yoga practice and sthira and sukha in equal measure
My teenagers are classic examples of this... how frustrating it is when someone says 'just relax'. If they could, they would. 
 
It is so much harder than it seems. Tension and patterns are deeply embedded within us. 
 
That is the age-old conundrum found within yoga. That we are both working and relaxing/releasing in equal measure. Both are part of the practice. The effort and the ease. In Sanskrit terms, Sthira and Sukha. Both are required, both can get out of balance, they need to be held lightly hand-in-hand.
 
The effort and work are important to remain resilient, strong and stable. It is visible in the effort it requires of us to show up. To preserve the time, prioritise it, and get to the mat. Then to stay with the postures, to remain with the breath, to stay focused, to pay attention. 
 
The relaxing of effort and stress is important to balance us out and release unwanted tensions or unnoticed patterns that are deeply held and possibly unconscious. But they effect us none-the-less.
 
Classes are an essential ingredient of doing the work. Committing, showing up, taking the class, relaxing the effort by the end. Rinse and repeat. Supporting the rebalance, resetting the patterns and habits.
 
Another way of showing up is in workshops and retreats. Deeper work that is more involved.
  
Show up, enjoy the work, reap the reward of being stronger, more stable, relaxed and balanced. 
 
]]><![CDATA[Collective Awe]]>Fri, 28 Aug 2026 15:47:27 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/collective-awe
Yoga blog the eclipse and collective awe
​Last Wednesday I found myself standing in the middle of the street outside  the studio, holding up two white pieces of paper, one at arms length, one with a small hole in it made by the nib of a biro a few minutes previously (thank you Fran!). 
 
8 of us gathered around watching a tiny light and shadow display in awe, a mini changing crescent.
The eclipse
 
The moon crossing in front of the sun in real time, playing out on a simple piece of paper. 
 
It was mesmerising, awe inspiring, humbling, exciting in a way that felt quite primal. Even more so for those experiencing the full eclipse where day became night and life felt suspended for a moment. 
 

Suspending the day-to-day

The suspension of the day-to-day is an important space to inhabit, and ideally more frequently than every few decades. 
 
Taking time to situate yourself in the cosmos, to remind yourself of the scale and possibility that constantly surround us. The reality of the day-to-day world is quite simply incredible when we pause for a moment and realise it.
 
The eclipse, by depriving us of life-giving sunlight for just a moment, gave us pause to collectively, viscerally experience our place in the cosmos and give us a perspective on the reality of our life that is easy to overlook or ignore. 
 

Lost in thought and waking up

Our usual state is to go about our lives, heads down, lost in thought, caught up in the minutia of work, sweating the small stuff in the dreams of our imagined futures or lost in the stories of our haunting pasts. Spinning all the plates that feel important but are often unexamined. 
 

But just for one moment...

We all looked up, took time, collectively observed our awe-inspiring cosmos, the magic of the moon and sun and their importance and place in our lives and of the humble situation we are in and the beauty and magic that is our life. 
 

Yoga offers this
 
Our yoga can be a micro moment of this suspension of the day-to-day. 
 
Yes, you can engage in your yoga as a workout, an exercise program that helps your health and state of mind and does the job of keeping your hamstrings healthier and your state of mind more grounded. It can be just another part of your day-to-day. 
 
To quote BKS Iyengar
 
"The primary aim of yoga is to restore the mind to simplicity, peace, and poise, to free it from confusion and distress"
Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health
 
The postures, movements, breath and focusing help us quieten the day-to-day noise and allow a deeper, simpler, more peaceful and more clear state of body and mind. These can be considered the preliminary practices of yoga, so that we can then recognise and live with this reality and the implications it has for how we choose to live. 
 
It needn't take a lifetime of practice, a perfection of posture or breath, a mastery of life.
 
Every time you step on your mat, just like every time you witness a profound cosmological event like the eclipse or the setting sun, the awe stops being overlooked for a moment.
 
 
But it was and is, always there.
]]><![CDATA[Let's get used to being quiet]]>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 07:41:14 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/lets-get-used-to-being-quiet
Quiet space is the fruit of our yoga
A car just came down the hill behind the house, went along the lane behind us, across the bridge, and up the hill towards the village.
 
Cars round here get noticed, as do tractors and milk trucks. They don't happen very often. The quiet between the the occasional traffic stands out, and when it is broken, it feels like an event, a bit exciting.
 
The herons and buzzards also take up some of the quiet space. And the baby birds can make an absolute riot which is again, quite exciting. Things are happening.
 
 
Quiet takes getting used to
Most of us aren't used to it. 
 We live with noise, with constant movement, busy-ness, distraction, things to do.
 We think quiet is nothing.
 An absence of things, and that we should fill the space with something. 
 Quiet and stillness often feel uncomfortable because of the unfamiliarity.
 
 
We resist experiencing it
 
We think we can't do it, that we aren't any good at being quiet, that being still is hard. We prefer to put a podcast on instead (I love podcasts), or fit in another quick job because we have been gifted a bit of space. 


Being busy = being of value
 
Our culture doesn't value it. It is far better to be busy and productive, be good at doing things, rather than being good at doing, well, nothing. 
 
The spaces and opportunities to do nothing, to rest in peace and quiet, are a rare gift.
 
To fill them with something is to miss them. 
 
 
The pauses are the fruit of the 'doing'
 
The absence is the nectar of the busy effort that led us to the pause.
 
The clearing in the woods.
 
These pauses and moments of quiet and stillness are the fruit of our yoga.
 
The movements, the postures, the focusing of the mind and breathing lead us to a quieter space.
 
A body that is more at ease, has less discomfort, and feels more spacious.
 
A breath that is settled and harmonious, in rhythm with a more natural state.
 
A mind that is tolerant of all that arises and relaxed in it's own company.
 

Peace, joy and harmony await

Yoga helps us to get comfortable and familiar with this. To land here. Beyond the day-to-day, in the elusive present where peace, joy and harmony await.
 
Enjoy
]]><![CDATA[Using your nose in yoga]]>Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:32:38 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/using-your-nose-in-yoga
Bristol YogaSpace using your nose in your yoga Clara Lemon blog
Imagine you have a dandelion seed head just under your nose. A delicate structure of little white seeds that might dislodge and fly off at the slightest encouragement. 
 
Now breathe out lightly and gently, taking care not to blow off any seeds. Then inhale in the same way without sucking any up your nose!
 
How gentle and careful did you have to breathe?
How much attention did it require?
 The nose is  a powerful seat of sensation and attention and can transform your practice of yoga. 
 
In yesterday's classes in addition to the postures we added this attention to careful, subtle breathing. Right the way through. Even through more demanding poses where I'm sure lots of dandelion seeds flew off! We explored the spaciousness, lightness, calmness and quietening of mind and body that can profoundly transform us when applying simple suggestions.
 
Try it.
 
Next time you step on your mat add in this simple yet powerful suggestion and keep it alive throughout your practice. 
 
]]><![CDATA[Post-yoga retreat good vibes]]>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:43:04 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/post-yoga-retreat-good-vibes
Yoga retreat at Stone Mill Retreat Devon in June 2026
 a weekend of full yoga immersion with a completely lovely, friendly group, it has been a joy to reflect on the yoga retreat that we had together this last weekend. 

Read on for what we got up to, dates for the next one, plus another event this weekend that might be just what you need. 
 
 
Well that was a gorgeous weekend!
 
The sun stayed steady, the birds didn't run out of song, and
Bristol Yoga Space Retreat at Stone Mill Farm
the flowers kept coming as we slowed down into the wonderful pace of a weekend of yoga.

It was so great to welcome this summer's retreat group into slow, mindful yoga. To take time to enjoy lots of tea and group meals, and to take a local walk with views of Dartmoor at the top of the (very steep) hill. While we didn't brave the river, it was cooling just to sit alongside and watch it bubble by.  
 
We enjoyed fragrant rose bud meditations and explored our tree poses whilst gazing at grand trees in the valley. 

The feedback was fanastic as this was our first at our new place. Everyone loved it and the after effects are continuing to inspire some to add a little more daily yoga at home to continue the good vibes.  

We loved hosting it too, so I'm thrilled to announce our next one in the Autumn!
 
Stay tuned and save the date for and Autumn retreat:
16th - 18th October 2026
 
Email me if you know you want to come for advance info. 
]]><![CDATA[Harry Potter chants & yoga]]>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:38:04 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/harry-potter-chants-yoga
Bristol YogaSpace yoga and chanting blog article
When my kids were younger they would hear me chanting in the mornings when I was doing my yoga practice. To my surprise they thought it was cool, they said it sounded like the spells in Harry Potter. They would listen while I chanted and found it fun.
 

Getting over the hurdle
The chanting of spells is one of the reasons why I initially felt uncomfortable doing it. It felt weird, I didn't know what it meant, no-one explained why we were doing it or what it was supposed to do. But it seemed to
 be included in lots of classes so I carried on with it, never really enjoying it. 
 
 
Chanting and Breathwork (Pranayama)
There are a few aspects of yoga like that. You do them anyway, even though you might not really get it or see the need. It all seems to come as a package in a class so you do the whole lot.
 
The seated breathing might be thought of in the same way. I breath all day, why would I bother just breathing on its own?
 
In my experience, the effects are somewhat subtle but cumulative over time so are hard to explain and harder to measure progress. But while they might be subtle, they are there and are powerful. Rather than immediate feel-good results the benefits run far deeper when practiced consistently over time. 
 
- your breath improves when you chant,
- the chatter in your mind takes a step back while you focus all your efforts on the alien sounds and try to recite the sounds as exactly and precisely as possible,
- your exhale lengthens,
- you develop stamina,
- you find more steadiness and more skill at controlling it,a bit like singing,
- you develop mental discipline as you learn and follow the strict Sanskrit rules and channel the mind away from distraction. 
- plus like singing, the effect of it in a group is another intangible that just feels great and has such an alive quality to it. 

 
Connection and mystery
Beyond the connection with those you are chanting with, it also connects you to the ancient meanings of the sacred texts that are being repeated. We may not yet have an intellectual understanding of what we are chanting, but we sit alongside and embody the meanings, in a tradition that is thousands of years old and pre-dates written transmission of teachings.
 
Sanskrit is an original language, our modern words have a foundation here in some distant way. There is a connection to our ancestors that is easily overlooked unless brought into a ritual in this way.
 
 
Rules
And did I mention the rules? 
The little dots and dashes on the letter make all the difference to the sound, rhythm and tone of the chant. There is a precision to it that can super charge chanting as your skills develop.I've studied chanting for 25 years been on retreats where we just chant for hours during the course of the weekend and still consider myself quite a beginner. 
 

Chanting on retreat
It was a joy to lead the group through the whole of the Sarva Santi chant at the Devon retreat last month. We got to the end and a wonderful quiet descended on the room while we sat in the stillness that followed. 
 
This is one of the joys of having extended time with our practices. I was so pleased we managed the whole thing. Our immersion in a tranquil, beautiful setting let's us go further into the experiences that we establish in a weekly class but can really flower on retreat. 
 
Transformative opportunities are rare so I would invite you to join me when you can to go further with your yoga both with your understanding and your experience.

Join me on retreat or in class >
]]><![CDATA[Yoga immersion on retreat in Devon]]>Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:10:56 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/yoga-immersion-on-retreat-in-devon
Stone Mill Retreat Devon where this year's yoga retreat is held
The sunshine is looking promising for next weekend's yoga at Stone Mill Retreat.
 
We did have one retreat where the weather was drizzly but even then, the joy of immersing fully into a slower pace where you can side-step the usual daily routine and rediscover yourself through moving, breathing and becoming still is a wonderful thing to make time for. 
 

The process of slowing down fully takes time
Our first practice next weekend meets us from our travels and helps begin the process of unwinding. Like tightly coiled springs, we arrive busy, daily life breathing down our necks, hoping to enjoy, expectations and uncertainty of what it will be like. 
 
The weekend is a process of deepening the immersion. ​
It happens gradually, subtly, and by the end of the weekend after yoga sessions, energising and relaxing ourselves, eating well, sitting quietly, walking in the countryside, being steeped in nature - we manage to shed a lot of what we carried with us. We have eased out tensions and stresses, reset ourselves.
 
And further than that, landed in a special relationship with ourselves that is important to cultivate or begin to explore. Something that if we don't make time for, we simply won't experience.
 

It is a special, supported time
When was the last time (if ever) you put aside daily life for any length of time and turned attention to your body, your mind, your breath, and experienced yourself without all the noise of every day?
 
It is rare and special and worth carving time and space out for - to discover and reconnect with ourselves, our bodies and minds in a refreshing way. 
 
For those who know me, it is a supported weekend that isn't intimidating as we are always practicing yoga in a way that is adaptable for how we find ourselves that day. The process feels easy when you are in it. It happens gradually. Which is why it needs time.
 

Some things don't happen quickly
We get to take an extended, guided exploration of our yoga and what that might mean. We might develop our practice, or simply have some space away in a friendly, abundantly beautiful place and eat good food. 
 
All the practices that we take offer suggestions for trying things we don't have the time for in a group session. And the retreats are small, there are 8 of us so we can delve and question to help our  understanding deepen. 
 
 
Be inspired for new possibilities
We always come back changed in new ways and inspired with possibility. 

 
I'm very much looking forward to an extra special weekend as it is my first at this wonderful place. 
 
Enjoy your yoga. 
]]><![CDATA[Finding joy in the (very) small stuff]]>Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:18:25 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/finding-joy-in-the-very-small-stuff
Wild strawberries and yoga help you enjoy the very small joys of life
Finding joy in the (very) small stuff ~
My dog walk this morning was in a mist of soft rain. My gaze was downwards and then unexpectedly met with the delight of little red dots in the hedgerow - nearly ripe wild strawberries. 

Tiny bursts of joy
If you've never had them, they are TINY.
 About the size of a small pea, bright red, and like little jewels in the hedgerow.
 
One was ready, it was fabulous, the remaining treasures are yet to be discovered but if timing is right, the upcoming yoga retreat, week after next, they might still around...
 
Unlike commercial strawberries they are sparse and intense which makes them all the more special. You might get one, or two if you are lucky, but they are a wonderful explosion of joy to taste that is sweeter and more flavourful than anything you can buy.
 
 
Sharing joy in the upcoming yoga retreat
The timing might just be perfect for sharing this joy on the upcoming yoga weekend which is only two weeks away.
 
Part of the weekend, besides the beautiful countryside setting and slow, immersive yoga, is a lovely afternoon walk. Hedgerows everywhere, with the possibility of a discovery  of strawberry treasure. 
 
 
Immersion into your yoga 
I'm looking forward to hosting everyone with yoga in the barn where we can sink further and further into our yoga over the weekend and steep in the glow of it. All in the wonderful setting of the Little Dart Valley with the woodlands, birdsong and river banks at the end of the garden to accompany the weekend. 
 
Hugely excited and hoping to announce another at some point as this one is fully booked. 
 
 
The yoga hangover that can sustain you
The immersion in to your yoga is greatly benefitted by sustained time in a deeper immersion like this. The hangover of a retreat can feed and inspire your yoga for weeks and months afterwards or set you on the path to your own home yoga practice. 
 
 
Weekly classes are essential maintenance
The continuous weekly class is the mainstay to keep up with your practice and avoid the slide that is inevitable if you neglect it. It doesn't have to be at the studio, it can of course be at home, and more regular. It all counts, but you do need to get to your mat.
. 
Try these if you are struggling to get to class. Hope to see yousoon!
 
Free yoga recordings > 

Enjoy your yoga. 
]]><![CDATA[Do you need a yoga mat?]]>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:14:09 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/do-you-need-a-yoga-mat
Are yoga mats necessary for your yoga
I’ve been doing my morning yoga at the studio sometimes lately as I leave home early to get here and it means I beat a bit of traffic. 

​
Carpet vs. Yoga Mat

At home typically I do my practice on the carpet. My studio mat is grippier and in turn makes my practice feel different - much easier.
 
I stick to the mat more, my feet and hands don’t move as much, it feels different and some of the postures are easier to do, requiring less effort from me. This is nice in one way but...
My mat is doing some of the work by sticking to me. My core isn’t as engaged in downward facing dog. My arms don't need to do as much work. My legs are less engaged and my hips can relax more in postures.

 
Take away the mat and what happens?

Take away the mat and the difference can be felt throughout the whole front of the body. Sometimes students grip the sides of the mat to hold them in downward facing dog to help prevent slipping hands. This is another way to help the mat do more of the work until over time, the body is strong enough to hold you in position.

Gradually the body will become stronger, the awareness of effort and ease will increase but without the mat, this has to happen sooner, and some postures feel harder or are not yet achievable. 

The mat helps you find ease in the pose but there is a debate to be had about how much support to take and how much taking things step by stepb with less external support is the right approach. 
 

What do you need most?

There isn't a right answer, it depends on what you need and what will help you the most. 

My teacher used to say that the mat helps you do poses that perhaps you aren’t ready for. The preparatory poses and techniques that precede some of the stronger postures should be accomplished first to ensure that the strength, stability and awareness are well established.

The ‘vinyasa krama’ of your yoga includes all the steps that need to be taken along the way, in the appropriate sequential order. Short cuts towards more difficult or complicated poses or techniques might mean that the lessons and developments available along the way are skipped.

It could be helpful in some circumstances, but could also be counter productive if they encourage you to miss the foundations of practice and along with that, the understanding and insights that step-by-step practice affords. 


What you might gain

Food for thought, especially if you are considering buying a stickier mat as your hands are slipping. Enjoy all the steps, learn from them, perhaps don't skip over them to get to the fun stuff - who knows what you could be missing out on.

Gain understandings, strength, stability and benefit from what you can do and what you can't yet do. There are insights along the way that are invaluable. 
]]><![CDATA[Cow jams can be fun with yoga]]>Fri, 29 May 2026 15:48:23 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/cow-jams-can-be-fun-with-yoga
rely on your yoga and cow jams can be fun
Consistency in the midst of change ~
 
Even the roads are unpredictable in my new commute.

I got stuck in a cow jam the other day while I was on my way to the studio. The cows couldn't be rushed, they moo'd their way along the road at their own pace towards the dairy.
There is a lot to get used to. 
 
There are a very few constants in my life at the moment. So much has changed and this is the adventure of moving to a new place. It is hard work and exciting in equal measure. But the constants that I do have are cherished more than ever. 
 
 
When you need it most
My yoga practice is my mainstay. I know I need it, even though time is at a premium and I could really do the other pressing things with it. On the days I'm tempted to skip it or shorten it, I remind myself of how important it is and slow down and sink into it further. 
 
I might have otherwise overlooked the fun and joy of the cow jam, and simply sat in frustration and worry over being late had my yoga not worked its magic and gifted me patience and the positive outlook that it nurtures for me. 
 
I have learned the hard way that a neglected yoga practice is one that comes at a price. That the issues and pressures only build if not attended to regularly. 
 
 
Neglect comes at a premium
If you have the good fortune to have a garden, you'll know only too well that leaving the weeds too long at this time of year, or not water something when it hasn't rained, you've lost something precious. 
 
Yoga is like tending the garden. Neglect comes at a premium. Nurtured regularly, the joys are more abundant. 
 
Get to your garden this weekend. Get to your yoga regularly. If you have neglected your practice, commit to re-establishing it so that it can bring you the stability and joy that we can take for granted. 
 
 ​
]]><![CDATA[Celebrate the wins in life and in yoga]]>Thu, 21 May 2026 12:52:00 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/celebrate-the-wins-in-life-and-in-yoga
celebrate the wins and positives in your yoga
We are one month in and the wall of jobs is still a mile high. It is easy to get lost looking at them. But equally, it is worth taking a moment to celebrate the wins. 
 

1 month - hurrah!
We have met lovely neighbours, figured out lots of gorgeous walks, have fresh eggs delivered regularly by a local farmer who breeds pedigree cows that are cute as a button, love many many things about the place and I've learned how to light a woodburner with success usually first time. I've made
 sublime jacket spuds in the Rayburn and have discovered lengthy driving conversations with my teenage son, which has been brilliant. 
 
 
Recognise your progress
If you are like me, you probably don't celebrate the wins enough.
 
In yoga there is seemingly always something to work on, progress to be made, but this mindset can be a bit of a red herring.
 
The struggle is also a chance to recognise where you are, and to recognise how much is going well and how stepping out of the river of endless stuff and on to the calm riverbank is where the fruit of practice can be found. 
 

What has changed?

Let's celebrate our wins.
 
Think about where you were this time last month, or last year.
 
What has progressed?
 
Sure, there are obstacles. From one perspective, life is a series of obstacles, challenges and problems to be solved. But intentionally celebrate and recognise what you can, regularly, and feel good about that.

Make sure you don't neglect your yoga practice. Book your class here >
]]><![CDATA[Patience, simplicity & yoga (+ eggs)]]>Thu, 14 May 2026 12:13:27 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/patience-simplicity-yoga-eggs
Patience and simplicity are part of our yoga practice
We have many, many eggs at the moment. Our new neighbours are very welcoming and we love that eggs are the currency for helping newcomers settle in.
 
In the midst of learning how to live in our new place, eggs are a quick and easy way to keep us sustained. 
 
By the time the retreat comes around in June, I'll have mastered frittata and quiche.
Patience
Life is busy, eggs help.
Patience, yoga and eggs are non-negotiable or my day doesn't go nearly as smoothly.
 
There are literally 1,000 5 minute jobs to do. I can see them all, it is easy to get overwhelmed, keeping perspective, keeping calm and keeping well nourished are part of the work.
 
Yoga gives me the perspective and calm with a regular reset that my nervous knows is coming, can rely on and keeps the overwhelm at bay. Cultivating patience helps me methodically work through the challenges and enjoy the each day.
 

Foundations first
We need to get the foundations in place first. It is tempting to rush ahead and jump to the fun stuff, but the preparations are going to serve us well.
 
In yoga the basics are where the heart of our practice is. Finding our feet, finding our centre, freeing the breath and stabilising the body and mind. These foundations are essential. Simple, but essential. 
 
The hallmark of what I teach is simplicity. This is the mainstay of the upcoming retreat, paring back to what is important, essential,  and transformative.
 
There is still one room remaining for June if you want to come and join in. It would be great to have you there. Find out more >
]]><![CDATA[Subtlety in yoga is easy to overlook]]>Thu, 07 May 2026 14:34:49 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/subtlety-in-yoga-is-easy-to-overlook
Yoga takes getting used to
~ It takes getting used to ~
 
I'm gradually realising that I've moved to a mini paradise. The garden, the birdsong, the farmhouse vibe that feels homely already, the gorgeous surroundings and dog walks that leave me needing to pinch myself. So far so good (amazing actually). 
 

Convenience is over-rated
 I still don't know things are much of the time. And constantly have to figure out how things work. But I've replaced traffic and sirens with birdsong and wind in the tree tops. ​
It still feels uphill to get things done, but convenience wasn't our top priority. And of course there are frustrations, but they are different from city life, and they are self-inflicted. 
 
It will take getting used to that is for sure. 
 

Yoga takes getting used to
 Same goes for yoga. The first few practices might be a bit over (or under) whelming. Meeting expectations is always tricky. Getting to know your teacher helps. Switching from class to class and becoming a beginner again in a new class where the teacher doesn't know you comes with challenges and leaves a lot of potential behind.
 

Subtlety gets overlooked
You might find yoga feels physically hard, or complex and confusing. Especially as we start our new term.
 
Or perhaps the subtlety get's lost in the mix.
 
Learning how to become more centred, balanced and still, often gets overlooked for more entertaining pursuits. In a short-attention span culture, the benefits of this are obvious but need prioritising. 
 

A lifelong companion
I think yoga is the most valuable thing I've ever learned.
 
If you get the foundations right, it becomes a lifelong companion. Not just one that requires physical aptitude that we only do when we are well. We may start there but it goes far beyond and serves us right the way through life, no matter our physical ability.
 
Learning how to reconnect with our body and breath. Then learning how to work in away that reliably brings us back to harmony, serenity, physical and mental ease (even when health or life is unravelling) and offers the potential for an open heart.
 

It won't always feel hard
If you are in your early stages of practice, rest assured it won't always feel like an uphill struggle. Learning the right effort, but also the right ease is part of what we are doing and these skills are valuable across our whole life, for our whole life. 

Enjoy a brilliant foundation to your yoga with my latest yoga retreat. 
 
]]><![CDATA[Moving is hectic, my yoga mat isn't...]]>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:24:00 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/moving-is-hectic-my-yoga-mat-isnt
Yoga calm even when you move house
Life is soooooooo busy at the moment. The boxes around me as I pack up my house are looming, the monolithic kitchen cupboard remains full of stuff, and every time I open it and look up, I feel scared and close the door again and walk away.
 
Today is the day to empty it. But you'll notice I'm writing this instead 😉
 
Leaving my home of 20 years is exciting, sad, emotional, scary, fun, all at once. 
 
 
We wear our tension
Bodies reflect our state. Shoulders lift, jaws clench, back-aches flare, hips tighten, we hold on to control of our day as best we can. We literally wear our tension and it's visible.
 
This is fine as long as we are taking measures to undo it at the end of the day. Tension and stress can be habitual patterns that become hard to get out from. We get stuck. 
 

Fluidity and ease
It is the opposite of a fluid, open, easeful body and mind. 
There are times when we need to be on top of everything and being relaxed and easy just won't cut it. That cupboard does need to be packed today, along with the many other things need doing. 
 
Is it possible to do all this and remain relaxed at the same time?
 
Possibly not, but it'll feel easier and more enjoyable the more relaxed we are. And the outcome will be better.
 

My yoga is non-negotiable
This morning I spent more time on my mat preparing myself for the day ahead. I did the extra couple of postures that I know will serve me well when I need additional support. I sat for a little longer and established equanimity rather than rushing headlong into the tasks of the day. 
 
A fluid, mindful, open mind will be far more helpful than the opposite. A stuck mind experiencing fear and overwhelm. The body is a good symbol for this and it is important to give your body what it needs, but also what your mind needs too. They aren't separate. They come together, they are inextricable partners but one is in the background and easier to ignore until it yells through the body. 
 
Get to your mat when the going gets tough. 
 ​
]]><![CDATA[Where the gaze goes, the mind follows]]>Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:43:19 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/where-the-gaze-goes-the-mind-follows
Yoga gazing as a powerful tool in our toolkit
How long can you look at this before glancing away? 
 
Perhaps a few seconds? 
 
Blink whenever you like, but don't let the eyes wander. Notice if they do. 
 
Hold your gaze steady, then follow your breathing. This is a wonderful gateway technique helping you step aside from your busy mind and into a more attentive and present state. 
 
Apply this during your yoga postures and your whole practice will become transformed, more absorbing and more refreshing physically, mentally and emotionally. 
 
Find it impossible? You aren't alone.
Practice will help and bring about a transformed quality of steadiness to body and mind. 
 
The gaze is a powerful tool 
This week we've been adding this to our yoga. In class we have hopefully already gained familiarity with the posture set over the month, and now can add a more subtle, powerful layer to our yoga. 
 
Leave the gaze steady, hold it in space or at specific anchor points when in postures. Don't glare, hold your gaze lightly. 
 
Simple, but not easy. 
 
The mind is often compared to wild horses. Our gaze can rein them in. Take some agency over your gaze and you are able to enjoy a  calmer mind, leading to a clearer and more intentional day.
​
Enjoy.
 
]]><![CDATA[Top 3 mistakes in yoga]]>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 17:09:34 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/top-3-mistakes-in-yoga
Top 3 mistakes in yoga classes
And 3 ways to get better
 
We get plenty right in our yoga. 
 
Any practice that you show up for is a good one.
 
If you take time out from the day, move and breathe and reconnect to your internal awareness, then it is always more than worthwhile.
 
Ignore your harsh inner critic and give yourself some credit for showing up to your mat.
 
Even if you just lay down and take conscious breaths and rest, that counts. 
 
The top 3 mistakes I see with people taking yoga practice, is perhaps obvious. But here goes
1) Occasional visits
If you start over every few weeks, you have lost ground since you last stepped on your mat.
 
We are all losing ground with our health and wellness if we aren't regularly challenging our body, breath and attending to our internal mind awareness. Regular means at least once a week. Preferably with home practice alongside your class.
 
It is only going to get further away from where you are now. 
 
If you don't prioritise your yoga, it won't stand a chance of helping. 
 
 
 
2) Stopping when you need it most
When time gets short, or good health is elusive, and stress is front and centre, that is exactly the time to double down on your yoga and ensure it is non-negotiable as you navigate the challenges. 
 
 
 
3) Only exploring the postures
The postures are brilliant. They are rewarding in their own right. Our backs will be forever grateful.
 
Often we stop there and don't access the depths that are right there waiting to be discovered. 
 
Understanding the breathing is a game-changer and transforms your yoga and your relationship to what you do. It takes a bit of work and focus, but is well worth it. 
 
Once you learn to adjust so that your breath is central to your practice, the mind and awareness follows and it becomes a whole body-mind transformation every time you step on your mat, which amplifies over time.
 
It doesn't rely on good health or hard, complex postures. It just requires showing up and learning the basics. 
 
Included in my classes and underpinning the reasons for the postures, breathing and quiet pauses, is the philosophical pivot from external wellbeing, to internal awareness and discovering the life-changing peace that can become front and centre, even as we navigate life's challenges. 
 
 
I'm not kidding when I talk on about this being life-changing. Rather than hamstring-changing, or the occassional the feel good treat you give yourself, it is a lifelong support and anchor.
 
All you need to do is learn the basics and show up regularly. 
 
 😀
]]><![CDATA[Your attention please. This is yoga.]]>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:28:05 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/why-choosing-your-focus-and-attention-matters-in-your-yoga-practice
Why choosing intentional focus matters in your yoga practice
I'm planning a house move that means that, if it happens, I commute to the studio rather than amble down Gloucester Road.
 
In the daytime, it seems like a great idea - fun, exciting and I'm motivated to make it happen and make it work (if the house-buying gods align).
 
In the evenings I tend towards doubting that it is a good idea at all and that I should just keep things as they are, sit in front of the TV and eat crisps. 
 
I've learned to ignore thoughts after 7pm that seem like new and worrying ideas. I remind myself that it's too late to evaluate anything constructively, and promise that I'll think about it in the morning when I've got more energy.
 
Invariably, I wake up excited about the idea again and full of energy to do it. 

I think therefore I worry. Especially after 7pm.
​

Focus on your little toes
The skill to be intentional about which thoughts I attend to is  cultivated on my yoga mat.
 
When we take a yoga pose with one leg forwards, and then are directed to pay attention to the sensations of pressure in the little toe on your back foot, there is multi-purpose to this.
 
Initially it might feel impossible. You can't even locate your little toe without looking. But with sustained practice, this will develop into more awareness and less noise without overthinking the instruction.
 
It might require more physical effort to create pressure in that long forgotten little toe. Reminding our limbs and joints to talk to each other and remain intact. 
 
I'm also inviting you to direct your mind to a more focused state and practice becoming more intentional about details within your chosen spotlight.
 
Practice placing attention at will. Yoga is an invitation to practice this regularly so you can get better at it and leave the unhelpful stuff behind. Even if your not successful, the trying counts.
 
Thinking about this little toe instruction is very different from doing it. Knowing that difference is everything.
 
Learning that you often have more agency over your mind than you think you do, is invaluable. 
 
 
Yoga develops discernment
I tend to overthink and drift in a generally negative trajectory when tired.
 
In our yoga we learn to notice our patterns and tendencies so that we can use our minds more skillfully. At first by noticing our toes, but this translates into the rest of the day when we might otherwise be at the mercy of our thoughts if we don't pay closer attention to their patterns. 
 

It improves with practice
This ability to notice thoughts, and sustain and direct attention, doesn't happen right away. At first we simply notice how hard it is to locate our toes, to focus, and how incessant our thoughts are.
 
But this is a brilliant skill worth practicing to help navigate stressful times of change. 
 
Next time I offer the direction to focus on something specific, don't overthink it or tell yourself how boring toes are or how impossible the task is. Actually and intentionally do it. Feel it. How do you know you have a little toe without looking at it? It might feel impossible. The repeated attempts are the work. 
 
It is a fruitful exercise that I find makes my mind less turbulent, and my evenings much more enjoyable.
]]><![CDATA[It starts on your yoga mat]]>Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:03:04 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/it-starts-on-your-yoga-mat-today-tomorrow-or-at-your-next-class
Yoga classes start the process of learning the art of yoga
Is yoga a quick fix?
​The smorgasbord of health and wellbeing opportunities is vast. The gadgets and short cuts, the pills and supplements, the quick fixes and promises that feel amazing for a while, then fade into the shadow of the next great discovery. The choice and invitation to shop around is tempting.   

Yoga stands the test of time
Yoga has developed over thousands of years as a roadmap using the tools of posture, breath, attention and meditation to help you live well and find contentment, serenity, and health. 
 
Yoga has great depth and applicability to modern life. 
Shopping around is possible while you find the approach that works for you. But then the commitment to your chosen approach is part of the process.
 
Take time to cultivate a precious relationship with your own body, breath and mind. Alongside this it helps to have a teacher who can get to know you and your practice and guide you while you learn the skills and navigate the obstacles. 
 
 
What's the downside?
I have yet to find a downside to regularly practicing yoga. The decades of practice only keep me coming back to my mat. The intimate relationship I have developed with the postures and breath are a bedrock foundation to my life that supports me to every day whether life is exciting, tough or painful. Whether I have energy, injury or illness. The process of practicing is an essential component of my day to nourish what I need and become grounded and connected. 
 

Your next class
There is always something you can do, however subtle or bold it needs to be, and the art of yoga is that the more you understand it, the more skills you cultivate with your own body, breath and mind. Yoga becomes your lifelong companion and support, no matter what the latest flavour of the month may be. 
 
 
It starts on your mat, today, or tomorrow, or at your next class. 
 
 
Enjoy 🌞
]]><![CDATA[Dream big, work hard, and never stop pushing]]>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:15:18 GMThttps://www.bristolyogaspace.co.uk/our-blog/dream-big-work-hard-and-never-stop-pushing
Yoga and balance
 Until...?
 
I love the 'never stop pushing' slogan. It sums up an approach to life that is all around us. The poster of it caught my eye this morning in a shop on Gloucester Road.
 
It is a common method to think you are getting the most out of life when you are busy and doing more, pushing harder, and it reflects an inherent dissatisfaction with what we currently have. 
 
If we get busy enough, if we do enough things, if we dig deeper and keep going until we get to the end of the week and collapse in a heap, did we win?
 
What is the prize?
Yoga asks something else of us

We all have things we would like, or need to do. Work, life, family, relationships, desires, fun, creativity. There is space for all of these and they are all important.
 
Yoga doesn't suggest that we sit around all day taking it easy and never getting anything done.
 
Nor does it suggest that we power up and push through for an hour and that we will come out rebalanced and serene at the end. We might just come out stretched, wired and pumped for more. 
 
For every extra push, there is an equal and opposite reaction. A push back. A toll is taken. If we just keep pushing, at some point we are at risk of falling over. 
 
 
Sthira / Sukha
 
There is a verse from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras which sums it up nicely. 
 
It states that when practicing yoga, every posture and practice should have in equal measure: 
 
Sthira: sturdiness and effort
 
Sukha: ease and openness.
 
Both are equally important.
Without both, you're missing the mark. 
Yoga has balance built in.
 

Return to balance
 
Do we personally need more of one or the other?
 
If we tend to push forwards in life and only stop when we are exhausted or are forced to, then more ease and openness could be exactly what we need. 
 
If we tend to be a bit lacklustre and drift through our days, then more focus and effort may be the right balancing force.
 
We often have a dominant mode, personal to us.
It might feel hard to do the other.
And there lies your practice...
 
Each posture and each practice can support effort and ease in equal measure.
 
 
Our life needs both
 
Too soft and you'll become lethargic and unmotivated, too much and you'll eventually be exhausted. 
 
And along the way as our yoga practice develops, we notice that life isn't inherently dissatisfactory. We might just be looking in the wrong place for satisfaction. 
 
Have a balanced week 🌞
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