Meditation Workshop February 25th, 3 – 4.30pm 2012
THoY Meditation Workshop
Date: Sat February 25th 2012
Venue: St Barnabas Hall, Corner of Merton Rd/Lavenham Rd SW18 5EP
Time: 3 -4.30pm
Cost: £15
Meditation is the art of mindfulness, paying attention and listening to your heart.
In this workshop you will learn the tools to experience and practice for yourself the beauty of meditation and the importance of living fully in the present moment. Simply having an awareness of our patterns of thinking can lead us not only to totally new inner experiences and insights, but help us to transform our day-to-day life into a more meaningful and fulfilling journey.
Give yourself the gift to go within and tap into a clarity and stillness you may never have experienced before.
please email info@thehouseofyoga.co.uk or call Jason on 07793541602 to register your space.
Listening to the language Of The Body – Avoiding Injuries.
Hello its Kim here,
First I would like to express how much I enjoy teaching you Yogins at THoY on a Monday night and the satisfaction I achieve both introducing and making accessible Power Yoga to absolute beginners PLUS undoing old habits (we all get in to) with the more established Yogins.
Yoga undoubtedly connects us to ourself, we leave class feeling centred, aligned and present. There are times when find ourselves getting carried away and the body and mind are not quite so in synch with each other- YES even in the midst of our Yoga practice! We can compare the mind to a curious puppy, it’s attention running ahead of it’s owner as the owner tries to keep up. It just takes a little training to keep them side by side.
We may try to attain the perfect paschimottanasana, we sneak a peek at the super supple Yogini next to us who has her head buried in her knees and we convince ourselves that we ought to achieve that “perfect” pose and until we do, we are not fit to call ourselves a Yogi! So we push and strain our body in to a “better” pose (sometimes whilst we are in pain) until OUCH something snaps! We wonder why we hurt ourself when Yoga is supposed to promote the opposite.
Our bodies are unique, there are no two bodies which are identical, and what may be beneficial to one student may be harmful to another, so it is vital that we listen to the language of our own individual body because it absolutely knows what is best for us. This year I have suffered numerous injuries, and as you can imagine I was a little perplexed- I am a Yoga teacher, how on earth can my body be suffering so much? I discovered I have hypermobility, which means that my joints move beyond the normal range of motion which can damage joints. This is a condition I was born with but had not recognised, nor would I have known the potential of damage through entering poses within my full range. The next question was ‘How do I continue to practice Yoga?’.
Through this experience I have learned to honour the needs of my body, to play with my edge and really allow my body to guide me, the body does speak and it speaks honestly. I learn my limits every time I practice, as they change daily I revel in the physical challenges that strengthen the surrounding muscles that protect my joints and overcome the ego-driven traps which may tempt me in to a pose not suitable for me-. Yoga is not about how the pose looks but how the pose feels, close your eyes, watch the breath, feel the physical sensations of the pose and ask if your body is happy.
Namaste
Kim
Yoga Jam Fundraiser Event
We are thrilled to announce we will be holding London’s first Yoga Jam fundraiser on Friday November 25th!
To watch a short video of past yoga jam events visit www.yogajamevents.com
Enjoy a funky and uplifting 90 min vinyasa class, taught to music and by some fantastic teachers who will be sharing their love of yoga in a fun and energetic way.
We will finish the night with some nibbles, drinks and great conversation. All proceeds go to the Africa Yoga Project (www.africayogaproject.org).
Time: 7.30 – 10.30
Cost: £15
Venue: St Barnabas Hall, 146 Lavenham Rd, Southfields, London,SW18,5EP
Email Info@thehouseofyoga.co.uk to book your place.
Namaste – THoY
The House of Yoga Newsletter – September 2011
Hi Guys,
We are now in the midst of autumn with the schools back in action, London roads are busier than ever and the days are getting shorter.
Is there a better way to head into Autumn than to step out of the space of ‘doing’ and the stresses and strains of modern day life and root ourselves to our yoga mats with the sound of breath, the flow of water, the strength and flexibility of an oak tree and a mind of clarity and space.
As some of you are aware, I have just returned back from Austin, Texas, training with Baron Baptiste and a 106 other teachers from around the world. I am filled with inspiration and gratitude from what was an amazing week.
One of the reasons I have chosen to travel and immerse myself within the Baptiste community is because I truly believe in their philosophy that yoga is for everyone and that we can truly embody the transformational qualities of this ancient practice both on and off the mat. The Baptiste community is growing at an incredible rate bringing transformation to so many peoples lives across the planet.
I would like to thank all of you who have attended classes and committed to this great practice, without you guys it would not be possible for me to share my love and passion for yoga, and to see our community growing.
See you on the mat sometime soon.
Jason
Updates
The inaugural House of Yoga Party, supporting the Africa Yoga Project – Friday 25th November, 7.30pm-10pm
The House of Yoga will be throwing a yoga party on Friday 25th November at St Barnabas Hall in Southfields, to raise money for the Baptiste Africa Yoga Project.
The night will start with a funky and uplifting 90 min vinyasa class, taught to music by a number of fantastic teachers who will be sharing their knowledge of yoga in a fun and energetic way. We will finish the night with some nibbles, drinks and great conversation.
We would love you to join us and help raise money for this fantastic charity which is helping to transform so many lives and communities in East Africa.
Donation: £15 per person (Suggested Minimum) – all proceeds will be donated to the charity. Please bring your own bottle (alcoholic or not!) and we will provide the nibbles.
Please email: jason@thehouseofoyoga.co.uk to secure your place, stating your name and donation amount (to be paid in advance, details of how to pay will be included on your confirmation email). The total sum raised will also be announced on the night.
Information about the Africa Yoga Project:
The Africa Yoga Project uses the transformative power of yoga to empower communities and change lives. By inspiring the global yoga community into active service, AYP delivers effective and innovative programs that foster peace, improve physical, emotion and mental well-being, facilitate self-sufficiency and create opportunities to learn and contribute across the communities of East Africa.
Baptiste Power Yoga on the Streets is free, community yoga that is changing lives for young, urban Kenyans. What makes this so transformational is that it provides a healthy, motivational venue for young adults to engage with their community, build support systems and change their lives. Many young people in Nairobi live in the slums, without water or bathrooms.
Through the practice of Baptiste vinyasa, they find strength to not only survive, but to thrive.
THoY Weekend Retreat No.2 – Flow of the Peaceful Warrior – Friday 11th to Sunday 13th November 2011
There are a few places left on the next THoY retreat – feel free to drop us an email for more details or visit www.yeotown.com. It promises to be an amazing weekend.
REMINDERS
Beginners Classes, Mondays from 5th September
Monday night classes are beginner/foundations classes – they will start on Monday 5th September at St Barnabas Church from 7.30-8.45pm with Kim Peacock. See website for more information. Please remember that these classes will be basic and tailored to new yogis.
Corporate Classes – Get Rewarded!
We teach yoga to various corporate clients in and around central London. If you recommend The House of Yoga to a company and they take up regular weekly sessions (In-House) you will receive either a one-on-one 90 minute Power Yoga session in the privacy of your own home or a free 5 Class pass.
The House of Yoga Upcoming Retreat
We are happy to announce our second yoga retreat of the year at the idyllic Yeotown radiant health retreat.
See below or click here for more details.
Flow of the Peaceful Warrior Retreat
November 11th – 13th, 2011
After all of the wonderful feedback after his first fantastic weekend retreat in June, we are happy to announce the second weekend retreat from the House of Yoga’s highly regarded Jason Pooley.
This amazing 3 day immersion of yoga asana, pranayama and meditation will take you to a place of flow and freedom both on and off the mat and give you the tools to step back into your life with intention, clarity and to tap into the peaceful warrior within. The focus of alignment, breath and lots of fun will be on the weekends agenda not to mention those magical moments of experiencing a true moving meditation.
Cost: The Flow of the Peaceful Warrior is £545pp and includes transfers from train station, shared accommodation, all yoga, cooking lessons and delicious meals. Single accommodation available for an extra fee of £200 (depending on availability).
BOOKING YOUR SPACE
If you’d like to join in on a Yeoga Long Weekend you can book your place by sending an e-mail to: info@yeotown.com. We will then forward you a registration form. Alternatively you may ring Yeotown Radiant Health Retreat during business hours (10am-5pm Mon-Fri) on +44 (0)1271 328 581. Feel free to get in contact with any additional questions you may have.
Feature Friday – Jason Pooley
My yoga journey began back in 2002 whilst teaching tennis in Hong Kong. I grew up in a small town called Newmarket in Suffolk, England but was soon travelling the world at the age of 16 playing junior tennis tournaments. My childhood dream of being a Wimbledon champion like so many other talented tennis players started to become unachievable so I turned my focus to coaching and was lucky enough to have coached at some of most the prestigious tennis clubs both in London and Hong Kong.I walked into Pure Yoga HK and knew as soon as I settled onto my mat that this was the place for me, a feeling of being at home. The reason why I decided to try a class was because I had to many niggling injuries from playing and teaching tennis at a high level over the years. It didn’t take too long to see and feel the healing process through a consistent practice, sometimes twice a day as I was hooked on this amazing workout which became a fun and sometimes scary work inwards.
My pre-yoga life was simply cluttered, unbalanced and prone to injury. There was a stage in my life where I lived with a lot of anxiety and this seemed to manifest itself through body aliments, panic attacks, anger and fear which led onto a disruptive path.
I noticed very quickly that my yoga practice started to shift and peel away these disruptive patterns I was living with and I started to feel pleasantly comfortable again in my own skin which was very liberating and to this day is such an amazing feeling. It all started to make perfect sense that the preparation work I was doing on the mat and moment by moment process was surely what this journey was all about rather than attaching to results and outcome which I was so exposed to for many years. It made perfect sense for me coming from a teaching background to deepen my knowledge and yoga journey so I took my first 200hr yoga alliance teacher training with Fred Busch from Miami yoga and this was the start of something really special.
It is the freedom and flow of power Vinyasa that led me to the teachings of Baptiste yoga, a very powerful system where tapping into the source of transformation and authenticity is the intention both on and off the mat. I continue to train with Baron and will be travelling to Texas in September 2011 to further my studies with the Baptiste institute.
I returned back to the UK in 2003 and have been based in Wimbledon, London for the past five years where I live with my wife and two adorable kittens.
So nine years down the road, I now have my own yoga business in London called The House of Yoga, where I teach private, corporate and public classes at various London studios as well as growing a strong community in Southfields, Wimbledon. I love sharing my passion, experience and knowledge to all my students and it is so rewarding watching students grow, having fun and shining bright both on and off the mat.
I still find time in my busy schedule to teach and play some tennis and I put that down to yoga. I am able to hit some tennis balls every week which is fantastic simply because I found the path of yoga. If you are a tennis player at any level and interested in how yoga can help you both on and off the court you can check out Tennishead the UK’s leading tennis magazine where I was interviewed in Volume 1, issue 2 April 2010.
We all know that yoga is good for us on so many levels, for me it started as a work out that helped heal long term injuries but the real fruits and fun parts of this journey has been the work in a place of new and endless possibilities where we all have the right to experience and be.
The magical practice of Yoga…
We all hear that Yoga is good for us. It can help reduce stress, calm the mind, strengthen the
body and improve flexibility among many more life changing benefits.
Yoga is very much the path of transformation. As we experience the process and journey
both on and off the mat we really do have the opportunity to live a life of longevity, balance,
vitality and peace. We learn the practice of Asana to open, lengthen and strengthen our
muscular and skeletal body, we inhale exhale ujjayi breath to cleanse the internal system
allowing us to be in the magical place of presence, the here and now moment. We flow
with the rhythm of Vinyasa to ignite the peace and power from within and those special
moments of meditation in motion.
There is no doubt if we practice with compassion and continuity yoga allows us to grow on
many levels and deeply connects us to our true nature and being, a place where we can
relax and renew if we just allow ourselves that sacred time and space on what we love and
call the yoga mat.
Jason @ The House of Yoga
Welcome to the House of Yoga
We finally have our new website up & running. Please take your time to have a good browse around the site & check out our Facebook and Twitter pages. From here onwards the team and myself will be making blog posts on the website all about the company along with a few other yoga related things. Keep checking back because pretty soon we will have a brand new newsletter along with various ways for you subscribe to the blog.
~Jason