Wednesday 15 February 2012

Testimonials

"Thank you for your fantastic pregnancy yoga teaching.  I was a bit nervous at first as I had never done any yoga prior to your classes. But I needn't have been as I found your classes calming, relaxing and I have no doubt that the techniques I learnt from you helped enormously with the birth of my little girl.  I would highly recommend your pregnancy yoga classes for all expectant ladies."
Emma, North London


"I was thrilled that I could continue practising yoga with Emma throughout my pregnancy. Emma's teaching is calm and soothing and remains focused throughout the class. The sequence of stretches flowed seamlessly and by the end of each class I felt well stretched, calm and connected with my baby. The breathing exercises were wonderful for combating shortness of breath in later pregnancy and were also useful during labour. The various positions Emma taught us were also helpful during labour and the relaxation at the end of each class helped to focus my thoughts on my baby. My husband commented that I always came back from yoga serene and unstressed and I would recommend Emma's class to anyone who's pregnant, whether or not you've practised yoga before."
Sarah, North London

Sunday 12 February 2012

Waiting to exhale

Baby Iris was born in August after a speedy three hour labour from start to finish - she was in a hurry to see us I think. Humour, sound, breath control and movement all contributed to her enjoyable birth.

With our two daughters as our primary concern we decided to give up the London life and head for the country. In November we packed our bags and said goodbye to the circus and headed for beautiful hilly Gloucestershire. We've been incredibly busy since, with no time to spare, what with two little ones and a house in need of a lot of love and attention, so busy in fact that the physical practice of yoga seems a long way off. That said, I try to practice a little every day - even if it's just supported savasana at the end of the day,  basically collapsing in a heap on the floor when the two girls are in bed (but of course doing so while meditating on my sankalpa)!

I have every sympathy with my students when trying to find a class - life, work, children, relationships all demand our attention and there can often be very little time left to practice yoga and find a class with a teacher that we like, that fits in with everything else. The irony is that the busier we are the more we need yoga but the less time we seem to have for it. Equally being a mother of two (two years between them) is probably about the busiest I have ever been in my life and the most physically demanding time I have experienced - and (cruelly) at a time when energy levels are at their lowest. So if you're like me and aren't out there doing headstands or flying through vinyasas with abundant grace and energy - enjoy the exhale and make it a good long one - save flying for another day.