Classes for Early childhood – ‘Yoga Tales’
Yoga Tales is an original & innovative way of teaching young children to respect & look after their bodies & minds, whilst also encouraging a thoughtful attitude by developing awareness of the connections between themselves, each other & the world around them. This is done by incorporating the many aspects of Yoga through-
‘Creative postures, song, storytelling, relaxation & playful discussion’
The classes are fun & imaginative as the children play with physical postures, simple breathing techniques & relaxation. At the same time they explore themes such as ‘Healthy living’ & values such as ‘Kindness’ (all themes are non-religious)
Classes for Children – ‘Yoga Groove’
Children are joyful & creative beings. They are naturally curious about life and discover it through imagination & play. In our kids classes we teach with this in mind, using: ‘stories, games, drama, song, rhythm and art’ to explore all that yoga has to offer.
In a supportive & fun environment we focus on physical postures, breath awareness & relaxation techniques to help children learn to release physical & mental tensions that are a by-product of living in this overly stimulated & often stressful age.
You may notice that our kid’s classes run for an hour rather than the standard 45 minutes. The reason for this is that in a ‘Yoga Groove’ class we intersperse the traditional physical, breathing & relaxation practices with many other aspects of yoga. Our aim is to give children a chance to look at their physical, behavioral & thought patterns. The children are encouraged to notice what is not useful in their lives & how these patterns can be changed if they wish. More importantly however, the focus is on encouraging them to see all the wisdom, beauty & potential that already exists within them.
Classes for Teenagers – ‘Yoga Connect’
Teenagers are dealing with much uncertainty in their daily lives. Not only do they face physical & hormonal changes but their mental and emotional states are also affected. They face enormous social pressures whilst having the stress of school work & exams. Their world is very external, leaving them vulnerable to the constant input of advertising and media that challenges their ability to listen to their intuition.
In our teenage classes the physical postures (asana) are very important. By learning to work the body in ways that are supportive to good health yoga also helps move the energy that often becomes stagnant and blocked, causing frustration, anger or even depression.
As their peers are very important at this stage in life, partner & group work is also used to develop understanding & respect for each other. Yoga is non competitive so judgement and criticism of self & others is lessened. This gives rise to spontaneity as they let go and have fun.
Stress is often a major part in the life of a teenager. Stress reduction techniques are explored, giving teens simple tools to take away to balance strong emotions & calm busy minds.
Our classes also involve breathing, relaxation & mindfulness techniques. They learn to listen and know when to take time out and use these tools to help ground and re-balance themselves when facing the unstable and unfamiliar times ahead.
Classes for Families
Family yoga is all about ‘re-grouping, re-connecting & re-discovering’ each other in this unique way. Renew your bond together as a family & a community in a supportive, playful environment.
Best suited to families with children 5 or over, but all ages are very welcome.
Classes for Adults
Our classes are tailored to cater for the needs of each student. They are designed to offer safe modifications or variations within the practices depending on the needs and capabilities of each individual.
Kate teaches self awareness through introspective observation. This enables each individual to tune into their own practice as a ‘witness’ or ‘silent observer’, therefore learning to recognise what the body needs at each given moment. This helps us become less focused on achieving the goal as we learn to let go of the inner struggle and surrender to the process. It is here that we can learn so much about ourselves and our behavior. Not only is this approach helpful during a yoga class but also in our day to day lives.
Testimonials
“I love to see my children eager to be part of something and Kate creates a beautiful environment. Not only do they have a lot of fun but are considerably calmer at the end of the class too” Samantha McAlpine (mother of three)
“Yoga helps me feel calm, relaxed, happy and free” Shea, 8 yrs (Yoga Groove)
“Your beautiful Yoga Tales classes have enriched and energised both the children and myself…..thankyou” Lisa Bradley (Hazelbrook family Daycare)
“I really enjoyed these yoga classes! My favorite things were the group work, the games & the relaxation at the end” Aloka, yr 9 student (Yoga Connect)
“I enjoy yoga because it helps me forget all the things I stress about during the day. I will definitely be doing yoga at home from now on!” Ashleigh, yr 10 student (Yoga Connect)
“My4 yr old daughter was able to recall & use the breathing she has learned from Yoga Tales to calm herself on our recent overseas flight, what could have been very a very long & stressful flight was avoided” Lisa & Willow (Yoga Tales)