So what is Yoga-Pilates Fusion?
In a nutshell, yoga will develop a flexible body and calm mind, Pilates will develop core strength and is excellent to alleviate and prevent certain kinds of back pain. Yoga-Pilates fusion brings the advantages of these two kinds of exercise together so you don't have to choose between the two.

The first class in the new course just took place today, Tuesday Feb. 7th at 9.30am in the beautiful Spotlight Studio on Main St. Arklow. New courses will be starting soon on Wed and Thursday morning at the Ananta Yoga Studio and Friday morning at the Gorey Holistic Centre. This is a perfect time to start. You can drop the kids off to creche or school and have your workout completed by 10.30, ready to head to work or home to chill out before picking up your little one again or into town for a well-earned latte before you get back into action again.

Keep an eye on the schedule at http://www.therapyandyoga.com/timetable.html for new classes always make sure to text before joining a new class as timetable always subject to change.

I'm adding three new classes to the schedule which will work well for people dropping off children to school or who have a late morning working start. All three new classes will be a seamless fusion of Pilates exercises with Yoga poses, so perfect for the indecisive and for the hyper efficient who want to combine all the core strengthening of Pilates with the flexibility and strength of Yoga into just one hour.

I'm including a promtional rate of half off for anyone who brings a friend (for both you AND your friend) for the first month. Standard rates are Eur 15 drop in, Eur 50 for one calender month or Eur 80 for two months. The Friday class will be a little less as there are only three weeks in February, so just Eur 40 for those three weeks or Eur 70 to pay through March.

And of course those who pay for unlimited access to classes will NOT need to pay any extra for these new hours :-)

The are:
Tuesday  - starting February 7th
Class:    Yoga-Pilates Fusion Class mixed beginners
Time:     9.30am to 10.30pm
Venue:  Spotlight Academy of Theatre Arts, Upper Main St, Arklow

Class:    Yoga-Pilates Fusion Class mixed beginners
Time:    11.30am to 12.30pm
Venue:  Ananta Yoga Studio, N11, over Romany Stone / The Tap

Friday   - starting February 10th
Class:    Yoga-Pilates Fusion Class mixed beginners
Time:     9.30am to 10.30pm
Venue: Hillcrest Gorey Holistic Centre, Fort Rd, Gorey, Co. Wexford 

As both a Yoga Teacher and a Pilates Teacher I often get asked the question which is better for a client to do, Yoga or Pilates? Sometimes the question is phrased as 'which is better?' and at times one could get the impression that there is mutual disdain between Pilates and Yoga Teachers.

From my perspective there is zero conflict and in fact the two work very well together. However, which one is better for you?

Pilates is certainly more focused on strenghtening your core than Yoga and I have seen yoga students progress rapidly in poses such as Tolasana or Pendulum pose when they have started to do real core strengthening work in Pilates class.

Likewise, clients who have been doing Pilates for a while and have reaped the benefits of increased joint mobility, strengthened and toned mid-section and core but still remain relatively tight in hamstrings and hips, will gain flexibility much more rapidly in a Yoga class.

The question isn't which is better, but which is better for you.

If you are unsure as to which class is better for you just send a quick email to info@therapyandyoga.com or contact me at www.facebook.com/therapy.yoga and I will be happy to help you choose the class or combination of classes that is right for you.

Hi All,
 
For those of you with an interest in the deeper aspects of Yoga and Eastern medicine, please check out my friends at the Kagyu Samye Dzong Buddhist Centre in Kilmainham D8. The centre is beautiful and they are running courses in Mindfulness and Tibetan Medicine clinics in addition to their usual schedule of events.

I attended meditation classes there for about a year when I lived nearby and still miss them.

Yoga is mindfulness in motion, acupuncture can bring you to a state of mindfulness through energy balance. Meditation and chant are direct ways to this same end.

If you have any questions for the folks at the centre, you can reach them at info@buddhism.ie or join their mailing list at www.buddhism.ie

Hi All, Dave Curtis, well known teacher trainer in Dublin with an excellent reputation, will be doing a workshop at the Ananta Yoga Studio on the N11 just outside of Arklow – details below (please contact Liz - not us):

Master Class with Dave Curtis of Vinyasa Flow Yoga Dublin at The Ananta Yoga Studio. Friday 30th September 7.30pm-10pm. Fee €25. We have extended class time by half an hour from last one in July to bring you all best value for money possible so this will be a long session! Only 20 spaces and payment due in full by Friday 16th to hold your space and to avoid wasting precious yoga time on the night. Text Liz to book your place 086 8963425 asap. Many thanks! Liz

Om Shanti,

Liam B.

Check out the best supplements for Yogis and natural flexibility at:

www.yogabodynaturals.com

Hi all, just a reminder that the great Chuck Miller will be teaching this September (23rd through 25th) at the Open Mind Yoga Centre on Pearse Street. Prices are reasonable and the your choice of days quite flexible so call them as soon as you can if you are interested as places will be taken up quickly. Hope to see you all there!

Liam B.

www.yogabodynaturals.com

Acupuncture has been shown time and again to benefit couples who are experiencing difficulty conceiving. So how does this relate to the issue of weight? For some excellent info on this topic check out this excellent article by Zita West, the renowned acupuncture and fertility specialist, written for the lovely people at rollercoaster.ie, Irelands best online resource for pregnancy and childcare. Zita West has a practice in Harley St and specializes in fertility. She is an acupuncturist, nutritionist and midwife and the author of many excellent books relating to these issues. To learn more about acupuncture and fertility in general check here for more details

To learn more about the Zita West approach to fertility you can check out her book Plan to get Pregnant on Amazon.

www.yogabodynaturals4u.com

Yes that's right, a free Yoga Workshop and Pilates Workshop rolled into one! No need to book, just show up on the day. We had planned it for 11am but has been extended! At no cost to you, you are welcome to come along for over 3 hours of Yoga and Pilates with time for discussion and demonstration at the end. I'll be teaching approx 45 mins to an hour of Hatha Yoga, 45 mins to an hour of Ashtanga based Vinyasa yoga and 45 mins of Pilates. Each will be discussed briefly before we begin. You are free to attend all three back to back (with breaks in-between!) or to just pick and choose. So for example if all you are interested in is Hatha Yoga just come along at 10am.

This is perfect if you would like to try out any of these for the first time, if you already practice yoga and would just like to try out the venue or if you haven't taken yoga or classes with me before and would like to sample a class or two before you commit.

You are also more than welcome to just come along, no strings attached and just enjoy a good, long 3 and a half hour Saturday morning holistic workout!

The schedule will be:

10am to 11am - Hatha Yoga
11am to 12pm - Vinyasa / Ashtanga
12pm to 1pm - Pilates
1pm to 1.30ish - questions and demos

All are welcome. Bring a mat if you have one, but don't worry if you don't we will have penty of mats there.

More details about the location can be found at http://www.bodytransform.ie/classes.html

It's nearly September again and the kids are getting ready to go back to school, which for many mums and some dads, means its time to start thinking about getting active again and maybe trying a yoga class for the first time or even returning to yoga after a long break.

There are so many types of yoga around these days that it can be hard to know what's what and so many yoga studios and independent teachers that you just don't know where to start.

So here's some basic advice to get started.

Ask yourself what you wish to gain from yoga.

Is it physical fitness with super flexibility? If so, try a beginners Ashtanga class or Power Yoga. Vinyasa Flow may also be quite vigorous but you will need to ask the teacher about the pace fo the class.

Would you prefer a detailed breakdown of each pose with attention to alignment and safety throughout as the main focus? Try an Iyengar class.

Do you want more or less the same routine every time so that you can easily begin to practice at home? An Ashtanga Yoga class or Sivananda Yoga class will always feature the same routine. Ashtanga will be more demanding while Sivananda will be much more basic with more emphasis on meditation and spirituality.

Are you looking for some spiritual content, yoga philosophy and meditation in the class? Sivananda Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Raja Yoga will probably be best for this.

Would you like a varied routine that focuses on flexbility, relaxation and meditation? Hatha Yoga, the original yoga, will be best for this.

Are you looking for remedial yoga to alleviate or to cure chronic pain, recover from illness? Firstly, consider a 1-2-1 class. If this isn't financially possible then try a Viniyoga or Somatic Yoga class. Other classes may also be suitable but you will need to discuss with your teacher.

And finally, should I choose an independent teacher or go to a large Studio?
This question isn't as simple as it appears. A large Studio may have discounts and sign up offers with lots of different types of yoga you can try. This is perfect if you are getting started as it allows you to find out which style is best for you and if you miss an evening you can always switch for another. As time goes on and you have found the style you like the other classes become less important and you may find that there is a lack of continuity in larger studios with timetables changing and teachers being substituted. An independent teacher cannot offer the same variety but if you like their style then this won't matter and you are more likely to get just the class you want every time you go. Developing a relationship with an individual teacher means that you may receive discounts specific to you over time that a large Studio will never offer. It also means that if you wish to progress your yoga to teacher training then you have a solid relationship with a person who can help you on this path.

This is not at all an exhaustive list, but I hope it will help a little. If you have any questions about which kind of yoga class will be right for you this september feel free to send an email to info@therapyandyoga.com, find us on Facebook or use the comment section of the blog.

In the meantime, to prepare your body for all that stretching, check out www.yogabodynaturals4U.com for the only supplements created by a yoga teacher specifically for yoga students.

Om Shanti

Liam B.