April 2026 Newsletter – Dorchester Yoga and Therapy Centre

There is a shift in nature, everything feels like it is coming alive, the days are getting lighter, there is a rising energy in us that matches the outside world… If you are not feeling like this, don’t worry! In Ayurveda, this isn’t surprising. Ayurveda is the ancient science of healthy living, originating in India, alongside yoga.

In Spring, instead of feeling energised, the body and mind can feel heavy and slow, almost as if you’re moving through mud. Motivation can drop. Even a yoga practice you normally enjoy may take a lot more effort.

In Ayurveda, three fundamental energies and qualities govern physical, mental, and emotional health, and they are the 3 doshas: kapha, pitta and vata. Derived from the five elements, these forces regulate all bodily functions, and everyone has a unique combination of all three.

The Dosha Kapha

Spring is dominated by the dosha Kapha, which has the elements of earth and water. Kapha is defined by qualities such as cold, heavy, stable, moist, and dull, and these qualities naturally increase in Spring. When these qualities accumulate, they can create a sense of heaviness, stagnation, dampness, and sluggishness in both body and mind.

We can counterbalance these feelings by changes to our yoga practice, our diet, and our daily life. In asana practice, there can be adjustments with the pace, breath, and intention, to rediscover the lightness and vitality that Spring is meant to bring.

To bring Kapha back into balance, you need to introduce the opposite qualities: heat, lightness, mobility, and sharpness. You may still practice the same asanas, but your approach and attitude need to change.

Rather than slow or grounding practices, spring calls for a more dynamic, invigorating, and intentional style of yoga, one that lifts your energy rather than settling it further. Spring is not the time to push yourself harshly, but it is a time for activation, heat, movement, and stimulation. Practising Surya Namaskar at a slightly faster pace, waking before 6 am, brisk morning walks, stronger asana with twists and backbends, sweating once a day, and spending more time outside.

A Spring Diet

Your diet needs to follow the same path: warm, dry, light, and spiced foods; spices that kindle the digestive fire; and a lighter evening meal. The rich soups that felt comforting in January now feel heavy. Large portions feel unnecessary. You start craving something lighter, fresher, slightly sharper. That shift is natural if you listen to your body.

Traditionally, Spring was a scarce season. Stored foods were running low. The fresh harvest hadn’t fully arrived yet. Bitter greens were often the first foods available. Many of these greens appear naturally in early spring. Nettles, for example, are one of the first wild greens of the season and make delicious soup.

Nature moves from building… to clearing. If you follow your instincts, kapha begins to move. If you ignore it and continue with heavy, sweet, damp foods such as cakes, pastries, large dinners, and mainly sweet vegetables, then stagnation will continue to deepen.

Balancing Kapha

Balancing Kapha isn’t about a burst of motivation or about restriction; it’s about steadiness. A morning structure that activates you before the day takes over. Meals that match the season. Movement that builds warmth. It’s about consistency. This is where rhythm becomes powerful. When your nervous system has structure, stagnation starts to move.

For me, I know Winter is behind me, as I taught my last Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra workshop yesterday. Thank you to those who have joined me over the past 6 months. These workshops won’t resume until October, when we slip back into the season of rest and recuperation. My teaching, too, changes with the seasons. If your life is not quite ready for the seasonal change, we still have plenty of nourishing and gentle classes, Yin with Chrissie Haskett and Toni Franklin, Sound Baths with Arianna Puran Udini and Nicki Greenham, Restorative Yoga with Tracey Boast, and a new Mindful Meditation and Self Hypnosis Fortnightly class starting on Friday, the 17th April with Lucy Bowtell. Find out more here

If your energy is rising with Spring and you are ready for transformation, we have some wonderful workshops to look forward to: Magdalena and Ruth are onto their 3rd workshop of the Awakening Series, April’s workshop is called Awakening Rebirth, and you can find out more here.

And Arise From Within: a meditation and healing workshop with Rachel and Lucy.
Find out more

Luna Light: Rachel and Lucy also start their monthly moon workshops with Reiki and sound.
Find out more

Ashtanga Vinyasa Workshop: Ness Sherry’s Astanga workshop this month is on Satya – truth.
Find out more

Kim Jones has a new Postnatal 5-week course starting on Tuesday 14th April 10.00-11.00 am, and after Easter, Kim Burnham starts her children’s weekly yoga classes. You can find out about these on the classes page.

Looking ahead to May

Sian Parsons is bringing a new workshop, Nature Harmonic sessions for families, to the yoga centre. Her first Nurture Harmonics workshop will be a Beltane celebration, you can find out more here.

We have all our usual workshops as well in the list below, come and join us to find your balance and your Spring!

Namaste,
Sharon

April Workshops & Courses

Saturday 4th, Sunday 5th, and Monday 6th April – 9.30-5.00pm
Subtle Anatomy with Dr. Kausthubha Desikachar
For those who are not able to attend this full weekend seminar, there is an option to join day one; this can be approached as either a revision or a standalone introduction to the themes of the seminar. Please contact Kim Burnham at kim_mackie@me.com

Friday 10th April, 7.00-8.30 pm
Tuning Fork Soundbath with Angelic Healing Nicki Greenham

Saturday 11th April, 2.00-3.30 pm
Reiki Share with Peter Griffiths

Saturday 11th April, 2.30-5.00 pm
Yin Yoga with Chrissie Haskett

Friday 17th April, 1.00-2.00 pm
Fortnightly Meditation, Mindfulness and Self-hypnosis with Lucy Bowtell

Friday 17th April, 7.00-9.00 pm
Lunar Light with Rachel Tapping and Lucy Bowtell

Saturday 18th April, 9.30-11.00 am
Pushing Hands with Tim Button

Saturday 18th April, 10.30-11.45 am
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with Sarah Ryan

Saturday 18th April, 10.30-12.30 pm
Ashtanga Vinyasa Workshop: Satya with Ness Sherry

Saturday 18th April, 12.00-1.00 pm
Vedic Chanting with Sarah Ryan

Saturday 18th April, 1.00-4.00 pm
Iyengar Yoga with Cheree Low

Sunday 19th April
Vedanta with Marj Snape

Sunday 19th April, 1.30-4.30 pm
Pushing Hands with Duncan Price