Posts by Sharon Cox-Button

As the seasons change and the light softens, the brightness of Summer gives way to something more golden, more grounded. There is a different feeling in the air; the pace of life is slowing, and with it is a desire to begin to draw inward. The celebration of the autumn equinox, Mabon, on September 21st has passed, and with it the quiet understanding that things have ripened. Things are ready to be gathered, honoured and received. The energy of harvest is not just around us but within us.

I met with friends to celebrate Mabon at a beautiful historic site in the Dorset countryside: a dolmen. We meditated on and discussed the year’s achievements, reflecting on what we had completed and what had nourished us, and we felt grateful for the abundance in our lives. Abundance doesn’t have to mean endless accumulation; it can come through recognition, gratitude, awareness, and appreciating what is already there.

In addition, I have just finished a weekend of mantra and study of Patanjali’s yama-s and niyama-s with Dr Kausthubha Desikacha. The yama-s and niyama-s are the first two of the eight limbs of yoga, the prerequisites of the yoga journey. These moral and societal ways of behaviour hold us like the banks of a river, so that we can proceed forward in our yoga practice. Yoga is a daily practice, not an intellectual pursuit. It is easy to slip into bad habits and patterns, so to be supported and reminded by a teacher made this a weekend in which I felt gathered, honoured, and received. Our practice on and off the mat should take us deeper on our spiritual path, but if the initial work on ourselves and our behaviour is not done, the yoga journey will not go far.

These two occasions have given me a feeling of abundance, and plenty to reflect on and support me for the coming months ahead. Make sure you find time for your own reflection, celebrate your achievements of this year, and find nourishment to take you forward through the change of the seasons.

Workshops

October is the start of my Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra workshops. Workshops to relax, nurture, and restore. Suitable for all, and particularly if you are very tired, stressed, or recovering from illness. These will run from October to April. Find out more.

A lovely nourishing Belly Massage Course with massage therapist and Kinesiologist Jane Collison. Learn how to give yourself a belly massage, in which you will learn how to massage your own abdomen safely and therapeutically. Find out more

Arianna will be sharing some of her Kundalini practice, beginning with a meditation she has been practising throughout September (Long Ek Ong Kar Meditation Workshop), followed by one of her fabulous soundbaths (Healing Soundbath). Each can be booked as a one-off, or you can book both for the special price of £25.

The first of a series of workshops with Physiotherapist Loulou James, who designed the Buttafly to help with back pain and posture. This first workshop is called Finding Stillness and Ease in Sitting.

Courses

Anna Nangle will begin a new 5-week course of Qi Gong from Wednesday, October 7th. If you are interested in joining Anna, you can find out more here.

We have a busy month with all our regular workshops, plenty to choose from for reflection, nourishment, and gratitude for all we have.

Namaste,

Sharon

October Courses and Workshops

Friday 2nd 6.30-7.30pm
Breathing and Yoga Nidra with Sharon Cox-Button

Saturday 3rd 10.30-11.45am
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with Sarah Ryan

Saturday 3rd 12.00-1.00pm
Vedic Chanting with Sarah Ryan

Sunday 4th 2.00-4.00pm
Restorative Yoga and Alchemy Soundbath with Tracey Boast

Friday 9th – Monday 12th
Viniyoga Teacher Training Course with Sharon Cox-Button and Kim Burnham

Friday 9th 7.00-8.30pm
Tuning Fork Sound Bath with Angelic Healing with Nicki Greenham

Friday 9th 7.00-9.00pm
Lunar Light with Rachel Taping and Lucy Bowtell

Saturday 10th 9.00-10.15am
Pilates Workshop with Sharon Morgan

Saturday 10th 2.30-5.00pm
Yin Yoga with Chrissie Haskett

Friday 16th 7.00-8.30pm
Belly Massage Course – with Jane Collison

Saturday 17th 10.30-12.30pm
Energetic Alignment with Ness Sherry

Saturday 17th 1-4pm
Iyengar Yoga with Cheree Low

Sunday 18th 10.00-1.00pm
Vedanta Course with Marj Snape

Sunday 18th 2.30-5.00pm
Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra with Sharon Cpx-Button

Friday 23rd 7.00-8.30pm
Belly Massage Course – Jane Collison

Sunday 25th 9.30-11.00am
Long Ek Ong Kar Meditation Workshop – Arianna Purna Udini

Sunday 25th 12.00-1.30pm
Soundbath with Arianna Puran Udini

Friday 30th 6.00-7.30pm
Yin Yoga with Toni Franklin

Saturday 31st 10.00-1.00pm
Finding Steadiness and Ease in Sitting with Loulou James

“We cling to our own point of view, as though everything depended on it. Yet our opinions have no permanence; like autumn and winter, they gradually pass away.”

~ Zhuangzi ~

This month we will reach the Autumn equinox, and indeed tinges of Autumn touch the natural world all around us. It’s hard to ignore the feeling that the fun living of Summer will very soon come to an end. Despite the lack of rain, there are fruits and berries everywhere; the energy of September has always been about preserving and collecting! Collecting seeds, bottling jam and chutney, making syrups, preparing for Autumn and Winter.

Despite this busyness, September brings a calming down and a restoring of routine. Routine may seem a little boring, but if it’s a good one it is very helpful to us! A routine, i.e., a habitual or fixed way of doing things, can bring us into harmony with the nature around us, especially with day and night, and the time we wake up and go to bed. It can create a sense of predictability, which can help reduce anxiety, improve efficiency, and bring structure to the day. A daily yoga practice is a regular practice that helps us move towards the state of yoga, a steadying of the fluctuations of our mind. It doesn’t happen automatically but requires abhyāsa (practice) and vairāgyābhyam (detachment) – detachment from all that may lead us astray and distract us from our practice. These two states are equally important, just as a bird needs two wings to fly.

Abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyām tat nirodhah Y.S. 1.12 Patanjali

The state of yoga arises out of regular practice and detachment

Added to this, working with the lunar cycle allows us to set intentions with the new moon, nurture our endeavours through the month, and reflect on our success or otherwise at the full moon.

Rachel Tapping and Lucy Bowtell have been offering monthly moon workshops throughout the year and they continue in September with The New Moon in Virgo.

“New Moon in Virgo workshop will contain sacred routines, with some channelled wisdom around the lessons of each new moon, practical ideas of how to weave and integrate them in a way that feels right for you, a deep earth-centred meditation, a Reiki energy bath for the collective, finishing with a crystalline sound bath, a moon card pull and a cup of tea”. 

Lucy and Rachel are also running a Retreat Day in September.

“A day where we create the space you may be craving for yourself. We feel drawn to indulge you with all the things that light you up. The room all made up with candles and incense, a cup of tea, a mat, and a blanket waiting for you. A day to be guided, treated, inspired, and uplifted with lunch and snacks.

We will theme it around water/ocean energy, riding the emotional waves, using water to heal and support ourselves, especially during this big transitional year. The day will feel celebratory, yet calm. We will bring tools & techniques for self-connection, ceremony, and lots of special surprises amidst our staple favourites of energy work, meditation, sound bowls and more.”

You can book here

Workshops

As we head into the new term, we have new classes, courses and workshops to share with you.

We are very excited to have Dr Kausthubha Desikchar back at the end of the month, with two workshops that can be taken separately or discounted if both taken together.

The first one is looking at mantra and how it has traditionally accompanied all aspects of a Yoga practice. Mantra is not simply repetition, but a subtle and powerful tool that can refine perception, influence the deeper layers of the mind, and support balance within the body’s energetic systems, including the cakra-s.

The second workshop is an authentic introduction to Aṣṭāṅga Yoga – the eight limbs of Yoga as presented by Mahaṛṣi Patañjali. This one-day workshop offers a clear and authentic introduction to the eight limbs, exploring how they support and inform one another, and how they can be applied in both practice and daily life.

Sharon Morgan is back with her Pilates workshops; the first one is Beginners and Basics. For more information or to book, see here.

All our other regular monthly workshops are back; you can see them in the list below.

New courses

We have two courses starting in September. For more information and bookings, click on the links below:

• A 5-week qi gong course with Anna Nangle
• A 5-week postnatal yoga course with Kim Jones

New Classes

We are very excited to welcome Alex Beer from Feed The Soul, who is starting a Vinyasa Flow class on Mondays 7.30-8.45 pm. The first class will be on Monday the 7th at 7.30 pm. You can read about Alex’s yoga journey here.

We all welcome you back to the centre this September, back into your routine, or maybe a new one… And of course this is not the end of the Summer; there will still be plenty of time for swimming and enjoying the outdoors.

Namaste,

Sharon

September Courses and Workshops

Friday 4th 6.30-7.30pm
Breathing and Yoga Nidra with Sharon Cox-Button

Saturday 6th /7th
Viniyoga Teacher Training Course with Sharon Cox-Button and Kim Burnham

Friday 11th 7.00-8.30pm
Tuning Fork Sound bath with Angelic Healing with Nicki Greenham

Friday 11th 7.00-9.00pm
Lunar Light with Rachel Tapping and Lucy Bowtell

Saturday 12th 9.30-10.45am
Beginners and Basics Pilates Workshop with Sharon Morgan

Saturday 12th 10.30-11.45am
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with Sarah Ryan

Saturday 12th 12.00-1.00pm
Vedic Chanting with Sarah Ryan

Saturday 12th 2.30-5.00pm
Yin Yoga with Chrissie Haskett

Sunday 13th 10.00-4.00pm
Retreat Lucy Bowtell and Rachel Tapping

Sunday 13th 2.00-4.00pm
Restorative Yoga with Tracey Boast

Saturday 19th 1.00-4.00pm
Iyengar Yoga with Cheree Low

Friday 25th 6.00-7.30pm
Yin Yoga Workshop with Toni Franklin

Saturday 26th 9.30-5.00pm
Samantraka Yoga-sādhanā – Dr Kausthubha Desikachar

Sunday 27th 9.30-5.00pm
AṢṬĀṄGA | The Eight Limbs of Yoga – Dr Kausthubha Desikachar

“The success of yoga does not lie in the ability to perform postures but in how it positively changes the way we live our life.”

~ T.K.V. Desikachar ~

This newsletter covers July and August as I step back and take a break from organising classes and events until September. There is a stillness to July and August that I love as we leave the giddy heights of midsummer behind us and the flurry and blossoming extravaganza of Spring and early Summer. The world seems to pause, offering a moment to look back to the beginning of the year, reflect on the intentions set, and ponder all that has been achieved so far.

There is a maturing, a deeper shade of green, the canopy closing, the outdoors is calling us, and nature is inviting connection. For me, this is a time for rest and relaxation, lying in the garden, or on the beach, swimming in the sea or pottering on my allotment; these are some of my most relaxing times.

A reminder to check your teachers’ holiday times and the calendar, as the centre is quieter through the Summer. Although some teachers will take a break, we seem to have more going on than we normally do at this time of year.

Don’t forget there is a new weekly class starting on Thursday 23rd July, 4.30-5.45 pm with Iyengar Yoga teacher Jane Hutchins.

New Teacher: Hannah Wilson

A welcome to Hannah of Wild Lotus Holistic Healing, who is offering Morning and evening Sound Workshops and small group or individual sound and Reiki therapy sessions in July and August. You can find out more here.

New Therapist: Loulou James

We also have therapist Loulou James joining us in the therapy room. Her work centres on natural back care and spine health, not only as a structural concern, but as an integrated expression of how we move, adapt and respond to life. Many people come to her for help with back-related symptoms, but her work often extends into improvements in breathing, mobility, emotional regulation and a greater sense of internal coherence. You can find out more here.

Looking ahead to September

Basics and Beginners 8 week Short Course in Pilates with Sharon Morgan. Katie Pitney will be back again, offering her massage in the therapy room.

Have a wonderful relaxing Summer from us all.

Sharon

July Courses and Workshops

Friday 3rd 7-9 pm
Lunar Light with Rachel Tapping and Lucy Bowtell

Saturday 4th 9.30-11.00 pm
Pushing Hands with Tim Button

Saturday 4th 10.30-11.45 am
Yoga Sutras with Sarah Ryan

Saturday 4th 12.00-1.00 pm
Vedic Chanting with Sarah Ryan

Sunday 5th 10.00-1.00 pm
Vedanta Group with Marj Snape

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

Saturday 11th 8.00-6.00pm/Sunday 12th 7.00-5.00pm
Viniyoga Teacher Training with Sharon Cox-Button and Kim Burnham

Sunday 12th 2.00-4.00 pm
Restorative Yoga and Alchemy Sounds with Tracey Boast

Saturday 18th 10.30-12.30 pm
Ashtanga Vinyasa Workshop – The Art of Letting Go with Ness Sherry

Saturday 18th 10.00-1.00 pm
The Nature of Reality with Derek Thorne

Saturday 18th 2.00-3.30 pm
Reiki Share with Peter Griffiths

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

Saturday 25th 10.30-12.00 pm
Solar Sound Session – Morning Activation – Wild Lotus Holistic Healing

Saturday 25th 12.30-2.00 pm
Crystal Singing Bowls and Tuning Forks Soundbath with Healing Meditation Arianna Puran Udini

Saturday 25th 12.30-5.30 pm
1:1 & Small Group Reiki Sound Therapy Sessions (Up to 4 people) Wild Lotus Holistic Healing

Saturday 25th 1.00-3.00 pm
Nature Harmonics with Sian Parsons

Saturday 25th 6.00-7.30 pm
The Lunar Sound Session – Evening Deep Rest and Restore – Wild Lotus Holistic Healing

Sunday 26th 12.00-2.00 pm
Kundalini Activation with Rachel Tapping

Friday 31st 6.00-7.30 pm
Yin Yoga with Toni

August Courses and Workshops

Friday 7th 6.00-7.00 pm
Breathing and Yoga Nidra with Sharon Cox-Button

Friday 7th 7.00-9.00 pm
Lunar Light with Rachel Tapping and Lucy Bowtell

Saturday 8th 10.30-12.00 pm
Solar Sound Session – Morning Activation – Wild Lotus Holistic Healing

Saturday 8th 12.30-5.30 pm
1:1 & Small Group Reiki Sound Therapy Sessions (Up to 4 people) Wild Lotus Holistic Healing

Saturday 8th 2.30-5.00 pm
Yin Yoga with Chrissie Haskett

Saturday 8th 6.00-7.30 pm
The Lunar Sound Session – Evening Deep Rest and Restore – Wild Lotus Holistic Healing

Friday 28th August 6.00-7.30 pm
Yin Yoga with Toni Franklin

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”

~ John Lubbock ~

June 21st marks the Summer solstice, when the sun has reached its zenith and stands still, the tipping point before the slow slide back to the cold and the dark. This is the moment when we experience the longest day and the shortest night. Like the sun, we are at the peak of ourselves energetically as we fill our long warm days and evenings with action and enthusiasm.

Traditionally, midsummer bonfires were lit on beacon hills in towns and villages, and were kept burning all night. This one was one of the few times a long burning hearth in the home (and remember the hearth was kept alight as it was the energy for cooking and heating) was put out to be relit using the flame of the midsummer fire. The hearth fires would then be kept burning into the months to come, holding back the coming of winter.

A Yagya (or yajna) is a sacred ritual in Hinduism in which worship or offerings are made into a consecrated fire. The offering maybe wordly goods or as subtle as knowledge or meditation; whatever the case, it requires a measure of self-sacrifice. This would be accompanied by the chanting of Vedic mantras. Sometimes done as a daily practice or prayer, or for specific rites, rituals or ceremonies. Yagyas are performed for various purposes, including spiritual growth, health, prosperity, and the removal of obstacles. The fire acts as a medium to carry the offerings and prayers to the deities, invoking their blessings.

In The Bhagavad Gita, yajna is set out by Krishna as a basic action necessary to life, and those who do not perform some kind of selfless service find no home in this world or the next:

“Some aspirants offer material sacrifices to the Gods. Others offer selfless service as sacrifice in the fire of Brahman…some offer wealth, others offer sense restraint and suffering. Some take vows and offer knowledge and study of the scriptures, and make the offering of meditation. Some offer the forces of vitality, regulating their inhalation and exhalation….” Chapter 4. Sutra 25-30

Long languorous evenings, barely turning into true night, have us wanting to stay out late, light fires or barbecues, and feel the magic of the evenings outside. Celebrating the joy of warmth and light, we know, of course, we can’t hold back winter, and we can’t capture midsummer. It is as fleeting as all the other moments of the year, but we can make sure we soak in it, sit in it, feel the warm air, smell the smells of summer, enjoy the abundance of nature all around, hold the feeling within and tend it like the hearth fire for as long as we can, and maybe make an offering…

New Teacher: Jane Hutchins

I would like to welcome Jane Hutchins to the centre. She has recently passed her assessment to be a teacher of Iyengar yoga, and will be offering Iyengar yoga on Thursdays 4.30-5.45 pm, starting on the 23rd of July.
You can find out more about Jane and her class here.

Introducing EarthWise Natural Health with Sarah Burt

Many of you will already know Sarah Burt through her work at the Dorchester Yoga and Therapy Centre as a Naturopath and Iridologist over the past decade. She has been working as a Naturopath in Dorset for twenty-seven years, treating many patients over the years for a vast range of ailments using herbal plant medicines to get them well again. She would like to share her latest project, using her many years of experience, bringing the same approach to a wider audience.

EarthWise Natural Health is a range of practitioner-formulated herbal tonics, each one designed to support a specific area of health — from calming the nervous system and restoring energy to easing digestion and supporting hormonal balance. They’re made using organically grown botanicals with a long history of traditional use. These have been formulated with anyone in mind and are safe to take alongside most medications. (For example, those on blood pressure tablets, HRT, etc.)

The website is also home to a growing library of videos, blogs, and free guides to help you understand what your body is telling you and how to support it naturally. Those of you who are interested in any aspects of health will find this library of content a wealth of free information.

You can take a free 2-minute health quiz and get a personalised recommendation based on your symptoms: Take the Quiz.

Sarah is offering our yoga community 10% off all products with the code: EARTHWISE10, valid for 1 month. It’s a wonderful way to dip your toe into alternative ways to heal the body that do not involve pharmaceutical medicines, so do take advantage of this offer!

Workshops

We still have many wonderful workshops to look forward to this month before the centre begins to quieten down for the summer. Here is a selection, plus all our regular monthly workshops:

Saturday 6th June Nature Harmonics – with Sian Parsons
Nurture Harmonics is a heart-led wellbeing offering that supports babies, children and families through nurturing, connection-based sessions. Blending baby massage, baby yoga, sensory experiences, relaxation, and gentle emotional wellbeing practices, it creates calm, supportive spaces where families can bond, build confidence and feel held.
Find out more

Saturday 13th June Awakening Truth – with Magdalena Atkinson and Ruth Mitchell
In this fourth workshop, you will be inspired by Gene Key 59 and the frequency of Transparency — moving through the fears that keep you hidden from yourself and others, and into a genuine embodied experience of who you really are. This will be a small, intimate group.
Find out more

Saturday 13th June Hypopressives
Hypopressives is a life-changing breath work and movement practice that restores function in the pelvic floor and core. The unique breathing technique and specific poses improve prolapse, leakage, pelvic pain, diastasis recti, dysfunctional breathing patterns,  poor core function and posture.
Find out more

Saturday 13th June Lunar Light
Lunar Light is a 2-hour immersive experience that combines the magic of the New Moon, the deep healing of Reiki, and the integration of sound—all designed to help you manifest with clarity and power. N.B. This workshop is normally on a Friday evening, but is on a Saturday evening this month!
Find out more

Sunday 28th June Roots To Rise
A 1-day introduction to Family Constellations and Energy Mapping with Integrative Embodiment Practices – Exploration of your energy field to find clarity around a chosen theme or relationship in life, love or work. with Dominique Preston and Nicola Moss.
Find out more

Looking ahead to July

We are delighted that leading Advaita teacher, Derek Thorne, is visiting the Yoga Centre again on Saturday 18th July. Deeply established in the teachings of Advaita Vedanta, Derek is able to bring clear, insightful and inspiring vision to these timeless teachings and to articulate them with clarity and flair.

This public meeting is open to all genuine seekers curious about their true identity and the spiritual reality of this experience. Derek will be talking about “The Nature of Reality” and the wonder of Advaita (not two).
Dorchester Satsang – Vedantarama

The session will include discourse, simple guided meditation and the opportunity for Q&A.  Suitable for all levels of experience.
More details here

Looking further ahead, we are very pleased that Dr Kausthubha Desikachar will be returning to the UK as part of his European teaching schedule.

Two seminar days will be offered at Dorchester Yoga & Therapy Centre:  

Saturday 26th September
- Samantraka Yoga-sādhanā 

An introduction to Yoga practice with mantra An experiential introduction to the use of mantra within Yoga practice and its role in supporting breath, attention, and inner orientation.

Sunday 27th September
- AṢṬĀṄGA | The Eight Limbs of Yoga 

Exploring the limbs of Yoga as a living and practical process. A practical exploration of the eight limbs of Yoga and their relevance within modern life and practice in the Viniyoga tradition.

These seminars are open to teachers, therapists, trainees, dedicated practitioners, and those interested in exploring Yoga more deeply within the Viniyoga tradition.

Soak up all that June and the yoga centre has to offer.

Namaste,
Sharon et al

June Workshops & Courses

Friday 5th June, 6.00-7.00pm
Breathing and Yoga Nidra with Sharon Cox-Button

Saturday 6th June, 9.30-11.00am
Pushing Hands with Tim Button

Saturday 6th June, 10.30-11.45am
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with Sarah Ryan

Saturday 6th June, 12.00-1.00pm
Vedic Chanting with Sarah Ryan

Saturday 6th June, 1.00-3.00pm
Nature Harmonics with Sian Parsons

Saturday 6th June, 1.00-4.00pm
Iyengar Yoga with Cheree Low

Friday 12th June, 7.00-8.30pm
Tuning Forks For Angelic Healing with Nicki Greenham

Saturday 13th June, 10.00-12.30pm
Yin Yoga with Chrissie Haskett

Saturday 13th June, 2.30-5.30pm
Awakening Truth with Magdalena Atkinson and Ruth Mitchell

Saturday 13th June, 3.30-5.0-0pm
Hypopresives with Lucy Warwick

Saturday 13th June, 7-9pm
Lunar Light with Rachel Taping and Lucy Bowtell

Sunday 14th June, 2.00-4.00pm
Restorative Yoga and Alchemy Soundbath with Tracey Boast

Saturday 20th June, 2.00-3.30pm
Reiki Share with Peter Griffiths

Friday 26th June, 6.00-7.30pm
Yin Yoga with Toni Franklin

Saturday 27th June, 10.30-12.30pm
Brahmacharya Workshop — Where’s Your Energy Going? With Ness Sherry

Sunday 28th June, 10.00-6.00pm
Roots To Rise with Dominique Preston and Nicola Moss

“Yoga is a light, which once lit, will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter the flame.”

~ B.K.S. Iyengar ~

April started off with a joyous Easter weekend and the start of the 3 Year Viniyoga Teacher Training Course taught by myself and Kim Burnham, part of which included the seminar of Subtle Energy taught by Dr Kausthubha Desikachar.

It was a joyous and mindboggling explosion into the traditional teachings of yoga for our students, and Kim and I were left with feelings of deep gratitude for the honour of teaching such a fabulous group of amazing students, and also to be so lucky to find ourselves in a deep tradition of authentic learning with Dr Kausthubha Desikachar, the grandson of Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya.

Gratitude

Gratitude is an essential part of yoga in spiritual practice, fostering inner peace and joy. In Patanjali’s Yogasūtras-s, it aligns with Santoşa (contentment), one of the 5 niyamas.

Samtosat anuttamah sukha labhah Sutra 11.32

From long-lasting contentment arises unsurpassed happiness (as opposed to the temporary happiness we acquire from the pursuit of more and more possessions). This teaches us acceptance of the present and all that we have, and it goes nicely alongside Mudita (appreciation).

Maitri karuna mudita upeksanam sukha dukkha punya apunya visayanam bhavanatah citta prasadanam sutra 1.33

One of 4 attitudes to develop if we want to change our behaviour for the better is feeling happiness for other people’s success, not just our own.

Daily gratitude rewires the mind towards abundance, dissolving negativity and attachment. It nurtures humility, deepens connections, and strengthens resilience. By embracing gratitude, we cultivate a heart that radiates love, aligning with the yogic path toward liberation and inner harmony. Quite simply, a daily practice of gratitude will make you feel lighter and more positive.

There are many ways you can practice gratitude:

Be grateful at mealtimes for the food you have and the company you are in to share it.

Make being grateful part of your physical yoga practice, firstly being able to do it, and also cultivating the commitment to do it.

When we realise all that we have to be grateful for, it can bring about a feeling of wanting to give back to the community, such as volunteering or simply doing a good turn here or there.

If you find it a difficult practice and are struggling, try journaling in a small notebook or have a gratitude jar, placing any written notes in it so that in times when you are feeling negative (and this is all of us), you can pull out some positivity to read.

Part of your morning or evening practice can be expressing gratitude to specific people, especially if they are no longer alive or don’t live near you. You can meditate on certain people who have been in your life, and thank them for all you have received or learnt from them.

Last month, I found myself helping a family member with a gratitude list who was struggling. Within the centre I heard the word gratitude expressed many times by different teachers: in the Vedanta workshop Marj Snape expressed deep gratitude for being drawn into a spiritual path, Sarah Ryan expressed deep gratitude for the Sanga of the Yoga Sutra Group, Rachel Tapping expressed gratitude to be able to offer her Lunar Light Moon workshops, and I have heard of my students acknowledging this wonderful weather and the delights of Spring, the beauty of Dorset and the abundance all around us.

Soil to Soul

Mark Sparrow, therapist and farmer, offers humanistic, integrative therapy here at the yoga centre every Thursday in our therapy room. His therapy is rooted in empathy, depth, and ecological awareness, which he offers alongside running an organic farm with his partner in North Dorset.

These two strands of his work come together in Soil to Soul – day and weekend nature-based retreats held at his farm. These retreats invite participants to slow down, listen deeply, and reconnect with their place in the web of life.

Within a carefully held space, guided walks, time with animals, sensory practices, and opportunities for reflection are woven together with hands-on experiences working with plants to make simple food and medicine. Together, these elements support a deepening awareness of the animacy of all beings and encourage more reciprocal ways of relating to all of life. 

Farm-grown and foraged meals are provided throughout, and optional camping offers the chance to immerse yourself in the Dorset countryside fully.

Forthcoming events:


• Saturday 6th June – one-day immersion

• Saturday 13th to Sunday 14th June – weekend journey

For full details, visit:

https://angelcottageorganics.co.uk/courses/one-day-retreats/
Or contact Mark directly at: 
angelcottage@runbox.uk

Wilfred van Dorp

I would like to introduce a new member to our Therapy team, Wilfred van Dorp – Feldenkrais Practitioner & Natural Health Consultant. Wilfred van Dorp has been practising the Feldenkrais Method full-time for over 35 years and is one of the most experienced practitioners in the UK. The core of his work – some 80% – is Feldenkrais, with a particular focus on Functional Integration; movement neuroscience with directed attention to create lasting change in how people move, feel, and function.

Wilfred also holds a Degree in Nutrition, is trained as a Homoeopath, and has studied tonic herbs for 40 years – bringing a genuinely integrated perspective to health and wellbeing that is rare in any single practitioner.

He sees clients at the Dorchester Yoga and Therapy Centre on one Monday per month. See here for more information.

Introductory Offer for the Month of May

Carol Thwaite, who offers Reiki and Tuning Forks in the therapy room, would like to do an introductory offer of £20 for 1 hour (instead of £45) for the month of May. You can contact Carol here.

New Beginnings

With the new beginnings of Spring, it has been so lovely to hear young voices in the centre with the start of Kim Burnham’s Children’s yoga classes on Mondays, and the small cries of babies in Kim Jones postnatal yoga on Tuesdays. We are pleased to have Sian Parsons offering her Nature Harmonics Workshop on Saturday, May 2nd, 10.30-12.30pm. This is a workshop that supports babies, children, and families through nurturing, connection-based sessions. Blending baby massage, baby yoga, sensory experiences, relaxation, and gentle emotional wellbeing practices, which creates calm, supportive spaces where families can bond, build confidence, and feel held. More information here.

May we all practice gratitude throughout May for all we have.

Namaste,
Sharon

May Workshops & Courses

Friday 1st 1.00-2.00 pm
Mindful Meditation and Self-Hypnosis for Health with Lucy Bowtell

Friday 1st 6.30-7.30 pm
Breathing and Yoga Nidra with Sharon Cox-Button

Saturday 2nd 10.30-12.30 pm
Nature Harmonics with Sian Parsons

Saturday 2nd 10.30-11.45 am
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with Sarah Ryan

Saturday 2nd 12.00-1.00 pm
Vedic Chanting with Sarah Ryan

Friday 8th 7.00-8.30 pm
Tuning Forks with Angelic Healing Nicki Greenham

Saturday 9th 9.30-6.00 pm
Viniyoga Teacher Training Course with Sharon Cox-Button and Kim Burnham

Saturday 9th 2.00-3.30 pm
Reiki Share with Peter Griffiths

Saturday 9th 2.30-5.00 pm
Yin Yoga with Chrissie Haskett

Sunday 10th 7.00 am – 5.00 pm
Viniyoga Teacher Training Course with Sharon Cox-Button and Kim Burnham

Friday 15th 1.00-2.00 pm
Mindful Meditation and Self-Hypnosis for Health with Lucy Bowtell

Friday 15th 7.00-9.00 pm
Lunar Light with Rachel Tapping and Lucy Bowtell

Saturday 16th 9.30-11.00 am
Pushing Hands with Tim Button

Saturday 16th 10.30-12.30 pm
Ashtanga Workshop with Ness Sherry

Sunday 17th 2.00-4.00 pm
Restorative Yoga with Alchemy Soundbath with Tracey Boast

Friday 29th 6.00-7.30 pm
Yin Yoga with Toni Franklin

Sunday 31st 12.00-2.00 pm
Kundalini Activation with Rachel Tapping

Sunday 31st 1.30-4.30 pm
Pushing Hands with Duncan Price

“It isn’t arrogant or egotistical to feel good inside. You had nothing to do with it. It’s simply the honest response to clearly perceived reality.”

~ Erich Schiffman ~

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

Sunday 19th April, 2.00-4.00 pm
Restorative Yoga with Alchemy Soundbath with Tracey Boast

Friday 24th April, 6.00-7.30 pm
Yin Yoga Workshop with Toni Franklin

Saturday 25th April, 2.30-5.30 pm
Awakening Rebirth with Magdalena Atkinson and Ruth Mitchell

Sunday 26th April, 1.00-4.00 pm
Arise From Within with Rachel Tapping and Lucy Bowtell

“There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature—the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”

~ Rachel Carson ~

Goodbye Winter, welcome Spring!

The days are feeling longer and lighter, and all the joy and beauty of Spring is beginning: snowdrops, daffodils, and primroses will make way for bluebells, wild garlic, red campion, and the fresh, vibrant greens of new growth.

Sun Meditation
Go outside at dawn and greet the sun,
Think about how the dawn stretches from pole to pole,
Think about the earth’s position side on to the sun as it makes its annual orbit around it,
Marvel at the universe we are part of
Feel the warmth of the sun on your face,
Feel the sun getting stronger and stronger.

As we welcome the Spring, we have two workshops to celebrate the Spring Equinox.

Sian Lalita Alcock offers her Spring Equinox workshop, a half-day retreat where you are invited to embrace balance, transformation and renewal. Through gentle yoga, mindful movement, healing, meditative yoga nidra, reflection and ritual, this workshop will mark the turning of the wheel of the year.

Arianna Puran Udini is offering a Spring Equinox ‘Chanting For Peace’ and ‘Venus Gong Soundbath’, harnessing celestial energies by chanting a beautiful Mantra for Peace, and then relaxing and enjoying a beautiful Gong Sound Bath… Venus is particularly associated with peace, harmony, loving self acceptance, and serenity, all qualities we need more of now.

New Workshops

A big welcome to Lucy Warwick, who brings us a new workshop, Hypopressives, which is a breath work and movement practice that restores function in the pelvic floor and core. The unique breathing technique and specific poses improve prolapse, leakage, pelvic pain, diastasis recti, dysfunctional breathing patterns, poor core function and posture. You can find out more here.

In February, Magdalena Atkinson and Ruth Mitchell had a wonderful first workshop, ‘Awakening Inner Gifts’, exploring Gene Keys and transformation. They have added three more workshops to continue their work. Their second workshop in March is called Awakening Freedom. Each workshop is a sacred container for transformation rooted in one gene key and its unique potential.

Maxine Craig is offering another workshop, Stillness in Motion – Zen, a half-day retreat. Experience the invaluable nature of ‘Zen’ with this invitation to return to centre and rediscover the quiet that resides within you.

Guiding you gently through traditional practices to explore true mindfulness, the art of knowing the present moment.

Whether you’re just curious about Zen, or have been walking the path of practice for a while, this experiential workshop welcomes everybody, offering insight into how we can gain direct access to, amongst many things, better overall physical health, mental clarity, emotional stability and empathy, and a deepened sense of connection to all things.

Helios – Movement Under the Sun

On Tuesday, 31st March, we are collaborating with Dorchester Arts with Helios, a new touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram. Measuring seven metres in diameter, the artwork features a detailed imagery of the Sun’s surface.

Family Yoga with Sharon Cox-Button
Exploring body and mind, with movement, sound and relaxation inspired by the sun for all the family. Session runs: 5pm – 5.45pm.

Qi Gong with Tim Button
Learning a qigong routine called the “Ba Duan Jin” which is good for both physical and mental health, and is accessible to most people. Mentally, the exercises require concentration and focus, which can take us away from everyday concerns. Session runs: 6pm – 7pm

Yoga Under the Sun with Sharon Cox-Button
The Sun was a great inspiration for ancient yogis. Come and explore your body and mind with traditional yoga techniques: movement, breathwork, chanting, meditation and relaxation. Suitable for all. Session Runs: 7.30pm – 9pm. All sessions will be accompanied with the Gong played by Arianna Puran Udini.

You can find more information or book here.

Children’s Yoga Classes

The 30th March is the first of our Open mornings for the new children’s yoga classes starting in April. Kim is offering four Open mornings in the Easter holidays to come along and try her children’s yoga classes. These will start on Mondays after the Easter holidays. Find out more here.

Uncomfortable Truths

We come to the last of our 8 Uncomfortable Truths that we have been looking at each month.

8. If they really wanted to, they would!


Are you still waiting for your phone to light up with their text, or maybe they told you they had to call you back and left you hanging? It hurts to realize that people you love and care about may not always feel the same way about you. The wiser approach is to come to terms with it sooner rather than later, so you don’t end up wasting your time. If you need to force someone to make an effort to keep a relationship alive, be it romantic or platonic, you are better off not having them around at all. Yes, it is painful to admit, but you need to let go of those partners, friends and family members who take you for granted and don’t see your value. Instead, go to where you know you are loved and appreciated. 

It is always better to be honest with ourselves about how we feel and what it all means. Living in denial of our problems and flaws is not going to do anyone any good, and staying stuck in our problematic ways will get us nowhere in life. It might feel scary, difficult and overwhelming to confront our issues head-on, but the only way to get past our problems is to get through them, and at the end of the day, an uncomfortable truth is much better than a comfortable lie.

Yoga Therapy has also come to be recognised as an effective complementary treatment to support those with mental health issues. Meditation is one of the more effective tools of Yoga to strengthen the mind and help alleviate many of the symptoms of mental health issues.

Enjoy March,

Sharon

Looking ahead to April

Three year Viniyoga Teacher Training
The 3rd to 6th April 2026 is the first weekend of the 3 year Viniyoga Teacher Training course taught by Kim Burnham and me. To become a Yoga teacher is to step into a path of responsibility, enquiry and transformation. It is an opportunity to engage deeply with one of the most ancient and sophisticated disciplines of human understanding; a tradition that is both philosophically profound and practical in daily life. More than a collection of techniques, Yoga is a process of inner refinement. It supports physical vitality, emotional balance and psychological stability, while guiding us towards deeper insight and self-knowledge. In doing so, it invites us on a journey towards the heart, the inner source of wisdom and creativity. Through this process of self-understanding, we become capable of guiding others. The teacher of Yoga does not impose change but facilitates growth, supporting individuals in discovering their own strength, balance and clarity.

If you have been considering Yoga Teacher Training, we can still fit in one or two more participants, so contact Kim or me if you would like to know more. Of course, many people take a teacher training course not to become a yoga teacher but to access the amazing teachings and undergo the process of transformation for their own development. You can do this training without wanting to be a yoga teacher!!

Subtle Anatomy of Yoga
From the 4th to the 6th of April is a 3 day seminar, Subtle Anatomy of Yoga, taught by Dr. Kausthubha Desikachar. It is part of the teacher training course if you have signed up for that, but it can be taken as a standalone course. For details, see here.

Moon Manifesting Reiki Baths
Rachel Tapping and Lucy Bowtell are bringing a new monthly workshop combining the magic of the New Moon, the deep healing of Reiki, and the integration of sound – all designed to help you manifest with clarity and power.

Each month, you can learn about the unique energy of each moon phase and zodiac sign.

Friday, April 17th 7-9pm: Aries – Courage & New Beginnings

March Workshops & Courses

Sunday 1st 1.30-4.00pm
Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra with Sharon Cox-Button

Friday 6th 6.30-7.30pm
Breathing and Yoga Nidra with Sharon Cox-Button

Saturday 7th 10.30-11.45am
Yoga Sutras with Sarah Ryan

Saturday 7th 12-1pm
Vedic Chanting with Sarah Ryan

Sunday 8th 1.30-4.30pm
Pushing Hands with Duncan Price

Sunday 8th 2-4pm
Restorative Yoga For Deep Rest with Tracey Boast

Friday 13th 7-8.30pm
Tuning Fork Soundbath with Angelic Healing with Nicki Greenham

Saturday 14th 10.30-12.30pm
Ashtanga Primary Series – Ahimsa In Action with Ness Sherry

Saturday 14th 3.30-5.00pm
Hypopressives Workshop with Lucy Warwick

Saturday 21st 10.00-1.00pm
Iyengar Yoga Workshop with Cheree Low

Saturday 21st 2.00-5.00pm
Honouring the Spring Equinox with Sian Lalita Alcock

Saturday 21st 2.30-5.00pm
Yin Yoga Workshop with Chrissie Haskett

Sunday 22nd 10.00-3.00pm
Stillness In Motion with Maxine Craig

Friday 27th 6.00-7.30pm
Yin Yoga Class with Toni Franklin

Saturday 28th 9.30-11.00am
Pushing Hands with Tim Button

Saturday 28th 2.30-5.30pm
Awakening Freedom – Magdalena Atkinson and Ruth Mitchell

Sunday 29th 12.00-2.00pm
Kundalini Activation with Rachel Tapping

Sunday 29th 2.30-5.00pm
Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra with Sharon Cox-Button

“Have only love in your heart for others. The more you see the good in them, the more you will establish good in yourself.”

~ T.K.V. Desikachar ~

It’s possible to be fooled by the bare trees, cold nights, frosty mornings, and grey skies, but the days are lengthening, and the earth is showing signs of change and an approaching Spring. The spectacular hazel catkins, snowdrops carpeting woodlands and borders, lesser celandine, water aconite, primroses, and the dazzling early daffodils. Blackbirds are singing and staking out their homes. For those who suffer in the darker days, the lighter evenings bring comfort. Some of our teachers (me included) have been lucky enough to have been training in Chiang Mai, enjoying the warmth and the light.

February is a month that traditionally is about the heart, and there is a reminder to nurture yourself and open your heart when we look at the

8 Uncomfortable Truths You Need To Accept!

We have reached number 7:

You can’t love someone else until you love yourself first!

Yes, it may sound cliche. However, there is a lot of truth to be found in this saying. Because no matter how hard you try, no matter how perfect your relationship or your partner may be, no amount of affection or love can fill the void in a person who doesn’t love themselves. You need to have a good relationship with yourself filled with honesty, knowledge, acceptance and compassion. Otherwise, none of your romantic relationships will ever work out. Or worse, they might even become maladaptive coping mechanisms for you and make you more dependent, needy and insecure.  

We have many beautiful workshops, and day retreats for you to nourish and love yourself, and help you prepare for the year ahead.

Friday, February 13th, 7 pm  
Angelic Love Date. Make a date just for you. Spend an evening with the harmonies of the tuning forks and a little Angelic Love in this special nurturing Valentine’s Sound Healing. With beautiful candlelight, all you need to do is lie back and listen to the specific harmonies of the forks. It’s a soothing experience to feel nurtured in mind and body.
Find out more

Saturday 14^th February, 10.30-12.30 pm
Exploring Year of the Fire Horse with Ness Sherry’s Ashtanga Vinyasa workshop, exploring movement with meaning — moving with clarity, rhythm, and intent, rather than rushing or forcing.
Find out more

Sunday 15^th February, 10.00-4.00 pm
The Becoming. A Day Retreat with Lucy Bowtell and Rachel Tapping, A nurturing yet powerful day designed to support deeply restorative inner work without pressure or force.
Find out more

Saturday 21and Sunday 22^nd 10.00-6.00 pm
Root to Rise:  A weekend of Embodiment & Family Constellations. It’s more of an experiential workshop weekend than a retreat weekend, with Dominique Preston and Nicola Moss. This gentle and spacious weekend invites you to embark on a transformative journey, exploring both your inner and outer worlds, creating space for more peace, clarity, and possibility in your life.
Find out more

Saturday 21^st February  2.00-5.30 pm
Awakening Inner Gifts with Magdalena Atkinson and Ruth Mitchell
Participants are guided through a series of energetic practices, Higher Self connection, collective belief work, and sound (gong and singing bowls), all held within a grounded, supportive group setting. The focus is on experience rather than analysis, allowing insight to arise naturally through embodiment.
Find out more

On Saturday 7^th 11.30-2.00 pm
Kim Burnham and I have our second Open Day for our 500 hour Viniyoga Teacher Training Course that starts in April. This is suitable for anyone who has a teacher training certificate but wants to go deeper, for anyone who wants to train as a teacher deeply rooted in classical yoga, or for anyone who wants to experience a personal journey of self-awareness, empowerment, and healing.
Please come along and find out more

Namaste,

Sharon

February Workshops & Events

Sunday 1st, 3.30-5.00 pm
Imbolg and Full Moon Singing Soundbath with Arianna Puran Udini

Friday 6th, 6.30-7.30 pm
Breathing and Yoga Nidra, Sharon Cox-Button

Saturday 7th, 11.30-2.00 pm
Open Day for Teacher Training Course Sharon Cox-Button/Kim Burnham

Friday 13th, 7.00-8.30 pm
Angelic Love Date with Nicki Greenham

Saturday 14th, 9.30-11.00 am
Pushing hands with Tim Button

Saturday 14th, 10.30-12.30 pm
‘Year of The Fire Horse’ Ashtanga Vinyasa Workshop

Saturday 14th, 2.30-5.00 pm
Yin Yoga with Chrissie Haskett

Sunday 15th, 10.00-1.00 pm
Iyengar Yoga with Cheree Low

Sunday 15th, 10.00-4.00 pm
The Becoming – A Day Retreat with Lucy Bowtell and Rachel Tapping

Friday 20th, 6.30-8.00 pm
Sound healing with Crystal Bowls with Ellen Wells

Saturday 21st, 2.30-5.30 pm
Awaking Inner Gifts with Magdalena Atkinson and Ruth Mitchell

Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd, 10.00-6.00 pm
Roots To Rise with Dominique Preston and Nicola Moss

Friday 27th, 6.00-67.30 pm
Yin Yoga with Toni Franklin

Saturday 28th, 7.00-8.15 pm
Saturday Soundbath with Bex Leonard

Looking ahead to March

Sunday 1st March, 1.30-4.00 pm
Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra with Sharon Cox-Button

Saturday 21st March, 2.00-5.00 pm
Honouring The Spring Equinox with Sian Lalita Alcock

“In the depths of Winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible Summer”

~ Albert Camus ~

A Happy New Year to you all

We have had some beautiful weather this Xmas period, hopefully it has enabled you to have more time outdoors, to admire the beautiful skies at sunrise and sunset, time to observe the tiny signs of growth and activity, snowdrop shoots, hazel catkins peeping between tangled growth, early broad beans, the odd bumblebee… but mostly there is just peace and quiet!! Plants and animals are tucked away resting, roots firmly down, laying firm foundations for the new year ahead. For us too, it is a time for calmness and reflection. Close your eyes, breathe. Even just 5 minutes is so beneficial.

This is a time for reflection on the past year, to let go of anything that hasn’t served you, and then plant the thoughts, the seeds for the year ahead, to make your new sankalpa, for all that you wish for. To grow the future you desire. For life doesn’t just happen to us; we create the world we want. It’s that simple. You either take what has been before and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to trip you up constantly.

The choice does not belong to fate; it belongs to you. 

In our newsletters last year, we started looking at “8 uncomfortable truths” we need to accept, by Kausthubha Desikachar. We have reached number 6:

6. Happiness is not a destination!

Happiness is a state of mind. You won’t find it waiting for you somewhere down the road, someday in the future. It is not something you will magically find when you finally get married or land your dream job because happiness is a journey, not a destination. If you can’t find happiness where you are now, you won’t find it anywhere else. Not until you give up the idea that happiness is anywhere but here and start being more grateful for what you have and where you are right now.

Start each day with gratitude for all that you have.

If you find it difficult to stick to a daily yoga practice, of either asana, or breath, mantra or prayer, maybe take a one to one with one of our teachers to help you make a suitable practice, or come to a class or workshop to kickstart you back into your own practice.

This month, as well as our usual monthly workshops, we have an afternoon Mid-Winter Soul Soother with Lucy Bowtell and Rachel Tapping.

And a longer day of Yoga, Zen and Hara – The Vital Centre with Maxine Craig.  

Looking ahead to February

Kim Burnham and I have another Open Day for our teacher training Course that starts in April.

Arianna Puran Udini has an Imbolg and Full Moon Singing Bowls Sound Bath, and later in the month, there is a 2-day retreat – Root To Rise with Nicola Moss and Dominique Preston (21st & 22nd February 2026).

We wish you all a Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you back on your mats!

Namaste
Sharon

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January Workshops & Events

Friday 2nd, 6.30-7.30pm
Breathing and Yoga Nidra with Sharon Cox-Button

Saturday 3rd, 10.00-12.30pm
Yin Yoga Workshop with Chrissie Haskett

Saturday 3rd, 10.30-11.45am
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with Sarah Ryan

Saturday 3rd, 12.00-1.00pm
Vedic Chanting with Sarah Ryan

Friday 9th, 7.00-8.30pm
Tuning Forks for Angelic Healing with Nicki Greenham

Saturday 10th, 1.00-4.00pm
Iyengar Yoga Workshop with Cheree Low

Sunday 11th, 1.00-4.00pm
Mid-Winter Soul Soother with Lucy Bowtell and Rachel Tapping

Sunday 11th, 1.30-4.00pm
Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra with Sharon Cox-Button

Friday 16th, 6.30-8.00pm
Sound Healing with Crystal Bowls with Ellen Wells

Sunday 18th, 1.30-4.30pm
Pushing Hands with Duncan Price

Sunday 25th, 10.00-1.00pm
Vedanta Course with Marj Snape

Sunday 25th, 10.00-3.00pm
Yoga, Zen and Hara – The Vital Centre with Maxine Craig

Sunday 25th, 2.00-4.00pm
Restorative Yoga for Deep Rest with Tracey Boast

Friday 30th, 6.00-7.30pm
Yin Yoga with Toni Franklin

Friday 30th, 7.00-9.00pm
Kundalini Activation with Rachel Tapping

Saturday 31st, 10.30-11.45am
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with Sarah Ryan

Saturday 31st, 12.00-1.00pm
Vedic Chanting with Sarah Ryan

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“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

Stillness cloaks the land as we enter December; earth energy is under our feet. This time of stillness, this time of darkness, is a time to do nothing much!!! The earth energy draws down the life force of trees and plants, nourishing their roots and supporting them in a well-earned rest. The long hours of darkness encourage us to do the same.

A time to focus on the internal limbs of yoga, the last 3 of the 8 limbs of Patanjali’s yoga.

Pratyhara – sense withdrawal, being disconnected from the usual external objects, following the inward movement of the mind.
Dharana – concentration – one chosen place of focus. This may be tangible, eg a candle or firelight, or conceptual, eg peace. What is important is that it is an appropriate focus that supports us.
Dhyanam – meditation, this is when dharana is sustained on the same focus so that a more intimate connection develops between the meditator and the object.

Winter is our natural rest and restore. The need to rest so that we can rise again, the cycle of life. As the outer world surrenders its light, the inner world can sparkle and shine, and make space for healing inside.

These dark days of the year have been celebrated with many festivals and temples since ancient times. All looking towards and celebrating the return of the light. We have two events to celebrate the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year:

Saturday 20th 10.00-1.00pm – Winter Solstice with Sian Alcock
Saturday 20th 7.00-9.00pm – Candlelight Yoga With Kim Jones and Owen Lister

Many of our teachers and therapists will take time off this month for a well-earned rest, but we still have lots available to help you wind down, so check the events below.

Have a peaceful, joyful and restful time, and we look forward to welcoming you back in 2026.

Sharon and all

Looking forward to the New Year

We hope to celebrate the 10 years that Dorchester Yoga and Therapy Centre has been open, so watch this space for events.

April 3rd is the start date of the 3 year Viniyoga Teacher Training Course with Kim Burnham and myself. We have another Open Day on February 7th 2026, if you would like to find out more.

New Wednesday evening class starting January 7th with Katie Grace: 
Yoga, Meditation & Sound 

December Workshops & Events

Friday 5th 6.30-7.30pm
Breathing and Yoga Nidra with Sharon Cox-Button

Sunday 7th 1.00-4.00pm
The Wintering with Lucy Bowtell and Rachel Tapping

Friday 12 th 7.00-8.30pm
Tuning Forks with Angelic Healing with Nicki Greenham

Saturday 13th 1.00-4.00pm
Iyengar Yoga with Cheree Low

Sunday 14th 10.00-12.30pm
Yin Yoga with Chrissie Haskett

Sunday 14th 1.30-4.00pm
Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra with Sharon Cox-Button

Friday 19th 6.30-8.00pm
Sound healing with crystal Bowls with Ellen Wells

Saturday 20th 10.00-1.00pm
Winter Solstice with Sian Alcock

Saturday 20th 7.00-9.00pm
Candlelight Yoga With Kim Jones and Owen Lister

Sunday 21st 9.30-11.00am
Pushing Hands with Tim Button

“Winter is the slow-down. Winter is the search for self. Winter gives the silence you need to listen. Winter goes gray so you can see your own colors.”

~ Terri Guillemets ~