Hello and welcome to our September newsletter.
I am so pleased that there is a September newsletter and that we have opened our doors again to our students and clients. Many of our teachers and therapists have been busy behind the scenes teaching online and I am sure many of you have enjoyed that lifeline of yoga in your own homes, or someone to help on a screen or phone.
Welcome to our March newsletter,
Our fabulous Kim Mackie has just come back from the first fortnight of her Holistic Yoga Therapy Training with the Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation. Here she is receiving her introduction pack, with her class group, and showing off her wonderful henna-ed hands. What a journey Kim, we wish you well.
All our March courses, workshops and regular monthly classes are below, we look forward to seeing you at them.
As ever, the details are below and in the calendar – please check it!
With best wishes from Sharon and all the teachers and therapists at Dorchester Yoga and Therapy Centre
Welcome to our February newsletter.
February can be a difficult month for many people, with cold dull days and nothing to look forward to, and a seemingly long wait to brighter days. But for me the longer days, and lighter evenings and the appearance of the first Spring flowers reminds me that we are at the beginning of a new cycle of growth. The first snowdrops are up in my garden; such strength beneath that delicate appearance;
“She too pursues her ends,
Brutal as the stars of this month,
Her pale head heavy as metal”
(Ted Hughes).
There are lots of wonderful events to choose from this month. Magdalena Atkinson is offering Imbolc – an ancient Celtic celebration which marks the beginning of early Spring and the anticipation of the coming warmer seasons. Her Shakti Dance workshop is an afternoon of Yoga & Intuitive Dance, music & chanting.
If it’s the ‘strength’ side of things you need to work on to hold up that heavy head, try a full day of yoga with BWY tutor Zoe Knot’s Strength in Asana, or a morning of Iyengar yoga with Cheree Low, or Rocket Yoga with Jess Obermeier.
For those of you still hibernating and feeling the need to nurture yourself, we have our usual abundance of Yin and Restorative Yoga and plenty of Sound Baths. The month ends with the rare opportunity to work with Dr Kausthub Desikachar in his Sound Silence and Meditation Seminar, exploring the ancient art of mantra. Mantra is one of the main tools of traditional yoga, particularly in the areas of healing and spirituality. Mantras are very powerful, influencing change from within, taking us to the silence of our deepest self.
I am sure you will find something to get you through February!
As ever, the details are below and in the calendar – please check it!
With best wishes from Sharon and all the teachers and therapists at Dorchester Yoga and Therapy Centre
Welcome to a New Year, a New Decade, a New Beginning!
January is a great time to make a Sankalpa.
Sankalpa is a Sanscrit word. One of its meanings is an intention formed by the heart and mind – a solemn vow, determination, or positive will. In practical terms a Sankalpa means a one-pointed resolve to focus both psychologically and philosophically on a specific goal. It is a tool meant to refine the will, and to focus and harmonise mind and body.
We repeat a Sankalpa at the beginning and the end of yoga nidra practice, when the mind is quiet and in a perfect state to let the Sankalpa take root. Any time when the mind is in such a state can you repeat your Sankalpa, always using the same short precise sentence to make an impression on the mind for example when you are meditating, walking in nature, first thing in the morning, anytime when the mind is quiet and receptive.
The power of thought is amazing!
It begins to activate new neural networks in your brain. These networks begin to fire, and re-wire and create new pictures. These pictures signal to the limbic brain to create neural peptides. These are chemical messengers that signal hormones, and with the hormones dock onto receptor sites of cell.
These cells get a new message, and signal new genes which makes new proteins. New proteins mean the expression of life, and the expression of life is a healthy body.
Whatever your age or ability, we have something for everyone, take a look at our new timetable.
As ever, the details are below and in the calendar – please check it!
Happy 2020 from Sharon and all the teachers and therapists at Dorchester Yoga and Therapy Centre
We hope you enjoy the end of year festivities. It can be a lot a lot of fun, and it can also take its toll on our wellbeing. We are encouraged to overdo it on shopping, food, drink, merriment, and the pressure of getting it all done.
A little indulgence is great and a deserved treat after you’ve worked so hard the whole year through – but don’t over do it! It really is the season to find some balance.
Find time to sit in candle or firelight, reading or chatting and playing games, to eat nourishing soups and stews, for comfort, warmth and ease on the digestive system, and limit the sweet stuff, so that it’s a real treat when you have it!
Gifting feels good and is a symbolic gesture. And it should be within your means. As well as that, the idea that your gift will sit unused or end in landfill now gives many of us the heebie-jeebies.
Choose simple, gifts with love and a purpose, and wrap with awareness!
And of course we have lots of restorative, yin and breathing classes to help you pace yourself.
Winter is a time to reflect and be thankful, and I would like to say a big thank you to all our students and clients who have supported our centre throughout the year, and all the teachers and practitioners for providing a place of laughter, love, learning, nourishment and care.
As ever, the details are below and in the calendar – please check it!
A Merry Xmas to you all, and a Happy New Year from Sharon and all the teachers and therapists at Dorchester Yoga and Therapy Centre
The Winter Solstice is the time of ending and beginning, a powerful time —
A time to contemplate your immortality.
A time to forgive, to be forgiven, and to make a fresh start.
A time to awaken.
~~ Frederick Lens ~~
Welcome to our November newsletter.
In Chinese medicine Autumn is associated with the organ The Lung. The lungs are responsible for bringing clean rich oxygen into the body and removing waste, for bringing Prana or Qi into the body – the primal or vital energy that drives life.
Every organ has a partner; the lung is yin, its yang partner is the large intestine, also responsible for letting go of waste. When the two are in balance they are responsible for taking in the new and letting go of the old, for boundaries and renewal, the constant cycle of life.
So Autumn is a good time to let go of any past experiences or finish old projects that we may be holding on to, let go of emotions and generally clean out. This makes room for new ideas; at this time of year they can be creative, internal, cultivating body and mind, becoming more introspective, turning in and slowing down.
Breathe deeply, let go of negativity in your life, walk outside and enjoy the crisp cool air and enjoy the beautiful colours of Autumn.
Reorganise your surroundings, clean and donate to charity anything you don’t require.
This is all strengthening to the lung energy and therefore balancing to the body and mind.
In October our workshops and classes were full of yin and restorative classes as everyone felt the need to begin to slow down and turn in after the exciting but exhaustive nature of summer. This continues through November as our restorative, yin, reiki and breathing practices support the lung energy.
Keep warm, wear a scarf to protect against the wind, and enjoy the rich colours of Autumn
As ever, the details are below and in the calendar – please check it!
With best wishes from Sharon and all the teachers and therapists at Dorchester Yoga and Therapy Centre
We have got off to a very busy autumn term at the centre. We have a new Kinesiology training in progress with Jane Collison, Finding Stillness with Marj, an Introduction to Meditation is underway, Annabel Fox has just finished a Reiki One training and our teachers are all back from their holidays and our full timetable is underway.
I would like to welcome two new yoga teachers, Jess Obermaier and Jacqueline Wigglesworth. You can read all about them on the website and see their classes in the new classes listings below.
As ever, the details are below and in the calendar – please check it!
With best wishes from Sharon and all the teachers and therapists at Dorchester Yoga and Therapy Centre
Welcome back after the summer break, we hope you have had a wonderful summer and enjoyed the great outdoors, both here in our beautiful Dorset and maybe further afield. As usual at this time of year we like to share photos of yoga in more unusual places and surroundings, here are a selection:
Excuse our slightly longer newsletter this month as we have lots of news about all the wonderful classes, courses and workshops on offer this Autumn.
As ever, the details are below and in the calendar – please check it!
With best wishes from Sharon and all the teachers and therapists at Dorchester Yoga and Therapy Centre
Continue reading “September 2019 newsletter”
My word, what a busy month we have had, filling those long days of sunlight, (well light unfortunately no sun!) June 21st was International Yoga Day and we had a wonderful night on Friday with free classes from 5:15 – 9:30pm. Thank you to all the teachers for offering their time freely and making such a wonderful event, and thank you to all of you who came along and for donating to the The Bus Shelter Dorset who supports those sleeping rough. We raised just over £250!
On Satuday we ran the Holistic Zone at Dorset Fest, with Jane Collison offering aromatherpy hand massage, kinesiology and healing, Rebecca Shalts offering reflexology and Eli Button offering Thai Yoga Massage, plus yoga classes throughout the day. The sun shone and a good time was had by all. Thank you to all those who came along.
We would like to introduce our nutritionist Helen to you this month (below), and in our autumn newsletters we will introduce some more of our newer therapists who have recently joined us.
We have a few more workshops in July and then things will quieten down for August. Regular classes are still on but do keep an eye on the calendar in case your teacher takes some time off for a break.
As usual there will be no newsletter in August but will resume again in September. Enjoy being outdoors, eat good food, relax and enjoy time with friends, all good things to feed the soul.
As ever, the details are below and in the calendar – please check it!
With best wishes from Sharon and all the teachers and therapists at Dorchester Yoga and Therapy Centre
Our format this month is not its usual slickness as Ed my newsletter editor is moving house, so it’s a bit rough and ready but the content is fabulous as always!
Friday June 21st is International Yoga day and we would like to share this special day with you by inviting you to a free evening of yoga classes – see more below
If any of you are going to the Dorset Fest this year, we look forward to seeing you there. Dorchester Yoga and Therapy Centre will be running the Holistic Zone, offering Yoga, meditation, relaxation, aromatherapy hand massage, reflexology, thai yoga massage, kinesiology and meridian balancing! Come and find us!
Enjoy the weather and the great outdoors, and of course your yoga, and be thankful for living in such a wonderful part of the country, indeed the world!
As ever, the details are below and in the calendar – please check it!
With best wishes from Sharon and all the teachers and therapists at Dorchester Yoga and Therapy Centre
We will be offering free classes from 5.15 to 9.30pm, with a shared Chanting For Peace at 6pm. Come for one or come for all!!!
Programme
We ask for a donation of £5 to The Bus Shelter Dorset who supports those sleeping rough.
We started various new classes in May:
Yoga For Parkinsons is a new weekly class on Thursdays 9.15-10.15am taught by Sharon Cox-Button, if you are interested or would like more information please contact 07742821937 or scoxbutton@gmail.com
We also hosted an Introduction to Baby signing class run by Little Signers for our Mums, Dads and Babies and that was a huge success and enjoyed buy all so we hope to be able to offer a regular course soon.
Our monthly Reiki Share is back and Annabel Fox, our Massage and Reiki therapist took the first session. There have been no reiki shares for a while now as Karen Giles who used to take them has retired, but we hope she might come back and take a few odd ones! It has been missed by many and so is great to have it back on the timetable! These sessions will be monthly, but not fixed to a certain day. So if you would like to be informed as to when they are, and who is teaching them please contact us to be added to the email list. If you would like to know more about reiki share please contact us. It could be a great introduction to the reiki world!