Yoga

Screenshot of Paula Hines teaching Soothing Savasana class on EkkartYoga (copyrighted)

Soothing Savasana for Deep Rest

Soothing your nervous system while resting deeply. “Learning to rest. to let go of the lure of constant busyness takes practice” – quote from my book, Rest + Calm This is an invitation to bring some physical rest into your day. In this practice I show you how to set yourself up in a supported restorative…

NEW! Go with the Flow Yin – my latest class on EkhartYoga

Go with the Flow Yin is my latest class available on EkhartYoga. Svadhishthana – the Sacral Chakra – linked to the Water element, is located in the lower abdomen near the sacrum. This chakra is associated with our ability to go with the flow, our self worth, creativity, and ability to express ourselves freely –…

Kick Off 2023 with Feel-Good Yoga!

Launching on Monday 2nd January on EkhartYoga is the Feel-Good Yoga Challenge. Sign-up to enjoy daily 30-minute yoga practices throughout January. Esther Ekhart, the rest of the teaching team and I have joined forces to offer you classes to lift your mood and honour your body’s craving for movement to help you get your 2023…

Summer Health for the Heart & Small Intestine

The pair of organs associated with the Summer in Chinese Medicine are the Heart and Small Intestine and the element is Fire. The Heart (yin organ) is the ‘supreme monarch’ and is supported by three other organs associated with Fire: the Pericardium, the Small Intestine, and the Triple Heater, (with the Small Intestine being the…

The Rest Sessions: Be Restored

Sunday 22nd May 2-4pm at Embody Wellness, Vauxhall “The clue is in the name – RESTorative yoga is excellent for facilitating proper rest and relaxation in both body and mind. Restorative yoga is a receptive practice where you are supported and held – how many of us could deeply benefit from more of that?”  (excerpt…

Restore Yourself on EkhartYoga – new online class

My fifth class with EkhartYoga has been released. Release tension and stress in both your body and mind as you enjoy the experience of allowing your body to be completely supported by your props. This class is a nurturing restorative practice, ideal for when you are in need of some restoration. To practice with me at…

Spring Yin & Yang Organs

The pair of organs associated with the Spring (Wood) season are the Liver and Gallbladder. The Liver (yin) is the body’s main organ of detoxification and is very important in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), being described as ‘the General’. Energetically the Liver is in charge of the smooth flow of Qi (energy) through the body,…

Yoga for Menopause

Workshops and classes coming soon. What is Menopause Yoga? This is an approach to yoga to specifically help women manage the main symptoms associated with all the stages of menopause (perimenopause, menopause, post-menopause). If you are experiencing: Night sweats Hot flushes Anxiety Overwhelm Fatigue Lack of focus Irritability ‘Meno-rage’ Mood swings Insomnia  Then Menopause Yoga…

Joyful & Open: A Late Autumn Yin & Yoga Nidra Workshop

Saturday 10 November | 2.00pm to 4.00pm | £25 Join me for this upcoming seasonal workshop at Embody Wellness in Vauxhall. In Chinese Medicine there are Five Elements that are central to nature’s cycles and are reflected in the cycles of our bodies. They are Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth, and each element is connected…

Yin Yoga: Half Saddle Pose

If the full version of Saddle Pose feels too much then give Half Saddle a try. Like the full version, Half Saddle can also be a satisfying stretch for the quads and hip flexors. This pose also provides a gentle opening of the front body, a release for the upper back as well as extension…

Winter Yin Yoga: Saddle Pose

In this short video filmed at Embody Wellness in Vauxhall I am showing you Saddle Pose. On an energetic level this yin posture stimulates the Kidney and Urinary Bladder meridians – associated with the Winter season – and also the Spleen and Stomach lines. Here I’m using a bolster propped up on two blocks to…

A Second Restorative Yoga for Depression Workshop

Restorative Yoga for Depression Workshop – Saturday 3rd February 2018 2.15-4.15pm at Embody Wellness After a number of requests I am repeating this workshop. If you missed it last time or think this may be of benefit to someone you know, here are the details. No previous yoga experience is necessary: Depression can impact our…

Restorative Yoga for Depression

Restorative Yoga for Depression Workshop – Saturday 25th November 2017 2.15-4.15pm at Embody Wellness   Depression can impact our entire being. What we think about, how we feel, how we behave, all altered as dperession creates a state of dysrgeulation in the nervous system. On a physiological level, the whole body, including the respiratory, digestive,…

Wall Yin: Squat

{WATCH} In this short video filmed at Evolve Wellness Centre in South Kensington I show you how to do a yin Wall Squat. This is one of my favourites for stretching the hips and easing lower back tightness. If sitting in a squat feels tricky for you, give this version a try. – Start by…

Getting to know Paula Hines from U Can Yoga – Yogamatters Interview

“Because yoga can help you feel so good, sometimes there is a tendency to present it all as positivity, love and light, heart-opening and unicorns. But in truth, it’s not all fluffy. When you practise yoga (not just asana) for a while, you find that it can make you more aware of the not so…

Yin Yoga: Dragonfly Pose

{WATCH} In this short video filmed at Embody Wellness I show you a few propping options and suggestions for Dragonfly pose. Yin yoga provides us with the opportunity to let go of striving so bear in mind that we are not striving for an end goal of uber-flexibility. Instead, aim for the variation of the…

Weighting: Savasana – Restorative Yoga for Anxiety

{WATCH} RESTORATIVE YOGA FOR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION – WEIGHTING THE BODY Did you know that weighting poses has the capacity to be soothing for people with depression or lethargy, while for those with anxiety it can feel grounding? I first came across this during my first training with Judith Hanson Lasater in 2012. I have…

Undo Knots in the Upper Body with Thread the Needle Pose

{WATCH} In this short video filmed at Create Pilates in Wimbledon, I show you how to do Thread the Needle Pose. Thread the Needle can provide a satisfying stretch through the chest and shoulders. Also, the gentle twisting motion can help stretch the muscles in the lower back and release tension in the upper back…

Pain in the Neck? Try this

{WATCH} SEATED NECK RELEASE Do you suffer with a tight or sore neck? We can often hold tension in the neck (as well as the shoulders and upper back) due to stress and the dreaded ‘computer/mobile phone posture’, among other activities. In this short video, filmed at reCentre Health in Balham, I show you how…

Supported Bridge into Supported Shoulderstand

This is one of the restorative poses we regularly practice during the second half of SLOW FLOW YOGA – Mondays 6.30-7.30pm reCentre Health in Balham. In this short video filmed at reCentre I show you how to do this restorative inversion with the aid of a bolster and a yoga belt. Here, the sacrum (directly below…

Wall Yin: Eye of the Needle

    In this short video filmed at Evolve Wellness Centre in South Kensington I show you how to do Wall Eye of the Needle. If you are in London I teach a weekly Yin Yoga class here on Wednesdays 6-7.15pm This version of Eye of the Needle is great if you have trouble keeping…