Yoga is the physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India about 5,000 years ago with a view to attain a state of permanent peace. It is an ancient form of exercise that focuses on strength, flexibility and breathing to boost physical and mental wellbeing. The sanskrit word for Yoga means 'to unite' or 'intergrate'. Yoga is about the union of a person's own consciousness and the universal consciousness. Ancient Yogis had a belief that in order for man to be in harmony with himself and his environment, he has to integrate the body, the mind, and the spirit. For these three to be integrated, emotion, action, and intelligence must be in balance. The Yogis formulated a way to achieve and maintain this balance is done through exercise, breathing, and Meditation.

Why Do Yoga?

Yoga is a safe and effective way to increase physical activity, especially strength, flexibility and balance. Regular yoga practice can be also beneficial for people with high blood pressure, heart disease, aches and pains – including lower back pain – depression and stress..

Classes

Laura teaches Yoga classes which are open to all abilities and ages, which are based on the physical aspect of yoga, aiming to improve flexibility, strength, and balance. Her classes ususally consist of a gentle warm up, sun salutations, stretching poses, and a relaxation at the end.

Pilates is a physical fitness system developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates who called his method "Contrology". It is a body conditioning routine that can help build flexibility, muscle strength, and endurance in the legs, abdominals, arms, hips, and back. It puts emphasis on spinal and pelvic alignment, breathing, developing a strong core or center, and improving coordination and balance. Pilates' system allows for different exercises to be modified in range of difficulty from beginning to advanced. Intensity can be increased over time as the body conditions and adapts to the exercises. The original six principles of Pilates are concentration, control, center, flow, precision, and breathing.

Why Do Pilates?

Pilates can help improve posture, alignment, muscle tone and flexibility, core strength and joint mobility, as well as relieve stress and tension. Pilates can also provide pain relief to people with non-specific lower back pain. Pilates is a gentle, low-impact form of exercise.

Classes

Laura teaches Pilates classes suitable for people of all ages and abilities. She teaches matwork classes based on the original Joseph Pilates exercises, which include core strengthening exercises and stretching.

Laura is a trained dancer, who studied at the prestigous contemporary Dance school in London, 'Laban'. She trained in Ballet and contemporary dance, and went on to teach Dance in secondary schools. She now teaches contemporary dance classes to children outside of school.

Other Classes Available Include

• Classes to adults or children in ballet or contemporary
• Wedding dance choreography
• Fun classes for hen parties
• Contemporary dance workshops for schools