Blog
Pilates moves for strength
Every term at Ad Astra Yoga and Pilates the members are polled on the private Facebook group for what they’d like to focus on for the following term. This term they have opted to do Pilates moves for strength, so here’s what will be going on in class… The peak pose –...
How to improve hip mobility with yoga and Pilates
‘Hip openers’ seem to be the source of some amusement in various social media platforms, but there’s a serious intent behind them – improving hip mobility. This term in both yoga and Pilates we’ve improved hip mobility by performing various moves and poses – some that...
Menopause and cortisol – How yoga supports stress-free moments
The latest scientific insights into menopause and cortisol focuses heavily on the stress response system. Some research highlights that as estrogen and progesterone drop, the body loses its natural ‘buffer’ against cortisol – the stress hormone. This creates a...
Go with the flow – All about Vinyasa yoga
You probably already know there are lots of different styles of yoga you can practise, from the more difficult versions like Ashtanga, Hot Yoga and Power Flow that will physically test you, to Hatha and Restorative Yoga that require very little physical exertion. But...
Pilates for beginners – What should you know first?
What can you expect from a Pilates for beginners class? Perhaps the first thing you should know is that it isn’t a bunch of women lying on a mat squeezing their pelvic floor – it can be quite tough, and it’s not just for girls! Before joining a Pilates class, you...
Yoga for beginners – What you need to know
Yoga is all about how each movement feels to you, not how it looks and not how it compares to anyone else
Getting back to basics with yoga and mat Pilates equipment
I thought the new year would be the perfect time to get back to basics and talk about what you can expect from yoga and mat Pilates classes, so following on from the last blog, let’s talk now about equipment.. The essential yoga and mat Pilates stuff My classes focus...
Let’s get back to basics – What can you expect from Ad Astra Yoga and Pilates?
I’ve seen lots of new members join Ad Astra Yoga and Pilates in the recent months and it occurred to me that I’m likely to meet new people as we approach New Year resolutions, so I thought it would be a good time to reintroduce myself and my brand of teaching… Who is...
How clean is your yoga mat?
First of all, I apologise if after reading this, you feel differently about your yoga mat (or even a bit queasy)! Secondly, you should know that even as a yoga teacher, I’m not fastidious over cleaning my own mat, but we do need to address the question of how clean a...
How to practise mindfulness using all five senses
The practise of mindfulness is to focus on our present moment and the task at hand, making it more meaningful and hopefully executing it better. To be mindful is to prevent outside distractions from invading our thoughts or actions so we can be 100% invested in what...