I’m a Beginner - which class can I come to?

We love this question! Hurrah. Thank you for embarking on a beautiful journey. Why not try:

• Gentle Yoga: Mondays 4:45pm | Saturday 7:45am | Sunday 11:15am. It’s so kind to practice yoga gently. There is always meant to be ease within the effort of yoga so a class where that is the aim is a joy. And remember, a babbling brook might have a gentle current but it still has the power to carve through rock. Gentle Yoga is a kind way to strengthen and tone the body and access more flexibility.

• Any Vinyasa Flow class: everyday! These are mixed-level classes and our teachers will be able to offer modifications for you while the practice and community of your fellow classmates may inspire and encourage you.

• Hatha: Wednesdays 11am. In Hatha Yoga classes poses are held in stasis before you move to the next pose. Some friends are so grateful to have started their yoga journey with Hatha because they have time to find the physicality of a new shape before moving to the next one.

• Ashtanga. This is an excellent foundation for building your practice. You will move into the same poses every week which is great for being able to track your progress. Many people fall in love with yoga through Ashtanga.

• You can try Hot Vinyasa Flow if you like the heat because this class moves slowly and the heat helps your muscles stretch. We use infra-red panels because infra-red heat is anti-inflammatory.

• All of the Restorative, Yin and Nectar classes are available to you and they are extremely nourishing for the body. Bliss.

Yes, but I don’t think you understand, I’m a really shy beginner.

Being a beginner in anything is brave. Confusion and uncertainty are guaranteed on a new adventure! But being a beginner in yoga is, I believe, particularly courageous because we are asking you, in a society that likes to hunch over phones and computers, to make big, strange, gorgeous, challenging shapes in a room with other people. Wait, stay! I know that’s scary, but it’s worth it. Because doing this, practicing yoga, is special. It is wonderful. It is healing. It’s an opportunity to strengthen your body, increase your flexibility, decrease stress and, most excitingly, to come home to yourself. So please do come even if you’re shy: we have regular beginners’ yoga courses you can sign up to and our Gentle Yoga classes are entry level “drop in” classes. Completing a course first can help prepare you for what it’s like in an open level class.

We also offer private sessions so that you can work 1 on 1 first to build your confidence before you join a course or a drop in class.

Please know that the teachers here at Madara Yoga are friendly and kind - and they want you to practice and experience the benefits of yoga. They are here to support you.

If you’re still unsure please feel free to email us at hello@madarayoga.com and you can also come to the studio and have a chat with us to get to know us more.

Do you run pre-natal and post-natal classes?

When we have enough pregnant mammas we offer pre-natal yoga courses. In the meantime pregnant friends who already practice yoga often continue to come to class and learn to modify their practice to suit them on their journey. Emily Lacey, Emily Cobie and Charlotte Gallagher are trained in Pregnancy Yoga and can help you work with your bump during practice.

Our Monday 12:15pm Vinyasa Flow class is an open class where mums and babies are welcome too. Emily Lacey is an excellent yoga teacher who specialises in post-natal fitness and these classes are a great option when you want to bring your baby to practice.

Our open level Pilates classes are another great option for post-natal recovery: Tuesdays 7:30pm | Fridays 12:15pm.

I’m going through perimenopause and menopause - which classes shall I come to?

Every week we offer Midlife Pilates: Sundays 11:45am - 12:30pm which Emma Chauhan has cunningly designed to meet the challenges and symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.

We also run dedicated Menopause Workshops if you want to delve deeper into how yoga can help. We’d love to see you there.

On any given day, perimenopause and menopause symptoms can manifest differently. Take a breath and sense into your body and ask whether moving through a physically demanding practice is just the ticket or if a calmer Gentle, Yin, Restorative or Nectar class might help. These classes reduce stress and reducing stress reduces inflammation in the body which has been proven to mitigate peri-menopausal and menopausal symptoms. You can email us and ask us too if you’re not sure: hello@madarayoga.com

Do you supply Yoga Mats?

Yes! We have yoga mats here at the studio that you are welcome to borrow when you attend class.

You are of course, very welcome to bring your own yoga mat to the studio if you prefer and lots of our friends like to bring their own.

Do you have showers at the studio?

Sadly, no. One day we hope to be in a space where we can offer full facilities. In the meantime we are loving being able to be open in a beautiful, warm, space.

How can I cancel a class without emailing you?

Downloading the Momence App to your smartphone will let you login and cancel classes easily there. (Momence is our booking system and you will have created an account with them to come to class.) To cancel or change a membership, please email us at: admin@madarayoga.com and we can help you.

I’m not flexible enough to do yoga.

This isn’t a question but people say it a lot! You are so welcome here. Yoga is always a challenge - did you know that some yogis write about meditating for hours and then spontaneously leaping into advanced poses? That’s one way to work with your flexibility. Another is to come to class and see if your flexibility improves as you practice and to observe what else changes in your life when you do. Exciting.

Do you offer Room Hire?

Yes. Selectively. We want to protect the energy of the space so we’re lovingly choosey. Please email us at admin@madarayoga.com for rates and agreements.