What is Holistic Yoga - Holistic Yoga Modalities
What is Holistic Yoga?
Yoga For Mind, Body and Spirit
Holistic Yoga is a style that I developed out of working with the stress, anxiety, tension, hypermobility, joint and back pain within my own body, mind and spirit. It’s important to note that yoga is more than the physical exercises, even more than the breath work and meditation. There is a particular state of mind and way of approaching the movement that is rooted in the yoga philosophy that makes all the difference. It’s not necessarily what you do, but how you do it. The explorations that we go through in the yoga classes are born out of many trainings, copious research and over three decades of personal practice. As such, Holistic Yoga is always evolving, you’ll be introduced to new ideas and practices as I learn and master them myself.
The word holistic means whole and is not only associated with human wholeness, but with our connection to the planet. We recognise we are not separate from the earth, the sun, the bodies of water and the air we breath. Honouring the elements, and our connection to the Earth is not only important for our wellbeing, but also for our survival as a species. Holistic Yoga reflects and embodies this truth.
Yoga for Unique Individuals
You are encouraged to make the poses “work for you”. We are all individuals with different bone structures, histories, injuries and temperaments. You may want to make the postures more or less challenging. Without disturbing the flow of the class you’ll be given ideas about how to do make the practices fit your unique body-mind (rather than the other way round). In Holistic Yoga, taking a posture is always a choice that you make, no one else. You are always encouraged to be guided by your own internal sensations.
Co-Creative Yoga
You are invited to ask questions throughout the class (in both Zoom and In-Person classes). There are many ways you can make the practices work as a healing balm for your body, mind and soul. You are never required to “push through pain. ” If you do find an increase in discomfort, or a sense of “not feeling right” during the class, rest in a comfortable position instead. You are encouraged to ask for help with an alternative posture. There will be a way to modify the practice that enables you to find steadiness and ease. As students get more used to this way of practicing they discover and create their own modifications or alternatives to the practices, that work for their body better
Yoga Without Vinyasa
Holistic Yoga doesn’t involve repetitive vinyasa, although we do sun salutations occasionally. If you prefer a vinyasa flow style, there are many classes available that will suit you better! This is not a sweaty practice, although you will find new muscles you didn’t know you had. It is not a cardiovascular exercise although it will benefit your heart and circulation on the physical and subtle levels.
Healing Yoga
Holistic Yoga is focussed on healing. The practices are designed to help you understand your body better, regulate your nervous system, improve your posture, improve the circulation of prana (vital energy or qi) in your whole system. This this way, the yoga can help to support your joints, relieve back, neck, shoulder and knee pain. On a deeper level the practices help you to develop self awareness and self compassion. If we can be kind to ourselves, we are more able to be respectful and kind to our fellow humans from all places, of all races. Overcoming divisions along lines of belief, race, political affiliation, class, gender and income is key to creating a safe and peaceful world for us all. The healing that we are undertaking in yoga is not just for our personal benefit, but for our families, communities and the wider world. By making small, yet profound changes within our bodies, minds and spirits, we create a ripple effect of calmness and kindness that is felt much further afield and contributes to creating a better future for all.
Yoga for Planetary Health
Ecological and environmental awareness is an important aspect of Holistic Yoga. Our spiritual health and development depends upon our becoming more independent of our consumerist, extractivist society. In yoga we learn how to become content and deeply rested without external aids. We learn to calm the mind and become less critical of ourselves and others. We learn to see how all sentient beings are interconnected and interdependent. Such discoveries go against much of the programming we have received from our upbringing, schooling, advertising and the economic system which dominates our lives. Questioning what it means to be a human, what the purpose of our life is, is an essential part of creating change at a fundamental level.
Our physical health benefits from pesticide-free, fresh, whole food and uncontaminated water. In our practices we include and honour the Elements, the Earth, the Sky, Water Bodies, Light, Air and the Universe itself. In order to survive and thrive on this planet , we need to weave ourselves back into Nature. The practices gradually allow us to unlearn the destructive beliefs and habits that we have accumulated. In this way we can start to see and reverse our patterns of consumption and destruction. Yoga gives us the tools to do this, it is a truly revolutionary practice.
My Yoga Teachers
For those of you interested in yoga lineages, my main teachers were Jenny Beeken (Inner Yoga Trust; originally a student of B.K.S. Iyengar) and Sophie Hoare (taught directly by Vanda Scaravelli) who was my personal teacher for a number of years. I’ve also had the great fortune to learn from many other yoga teachers, anatomy experts, somatic educators, movement specialists who’s ideas I weave into the classes and courses.
Post Lineage Yoga
This type of yoga is known as “post lineage” it does not conform to an individual guru’s idea of how yoga should be practiced. Holistic Yoga is an evolving, creative approach. As with Vanda Scaravelli’s teaching, the practice is a process of responding to the body’s subtle language. So there is essentially no right or wrong movement. An important exception is that it is essential to avoid movement that causes or increases pain, discomfort or a feeling or “not right”. Instead of a fixed practice there are simply a set of choices to explore. The student is viewed as the expert in their own body, the master of their own experience. In this sense, the student is much more empowered to develop their own sense of what feels right and “works” for them as an individual.
Online Meditation Class
Free Online Meditation Group- All Welcome!
Every Monday at 8am, students of Holistic Yoga gather to meditate together. This is an open group, suitable for those who are new to meditation or those who wish to practice in a group online with some gentle guidance.
We work with visualisations from the yoga, qigong and other traditions and also explore breath exercise for balance, energy and calm. We often work with practices that ground us, centre us and connect us to our soul and all that is. The meditations have both a calming and uplifting effect.
Join us! It’s a lovely way to start the week. 🙂
OK This All Sounds Great… Where Do I Start?
There are three choices of how to access Holistic Yoga classes online. Choose what suits you
Classes
Holistic Somatics
Holistic Yoga
Free Meditation
All classes are currently on Zoom, use the button below to browse the timetable and book your class. In-person classes in Crouch End available after the summer break.
Private 1-2-1 Classes
Holistic Somatics
Holsitic Yoga
Anatomy in Motion
Private 1-2-1 classes are ideal for new students, or those who prefer more tailored instruction. Email Julia about in-person 1-2-1 classes or book a Zoom 1-2-1 class by clicking the button below
Courses
Audio Courses:
Holistic Somatics 7-Weeks
Gentle Yoga 7-Weeks
Video Courses
Yoga for Resilience and Longevity
Yoga for Lower Back Health
On-demand yoga classes to fit in with your schedule.
