Yoga Workshops, Courses & Retreats

Spending a bit more time with yoga than in a weekly class, my yoga workshops, courses and retreats in and around York give you more time to really connect into yourself and deepen your practice. From a few hours, an afternoon to a day or longer. They can also be a brilliant alternative way for people whose busy lives make a regular weekly class difficult to commit to, have some regular yoga in their lives too.

ALL my workshops, courses and mini retreats are really inclusive, friendly and are suitable for EVERYONE, including total beginners. Here’s what’s coming up:

• Slow Sundays Yoga Mini Retreats - next ones:, 18th February, 12th May, 30th June, 21st July 2024

• Wild Wellbeing Day Retreat - 2024 dates coming soon!

• Active Birth Workshop - 31st July 2023 7pm - booking here

• Pregnancy Yoga Half Day Retreats - next one TBC

• Pelvic Floor for Mothers Workshop, new date tbc

Upcoming Dates

Pregnancy Rest & Relax half day retreat

A gorgeous afternoon of nurturing yoga for all pregnant folk, from 14 weeks to birth. Perfect for women who can't make a weekly pregnancy yoga class, or who want some extra yoga me-time in pregnancy. Includes movement, calming and focussing breath work, deep relaxation, visualisations, positive affirmations in a lovely setting with other mums-to-be. You'll leave feeling revived, relaxed and taken care of. There will be nutritious and delicious snacks, homemade cake and homemade chocolates too. - what more could you want?

You will leave feeling nourished, connected and so content - really ready to enjoy the rest of your pregnancy with love and calmness. No previous yoga experience is necessary - open to EVERYONE from 14 weeks right up to birth.

Next one: Sunday 11th December 2022 | 2pm to 5pm | York

"I've loved your afternoon pregnancy retreat Susan - the most relaxed I have felt in my pregnancy! Thank you”

More information on pregnancy yoga classes and one to ones here.

Demystifying Your Pelvic Floor Workshop

A workshop to demystify the pelvic floor. Because of its location and contribution to bodily functions that people consider “unmentionable”, the pelvic floor remains a body part that is a mystery to many. As a woman your pelvic floor is a vital part of your body to understand and engage with.

This workshop will explain and explore your pelvic floor muscles and your pelvis. How they work when we move and breathe using techniques from yoga, breath work and body biomechanics (don't worry - nothing too technical!). 

We will locate, assess, soften, stretch, strengthen and exercise the muscle groups of the pelvic floor.  

We'll explore:  

~ How you can understand your own pelvic floor better  

~ Anatomy of the pelvis and pelvic floor  

~ Learn techniques for developing awareness of your own pelvic floors  

~ How posture affects the pelvic floor  

~ How both strength and relaxation of the pelvic are equally important to women.  

~ How to know if you have a pelvic floor that's strong or tense or weak, and why all could cause problems  

~ The role of breath and emotion on the pelvic floor  

We will take this knowledge and awareness into some yoga practices. With a variety of breath techniques for pelvic floor health, experiential movements, further body movement practices, and the right pelvic floor exercises. Proper strengthening and stabilizing of the pelvic floor helps to create the correct foundation of each movement in the body, in both daily life and in exercise too. 

Pelvic floor issues can come from singular events, such as injury, trauma or childbirth, or from habitual postural or emotional patterns, and can lead to various symptoms, pain or loss of function.  

This workshop is for you if you experience any of these conditions:

~ pelvic pain  

~ lower back, hip or groin problems  

~ continence or constipation issues  

~ leaking when laughing or sneezing  

~ frequent urination  

Or if you are just curious about this region of your body, or if you sense you might benefit from more sensitivity and connection your pelvic floor.

You will also receive a handout emailed after the workshop too to refer back to.

When: next date early 2023

Revitalise & Restore Yoga Day Retreats // York 

Next one: Spring 2023

A gorgeous whole day of time for YOU. Join me for some very special full day yoga retreats in York to celebrate the seasons.

This is an opportunity to gather and connect with a group of amazing women, for a day that will revitalise you in body and mind and give you space to relax and restore yourself. We'll be exploring so much in these day - movement, breath work, meditation and mindfulness, deep rest and relaxation, self-massage, creating self-care rituals, journaling/doodling and space for self enquiry. As well as enjoying a delicious and nourishing homemade seasonal lunch, homemade cake and delicious treats prepared with love. These days will be all about having time to wind down, to replenish yourself and find a greater connection to both yourself and the world around you. Moving into the season ahead with love and kjndness.

You'll leave feeling gently energised, revived, and also deeply relaxed and with plenty of simple yet effective practices to take from the day and into your life for a more grounded and connected sense of self.

What we'll do:

• What we'll do, an overview of the days schedule, although each one will be different (subject to change):

  • The retreat will begin with warming teas and homemade energy balls on arrival.

  • We’ll do a movement based yoga practice to ease out stiffness, tension, aches and niggles and give you time and space to stretch and really connect with your body and breath. Gentle energising, a mixture of flowing and held shapes, with some time to explore freer and more intuitive movement too. Suitable for all bodies, all abilities.

  • A delicious and nutritious Vegetarian two course lunch based on seasonal (and where possible local) produce, prepared with love. Taking some time together to share and connect with beautiful liked-minded women. In the summer we might even get lunch outside on the terrace, weather permitting….

  • Post lunch we’ll explore some self-care practices. These will create time for self exploration and self reflection. From simple journalling or doodling practices, to ways to create pockets of self care through everyday life. We’ll also look at different simple self massage techniques on each day retreat, to help reconnect into your body, and show yourself some self-care and self-love.

  • We’ll then move into a wonderful long floor based yoga practice, and the more meditative yoga practices of Yin and Restorative Yoga shapes. Firstly the Yin shapes - easing deep into the fascia of the body to release deeply held tension and help you feel deeply stretched and softer.. Then we’ll take up some delicious supportive restorative postures where you can really let your body deeply relax and find stillness in your mind. Using LOTS of bolsters, blankets and support to help you find deep comfort and deep rest. This yoga will help to soothe your nervous system, change your state from ‘busyness and high alert’ to ‘rest and relax’ , by bringing you into your relaxation response. Hugely important for better sleep, better health and for overall wellbeing.

  • We’ll also use simple yet hugely powerful breathing practices that will calm and ground body, mind and nervous system and help you also to dial down your bodys stress response. #lifeskills

  • There will be more refreshment - tea and homemade afternoon cake / treats

  • Finally a yoga nidra (a deep guided relaxation) lying in stillness where you can really enjoy some time to let go and just be in your body. Accompanied by little bit of deeply restful sound exploration with a gorgeous mini soundbath with singing bowls and chimes.

    
    

  We’ll also use essential oils to both energise and to aid relaxation throughout the day, and have some great music and soundscapes too (of course!)

You will leave feeling really nourished, connected and set up for the season ahead. There is No previous yoga experience is necessary - open to EVERYONE.

Dates for the retreat days:

• Transitioning to Spring 2023

• Transition from Spring into Summer

• Transition from Summer into Autumn

• The beginning of Winter

  Early bird booking price 6 weeks prior. Please email me to be the first to know when booking opens

These will be special days, I hope you can join me.

*COMING SOON* Blank Page Journaling Club 

Next 6 week course: Spring 2023

The very act of writing can have so many benefits for our mental and emotional health, and boost our creativity too. Plus is can be fun! Developing a daily writing practice is a great idea - but where to start - that blank page can be daunting! This is a course where we’ll explore different types of journaling, in simple ways that anyone can do.

It will help you clear mental clutter (great for reducing stress), get creative, and maybe even learn a little more about yourself and your life.

If you want to know when the dates launch to book, drop me an email yogaformodernlife@outlook.com and get 'on the list'! 

Fertility Yoga  Workshops 

Next workshop Sprint 2023 - dates tbc | Register your interest now.

Fertility Yoga for supporting your journey to motherhood. For women who are planning to start a family soon and want to prepare themselves, women trying to conceive, struggling to conceive, or looking at assisted fertility treatment. I also teach Fertility Yoga on a private one-to-one basis all through the year, and also as a 6 week group course. Do get in touch to learn more. More information on Fertility Yoga here. 

Yoga For Better Sleep Workshop // next date tbc

more details here

It seems like sleep should be a completely natural and problem-free activity, as it requires no effort, either mental or physical. But so many of us have trouble either falling asleep or sleeping long enough or well enough to feel rested when we wake up. One problem is that we carry the tensions of the day—the residue of mental and physical effort—into the time when we should be sleeping. Our nervous system doesn’t let down its guard in the body or the mind, the stress response is still activate and stress hormones are still flowing through our body - so either we can’t get to sleep or it stays on the alert while we’re sleeping. Yoga can help this ever growing problem in many ways. We can calm the nervous system through movement, held postures and breath work, and relieve residual tension in the body and mind, we can use meditation, guided relaxation and sound to invite a relaxed state of contentment that welcomes the sandman. We’ll take a holistic approach looking also at essential oils, herbal drinks and the science of sleep to create a unique sleep ritual that works for you.

For more details and to book your place - head to the Yoga For Better Sleep page here