Hatha Yoga

The meaning of Hatha is sun/moon, seeing the right side of the body as sun and the left as moon we are working towards a balance between the left and right side of the body, all the paired glands and organs which sits one on the right and one on the left side of the body, in turn balancing the left/right brain. 
Hatha yoga aids in healing lethargy, depression, anxiety, obsession and all other ills and ails of the body, mind and emotions.
In hatha yoga we usually begin with a short meditation, warm up exercises, breath work, moving into a 'salute to the sun'; a set of free flowing movements matched with the breath which runs the lymphatic system as well as cleaning and nourishing the organs and glands, it is these that rule our emotions and minds.
We then move into deeper, static postures which challenge the mind and deepen the breath and work intensely with the organs and glands and it is this intensity that our mind and emotions become calmer and clearer having the opportunity to create a change that is much more comfortable for our entire being.
We end the practice with 'savasana' where you just lay down being guided into a meditation and absorb all the good you have just done for yourself.

Vinyassa Yoga

Catherine's classes begin with a short meditation on the breath, a brief pranayama practice and then proceeds to focus on asana practice. The breath is integrated with each asana and emphasis is placed on alignment and developing profound body awareness. Starting with simple stretches to open the body and calm the mind the class progresses to a series of flowing sequences that become more challenging depending on the level of the class. Each class works on building strength, flexibility, balance and stamina with particular focus on building core strength. The aim is to inspire students to cultivate a deeper understanding with in their own practice by encouraging an exploratory attitude.

Yoga Alchemy

Alchemy is the ability to change one substance into another. Some may believe that if it is hereditary there is no chance for change, whatever we believe strongly enough is our truth and that is the way life works for us.
If we can change one substance into another through chemistry why can’t we do this with the chemistry of our bodies and minds?
In alchemic yoga we break down the ‘salute to the sun’ (surya namaskar).Instead of repeating right, middle left over and over again we break it down; working on the right side for a length of time, then we move to the middle and finish on the left. So we are only working on each side once.

Working the right side (spirit);

The organs on the right side of the body create or release alkaline substances; the right lung absorbs negative ions through the breath, taking them to the liver which makes these alkaline substances and the gall bladder releases them to counteract the acid created by the stomach and to break down fats, the ascending colon releases the alcohols from the food we have eaten and puts it back into the liver. We see these organic soaps relating to spirit, just as we drink an alcoholic beverage we feel light headed and high, when we create and use our body's organic soaps (alkalines) we feel a natural high without the harmful effects of drinking alcohol, this is the way spirit energy feels; light and clear and enthusiastic. 

We use this spirit energy to wash away old unwanted patterns created by us and our ancestors, to counteract the acids in the body and to calm and relax, to lift our spirit. reducing the risk of anxiety and depression.

Working the middle (soul);

Our endocrine glands run up through the centre of our body, most of them in pairs, so here it is about keeping balance. The main substance in the endocrine glands is the hormonal oils which are a make up of acid (body)  and alcohol (spirit/mind).

Our hormones are ruled by our emotions; so we program ourselves by the way we think, act and react, which is the way we feel. So if we think light which is more ruled by spirit we remain soft, and fluid, when we react harshly or rigidly which is more ruled by body we become tight and rigid, more acidic. So trying to keep a balance of our actions and reactions; our feelings is what keeps our hormones and endocrine glands balanced.

Our bodies' hormones are the oils which nourish, moisturize, rejuvenate and broaden the options of our entire being, so the DNA can reset in a new pattern and this is what we call soul energy.

The hormones are full of information about the state of our organs and glands, this hormonal information is taken to the pituitary gland where the messages are fired off into the brain, then tells our bodies what we need to do next to maintain our state but remembering our hormones are programmed by the way we feel, if we are not acting and reacting in accordance to a healthy mind and body this is what we will get.

We use this soul energy to change the way we and our herd have programmed us to feel.

Working the left (body);

The organs on the left side of the body are more acid based; the left lung absorbs positive ions, taken to the spleen to create acids and the transverse and descending colon release the salts and acids from the foods we have eaten to the spleen, some of these are converted into acids that break down the food in our stomach, some are used to make adrenalins, some are used to make amino acids.

Too much acid tend to make our body and mind tight or rigid. Just as all that we see including our own body are matter ‘a crystallized form for the soul to live in’.

Salts hold patterns so with the left side we use these to hold the new pattern we created through the soul energy. If we have a balanced spleen we have focus without the obesession.

The soul’s experience in a human body is through the senses and feelings, if we are too acid our experience becomes fixed and rigid to the point of obsessive and anxious and losing focus, leading to depression. If our bodies become too alkaline (which is difficult in this day and age) unless we don’t eat enough, we then become light headed, a little too carefree, leading to feeling disconnected.

So by keeping the left and right side of our bodies balanced we are left with a calm focus; a comfortable soul.

The meaning of hatha is

‘sun – moon’.

right   left                                                                                                                                            hot   cool
male   female 

light    dark

yang    yin 
and so on...................  

Natalie Almond