Beginners Guide To Yoga

Our philosophy is yoga for all! There are lots of different styles of yoga and lots of different teachers so there is something that will suit everyone! Whatever your gender, weight, age, illness, injury, you can start yoga at anytime. Just find a class that you like the look of and take that first brave step! 

We understand that when you start yoga you are completely out of your comfort zone, physically and mentally. Here’s our beginners guide to starting yoga. We hope it helps you feel more comfortable as you start your yoga journey! 

1. Wear whatever you are comfortable in

Baggy clothes, fitted clothes, no clothes (joking, definitely wear clothes!). Seriously, don’t worry about what you are wearing, just make sure you feel comfortable and that you are able to move easily.

2. Set your intention 

At the start of the yoga class think about why you are there and set an intention. For example: to stretch, to feel good in my body, to calm my mind, to try something new, to strengthen my lower back, to meet good people. Create an intention that means something to you.

3. Breathe

As you move through the yoga postures you may find your breathing becomes very shallow, or maybe even stops completely. Just keep breathing. Take slow, steady breaths. Breathe in and out through your nose whenever possible. 

4. Don’t overthink it

There will be lots of instructions and maybe lots of different options throughout the class. Although you want to keep up as best you can, don’t overthink it, just start by moving your body. Move in a way that feels good for you and don't worry about what other people are doing.

5. Listen to your body

Your body will tell you when a posture is too intense, listen to the signals that it sends you. There is no rush and you have nothing to prove so just take your time. If you have any injuries or existing health issues speak to the teacher before the class and find out if there are any parts that you should miss out or modify.

6. Rest

Take rest whenever you need to. This might mean sitting down, lying down or taking a resting posture that feels good for you. Rest for a few moments and once you feel ready come back into the postures. 

7. Have Fun

There is no need to take it too seriously. Keep it light and enjoy this new experience. You have stepped out of your comfort zone, well done! Smile and enjoy the process of learning something new.

8. Savasana

At the end of the class everyone will lie in stillness in a posture called savasana (corpse pose). This is likely the only time all day that you will simply be and let yourself rest. Allow yourself to let go and enjoy these few moments of stillness after all your hard work. If you feel like you might fall asleep, don’t worry, it’s happens all the time! Enjoy your nap! 

All the best for the start of your yoga journey! If you are already a yogi, share this blog with a friend that you’d love to come and join you on the mat.

Love Sarah, Jane & Vic Xx

Healthy Granola

I have been falling back in love with cooking and baking recently so I wanted to share my granola recipe with you! It's healthy, easy to make and I love it! I hope you do too! 

Ingredients:

2 cups of oats  

1 cup of nuts 

20 dates (pitted and chopped) 

1 cup of seeds (pumpkin & sunflower) 

1 tablespoon cinnamon 

1/2 cup of water 

Maple syrup 

1/4 cup of goji berries

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees. Place the oats onto a roasting tin. Add the nuts with the seeds, dates and cinnamon. I use a mixture of different nuts and I change it week to week. My favourite mixture is almond, walnut and hazelnut. I break them up with two shorts pulses in the blender, alternatively blend them for longer until they are ground. 

Pour the water over your dry mix and add a drizzle of maple syrup. I use about 5-10ml - use more if you’d like your granola sweet. Stir the mix well and spread it evenly across the baking tray. 

Bake for 25 minutes in total. Stir the granola after 10 minutes and 20 minutes. 

After cooking stir in the goji berries while the granola is still hot and then leave to cool completely. Store your granola in airtight containers. 

We love this as a topping on Jane’s famous smoothie bowl! It’s also great with fruit and coconut yogurt or nut milk. Enjoy!! Please share your pictures and recipes with us. Love Sarah Xx

Smoothie Bowl Heaven

For anyone that’s had a conversation with me since our Bali Yoga Retreat you’ll know that the new love of my life is smoothie bowls. I wanted to share my favourite recipe with you! 

For the smoothie part:

1 frozen banana

3/4 dates

Small piece of fresh coconut (ask Victor or a responsible adult to open the coconut)

1 tablespoon of raw cacao (maybe more if you like it very chocolatey) 

150 mls coconut milk (almond or oat milk) 

Blend until it’s smooth and then add strawberries, banana, raspberries and granola on top. Sarah’s favourite granola recipe coming soon... 

You can adapt this recipe and add in any of your favourite flavours. Frozen berries, almond butter, peanut butter etc. This can be eaten at any time of day, smoothies bowls are not just for breakfast! 

I’ve eaten one everyday since we got back from Bali!  #addicted Enjoy!! Please share your pictures and favourite recipes with us! Love Jane Xx

Bali Yoga Retreat

Hosting a yoga retreat in Bali was our biggest dream! Thank you to everyone who joined us!!! We loved every second of it and we are already desperate to go back. Bali 2019 is on sale (2 places available to book). 

Massive thank you to Amy from The Garden Hale, the food was PERFECT! We were all so well looked after. Looking forward to another trip to Bali together next year eeek!

Love Sarah, Jane & Vic Xx

Mallorca Yoga Retreat 2018 with The Garden Hale

M A L L O R C A

Our Mallorca retreat is now on sale! If you fancy a week in the sun with a group lovely people, lots of Yoga magic and tasty food by @thegardenhale please get in touch. We have a few places available! Our retreats are open to ALL! Beginners and experienced Yoga practitioners are all welcome. We are so excited to share what we love with you all and spend a week together in Mallorca. Please contact us with any questions or enquiries. Love Sarah, Jane & Vic Xx

16 Northern Fitness Influencers You Need To Know

What a lovely surprise to be featured in “16 Northern fitness influencers you need to know”. Thank you for the kind words on the work we are doing and the positive messages we are sharing. We are privileged to be part of a strong community of people here in Manchester, who are empowering others to find happiness and improve their health. Thank you @mcrconfidential @bodyconfidential

Great to see these lovely ladies featured too! Well deserved @wedgesandweights & @zoehalefitness

Dealing With Our Many Emotions

E M O T I O N S

In this life we experience a full spectrum of emotions. Some of them we have labelled as good/bad, right/wrong.

Anger has been a tricky emotion for me to understand. It didn’t feel natural to me and I learnt to repress it and bottle it up. A wise yogi said to me this summer “it’s ok to feel angry. Anger is a completely normal emotion”. @yogajungphl This was a game changer for me.

So I made the choice to let myself really experience this emotion. The challenges I’ve faced so far, what do you do with anger when you feel it? Repress it? Express it? Sit with it? My most recent experience is learning to sit with it and to learn from it... very challenging! I also find channelling it through my boxing training with @darrellscottfitness is very useful and cathartic.

To anyone who’s just taken the time to read my little social media journal, thanks for connecting with me and I hope my insights are useful in some way. @yogajungphl you helped me to open my mind and express myself fully, thank you. With love Xx

You've got this!

Today’s a new day, a fresh start. Set your intention, align your actions and let go of any sh*t you don’t need. You’ve got this! 

 #mindset #lawofattraction

 Jane wearing @sweatybetty

The Path of Self Love

S E L F  L O V E

As we come towards the end of 2017 we are taking stock of all our achievements this year and feeling proud at the challenges we are working hard to overcome.

If we were to impart a little bit of wisdom to you, it would be this... Love yourself! Love yourself so fiercely and so deeply that you really see the true value of who you are and why you are here.

This path of self love is such a challenge in the world we live in. We are conditioned to look outside of ourselves in the pursuit of happiness. When you begin to turn inwards and peal back the layers of self-limiting beliefs, the fears, the conditioned reactions and the blocked energy from the suffering you have been through, you’ll find the real you waiting there underneath. This is the spiritual path of self love and self realisation.

You have so much to offer this world. You are strong, brave, talented and beautiful. You have creative gifts, ideas and inspiration to share. All of this is inside of you. Fair warning, you may have to peel back a few layers and take a few steps of bravery but you’ll get to your true self. Unconditional self love will get you there.

Our intention for 2018 is to love ourselves so deeply, so fiercely, that we will always know our self-worth and be connected to our true power. See you soon Yogi’s! We love you all Xx

Reggae Yoga with Victor

Every Sunday evening Victor hosts a Reggae Yoga class in Didsbury (6-7pm). If you fancy spending your Sunday evening with some lovely people and getting a good work out and a stretch to some Reggae, come join us! Victor's classes are friendly and fun and open to all! 

Please see our full timetable to book your place! 

Our students are our teachers

S T U D E N T = T E A C H E R

There is no line between a student and a teacher. We all have the capacity to be both. We all have the potential to learn more, to grow and to expand our awareness. We all have opportunities to share our experiences, our knowledge and our wisdom and to teach.

We are very grateful to our students. Through sharing our experiences and knowledge with you, we learn so much in return.

Our lovely friend, student and teacher @sophiemurrills reminds us daily that true power and true strength comes from within. We are very thankful you decided to get up early and take a chance on our Yoga Express class many moons ago and for making us smile every day on our Mallorca retreat. Thank you for being you, we love you! Love Sarah, Jane & Vic X

Reiki Healing

R E I K I  M A S T E R  T R A I N I N G

I am honoured to have trained with such knowledgeable Reiki Masters. Completing my first and second degree with Sylvia was a gift that opened my mind and allowed me so much healing physically and mentally.

I feel very proud to have now completed the Reiki Master certification with my teacher Jennifer. What an experience!! So much healing and conscious expansion. My mind is blown!

I am very excited to teach and to share the gifts of Reiki Healing with others. Sending love and light to my teachers as I continue my own learning journey. Forever a student of Reiki and Yoga Xx

Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Body

This month our intention is to get of our heads, and into our bodies. As the colder months approach our tendency is to move a little less and this can have an impact on our physical and mental well being. Let's keep our bodies moving this autumn!! 

As many of you know I have been working hard for the last ten years to overcome depression and prevent it returning. I have had so much support over the last ten years. Support from sister, friends, doctors, medication, counsellors, healers, yoga teachers and personal trainers.  There is so much I could share on the subject of depression and what I've learn on this journey. This month I'd like to focus on mindful movement. 

Movement has been one of the most powerful tools I use to get out of my head and into my body. Every time I move my body I bring my mind into the present moment. I usually find after mindful movement that my mind is clearer and my mood has lifted. Yoga, along with other forms of movement has helped feel more confidence and connect with my creativity and self expression. 

As we enter Autumn, Jane and I will be keeping our bodies moving. We'll sharing our insights through our social media and we'd love you to join us and share your story! 

Move in anyway that makes your body feel good! Do Yoga, walk, run, dance, swim! Move in anyway you enjoy and that brings your mind back into your body. 

As always we love to hear your insights and ideas! We will be commencing our Autumn Yoga Challenge bright and early tomorrow morning.  Drop ins are always welcome if you fancy moving with us! 

See you soon! Love Sarah & Jane Xx

Gong Yoga

When I first started teaching Yoga I never would of thought I'd want to host an event like this. My Yoga practice was focused on the physical body and on understanding the mind. When my teachers spoke about energy and chakras I listened and enjoyed learning theses concepts, but they meant nothing to me.

I began to understand the deeper elements of Yoga as my practice evolved and I became keen to learn more. Two years ago I was introduced to Reiki by my good friend Kim. Through Reiki and Yoga my mind was opened and I began to experience the movements of energy. I finally understood what my teachers spoke of.

We are made of vibrations in a world that is vibrating around us. We hold onto our experiences, our emotions and our traumas as vibrations within our body. I say this at every Masterclass and retreat, we hold our issues in our tissues!

Yoga, Reiki, Thai Yoga Massage, Meditation and Gong Yoga (among many others) are forms of healing. They are tools to allow us to release energy blockages, emotions, past traumas and low vibrations from our body.

Today my intention was to give myself time and space to heal. I am grateful that my beautiful sister led our Gong Yoga practice today, allowing me the time and space to shift some low vibrations and to release old emotions.

Gong Yoga is always a very special event for us. Every experience with the gongs is unique and interesting. We love working with Martyn and learning from him. Thank you to everyone who joined us today. Our next Gong Yoga is 15th October. Please contact us if you are interested to learn more. Love Sarah Xx

Set Your Intention

Our September theme is Set Your Intention.

We are all creatures of habit. What we do, eat, say, think, how we feel and how we react are all based on our habits. Our habitual behaviours create our entire lives! Intentions are are powerful way to begin to build new habits. A new intention redirects our actions, thoughts and our energy. 

'Where Attention goes Energy flows; Where Intention goes Energy flows!' ~ James Redfield

We began setting intentions as a daily practice long before we started The Yoga Family. Everyday we get clear with what is most important to us for the day and we set a clear intention. Throughout the day if we feel we are out of alignment, we take a deep breath and come back to the intention. 

Do you set daily intentions? 

We look forward to practicing Yoga with you soon! 

Love Sarah & Jane Xx

Another 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training complete!

Another 300 hour Yoga Teacher Training complete!! What an experience it's been. Once again I've been way out of my comfort zone and faced some new challenges. The biggest lesson I've learnt this month is to release any fear and to always lead with love. 

Thank you to all my teachers in Thailand. Yoga Beyond and Bryce Yoga, you took me way out of my comfort zone with my asana practice and you have given me lots to practice and refine moving forward. Mathieu Boldron, your philosophy classes were so refreshing and much needed, thank you for the beautiful kirtan and all the tears and energetic release. I had never been interested in branding or photography or the power of social media but you made it happen, thank you Jake Paul White. I look forward to seeing you all in the not too distant future. Sending you all love and high vibes. 

I am so happy and excited to be home and reunited with my beautiful baby sis. We have some excited new workshops coming soon in Hale with The Garden and at our Yoga Retreats, along with all our regular classes in Dukinfield, Hale, Levenshulme and Didsbury. 

Looking forward to seeing you all soon yogi's! 

Love Sarah Xx

Yoga in the Sun - Mallorca 2017

What a week!!! We have just returned from our first abroad Yoga Retreat in Mallorca. Our home for the week was a gorgeous Yoga Shala overlooking the Tramuntana valley. We were blessed with sunshine everyday, so our Yoga practice was very hot and sweaty! Our highlight was seeing our Yogi's step out of their comfort zones and try some challenging new postures and transitions, everyone worked through their fears and self limiting beliefs. Well done yogi's! 

We had the dream team in Mallorca. Kate and Amy, Head Gardeners from The Garden, kept us well nourished with tasty meals, salads, smoothies, blissballs and desserts. Victor treated us  Reggae Yoga and Thai Yoga massage. Thank you all! 

We still can not believe we are able to teach Yoga classes and host Yoga retreats. What a dream! We couldn't do it without the support of our yoga students, our family and our hardworking team. We are so grateful! Thank you all for making our first abroad retreat amazing! Next stop Bali 2018... 

Love Sarah & Jane Xx

We have a website!!!

Exactly a year ago today we officially named our company. We sat together in our HQ (aka Jane's bedroom) and set our intentions, to share the practice of Yoga and to build a community of like-minded souls. 

12 months on and we now have a beautiful website, designed by our website guru and fellow Yogi Karen Staniland-Platt.

We are grateful for all the support in the last 12 months (and the preceding months where we began the groundwork for our ideas). What an exciting adventure it has been! Many more ahead... 

Love Sarah & Jane Xx

Kula (Sanskrit) = family, community, tribe or community of the heart

The Yoga Family Retreat - May 2017

Just 7 months ago in September 2016, we hosted The Yoga Family Retreat for the first time in Abersoch Wales. We are thrilled to say that we have just returned from retreat number 5!!! We are overwhelmed to say the least.

As always, we have had an amazing time and we have loved spending time with so many like-minded people who have a passion for Yoga, health and happiness. As well as three Yoga practices per day, we were also blessed with gorgeous sunshine, woodland walks amongst the bluebells and hot tub prosecco's

What a special treat to have Head Gardener Amy, from The Garden Hale, with us again. Outstanding menu as always, thank you Amy.

The countdown is now on to our first overseas retreat in Mallorca in July! We can not wait! Love Sarah & Jane Xx

Spring Clean

In the midst of a Spring clean I have just found boxes of my old antidepressants. And they've expired! It's been just over 2 years since I came off this medication for depression. I struggled for years with anxiety and depression that crippled me at times. This medication saved me. The support from my doctors, friends and my yoga teachers enabled me to transform my mental health and my life.
It's been a long journey and has taken a lot of hard work to get to this point, the work continues everyday. I am eternally grateful for all the support and the unconditional love I have been given #progressnotperfection #mentalhealthawareness #yogi #selfacceptance #selflove #bebrave #youarenotalone #theyogakula #gratefulheart #depression #anxiety #transformation