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What a move! I am loving the calming space at Turl street, come and see what you think people!  
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If you follow the social media sites Yoga Quota is on then you will have had lots of count downs to the big move on Wednesday 1st July. Please please please note it and on your Wednesday classes come to the new location rather than the old! New Location: 2 floors up (yellow door) Turl Street Kitchen 16 Turl Street OX1 3DH Benefits of the new space:
And we still get great coffee from Turl St cafe and odd nuances such as a piano in the studio (watch this space for live piano accompaniment to our yoga!!)  How can you actually use yoga to make yourself more productive and calm at work? How can you use it to help manage stress...  When we get in the 'thick of it' it's sometimes hard to focus. Emails keep flying in, phone goes...the more frantically you try and do your tasks- the more seem to pile up! And you ask yourself when are you ever going to get the brain space to do that big picture strategy piece your client really wants??? I've been admiring the stoicism of my Oxford students juggling their exams and a fellow worker in the place I hotdesk has been telling me about his panic haze when he gets so much on his plate he becomes paralysed. So thought it was about time to blog about yoga for work. Yoga is not just moves and stretches there are 8 limbs and these 3 following ones can help at work- and I have some subtle ways to practice ten which have worked for me. 1) take time to some of the asana- the moves. It's not just about calisthenics on the mat but some movement does help the old happy hormones so they start to course around your body. What used to work for me when consulting was just 2 sun salutations a morning (more if you can muster the courage). You could try scurrying to the toilets and doing some side stretches sat on the loo. Some movement. Any movement. Or find a friendly yogi in your office who would like to take a class at lunch or before work...! That's how I started teaching so it could be the start of someone's new career! 2) Breath....deeply! Eyes closed and fully filling your lungs. Yogi 3 part breathing is a subtle one you can do at your desk with no one noticing. Here you fill the top middle and bottom of your lungs sequentially, and then breathe out of the bottom middle and top. This just lowers your racing heart rate and fills your blood with oxygen. All good. I love some Nadi Shodhana too- alternate nostril breathing. Less subtle, but very effective. 3) Mindfulness. This is a practice of being aware of the present and just letting your thoughts come and go with no judgement. I don't explain this terribly well- I would recommend you try Headspace Take 10 for free for explanations from an ex Buddhist Monk who gives amazing tips and guided meditations. They are BUILT for busy people- 10 mins, no nonsense, maximum chilling. I promise clarity will come your way after trying some of these techniques. Try it and see! If the cafe owners are anything to go by- they guarantee yoga works..they tell me that when people come through the cafe to my studio before the class they look tense, they're rushing, they're stressed. As they leave they're 'floating' and 'happy'. If you're suffering more that 'just' stress and are edging towards mental ill health your doctor is a good bet- some of my charity classes are for people recovering from mental illnesses and I've had good feedback for the use of yoga in recovery. Hope some of these tips work for you! Look after your brains! Let us know of others you use on the comments too. Namaste Find yourself a little patch of peace or sunlight or beauty...sit there and appreciate it! (Possibly with a cup of tea or in your favourite yoga pose!) Happy yoga day Namaste!  |
