Now that summer has arrived (more or less), join us each week on the roof of Unit 21 for yoga!

We will hold yoga sessions, from 12:45 – 1:30 on Wednesdays. If we have to make a change due to weather or scheduling, we will send out an email on the Monday.

Classes will be £5 each and drop-in – no reservation required, but they are first come, first served, so don’t be late! You’re welcome to join us, whether you are new to yoga, experienced, or just want to enjoy the sunshine. Mats will be provided – but we recommend bringing water!

Here is a map of the access to the roof of Unit 21:

Please let us know if you’re interested and we will keep you updated with any changes to the schedule. Or, if you have questions email Kate or Jamie.

Thanks!

Curious about the ways in which yoga might be good for you? Kate has written a short piece about the many benefits of yoga,

Get away from your screen for an hour

Put away your phone, your laptop, your other phone, and turn off your desktop computer for 60 minutes. No distractions, no other requirements or demands on your time. You will feel refreshed; your concentration and focus will be improved.

Yoga is good for our mental health

Scientific studies have shown that practicing yoga can decrease stress, relieve anxiety, improve sleep quality and may even help fight depression. Even if you don’t feel you are affected by any of these, yoga will help you maintain your mental health.

Yoga is good for flexibility – and for strength

We’ve all seen the bendy-yogi-pretzels. That is not the goal of this class. However, if you practice sports or other fitness modalities where you are continuously contracting your muscles, yoga will help lengthen and stretch them. This can improve your performance, help prevent injuries, and increase range of motion.

The strength you can build from yoga is often overlooked. Supporting your weight on your hands (whether in downward facing dog or a handstand) requires strength. I also include a particular focus on strengthening the back of the body, which helps counteract the oh-so-common “desk-worker hunch”.

Yoga improves posture

The head is heavy – if you are often letting it lean forward (while reading your phone, say), this will fatigue the muscles in your neck and back. Practicing yoga will help you be more aware of your posture, find good posture more quickly, and relieve tension from poor posture.

Breathing is so good for you

We know that we can’t live without our breath. But how often do you really think about your breathing? Try this simple exercise wherever you are right now:

Feel your feet on the floor.

Slowly inhale for a count of four. Hold your breath for a count of four. Slowly exhale for a count of four. Hold your breath out for a count of four.

Repeat this pattern 3 more times.

Do you feel calmer? Imagine breathing like that for an hour. Breathing deeply calms your nervous system and encourages your body to relax. Over time, your lung capacity will increase.