Yoga to stress-bust the silly season …

I don’t know about you but for me the silly season already feels in full swing even though it’s not even December. I feel as though I’m being pulled in a hundred different directions – parties, shopping, school plays, carol concerts and list-making to name a few. There aren’t enough hours in the day.  We all know that yoga in general is good for helping you manage stress, but some poses are better than others. 

In class this week I’ll invite you to stop and catch your breath and calm your mind.

You’ll call on the stillness and patience of goddess Parvarti, in Tadasana mountain pose . You’ll focus your concentration in Garudasana, eagle pose; it’s essential to still your mind in this asana to hold your balance and as an added benefit it opens the shoulders allowing you release any tension you might be holding there. And you’ll do a variety of forward folds, both standing and sitting, these poses open the entire back of the body from head to heels, again allowing you to release any tension and relax more deeply into your breath. 

Of course no yoga class to bust stress would be complete without Happy Baby, the pose that just does what it says on the tin!

Just for fun you’ll get to try brahmari or humming bee breath. It’s a type of pranayama that’s guaranteed to make you smile and reduce anxiety. 

You’ll finish with a deep and peaceful guided meditation in savasana, to prepare your spirit for the madness of the month ahead, putting you in a great place to start December and deal with all of the challenges that the festive season brings. 

My three top tips for busting stress,  Set a timer on your phone and every hour on the hour …  
1. Take 10 deep, luscious breaths. With each inhale imagine you are breathing in calm, with each exhale breath out stress.
2. Roll your shoulder blades down your back away from your ears
3. Shake your hands flicking any stress out through them and away into the universe

Friday, 10am at studio b, Brixton Hill, SW2 - £10 drop in
Tuesday, 8.15pm at ClaphamSpace, 1 Landor Road, SW9 - £10 drop in