YOGA HOUSE WEEKLY
October is Menopause Awareness Month. To celebrate this we have our resident nutritional expert Zannie to talk over some misunderstandings and share some self care guidance.
We also take a look at the element of Air and how it flows in our practice. This brings us nicely to Lydia’s Air Mandala 120 Workshop this Saturday. Lydia hosts quarterly Mandala Workshops, each focusing on a different element. This is to help you further deepen your Mandala experience.
We also take a look at this week’s Community Class, where you can come to practise for just £5. And we have a New Class to tell you about!
HAPPY READING
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Everything in nature is made up of five basic elements: earth, water, fire, air, and space. Knowledge of the five elements allows the yogi to understand the laws of nature and to use yoga to attain greater health, power, knowledge, wisdom and happiness.
Each of the five elements represents a state of matter. Earth is not just soil, but it is everything in nature that is solid. Water is everything that is liquid. Air is everything that is a gas. Fire is that part of nature that transforms one state of matter into another.
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Of all the elements, Air is perhaps the most powerful to cleanse the body of toxins. This is partially because it fans the fire in our body-mind.
It is also because air is prana, the life force. When it is made to circulate through the body and the other elements, it automatically purifies us. The air element is directly linked to Anahata (the heart chakra) and the sense of touch. Often thought of as the place where the soul abides, the heart is a place we might consider our life energy to be held.
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AIR MANDALA 120 WITH LYDIA
SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER | 1-3PM | LEE STUDIO | £20
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Join Lydia this Saturday to move through the transformative practice of Mandala. During these two hours we will move through Anahata Chakra – associated with air & the heart space. Creating & moving with our physical bodies to find a sensation of space & availability in the upper body.
This session will be an extended practice of mandala. Beginning with the practice that we know and love, but continuing beyond the spiralling sun salutes into standing and seated postures and eventually unwinding into our closing yin practice.
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Though it can be energetically charged at times we will ebb and flow between different dynamics. Softness, slowness & moments of pure vitality. As always there will be progressions and regressions so you can show up and make this practice what you need it to be.
Join Lydia this weekend & open your heart ♡
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For too long the menopausal transition has been misunderstood, stigmatised and under-valued by society and the health care system. Although half of the population will experience it, too many are still unaware, not educated and unprepared for it.
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Let’s start by defining the different stages; peri-menopause means ‘around menopause’ and refers to the time from the start of the first symptoms till the last period. Menopause is when there has not been a period for 1 whole year and the time after that is called post-menopause. Typical age for menopause is 51, but can be earlier or later.
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Peri-menopause can last several years and is characterized by symptoms caused by fluctuating and declining hormones. These symptoms include, but are not limited to; changes to the period, hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog, low mood, sleep disturbance, skin and hair changes, digestive issues, bone and joint pain and vaginal discomfort. Many fail to connect these symptoms to the hormonal changes, but instead think it is caused by aging, anxiety, stress, depression or something else and are left to suffer unnecessarily.
But attitudes are positively starting to shift and we are seeing more awareness, better education and a more open dialogue around the menopause.
Crucially this is a time to prioritise self-care and take preventative steps to improve wellbeing with healthy balanced nutrition, physical movement and incorporating mind-body techniques.
How to get started? Making sure you get adequate protein with every meal is key, our body needs it for healthy bones, joints, skin, hair, brain chemicals and it is important to support a healthy blood sugar balance, needed for healthy weight management but also for balancing and supporting our mood. Eating a wholefood, unprocessed diet will provide important micronutrients and avoid as much as possible inflammatory refined and processed food. It is also important to be supporting your muscles and skeleton with weight bearing exercise, while balancing and strengthening your body and mood with yoga will all help support and empower you through this time and beyond.
Additional medical support: Lewisham Hospital has a fantastic menopause clinic, which you can get referred to by your GP.
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NEW CLASS | BEGINNERS | WITH GIOVINA
WEDNESDAYS | 7.15-8.15 PM | CATFORD
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The delightful Giovina is starting a new beginners class on Wednesday evenings a Catford. This is a wonderful class to take for those new to yoga. It is also great for those looking to explore their practice more deeply and have time to learn more about each pose. Don’t be shy! Yoga is about always being open to new possibilities.
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COMMUNITY CLASS | VINYASA | WITH EMMA
FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER | 1PM | CATFORD | £5
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YOUR PRACTICE | VINYASA This class will leave you feeling inspired and energised! Beginning with a guided meditation to bring you into the present moment, leading into a pranayama practice to free your breath for a fun and challenging flow to strengthen and stretch your body while bringing greater awareness to your mind-body connection.
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YOUR TEACHER | Emma’s goal as a teacher is to guide and inspire students to listen to their body and their breath, be curious about its ever-changing nature and be open to all of the amazing things the body can do. Specialising in beginners, Emma gives prompts with clarity and encouragement, inspiring her students to take risks with the safety of proper alignment.
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