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10 week improver Iyengar yoga course starts 9th January 2026, Fridays 10.45-11.45. £80 Email here to book your place. 
The Goldilocks Effect - Yoga Both Yoga and Ayurveda are rooted in a simple but profound principle: imbalance arises from overdoing, underdoing, or misusing something. In yoga asana practice, this principle appears in the way so many actions are paired with counter-actions. The aim is always to find a subtle balance between opposing forces. Iyengar Yoga is renowned for its precision with alignment and technique. The detailed instructions aren’t about rigidity—they are about cultivating a deep sensitivity awareness, balance, and harmony within the student. ⸻ Subtle Instructions, Deeper AwarenessYou might hear me give directions like
At first, these counter balance instructions may feel overly subtle or even contradictory. But that is the point: they invite us to sharpen our sensitivity and awareness and balance each other and us. Over time, we begin to notice where we tend to overdo, underdo, or misuse effort, our default habits. ⸻ Individual Practice, Individual Guidance No single instruction is relevant to every student. As a teacher, I try to give different cues to different individuals depending on their tendencies and needs. This is part of svādhyāya—self-study. By observing our own patterns, we gradually deepen our knowledge of ourselves. ⸻ From the Physical to the Subtle This self-knowledge doesn’t stop at the physical body. Once we begin to understand our individual physical habits, it opens a doorway to exploring our individual psychological habits too. Balance On and Off the Mat The wisdom of “not too much, not too little, not misused” extends far beyond yoga practice. We can observe it in our daily life: overworking or under-resting leads to exhaustion, while too little effort leaves us unfulfilled. Even joy, food, technology, or relationships can become sources of imbalance if they are overused, underused, or misused. Yoga and Ayurveda remind us that health and harmony are not about extremes but about balance, and can help us become more aware of how our own behaviors and attitude may be pushing us out of balance. But it can all start on the mat, as we deepen our awareness of our bodies in the Yoga asanas ( postures)  This course balances strength with flexibility. 9 weeks to refine your technique and deepen your understanding of yoga asanas, while helping you recognise physical habits needs and imbalances whilst giving you the tools to improve them. All participants must bring: Mat, belt, 2 bricks, 2 blocks, bath towel or firm blanket. Stainton Village Hall – Iyengar Yoga
Please let me know of any medical issues or injuries prior to any class.   B.K.S. Iyengar taught, when the body steadies, the mind follows. And science confirms: yoga doesn’t just stretch the body, it rewires the brain for focus, resilience, and peace. Let’s delve into the research together.
Our modern lives bombard us with constant stimulation; notifications, endless information, multitasking. The result is a scattered mind. When attention fragments, we feel distracted, half-present, and often anxious. Iyengar Yoga offers a proven path back to focus. By bringing mind and body into precise alignment, it trains attention to rest on one point. This practice doesn’t just feel calming, it reshapes how the brain functions. ⸻ The Science: Yoga, Brain Waves, and Mental Focus 1. Iyengar Yoga Improves Mood and Reduces Stress A controlled study found that just five weeks of Iyengar Yoga practise significantly improved mood and vitality while reducing stress. These effects were on par with other mindfulness-based methods (Khalsa et al., 2012). 2. Yoga Synchronises Brain Waves EEG studies show that yoga increases alpha and theta wave coherence, while calming overstimulated beta activity.
3. Yoga Changes the Brain for the Better A meta-analysis of 15 studies found that yoga and meditation not only shift brainwave activity but also increase grey matter in regions linked to attention, emotional regulation, and memory (Gothe et al., 2015). ⸻ What This Means for You
⸻ A Modern Necessity Technology and multitasking scatter the mind. Iyengar Yoga restores what we’ve lost: the ability to be fully present, calm, and alert at the same time.  Tadasana: The teacher of all poses. Our fundamental pose …Mountain Pose
Tadasana is not “just standing up .” As I always say. It is the root from which all asanas grow. When practiced with awareness, it begins a cascade of subtle actions…
It is the precise alignment of Iyengar yoga that energetically balances our mind and body. Each action balances another. Each engagement creates a cascade of other more suttle actions. Over focusing on one area at the expense of another will eventually lead to problems. Now, When we think of forward bends — whether it’s Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold), Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-Leg Forward Fold), Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend), or even Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog)—most of us picture hinging forward and “stretching the hamstrings.” But the intelligence of these poses comes from much deeper actions. They all share two essential principles:
Without these, forward bends can feel heavy or strained. With them, the spine lengthens, the ground soften , and the nervous system begins to settle. And where do we learn these actions? ….in Tadasana, Mountain Pose. When we fold forward, we don’t leave Tadasana behind. Instead, we take its intelligence with us:
In this way, Tadasana is not a “beginner’s pose” to get out of the way. It is the teacher of every other asana. ⸻ Why It matters All poses become more profound as we progress from beginner to advanced yogis Tadasana teaches us that yoga is never about rushing into the shape, but about finding more sensitivity more awareness more connection beyond the mundane. So the next time you come to tadasana (Mountain Pose) embrace it fully as the very essence of yoga. Stay in it, so much is going on it’s impossible to get bored. Just be in it and let it teach you about you.  🌿 Blog 3: What Affects Your Dosha — and How to Rebalance Naturally
Intro This section isn’t about being strict or perfect — it’s about becoming aware, similar to what I say in yoga …."lets be curious with our body, mind and reactions not critical." When we learn to listen to our body’s subtle signs, we can choose to ignore or act. But at least we’re aware of what factor may be causing what reaction — awareness is the first step. 🙂 🥘 Nutrition Tips by Dosha, so in the last blog we looked at mind body types and what you may be more susceptible, ie which Dosha is high in you and therefore susceptible to being knocked out of balance. ( side note: Because in the west we all live very VATA lives, aka. lots of movement, rushing in mind and body, travel, and stimulation, Vata is something most people need to probably manage) Vata types
🧘 Lifestyle & Movement Vata types
🌬️ Environment & Emotions
🔄 Rebalancing Your Doshas When your digestion, energy, sleep, or emotions feel “off,” your Doshas may be out of balance (this is called Vikriti). Ayurveda helps you return to your natural unique state (your Prakriti). Balance doesn’t mean having all three doshas equal — it means the right ratio for you. Refer back to Blog 2 for clarity. How to begin:
🧡 Final Thoughts: You’re the Expert on You, Ayurvedic living isn’t about perfection — it’s about knowing. You don’t have to change everything, but with awareness, you can choose how to support yourself — when you’re ready. Coming Soon 🌿 In blog 4, we’ll explore one of the most vital aspects of Ayurveda: Gut Health (Agni), with recipes and practices you can introduce to nourish your health. Teaser: “All health begins in the gut according to Ayurveda — and in recent years, Western science has started to catch up, with a growing focus on the microbiome.” 🌿 Blog 2: What’s Your Ayurvedic Type? "In the last blog, I introduced the concept of the Doshas—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha—the three energies that govern how we function physically, mentally, and emotionally. However most of us aren’t just one dosha — we’re a blend. Some people are clearly dominant in one, while others have two strong doshas or even all three in equal balance. Ayurveda recognises 10 distinct types, and knowing your own is a powerful step in self-understanding. 🔟 The 10 Ayurvedic Constitution Types (Prakriti) Single Dosha Dominant
Dual Dosha Types
Tridoshic Type
Only a tridoshic person needs all doshas balanced evenly. For example, if you’re mostly Vata, balance means having relatively high Vata and lower Pitta and Kapha levels — that’s what balance looks like for you. When your Vata becomes too high, you’ll start to experience Vata-related issues. It’s less likely that your Pitta or Kapha will become so elevated they cause problems, but it can still happen. ✨ Strengths Become Weaknesses in Excess This is one of Ayurveda’s golden truths: your strengths, when taken too far, can become your weaknesses.
Coming next in Blog 3: how daily choices affect your doshas — and how to make small shifts to rebalance, if you’d like to.  🌿 Ayurveda Blog Series Intro Have you ever noticed how some people are always cold while others overheat easily? Or how some thrive on a routine while others love constant change? According to Ayurveda — one of the world’s main systems of holistic healthcare and a sister science to yoga — it’s because we all have a unique mind-body type: our dosha. 💫 My Journey with Ayurveda I discovered Ayurveda in my late teens, around the same time I began studying yoga. Over the years, I’ve studied formal Ayurvedic courses, engaged in over eight Ayurvedic retreats in India, and worked with a company called Ayurveda4All. What I loved most about Ayurveda is that it offered a practical, empowering tool to better understand myself — both psychologically and physiologically. It helped me notice tendencies in my body, mind, and behaviours, and offered gentle, supportive ways to manage them rather than get frustrated or confused by them. Best of all, it showed me how pointless social comparison is, because what’s good for one person can be detrimental to another. And how ridiculous the one-size-fits-all approach to health and wellness is. Ayurveda has helped me honour rather than judge my uniqueness, understand my ‘weaknesses’, and play to my ‘strengths’ — and I’d love to help you do the same. Because it’s such a vast subject, I’ll be breaking it down into a series of short, practical blogs you can dip into and apply to your own life. Blog 1: Understanding the Doshas and Your Unique Mind-Body Type 🌿 What Are Doshas? In Ayurveda, the three doshas — Vata, Pitta, and Kapha — are the energies that govern how we function. Everything in existence (including us) is made up of these three in different combinations. 🌀 Vata (Air + Space) – Energy of Movement Mind-body traits: Creative, energetic, quick-thinking, but can be anxious or scattered when imbalanced. Body type: Slender, can be very tall or short, long limbs or bones, dry skin, cold hands and feet, thin hair. Problems with excess Vata: Anxiety, insomnia, IBS, constipation, tinnitus, nervousness, exhaustion, overwhelm, scattered mind, osteoporosis, osteopenia, lower back pain, dry skin and hair, brittle nails. Factors that increase Vata: Travelling, irregular routine, rushing, multitasking, cold dry windy weather, old age (Vata increases in everyone after the age of 50–60). 🔥 Pitta (Fire + Water) – Energy of Transformation Mind-body traits: Focused, ambitious, passionate, sharp intellect, excellent leader, competitive, perfectionist — but can be intolerant, bossy, irritable, or critical when out of balance. Body type: Medium build, strong digestion, tends to feel warm, athletic, freckles, early greying or balding, gets "hangry". Problems with excess Pitta: Heartburn, inflammation, frustration, rosacea, eye issues, acid reflux, diarrhoea, addictive behaviours, OCD, aggression. Factors that increase Pitta: Competitive environments, hot climates, alcohol, heat-producing foods, summer months. 🌱 Kapha (Earth + Water) – Energy of Structure and Stability Mind-body traits: Grounded, calm, loyal, reliable, stable, steady, strong, loving, supportive, sweet, great stamina — but can be sluggish, overly sentimental, stuck, or resistant to change when imbalanced. Body type: Larger frame, cool body temperature, clammy moist skin, oily thick hair, good skin, large eyes, large teeth and lips, slower digestion, finds fasting and endurance activities easier than other types. Problems with excess Kapha: Sluggishness, lethargy, congestion, depression, stuffed head, glue ear, obesity, type 2 diabetes, emotional stagnation, stubbornness. Most people are a combination of the three doshas rather than just one. In Blog 2, I’ll walk you through the 10 possible Ayurvedic mind-body types (Prakriti) and how to start identifying your own.   Pick three or four stretches from above. Hold each stretch for 1 minute, aka 3-6 long slow breaths out, relax into the stretch as you exhale.
 Throughout my teens and twenties I viewed my period as an inconvenience and powered on through changing as little as possible upon its arrival. It took me years to wise up and understand that menstruation isn’t a nuisance; it’s a powerful time of rejuvenation and an opportunity to reset and release.
Yoga encourages us to tune into what’s going on in our bodies and work with it. Menstruation offers a natural opportunity to detox, release, and rebalance. It’s a chance to shed not only your uterine lining, but also stress, fatigue, and habits that no longer serve you. Yet many women, as I did, push through these days as if nothing’s changed, as if to slow down Would be weak or frown upon So we power through work, workouts, and routines despite feeling tired, crampy, or low in energy. Over time, this can lead to hormonal imbalances, irregular cycles, added stress and fatigue, this was my story before I became a Yoga teacher and understood things on a deeper level. Yoga offers an intelligent way to honour your cycle instead of ignoring it. Use your practice to wise up to your needs and why grey your behaviour is in line with those needs. Adjust Your Practice During menstruation, your body’s energy is directed inward. Support it by tapering your activity and making space to rest. Avoid postures that cause the uterus to contract or interfere with the downward flow (Apana energy) too much, especially:
Instead, choose poses that soften, soothe, and restore:
The Hormonal ShiftOestrogen begins to rise during menstruation, which might give you a brief boost of energy. But instead of burning through it, preserve it. This energy can serve you better in the days to come, helping you feel more balanced, vibrant, and emotionally clear throughout your cycle. Rethink Your Routine Think of your period week as a time to:
When you treat your menstrual phase as a time for inward attention and recovery, you lay the foundation for greater hormonal balance and long-term well-being. For a guided practice that supports this approach, visit our online class page and try the Bite-Size Yoga: Menstrual Sequence video. Your cycle is not a setback—it’s your body’s built-in monthly tune-up. Let yoga help you make the most of it. 🧘♀️ Asana (yoga postures) isn't just about stretching and strengthening or mastering Poses — It’s about Self-Study In Iyengar Yoga, the poses (asanas) are more than shapes — they’re a way to observe, feel, and understand your body and mind. We don’t just do the pose, We observe ourselves in the pose and the effects of the pose on us. This is yoga as self-awareness. You might start by simply learning where your hips are. Over time, you feel deeper effects — in your breath, your muscles, your energy, even your mood. And we practice with kindness: • No pushing. • No comparing. • No judging. Yoga grows when we’re present, curious, and honest with ourselves. It’s not about doing more. It’s about experiencing things on a deeper level. 
To understand this, imagine a chariot – an ancient analogy from the Upanishads:
When the driver loses control (operating from the ego or lower mind), the reins and horses take over, pulling the chariot into chaos. The Self is forgotten. Yoga trains the Buddhi to regain control – to calm the mind and guide the senses. The goal isn’t to escape life but to travel it with clarity, joy, and purpose. Yoga helps us stay on the path – steady, aware, and connected. *“Yoga is the cessation of the modifications of the mind.” – Patanjali, Yoga Sutras **Quote from B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga ***Yoga sees the Self as pure consciousness, connected to all things. 3 Day Iyengar Yoga Retreat in the beautiful surroundings of Hawkshead, Lake District, 11-12th April 2026 To book or for more info contact Kate  “It was a truly fabulous weekend of yoga. I really enjoyed the whole experience, great location, great company and fantastic yoga with a great teacher. We are so lucky to know Kate” RM  “Yoga can give you freedom that you didn't think was possible. “ bks. Iyengar
Yoga works on the physical self by stretching and opening it in a way that relieves the tightness, the resistance, the tension and the pain that has built up over time. Resistance, tension and pain occurs because of how your body has been reacted to the environment around you. These can be small reactions compounded over time, or from one big event that caused injury or physical trauma. The reaction is often a method of self protection, tissues sensitize around an area. This leads to physical habits that we aren’t aware of, cause us discomfort, don’t serve us and which we don’t necessarily need to hold onto. The exact same is true for the psychological self. Resistance, tension and stress occur because of how your mind has been reacted to the environment around you. These can be small reactions (Frustrations/worries ) compounded over time, or from one big event that caused emotional/ mental trauma. The reaction is often a method of self protection, emotions sensitize around an issue. This leads to mental-emotional patterns that we aren’t aware of, cause us discomfort, don’t serve us and which we don’t need to hold onto. “Yoga teachers us to cure what need not be endured, and endure what cannot be cured” BKS Iyengar. Yoga postures stretch and open us in a way that allows us to relax and release, both physically and psychologically. Unblocking energies in our bodies, congestion in our tissues and fixations in our thoughts. Yoga develops a greater self awareness. We begin to recognise our physical habits: eg. That you collapse the inner arch of the left foot, or that your head often tilts to the right or that your left quad over compensates for an inactive left glute. Once we know these things, we can start to do something about them, work with them to rebalance the body so that we feel more comfortable and aligned. It’s the same for mental patterns eg. you may realise you often look around and judge yourself on how the person next to you is doing, or that you often start thinking about what’s happening after class during the class, or that you prefer a certain place in the room and feel frustrated if someone gets there first. Once we recognise these mental habits, we can start to do something about them, work on them to rebalance the mind so that we feel more comfortable and aligned. When practicing yoga try to become a non judgmental observer. Treat the session as an exciting opportunity to investigate and better know yourself by observing the effect on the pose on your body mind and emotions. And observe with kindness and curiosity never criticism or judgement.  “You helped me so much in just 2 days, and left me with so many things to think about going forward in my yoga practice. Your extensive knowledge and care for all of us was so apparent throughout the weekend and was much appreciated. You are a fantastic teacher” LP  This blog post is an introduction into Yoga philosophy, if you're interested in finding out more, click here for my free yoga philosophy beginners course. Regardless of whether you fully invest in the ideas or not I hope you find them enjoyable and interesting.
Namaste. In the West when we say we are going to a Yoga class, we really mean we are going to a “Yoga-asana” class. Asana means pose or seat, in Sanskrit. The names of the poses we do, all end in Asana, eg. ‘Tadasana’ is mountain pose because Tad means mountain and Asana means pose. The asanas are the yoga poses & postures that improve the wellness of the body and mind, so we can experience life at a higher state of awareness and clarity. Our experience of the world depends entire upon the state of our nervous system, the asanas stabilise and revitalise the nervous system, strengthen and open the body, whilst settling the mind. There are many different schools of asana practice. I am an Iyengar Yogasana teacher because I’m trained in the method that was created and taught by BKS Iyengar and his family, who continue to teach & develop this method in Pune, India. However, the Asanas are just one ‘branch’ of a larger ‘8-branched-system’, that is traditionally known as Astanga Yoga.* You can just practice the branch of the asanas, and feel much better for it. However, “If you do just stick to one branch, then it is like buying an 8-step ladder only using the first step, then thinking ‘Oh this is good, I’ll stop right here’.”** This 8-branched-system is known as Astanga Yoga** because “Asta” in Sanskrit means 8 The 8 parts are:
‘Yoga is an 8 branch system that allows us to move from our ‘over-identification’ with our changing body and fluctuating mind, and ‘re-identify’ with what we truly are.’ The concept of what we truly are, is that we are something much bigger, and better, than our body, mind, emotions, thoughts, memories, roles we play, and the possessions we own. These are false identities. We will explore this more in blog 2.
** Quote from Jackie Pascal, A US based yoga teacher. ***Astanga yoga is also the name of a type of asana practice. Its full name is Astanga-vinyasana. This was an asana practice developed by a contemporary of BKS Iyengar yogi called Pattabhi Jois and this is not the Astanga Yoga that I’m referring to in the above. This is lesson one of a free yoga philosophy course, click here for the full Introduction to Yoga Philosophy course. The introduction to Yoga Philosophy course separated out the 8 different branches of ashtanga yoga for deeper consideration. Now let's link them back together again and view yoga as a holistic system through the lens of the branch we practise in Iyengar Yoga, the Yoga Asanas (branch 3) Yoga is self-study, (self-study remember is Svadhyaya, one of the Niyamas, branch 2) In Asanas we observe our physical bodies. We do an action, then we observe the reaction. For example, if we grip our outer hip sockets in, we feel an internal lift at the groins. A beginner may not be able to feel or understand this action, so may just start by learning where their outer hip sockets are. As we advance in our yoga practice, we become more knowledgeable, more awake, more sensitive, and more conscious to our physical bodies and unconscious habits. We experience the poses acting on our bodies at a deeper level, on the muscles, bones, tissues, our internal functioning, and at an energetic level. The Asanas are deeply therapeutic. As we advance, over the months and years, we develop a deeper level of awareness with ourselves, a deeper level of self-study. We don't necessarily become more ambitious or advanced in the types of poses we practice; we accept that a younger body will be able to do more than an older body. We will undoubtedly develop strength, stability, and flexibility, but this isn't the goal. Rather these are the necessary tools we need in order to achieve the goal. The goal is deep awareness, deep self-study. We need to build the stability and stamina in the body because the longer we can hold a pose without strain, the longer we can observe ourselves at a more subtle level & learn. As a beginner, we may be able to hold a pose for 30 seconds before the body becomes unstable. As the body starts to fade and strain, the mind becomes unsettled. Once the breath becomes ragged and we start pushing it stops being Yoga. But as we advance in our practice, we might be able to hold a pose for up to 8 minutes, giving us much more time to observe the reactions in the body, the sensations in the body, what comes up in the mind and how the mind responds. Similarly, the mind of a beginner can be unrefined, impatient, scattered, distracted, or aggressive. We can't hold focus for long. We start thinking about what’s happening after class, or how long we have to hold the pose, or we start pushing with our ego trying to force our head to our shin, or copying our neighbour rather than responding to your own body. In the final pose of savasana (a form of pratyahara, and dharana - branches 5 and 6) it may feel impossible for a beginners to be still for more than 1 min. Its understandable if total beginners lie there thinking about distractions, rather than observing themselves and staying present. They may get bored, impatient or fall asleep. Advanced yogis can stay in savanasana for 10 -15 minutes in a state of relaxed concentration, completely present and aware but passive and relaxed. As our sensitivity and ability to rigorously observe ourselves develops it is important we remember the yamas and the niyamas ( values and behaviours, branches 1 &2 ) that must underpin HOW we do our Asanas, (poses, branch 3) & pranayama (breath work, branch 4). We should strive to follow the following Yamas and Niyamas in our practice:
Namaste Kate This is lesson 8 of a free yoga philosophy course, click here for the full free Introduction to Yoga Philosophy course. 
Fridays 11.45-12.45
Starting 3rd November A 7 week block of Iyengar Yoga classes (60 minutes) , suitable for all.
2 New Yoga classes to look out for on my weekly timetable
Please can all new students please fill out the health questionnaire Weekly timetable Wednesday 8.45 - 9.45am Iyengar Yoga intermediate course, Soulands Studio Dacre 10-11am Iyengar yoga beginners course Soulands Studio Dacre Friday 7.30-8.30am Iyengar yoga on Zoom 11.45-12.45 Iyengar Yoga general course, Stainton Village Hall (see above about mats) |
