A weekly yoga class for movement, mind and a little more ease.
If you’re looking for a Thursday morning yoga class in Stockport, come and join me for an hour of Hatha yoga at 10am.
This is a friendly, practical yoga class combining traditional yoga postures, breathing practices and meditation. We work on flexibility, mobility, strength and balance, but there’s more to the practice than simply getting your body into different shapes.
For me, yoga is about creating a little more space in both body and mind. I’m often asked ‘What Style of Yoga Do I Teach’….[click here] to find out.
It’s about stretching and strengthening the body, quietening the mind and learning how to be a little more at ease with whatever life happens to throw at us.
And you don’t need to be particularly flexible, experienced or spiritual to get something from it.
Thursday morning Hatha yoga in Stockport
When: Every Thursday at 10am
Where: 4NT Yoga Studio, The Loft, Swallow Mill, Swallow Street, Stockport, SK1 3HJ
Duration: One hour
Level: Beginners and experienced yogis welcome
The class is suitable for all levels and you’ll be encouraged to work at your own pace.
You don’t have to touch your toes.
You don’t need to be able to stand on your head.
And nobody is going to judge you if your balance disappears somewhere around tree pose.
Yoga is a practice, not a performance.
[Book your place for Thursday morning yoga]
What happens in the class?
Each Thursday session is slightly different, but the class generally brings together three elements:
Movement
We use traditional Hatha yoga postures to work with the body.
That might mean developing mobility in the hips and shoulders, improving flexibility, building strength through the legs and core, working with balance, or simply moving the body after a busy few days.
The aim isn’t to force the body into a particular shape. It’s to explore what is possible and gradually develop greater awareness, strength and freedom of movement.
Mind
Yoga isn’t just about the physical postures.
We also work with the breath and use simple breathing practices to help settle the nervous system and bring the mind into the present moment.
It’s surprisingly difficult to spend an hour worrying about tomorrow when you’re paying attention to your breathing and trying to remember which foot you’re supposed to be standing on.
There may be five, ten or fifteen minutes of meditation during the session, giving you the opportunity to become quieter and more aware of what’s happening inside.
The mind will wander. That’s normal.
The practice is simply noticing that it has wandered and gently bringing your attention back.
Meaning
This is the bit of yoga that interests me most.
The physical practice gives us an opportunity to explore something beyond flexibility and strength.
What does it mean to be present?
Why do we spend so much time rushing around?
What happens when we stop trying to control everything?
How might life feel if we were a little less caught up in our thoughts?
You don’t have to subscribe to any particular philosophy to explore these questions. Sometimes it’s enough simply to stop for an hour and notice what is actually going on.
What can yoga help with?
People come to yoga for all sorts of reasons.
You might want to:
- Improve flexibility and mobility
- Develop strength and balance
- Look after your back and body
- Complement other activities such as running or cycling
- Learn how to breathe more effectively
- Reduce the effects of everyday stress
- Develop a meditation practice
- Have some time away from the demands of work and family
- Sleep better
- Simply have an hour to yourself
The physical and mental sides of yoga aren’t really separate.
When the body is tense, the mind often follows.
And when the mind is busy, it’s not unusual for the body to feel tense too.
Yoga gives us some simple tools for working with both.
Do I need to be flexible to do yoga?
No.
In fact, needing to be flexible before starting yoga would be a bit like needing to be fit before going running.
One of the reasons people practise yoga is to gradually develop greater mobility, strength and awareness.
So if you’re thinking, “I’m too stiff to do yoga,” you may actually be exactly the sort of person who could benefit from it.
The same applies if you haven’t done yoga for years, or if you’re completely new to it.
Is this yoga class suitable for beginners?
Yes.
The Thursday morning class is designed to be accessible to people at different levels of experience.
I’ll offer different options where appropriate, and you’re encouraged to work within your own capabilities rather than trying to keep up with someone else.
If you’re new to yoga, I’ll explain what we’re doing and why.
If you’ve been practising for years, there is plenty of opportunity to explore the postures, breath and meditation more deeply.
The important thing is that you practise in a way that works for you.
A practical approach to yoga
I’ve been practising yoga and meditation for more than 25 years and teaching yoga for more than a decade.
My own practice has developed considerably over that time.
I’ve studied traditional Hatha yoga, meditation, pranayama and yoga philosophy, as well as exploring other approaches to wellbeing and self-awareness.
But I’m not particularly interested in making yoga complicated.
For me, the main thing is quite simple:
The main thing is to live a relaxed life and be at ease.
Yoga provides a rather useful toolbox for doing that.
The physical practice helps us work with the body. The breath helps us settle. Meditation helps us develop a little more space around our thoughts.
And over time, perhaps we become slightly less reactive to whatever is going on around us.
That’s useful whether you’re dealing with work, family, relationships, a busy mind or simply the general weirdness of being human.
A yoga class without the pressure
There is no requirement to turn yoga into another thing you’re trying to be good at.
Come as you are.
Move, breathe, stretch, strengthen, relax and spend a little time paying attention to what’s happening.
Sometimes the most useful thing we can do is stop doing so much.
You might arrive feeling tired or stressed and leave feeling more relaxed and energised. You might notice your body feels different. You might sleep particularly well that night.
Or you might simply enjoy an hour away from everything else.
All of those are perfectly good reasons to practise.
Where is the Thursday morning yoga class?
The class takes place at:
4NT Yoga Studio
The Loft, Swallow Mill
Swallow Street
Stockport
SK1 3HJ
The studio is in central Stockport and is a short distance from Stockport Quaker Meeting House.
For weekday daytime classes, parking can be a little busier, so it’s worth allowing yourself a few extra minutes to arrive and settle before the class starts.
What should I bring?
Wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move freely.
If you have your own yoga mat, bring it along. You may also find a small blanket useful for the relaxation at the end of the session.
And that’s about it.
No special clothing. No previous experience. No need to know Sanskrit.
Just turn up.
Want to explore yoga more deeply?
The Thursday class is the regular weekly practice, but it’s not the only way to explore yoga with me.
I also run monthly Saturday afternoon workshops in Stockport, where we have more time to explore a particular theme through yoga, meditation, relaxation and other practices.
These sessions are an opportunity to go a little deeper into the movement, mind and meaning of yoga.
And if you’re interested in the ideas behind yoga, meditation, spirituality and living with a little more awareness, Greg Horner and I explore many of these questions in our podcast, Stop Taking The Peace.
So there are a few different ways to explore the same territory:
Practise yoga on Thursday.
Go deeper at a Saturday workshop.
Explore the ideas through Stop Taking The Peace.
Ready to give it a go?
If you’ve been thinking about trying yoga, or you’re looking for a friendly Hatha yoga class in Stockport, I’d be very happy to welcome you on a Thursday morning.
You don’t need to be flexible.
You don’t need to know what you’re doing.
And you don’t need to have all the answers.
Just come along and practise.
Thursday mornings at 10am.
If you’d rather have a chat before coming along, feel free to get in touch.
David Glover
BendYoga