What better way to spend a pre-Christmas Saturday afternoon, then nurturing yourself with an afternoon of Yoga to uncurl, unwind, relax and rejuvenate?

We will combine restorative and active approaches to Asana. The pace is gentle, so all abilities, even complete beginners are welcome. Pranayama (breathwork) and simple mantra (chanting) are also included.

Hope you can join me!

PRICE:
£25 (£20 unemployed)
Pre-payment is required to secure your place.

LOCATION:
The Gardens Studio
7A Ship Street Gardens
Brighton. BN1 1AJ

BOOKING:
Please email, call or speak to me at class.

An afternoon of Yoga with Jackie. Through a mix of restorative and active approaches to Asana (posture) practise, we shall learn to trust our connection with the ground, with props and with each other, in order to release unneccassary holding or tension. This trust can allow us to open up and enjoy our Yoga practise. When combined with postures which physically embody a confident manner, we can find this carried through into our daily lives. We will conclude with a simple Mantra (chanting) session to warm our spirits and enhance our feeling of connection both within ourselves and with each other.

This should be a deeply relaxing yet uplifting afternoon. Hope you can join me!

PRICE:
£20 (£16 unemployed)
Pre-payment is required to secure your place.

LOCATION:
The Gardens Studio
7A Ship Street Gardens
Brighton. BN1 1AJ

BOOKING:
Please email, call or speak to me at class.

This workshop is suitable for all levels.

Grenadine Lodge , Dalyan, Turkey

September 5th-12th 2011, from £395

Miles of beautiful unspoilt beach, turtles, riverboats, mud baths, hot springs, bicycles and yoga!

This small yoga hotel is in the conservation area between the village and the beach. If you can tear yourself away from the hotel swimming pool, you can get to the beach by small buses which stop by the hotel entrance every hour, or you can take one of the riverboats from the village, a slow 15 minutes walk away (3 minutes by taxi) or a short cycle ride.

The Yoga

Yoga takes place twice daily on the new ‘yoga deck’ with its shady roof and bamboo screening looking across the field to the mountains beyond. The bamboo screening allows air to circulate whilst keeping out the heat of the sun.

The Yoga will be a mix of slowly flowing Hatha Yoga, building up to stronger sequences and time to learn and explore poses and alignment in a meditative manner. Pranayama will be included also on most days.

See the profile page for more information on Jackie’s teaching style.

Accommodation

The hotel has 14 rooms, all the rooms have air conditioning and en-suite facilities complete with a hair-dryer on the wall.

Upstairs Rooms : the airy upstairs rooms are ‘attic style’. Each has an outdoor space with limited views, en-suite facilities and full air conditioning.

Downstairs Suites: downstairs rooms have en-suite facilities and air conditioning. Each also has a small lounge and a third bed can be placed here if groups of students wish to share to further reduce the cost. Outside each room is a wooden deck with a wooden table and two chairs.

A large Turkish breakfast will be served daily after the morning yoga class as well as 5 evening meals, all included in the cost of the holiday – extra evening meals are available on-site if you wish, however local restaurants are terrific and we do recommend you try them.

Other Activities

Besides visiting the beach we can also arrange a variety of trips; students can rise early one morning to see the turtles as they sunbathe on the river, visit hot springs, mud baths, or spend time exploring the huge lake. A fantastic day out is the Ten Island Boat Trip.

On Saturday mornings there is a large market in Dalyan village selling local produce, spices, fabrics etc. We can also arrange boat trips with barbeque lunches and a visit to a very old Haman (Turkish bath).

If you are interested in history there is the ancient city of Kaunas on the other side of the river or travel further afield to the Ghost Town at Kayaköy which is exactly as it was when the Greeks left Turkey to return to Greece.

Iztutu beach is within the national park. At each end of the very long beach are changing huts, a cafe and sun beds with parasols. The boats arrive at one end and the buses at the other – in between these nothing but sand and sea.

It is a beautiful region to do as much, or as little, as you wish.

Getting There: Fly to Dalaman airport – call Debbie in the Free Spirit office for help finding flights on the internet.

Transfers: Both group and individual taxi transfers are offered by the centre. We will provide you with the airport meeting point and the names of the other guests in your transfer taxi. A taxi is 35 Turkish lira per person (£14) for a group transfer or 50 Turkish lira for an individual taxi (£20). The journey takes 30 minutes.

Includes: accommodation, yoga, breakfast daily and 5 evening meals (one to be the arrival night)

Not included: Flights, travel insurance, transfers, meals other than as specified, excursions.

How to Book

Please contact Free Spirit Travel.
Website: www.freespirituk.com
Email: Info@FreeSpiritUK.com
Phone: 01273-564230

Testimonial from previous Yoga holiday in Turkey with Jackie

“Just wanted to write and say thanks for a great time. The location for
yoga was just perfect i loved the morning sessions sourounded by mountains
looking over pomegranette and lemon tress was just bliss. Jackie i think
your approach to yoga felt just right as the group was a mix of all ages
and various experience of yoga from beginners to other yoga teachers. With
this in mind i think you gave us variations that keep the flow of the
class going really well. I will never forget the ommmms drifting over the
lake as we sat in a natural spring ommming and laughing. I feel like i
have met great new people, had a restful yet energisng holiday and best of
all i can take what i learnt into my own practice. I have just found the
pads of my feet! have been walking on them for 35 years but just
connected! Thanks Jackie for a fantastic week – when the next one? can’t
wait” Jasmin, Hertfordshire

March 18th-25th 2011, from £335

Dahab bay, camels, Arabian horses, diving, snorkelling and Yoga!

Blue Beach Club Hotel is located just beyond the hustle and bustle of Dahab bay. Within a five minute walk from the famous Eel Garden dive site, the hotel boasts a fresh water swimming pool and a yoga shala.

The Yoga

Yoga takes place twice daily in the Yoga Shala. This beautiful purpose built yoga room is situated on the top of the main hotel building. It has been especially constructed so as to remain cool, even at the height of the summer.

There are sea views from the windows and also from the balcony outside the door.

The yoga room is large, with a capacity for up to 25 yoga mats.

Students will be expected to bring their own mats with them from the UK.

The Yoga will be a mix of slowly flowing Hatha/Vajrasati Yoga, building up to stronger sequences and time to learn and explore poses and alignment in a meditative manner. Pranayama will be included also on most days.

See the profile page for more information on Jackie’s teaching style.

Accommodation

This friendly hotel has over 18 large, bright rooms. All of them consist of a shower, bathroom and a balcony, or terrace, and have air conditioning. The grounds are right next to the beach and only two walking minutes away from the centre by foot. A sunny terrace and a private sand beach are available for hotel guests.

All rooms are available as single or shared. Standard rooms face the mountains and overlook the road, Superior rooms overlook the garden and face the sea – they also have re-furbished bathrooms.

There is also an apartment overlooking the beach. Sleeping up to four people in two bedrooms it also has a luxury bathroom, kitchen and lounge. Please ask Free Spirit (see booking info below) for details – for groups of four yoga students the cost is the same as staying in two rooms.

Other Activities

There are plenty of activities to choose from, making this an ideal holiday to bring a partner along to, even if they don’t want to practise Yoga.

The owner has stables down the road with beautiful Arab horses. Horse riding is from £12 an hours – see below for more details.

The Red Sea is home to the second biggest coral reef in the World and had wonderful wildlife. The on-site Blue Beach diving is called Blue Realm and everything from a ‘try dive’ to an advanced PADI course can be arranged. If you are attending yoga and diving then it is best to notify Free Spirit in advance so we can keep dive slots for you that do not conflict with the yoga classes. Please ask for more dive details.

There’s an optional overnight trip out into the desert on the day off, staying in Bedouin tents. Comes highly recommended! (Please note excursions are not included in the holiday price).

You can be as active or as chilled as you like. The choice here is yours.

Getting There: You need a flight to Sharm el Sheik.

Holidays run Sunday – Sunday however you may arrive on other days of the week – please be aware that you may miss some of the yoga classes if you arrive on an alternative day.

Flight prices begin at £249, or less if you book far enough in advance, the usual price is between £269 and £339 (more during Christmas and school holidays). Flights depart from most airports in the UK.

Free Spirit Travel can help you search the internet for flights if you wish.

Please phone for advice, we are happy to help (01273-564230)

Transfers: Return transfer from Sharm el Sheik airport is included in the holiday cost. Whatever your arrival time a taxi will be there to meet you and transfer you to the hotel.

Includes: Breakfast, accommodation, transfers from Sharm el Sheik, yoga.

Not included: Flights, travel insurance, meals other than breakfast. Excursions and massages.
Extensions, made at the time of booking, are available without yoga from £25 per person per night according to room. Extensions with private yoga classes, or for part of the following weeks group yoga, are also available please ask for details and prices.

Price: £335 shared. £395 single.
(prices shown here include a discount for my students, price on the Free Spirit website is higher)

How to Book

Please contact Free Spirit Travel.
Website: www.freespirituk.com
(You’ll also find more info/photos here. Look under the winter holidays to find Dahab)
Email: Info@FreeSpiritUK.com
Phone: 01273-564230

I am a very lucky person :) Again the Yoga holiday attracted a varied group of people. It has been great to share Yoga, share the experience of Dahab and watch bodies and friendships unfold.

Dahab is set on a lovely little bay. A bit of a diving mecca. It is nestled between beautiful coral reefs and dramatic desert mountains.

Upon arrival we found our very welcoming hotel, Blue Beach, right by the sea. The Yoga room was fantastic. On top of the hotel they built the wooden Yoga shala (house of Yoga), complete with coloured glass and tinkly lights. Being on top of the hotel meant we were spoilt for choice with the view of the mountains behind and the sea in front. We were able to start some of the evening sessions outside on the roof terrace, with the mountains and setting sun inspiring our sense of integration. During the evening class the bright sunny Yoga shala would start to dim as the sun sets and we’d turn on the soothing Egyptian lamplight, often providing a perfect environment for pranayama or mantra.

Breakfasts were huge and delicious. The staff were lovely, looked after us very well indeed. I think pretty much all of us took advantage of the wonderful massages at some point during the week.

Many of the group took advantage of the overnight trip into the desert (on the mid-week day off from Yoga sessions). This really was an experience not to forget, riding out in the back of a pick-up truck to a canyon that once was at the base of the sea, complete with fossilised coral reef, where we walked, climbed or clambered.
Our good humoured host, Mohammed got everyone through the trickier clambers still smiling. Meals we’d join our ‘family’ of Bedouins either at their home or in our camp for the evening. It was cold at night in the desert!..be warned. The meal they cooked up on a little camp fire was amazingly good and just what we needed. The following morning we were taken to our Camel steeds then of we set on a trek (after a rather amusing camel-mount). A fantastic adventure!

Between the Yoga classes there were such difficult decisions to make: what yummy food to have next, where to sunbathe, pool, beach, swim, snorkel or lounge? Perhaps a massage? Wonderful.

Thank you very much Dahab, Blue Beach, Free Spirit Travel and the inspiring group of students.

More photos on Flickr . If you have more photos to contribute, please add to the Facebook page .

Till next year!….

I decided a good way to start would be to think about embracing fears and what this means. We do this all the time in our Yoga practise. From something as simple as taking a deep breath (and releasing it), to turning ourselves upside down in a handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana), or opening our hearts and upper backs in a deep arch such as Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana (two legged inverted staff pose).

When we understand our fear and how easily our emotions can distort the actuality of events, we realise many of the fears we have are not really current any more. They may have come from past situations where we did need the fear in order to respond appropriately. We are often left with a fear of moving away from our habitual (often protecting or comforting) patterns. This can feel threatening, but isn’t based on any solid or current threat. The habitual patterns are often restrictive, limiting us in our bodies and minds.

When we approach a pose that brings up our fears, I personally am not interested in remembering where they’ve come from, I don’t want to mentally analyse. The beauty of Yoga is that you can release without having to do any mental digging. When we are practising Yoga asana (poses) we aren’t thinking the pose, we aren’t even being the pose, we are the pose. Our body becomes the landscape and our breath, the river. A path is laid open.

Through our breath and our willingness to let go, fears can release like steam from a volcano. It’s not easy and it’s not instant (volcanoes lie dormant for years!), but it is very rewarding and you can’t help but feel it filtering down from your practise to other aspects of your life. I still use a wall for handstand and haven’t managed to bunny hop up, but I remember when I was first learning headstand (Sirsasana), how long it took me to trust myself. As I got closer and closer, then gradually got away from the wall, I really felt it helping me cross a milestone in building my general confidence.

If there are certain fears you are trying to overcome and you feel frustrated in your progress, please don’t be too hard on yourself. Life ebbs and flows with a wonderful rhythm. Some days I’ll use a wall for headstand, some days I won’t and that is fine with me. Be prepared to take two steps forward, one step back and look beyond the obvious to really see how well you’re doing.

Right, now I’ve just got to press the print button!…

Keep up the summer glow with a rejuvenating and relaxing session of Yoga. This longer session will give us the time to go deeper into the practise. That may mean deeper into postures, more connection with the essence of Yoga, or just enjoying the space and time to work creatively. You are welcome to bring along any queries, or issues that you may have. We will include Pranayama (breathwork) practise. Sure to be a great way to spend the afternoon.

Combine this with the morning drop-in class (10.45-12.00am) for a balanced day of both active and restorative Yoga.

£20 (afternoon 2pm – 4.30pm)
£25 (full day 10.45 -12.00am & 2pm – 4.30pm)

Bookings through the Brighton Natural Health Center:
www.bnhc.co.uk
01273 600010

This workshop is suitable for all levels.

March 6th-13th 2011, from £335

Dahab bay, camels, Arabian horses, diving, snorkelling and Yoga!

Blue Beach Club Hotel is located just beyond the hustle and bustle of Dahab bay. Within a five minute walk from the famous Eel Garden dive site, the hotel boasts a fresh water swimming pool and a yoga shala.

The Yoga

Yoga takes place twice daily in the Yoga Shala. This beautiful purpose built yoga room is situated on the top of the main hotel building. It has been especially constructed so as to remain cool, even at the height of the summer.

There are sea views from the windows and also from the balcony outside the door.

The yoga room is large, with a capacity for up to 25 yoga mats.

Students will be expected to bring their own mats with them from the UK.

The Yoga will be a mix of slowly flowing Hatha/Vajrasati Yoga, building up to stronger sequences and time to learn and explore poses and alignment in a meditative manner. Pranayama will be included also on most days.

See the profile page for more information on Jackie’s teaching style.

Accommodation

This friendly hotel has over 18 large, bright rooms. All of them consist of a shower, bathroom and a balcony, or terrace, and have air conditioning. The grounds are right next to the beach and only two walking minutes away from the centre by foot. A sunny terrace and a private sand beach are available for hotel guests.

All rooms are available as single or shared. Standard rooms face the mountains and overlook the road, Superior rooms overlook the garden and face the sea – they also have re-furbished bathrooms.

There is also an apartment overlooking the beach. Sleeping up to four people in two bedrooms it also has a luxury bathroom, kitchen and lounge. Please ask Free Spirit (see booking info below) for details – for groups of four yoga students the cost is the same as staying in two rooms.

Other Activities

There are plenty of activities to choose from, making this an ideal holiday to bring a partner along to, even if they don’t want to practise Yoga.

The owner has stables down the road with beautiful Arab horses. Horse riding is from £12 an hours – see below for more details.

The Red Sea is home to the second biggest coral reef in the World and had wonderful wildlife. The on-site Blue Beach diving is called Blue Realm and everything from a ‘try dive’ to an advanced PADI course can be arranged. If you are attending yoga and diving then it is best to notify Free Spirit in advance so we can keep dive slots for you that do not conflict with the yoga classes. Please ask for more dive details.

There’s an optional overnight trip out into the desert on the day off, staying in Bedouin tents. Comes highly recommended! (Please note excursions are not included in the holiday price).

You can be as active or as chilled as you like. The choice here is yours.

Getting There: You need a flight to Sharm el Sheik.

Holidays run Sunday – Sunday however you may arrive on other days of the week – please be aware that you may miss some of the yoga classes if you arrive on an alternative day.

Flight prices begin at £249, or less if you book far enough in advance, the usual price is between £269 and £339 (more during Christmas and school holidays). Flights depart from most airports in the UK.

Free Spirit Travel can help you search the internet for flights if you wish.

Please phone for advice, we are happy to help (01273-564230)

Transfers: Return transfer from Sharm el Sheik airport is included in the holiday cost. Whatever your arrival time a taxi will be there to meet you and transfer you to the hotel.

Includes: Breakfast, accommodation, transfers from Sharm el Sheik, yoga.

Not included: Flights, travel insurance, meals other than breakfast. Excursions and massages.
Extensions, made at the time of booking, are available without yoga from £25 per person per night according to room. Extensions with private yoga classes, or for part of the following weeks group yoga, are also available please ask for details and prices.

Price: £335 shared. £395 single.
(prices shown here include a discount for my students, price on the Free Spirit website is higher)

How to Book

Please contact Free Spirit Travel.
Website: www.freespirituk.com
(You’ll also find more info/photos here. Look under the winter holidays to find Dahab)
Email: Info@FreeSpiritUK.com
Phone: 01273-564230

We arrived at the hotel to find a little haven beautifully laid out and set amongst mountains. I met the group and realised very quickly how lucky I was! What a special group of people they are, all very friendly and up for a laugh.

The Yoga room, a wooden platform with bamboo walls, was cool and cozy. There was also a new outdoor Yoga platform, so we were able to start the morning sessions outdoors looking over the lemon and pomegranate orchard, whilst watched over by the mountains. The experience of the group was a real mix, but everyone worked hard and were a joy to teach.

Aygul, the manager and all the staff at the hotel looked after us with such care, that they felt like family and everywhere we went we found the Turkish people to be welcoming, friendly, cheeky and kind.

The local town of Dalyan is set on a river, with views to some very impressive ancient ruins. An enchanting boat trip down the river takes you to the beautiful Iztutzu beach. The beach is a protected area for Turtles to breed and we got to meet one of these Turtles, Denniz, at the Turtle hospital. We also saw one of the large Turtles swimming in the river.

One of the highlights was a moonlit boat trip down the river. The beauty of the area was way beyond our expectations. We visited mud baths, chanted in the hot spring and ate glorious food under the stars to a full moon and the sound of frogs.

A final pranayama and meditation session in an old temple area of the ancient ruins of Kuanos will be a lasting memory.

All in all, I can’t thank the people enough. The place was amazing and I immediately booked to go back next year on September 5th 2011. A wonderful experience. Many thanks to all that came! xx

More photos on flickr.

These longer sessions give us a great chance to go deeper into our Yoga practise, whether that means getting into more advanced poses, more restorative poses or simply feeling more absorbed.

These workshops are suitable for all levels.

£25

Bookings through the Brighton Natural Health Center:
www.bnhc.co.uk
01273 600010