Welcome to Yogapulse
Henrietta first started practising yoga 10 years ago and has been teaching since 2005, she is qualified by the British Wheel of Yoga. Her style of yoga is varied, drawing from various sources and various traditions.
Having had some dance background, Henrietta's style of yoga is fluid, meaning that although the poses will be held at times, at other times the poses will become fluid to allow the body to release a little bit further. She is a qualified massage therapist and has had training in thai yoga massage and cranio sacral therapy.
She believes that all types of people should take up yoga, not just the strong and flexible. Her classes are friendly and un-intimidating. BWY teachers are trained to cater for all students and offer modifications of asanas (postures) for all individuals with or without medical conditions. Yoga is about your experience and what you get out of it. It makes you feel good, body and mind, it increases strength and flexibility, it undoes tension and by the end of the class you feel relaxed, open and energised.
Having experienced the powerful changes that yoga brings. Henrietta would like to share the advantages of this ancient art with passion and enthusiasm, and is consistently looking for ways to improve herself as a practitioner and teacher.
So if you have been thinking about trying yoga but have been putting it off, why don't you come along and give yourself a chance to feel better.
So why practice Yoga?
Physically yoga creates a strong, toned and flexible body. It improves your breathing, your vitality and increases energy levels. Yoga helps to open up and re-energise parts of the body that have become dormant, creating more energy and physical freedom in the body. It promotes cardiovascular and circulatory wellbeing and helps to balance your metabolism. It also strengthens the immune and nervous systems and relieves pain. If you are an athlete, yoga will improve your performance and stamina and it will help you look and feel younger.
Mentally yoga helps you to relax and handle stressful situations. It will teach you how to quieten down the mind, to clear the mind; and to help you focus your energy for example on getting into a pose; it will help you focus your energy in all areas of your life such as work, relationships, hobbies and so on. Yoga encourages positive thoughts, and it helps break through negative patterns of behaviour, promoting self-acceptance, self-awareness and inner peace.
Spiritually yoga will build awareness of your body, your feelings, the world around you and the needs of others. The Sanskrit word Yoga means ‘union’. Yoga unites mind and body, and connects you to your soul. Yoga is not a religion but a way of life.
About Vinyasa Yoga
Modern Vinyasa yoga comes from the teachings of Krishnamacharya, known as the Father of modern yoga. He lived for 100 years and passed away in 1989. Krishnamacharya's knowledge was so vast that he taught each student differently. He taught BKS Iyengar and Patabi Jois, who are both world renowned teachers and who both teach very different styles of yoga. He also taught T.K.V. Desikachar, Krishnamacharya's son, who developed the Viniyoga style of yoga and is the author of The Heart of Yoga.
"You may have never heard of him, but Tirumalai Krishnamacharya influenced or perhaps even invented your yoga. Whether you practice the dynamic series of Pattabhi Jois, the refined alignments of BKS Iyengar, the classical postures of Indra Devi, or the customized vinyasa [of Desikachar], your practice stems from one source…. " (Fernando Pages Ruiz).
Another of Krishnamacharya's pupils was R. Ramaswami. He had the privilege of studying with Krishnamacharya on a daily basis for many years. Ramaswami teaches Vinyasa Krama yoga and is the author of The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga.
Krishnamacharya taught Ramaswami to teach yoga practicing breathwork (pranayama) at the beginning of a class, followed by sequencing (vinyasas) yoga poses (asanas) and synchronizing the movements with long smooth breaths. This was usually followed by relaxation and meditation with the mind focused on the breath.
The Sankrit word Vinyasa has various interpretations, one is that of 'artistic variations'. Vinyasa is usually applied to variations of asana (yoga poses) and on the movements that link one pose to another in a sequence. All movements are coordinated with the breath to integrate body, breath and mind.