Yoga classes in Exeter, book here
My yoga classes run in themes for five weeks. This allows for people to put in place adaptions to suit their body and learn the different options of each yoga flow that are right for them. After the five weeks you will find each yoga flow published on my blog, with a free interactive copy. You will find the yoga class for this theme below.
Breaking Old Patterns: A Playful Yoga Flow to Energise Your Practice
Yoga is a beautiful practice that offers countless benefits for both the mind and body. However, like any routine, it's easy to fall into familiar patterns and movements over time. While consistency is key to deepening your yoga practice, sometimes it's important to shake things up a bit and break away from old yoga habits. This can help you to reawaken your mind, challenge your body, and infuse your yoga practice with a fresh sense of creativity and joy.
In this particular yoga flow, we focused on breaking old yoga patterns by moving around the mat in ways that are a little different from the norm. By altering the way we transition into yoga postures, we not only engaged our bodies in new ways but also stimulated our minds, creating new neural pathways and muscle memories. This yoga flow was not just about physical movement; it was an invitation to play, explore, and rediscover the fundamentals of yoga with a fresh perspective.
The Power of Breaking Patterns in Yoga
Routine is comforting. It offers a sense of stability and predictability, which is why many of us develop specific habits in our yoga practice. We might favor certain postures or always flow in a particular sequence. While there's nothing inherently wrong with this, over time, our bodies and minds can become too accustomed to these patterns, leading to stagnation.
Breaking old patterns in yoga allows us to step out of our comfort zones. It challenges us to engage our muscles differently, think more creatively, and be more present in each movement. This doesn't mean abandoning the principles of good yoga alignment and safety—in fact, maintaining these basics while experimenting with new yoga movements is key to this practice.
Moving Differently: Creativity on the Yoga Mat
In this yoga flow, we maintained the fundamentals of good yoga alignment—proper yoga posture, mindful breathing, and a strong yoga foundation—while introducing playfulness and creativity in how we approached each yoga posture.
For example, instead of entering Warrior I from the usual downward dog, we might step into it from a low lunge or even rise into it from a seated position. These subtle changes in approach require our muscles to work in new ways, strengthening the stabalising muscles and increasing overall body awareness.
Another example might be moving into Tree Pose not from a standing position, but from a kneeling one, challenging our balance and coordination. Such variations keep the mind engaged and the body guessing, which can lead to greater strength, flexibility, and mental clarity over time.
Rewiring the Brain: Creating New Neural Pathways
Yoga is often referred to as a mind-body practice, and this yoga flow exemplifies why. When we alter our usual patterns of movement, we're not just challenging our muscles—we're also stimulating our brains. The brain thrives on variety and challenge, and when we introduce new ways of moving in yoga, we're essentially training our brain to adapt and grow.
By breaking old patterns, we're creating new neural pathways, which are essentially connections in the brain that are strengthened with repetition. These pathways can improve our coordination, balance, and even cognitive function over time. The more we challenge ourselves to move differently, the more flexible and adaptable our brains become.
Strengthening Stabilising Muscles
As we explored new ways of moving into and out of yoga postures, we also worked on strengthening the stabilising muscles of the body. These muscles, which include the core, hips, and shoulders, are crucial for maintaining balance and stability in yoga. Often, these muscles are engaged passively during more familiar yoga sequences, but by changing up the way we approach each yoga posture, we can activate them more deliberately.
For instance, moving into a Warrior III pose from a kneeling position rather than from a standing one requires a greater level of core engagement to maintain balance. Over time, these variations can lead to improved overall strength, stability, and injury prevention.
Embracing Playfulness in Yoga
One of the key elements of this flow was playfulness. Yoga is often seen as a serious, meditative practice, and while there is certainly a place for that, it's also important to remember that yoga can be fun! Playfulness allows us to explore our practice without judgment, to try new things without fear of failure, and to laugh at ourselves when things don’t go quite as planned.
In this flow, we embraced the idea that yoga doesn’t always have to be about perfect alignment or achieving the deepest stretch. Instead, it was about enjoying the process of moving, experimenting, and discovering what our bodies are capable of. This sense of play can reinvigorate your yoga practice, making it something you look forward.
Rest and Reflect: Ending with Restorative Yoga Poses
After all the playfulness and experimentation, we ended the yoga flow with a series of restorative yoga postures. These yoga postures allow the body to rest, recover, and integrate the work we’ve done. They also provide a moment of stillness to reflect on the experience, to notice how the body feels after moving in new ways, and to appreciate the benefits of breaking old patterns.
Incorporating This Flow into Your Practice
If you're interested in incorporating this kind of yoga flow into your practice, start by identifying some of your habitual movements. Notice how you typically move from one yoga posture to the next, and challenge yourself to try something different.
Remember, the goal isn’t to abandon good alignment or safety but to explore new ways of moving within those parameters.
This type of flow can be a great way to refresh your practice, especially if you’ve been feeling stuck or uninspired. By breaking old patterns, you open yourself up to new possibilities, both on and off the mat.
Interactive Yoga Flow: Explore It Yourself
If you’re curious to try the yoga flow we practiced in class yourself, I’ve made an interactive version available below. This guided yoga sequence will walk you through the process of breaking old patterns and discovering new ways to move on the yoga mat. Give it a try, and see how it can transform your yoga practice!
Want to try one of my yoga classes?
I run yoga classes in Exeter- Exminster & Topsham, Devon
My Exeter based yoga classes are suitable for most levels of yogis. There are flowing sequences, often using sun salutations and vinyasa to warm the body and move through the yoga postures.
The yoga classes include an element of all styles of yoga, to bring a fresh angle to yoga and will encourage the use of yoga props in a fun and informal environment to help you explore your practice. My styles include Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Flow Yoga, Yin Yoga & Restorative Yoga.
Variations to yoga postures will be given throughout the class allowing each person to adapt the class to their personal level of yoga practice. All equipment is provided.
Classes are available at Kiva & Zen Studios in Topsham, Exeter, Victory Hall in Exminster, Exeter.
Book a yoga class today and immerse yourself in the tranquil atmosphere of my Exeter yoga venues, while rejuvenating your mind and body through the practice of yoga.
Each session is designed to help you connect with your inner self, cultivate mindfulness, and improve flexibility, strength, and balance. Whether you're a beginner to yoga or an experienced practitioner, there's a class for you in my Exeter venues.
As a Yoga Teacher, I underwent my initial yoga training in India and am both qualified and registered with the Yoga Alliance. Since completing my initial yoga qualification, I have undertaken further yoga studies both here in Exeter and in locations around Europe.
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