Being Yoga - Being You

I am often asked about the type of yoga I teach. It is an interesting question not least as there seems to be a plethora of yoga classes and techniques out there. It is to say the least confusing Goat yoga -Hot yoga-Beer yoga to name but a few!

Every yoga teacher will be shaped by their training and their wider life experiences and there are many excellent teachers throughout the North East. Often you need to try a few classes to find the teacher that suits you.

My yoga practice and my teaching style is informed and influenced by my life long interest in the moving body . This has included training as a dancer and many years facilitating creative and therapeutic movement classes and workshops with people of all ages. I have a particular interest in somatics and embodied anatomy which I know might sound a bit off putting. Essentially it is the practice of listening and noticing how the body is moment to moment then finding the most easeful, intelligent and pleasurable way to move.

As above so below!!

I often say in my yoga classes that there is not much point in moving if it does not feel great. I have never been a fan of the no pain no gain school of thought. Added to this is the paradoxical principle that yoga in its most advanced form is actually about cultivating a stillness in body and mind. Really there is no need to get hung up on handstands or to feel down about head down dogs,the postures really are just the outer trappings of a much deeper inner practice and a profound letting go of trying to be anything but who you are

I always emphasise the importance of yoga as a practice of self inquiry, of discovery and importantly of questioning.

My classes in Gateshead and Amble focus on the delights to be found when you inhabit your yoga from within. A room full of people doing a posture the same way, straining to look the part always saddens me. Adaptability and the fine tuning of the yoga asanas (postures) should be the centre of all practice. It is for this reason that I draw on the broadest range of movement practices, principles and techniques

“Paula has an entertaining and engaging way of sharing her love of movement and yoga. She uses images, ideas and techniques drawn from many sources; Aikido, classical ballet, developmental movement, plate tectonics, anatomy and her love of walking. Her enthusiasm for the moving body and her knowledge expand the possibilities for everyone . You feel encouraged and empowered to be who you are and its all done with lightness and good humour” Rachel W

I hope to offer classes that are interesting, responsive and involving for the people that show up to practice. I want to encourage people to sense and feel that yoga is not a routine but really a journey of discovery and surprise . It is important to remember that it is a practice, like life it’s an ongoing experience in which we are all learning.

Here is yogi Leo - playing with desire, motivation and relationship with the world around him or put another way doing his yoga practice!