New Yoga Sessions! How they work and how to book
At YRC we honour the traditional yoga teachings that our style of Asana practice is most effective when attuned to the rhythms and rotations of Earth (Prthvi), Sun (Surya) and Moon (Chandra). We group our practice sessions accordingly into "Surya Roots" in the early mornings, "Prthvi Roots" during the daytime, and "Chandra Roots" in the evening. The distinctions may not be immediately obvious, and there are overlaps. It's not just about what postures or sequences we practice but how we approach those same postures and sequences. We encourage Rooties (as our practitioners are affectionately known) not to regard each class as a distinct, fixed unit, a one-off "workout" or "experience", but as part of a continuous thread (Sutra) of devotion, weaving multiple practices together, and indeed rippling through the structure and layers of our days, weeks and years, integrating work, play, family, community, all of life, in the same way that the many systems of the body; digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular etc, work together for the wellbeing of the whole body.
We are attempting to reflect these principles within the practicalities of our scheduling, booking and pricing structure.
To make most efficient use of the spaces we hire and to provide as holistic and accessible a range of practices as possible to as many people as possible, we have grouped classes in back-to-back sessions. While each 1-hour class can still be taken on its own, a 2- or 3-hour session is structured in such a way that those staying for multiple classes will enjoy an even deeper and more rounded immersion in the practice.
For example, on Wednesday evenings at Gascoyne 2 Community Hall, we run what we call our "Midweek Yoga Temple" from 6-9pm. This is made up of 3 classes:
- 6-7pm "Temple of Movement": Chandra Yoga Roots – beginning with Mon and Earth Salutations, we move through a sequence of fairly dynamic postures, connecting movement to breath, exploring a full range of motion including forward bends, backward bends, stretches, twists, hip openers etc. Ancient, traditional Hatha Yoga techniques put together in fresh and interesting ways.
- 7-8pm "Temple of Energy": Mudras, Bandhas and Pranayam. Exploring traditional yoga techniques for enhancing, focusing, and channelling energy through body and mind, attuning the 5 layers, "Pancha Maya Kosha" of the body and maintaining equanimity in a constantly changing environment.
- 8-9pm Yin Yoga – deep long held stretches, opening body, mind and soul into a condition of receiving before a final meditation and possibly the best night's sleep of your life so far!
The classes will be guided in such a way that there will be both a seamless flow for those taking multiple sessions, and a natural pause for those arrival or leaving in between. So, while these are scheduled as 3 separate classes, there is flexibility for you to practice a 1-hour session, a 2-hour session, or all 3 hours, as fits your practice requirements and your schedule.
Our pricing structure reflects this flexibility. If you're buying a one-off drop-in, you can do so for a single, double or triple here. If you're going to be practicing with us more regularly, choose from our very economical class packs and memberships.
We recognise that daily life and routines can be challenging to navigate and full of surprises. YRC will never give you a hard time about punctuality. We're just glad you're here 😊 If you're late, just slide in. Equally if you're early; say, you booked and paid for a class from 7pm and you arrived at 6.45pm. Great, come on in & quietly prepare for your session while we finish up the previous one. Maybe you'll experience something new and unexpected. Or... you're all chilled out in Savasana at the end of your 6-7pm session, suddenly the next class starts and you're still in the room. Oh No! But then you get kind of curious about the weird breathing & hand gestures they're doing. Before you know it you're 20 minutes into a class you didn't pay for. Seriously, don't worry about it. You're here now, just enjoy. We'll get by. If you feel you owe us something, just send us a something through the payment link, or just tip the teacher.
Otherwise, just enjoy a bit of time outside the room chatting and getting to know your fellow Rooties. Our early morning facility at Hone Studio has tea, coffee and (subject to availability) light snacks available before and after class, so "make yourself at Hone". (maybe leave the coffee till after practice; better for your Prana)
We are not here to lock you into anything or lock you out of anything, simply to facilitate your yoga practice and hold a safe space for all practitioners.
We only ask that when leaving and entering, you do so in a way that is mindful of the needs of everyone using the space. And please, please, please remove your shoes. Thank you.