Why our classes look different from Instagram yoga
If your main experience of yoga is through Instagram or short clips on social media, our classes can look a bit strange.
No fancy leggings. No dramatic backbends. No playlists. No talk of “torching calories” or “earning your rest”.
Instead you see people moving in quite simple ways. Often slowly. Sometimes not moving much at all. You hear us ask a lot about breath, sleep, digestion, stress, energy levels. You see us adapt the practice for sore knees, dodgy backs, menopause symptoms, fatigue and real life bodies.
On the surface, it can look almost too simple.
Underneath, something very different is going on.
Yoga as a tool, not a performance
We teach from a traditional viniyoga approach. In this way of working, yoga is not a performance. It is a tool.
That means the first question is not “What posture shall we do today?”
The first question is “What is this person dealing with, and how can practice help?”
Sometimes the focus is physical. A stiff lower back, aching shoulders, a knee that no longer enjoys kneeling. Sometimes it is more subtle. A sense of being wired and tired. Waking at 3am. Feeling flat and uninspired. Hormonal shifts. Brain fog.
The shapes we use are chosen to serve a purpose, not to impress anyone watching.
Breath first, shapes second
In the Viniyoga approach, the breath leads. The body follows.
You will often hear us say things like
“Let your breath set the pace.”
“If your breathing is tight, reduce the movement.”
“Your exhalation matters more than your hamstring stretch.”
This is very different to following a fast sequence and hoping your breath will somehow keep up.
When the breath leads, practice shifts from “doing exercises” to something more steadying and integrated. The nervous system responds. You feel the difference not only in your muscles, but in your mood and your mind.
Adaptable on purpose
In many mainstream classes, the teacher demonstrates one version of a posture and everyone tries to copy that shape. If you cannot do it, you may feel like the odd one out.
In our classes, modification is the norm, not the exception.
We adapt practices to suit different bodies, energy levels and life stages. That might look like
changing the direction of movement to ease a particular back issue
using a chair instead of the floor
shortening the practice for someone with fatigue
adjusting the breath if someone feels anxious or low
From the outside, this can look “less advanced”. From the inside, it is usually far more effective.
Clear purpose for each sequence
Every class and every sequence has a clear aim.
We do not teach a random collection of postures just to “get a good stretch”. We choose and arrange the tools to support a specific direction such as
easing the spine and hips after long periods of sitting
settling the system for sleep
building steadier energy across the day
supporting digestion
focusing and clearing the mind
That purpose shapes everything. Which postures we choose. How long we hold them. How we link them with the breath. How we close the practice.
This is one reason our classes may feel quite repetitive over a term. We are not trying to entertain you with something new every week. We are building and refining a practice so it has time to work.
Non performative space
For a lot of people, the idea of joining a yoga class is stressful in itself.
They worry about what they look like. Whether they will be able to “keep up”. Whether everyone else will be thinner, fitter, more flexible, more spiritual, more something.
We do our best to remove that pressure.
You can keep your camera on or off. You can practise in pyjamas. You can use the replay because evenings do not work for you. You can adapt or skip parts of the sequence. You can lie down when you need to.
Our role is not to judge how “good” your yoga looks. Our role is to help you find a practice that actually supports you.
What you might notice instead
When you step away from Instagram style yoga and into this approach, the changes are often quieter.
You may not suddenly touch your toes or balance on your hands. Instead, you might notice things like
getting up from a chair feels easier
your shoulders are not glued to your ears by lunchtime
you sleep a little more deeply
your digestion is less unsettled
you feel more grounded in busy or stressful moments
you have a clearer sense of what your body needs today
These are not dramatic “before and after” photos. They are slow, steady shifts that add up.
For us, that is yoga doing its job.
If you are tired of trying to match what you see on a screen, and would rather work with a practice that respects your reality, our classes may be a good fit. You do not need to be flexible, experienced or “calm enough” to start. You just need a bit of curiosity and a willingness to pay attention to your own experience.
That is where the real work happens.
If this way of practising sounds like a better fit than Instagram yoga, you are very welcome to join us online.
For a gentle way to try it out, our 12 Days of Yoga to Reset in December is a good place to start.
You can read more and book here: 12 Days of Yoga to Reset.
If you would rather join us for a regular term of classes, you can see our current timetable and class packs here:
View our classes.