Ashtanga Led Class and Brunch
Feb
23
8:30 am08:30

Ashtanga Led Class and Brunch

Brunch is always a good idea, and it’s a particularly good idea after working up an appetite with a full Led Primary Series Ashtanga class.

Once you’ve finished your practise with Emma, Tom Norrington-Davies - Ashtangi and chef extraordinaire - will dish up a mouth watering brunch of vegetarian south Indian deliciousness.

If you’ve had the pleasure of enjoying Tom’s cooking before you’ll know this event is not to be missed - limited spaces available!

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Illuminate Your Practise - Retreat with Scott Johnson in Goa
Mar
29
to 12 Apr

Illuminate Your Practise - Retreat with Scott Johnson in Goa

I’ll be assisting Scott on his two week ‘Illuminate Your Practise’ retreat in Goa, March-April 2025. It’s a beautiful time to be in Goa - peak season has passed so the beaches will be quiet, and the monsoon rains are yet to arrive.

Purple Valley is nestled in the Goan jungle. You’ll begin your day immersed in meditation, prāṇāyāma and Mysore Ashtanga as a cacophony of birds, monkeys and insects all welcome the rising of the sun.

Your afternoons can be spent exploring the exquisite nearby beaches, haggling at local markets, or lazing by the pool, perhaps enjoying an Ayurvedic massage. And of course, you’ll be exceptionally well fed!

Book here, through Purple Valley’s website: https://yogagoa.com/retreats/illuminate-your-practice/

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Ashtanga Led Primary Series Class
Dec
14
4:00 pm16:00

Ashtanga Led Primary Series Class

Join us at Oru Space for traditional led, aka counted primary series once a month at Oru Dulwich. This is a led class which guides us through the whole series with the vinyasa count and posture names in Sanskrit, which creates a very rhythmic and meditative vibe!

Click here to book your space.

This class will include a short workshop afterwards. Some experience of Astanga is necessary for the class but it doesn’t matter if you have not previously learned the entire series.

You can join us and practice up to your usual place and switch to finishing at your own pace, or stay on and explore a little further with guidance from Emma.

Afterwards there is the opportunity to connect with your fellow yogis, your sangha (community), as we gather for a shared dinner at Trinco. Oru Mysore members get access to this session for free, and all members get 10% off at Trinco should they wish to stay for dinner!

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Christmas Fundraiser
Nov
30
9:30 am09:30

Christmas Fundraiser

  • 234 Peckham Rye London, England, SE22 0LS United Kingdom (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join Emma Burdon and Tom Norrington-Davies for a special pre-Christmas fundraiser class for Albrighton Community Fridge.

Based in East Dulwich, Albrighton Community Fridge is crowdfunding to support those facing food insecurity by collecting unused food from local retailers, and through from donations from individuals and groups.

This special fundraiser class will be hosted by Tom and Emma. The Led Primary Series class will be followed by a relaxing mediation, then chai and cake.

Click here to book your space - you can attend in-person or online.

There is a minimum donation (£10 in-person, £5 online), but there is an option to give even more generously when you check out!

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Ashtanga Led Primary Series Class
Nov
16
4:00 pm16:00

Ashtanga Led Primary Series Class

Join us at Oru Space for traditional led, aka counted primary series once a month at Oru Dulwich. This is a led class which guides us through the whole series with the vinyasa count and posture names in Sanskrit, which creates a very rhythmic and meditative vibe!

Click here to book your space.

This class will include a short workshop afterwards. Some experience of Astanga is necessary for the class but it doesn’t matter if you have not previously learned the entire series.

You can join us and practice up to your usual place and switch to finishing at your own pace, or stay on and explore a little further with guidance from Emma.

Afterwards there is the opportunity to connect with your fellow yogis, your sangha (community), as we gather for a shared dinner at Trinco. Oru Mysore members get access to this session for free, and all members get 10% off at Trinco should they wish to stay for dinner!

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The Autumn Retreat
Oct
27
to 29 Oct

The Autumn Retreat

This cosy three day retreat will be held in the peaceful Durham countryside. Staying in the lovely Steele House Farm, classes will be held in a 24ft yurt.

What’s included?

  • Yoga, meditation, and prānāyāma

  • Technique and philosophy classes

  • Brunch and dinner

  • Accommodation

View the retreat schedule here.

*** Fully Booked! ***

Click here to join the waitlist.

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Pelvis Patterns
Nov
27
11:30 am11:30

Pelvis Patterns

An in-depth look at how the patterns we hold in our pelvis can play out in our practise.

From backbends, splits, inversions and balances, our pelvis is at the centre of them all.

We’ll spend time looking at the different challenges that might crop up, and ways we can work with our individual anatomy to find ease and stability.

What’s included:

  • theory / anatomy discussion

  • Q&A

  • asana technique

Recordings are available if you cannot come on the day.

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Pranayama: Befriending the Breath
Jun
19
10:00 am10:00

Pranayama: Befriending the Breath

How we breathe deeply affects how we feel.

Intimately connected to our nervous system, our breath offers us a profound possibility of healing. Our yoga practise offers us a devoted space to reconnect to this fundamental process of life. Yet, day-to-day, most of us breathe in a way that isn’t nourishing us.

In this workshop, we’ll establish ways of befriending our breath, so that we can find more ease in our physical bodies and in our minds.

The session will include a philosophy talk, discussion, meditation, an exploration of simple breathing techniques and a gentle guided asana practise with a focus on the breath.

Your investment: £14

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Svadhyaya (part two): Who am I? What am I?
May
29
10:00 am10:00

Svadhyaya (part two): Who am I? What am I?

This workshop continues the theme of ‘Svadhyaya’, the fourth of the Niyamas of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

The word Svadhyaya translates to ‘self-study’.

In this workshop, we’ll take a look at different ideas about the the nature of the ‘Self’, a topic which has been fiercely and endlessly debated over thousands of years.

This kind of self-study tries to get to the root of who and what we are (if, in fact, we are anything at all).

We’ll explore different (often conflicting) ideas about ‘the Self’, including the eternal ‘Atman’, in contrast with the Buddhist belief of ‘no-self’ (anatta).

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Svadhyaya: Self-Study, Self-Practise
Apr
17
10:00 am10:00

Svadhyaya: Self-Study, Self-Practise

This workshop is an introduction to the Ashtanga self-practise method.

It is perfect for complete beginners, and for people who have experience with Ashtanga led classes and are interested in developing a self-practise.

Together we’ll break down and learn the first part of the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series. By the end of it you will know the Surya Namaskars, the final finishing postures, and maybe even some of the poses in between. This is a full sequence that you can take away and practise anywhere and anytime you like!

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Svadhyaya is the fourth of the Niyamas of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

It means ‘self-study’, observing our thoughts, habits and emotions, becoming attuned to ‘how’ and ‘who’ we are. It can also mean ‘recitation, repetition and rehearsal to oneself’.

The self-practise method of Ashtanga yoga offers a powerful tool for just that. By memorising the sequence, you are less reliant on external support and instead have the opportunity, through repetition, to experience yourself - as you are - every time you step on your mat.

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Ahimsa: gentleness in practise
Mar
20
10:00 am10:00

Ahimsa: gentleness in practise

Ahimsa, ‘non-violence’ (or ‘gentleness) is a foundational and fundamental element of Patanjali’s Ashtanga yoga.

In this workshop we’ll explore the historical roots of ahimsa, the culture in which it emerged and how different schools of thought including Buddhism and Jainism made it central to their belief system.

We will find ways that we can develop a practise of ahimsa using meditation and mindfulness techniques. We’ll examine common yoga injuries and how we can move within our practise to avoid them. We will see how we can bring this gentle awareness to our asana practise, and take it with us into out everyday lives.

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Finding Your Centre: Balancing and Ekagrata
Feb
20
10:00 am10:00

Finding Your Centre: Balancing and Ekagrata

‘Ekagrata’ can be translated to ‘one pointed focus’. We’ve all experienced a moment where our focus slips, and suddenly we’re off balance.

This workshop will look at the techniques built into the Ashtanga framework that encourage focus, including the count, breath and drishti. We’ll also explore different balancing asanas, and seeing how we can use these techniques to find stability in our centre.

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Heart Wide Open: Backbends and the Subtle Body
Jan
23
10:00 am10:00

Heart Wide Open: Backbends and the Subtle Body

Backbends have a reputation for bringing up strong emotions in our practise.

In this workshop, we’ll explore the different theories about why this might be, from ancient understandings of the energetic or ‘subtle body’ to more recent studies on the nervous system and the vagus nerve.

We’ll look at how the Primary Series prepares us for the backbends that come up in the Intermediate Series, and we’ll hone techniques that allow us to backbend safely and with awareness.

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Sthira Sukham Asanam - balancing steadiness and ease
Dec
19
10:00 am10:00

Sthira Sukham Asanam - balancing steadiness and ease

Asana, Patanjali tells us, should be steady (sthira) and comfortable (sukha) (sutra 2:46). By being able to find a position that embodies the qualities of being held and at ease, our mind will be less distracted as we start to go deeper into the subtle internal states of meditation.

In this workshop we’ll take a close look at sutra 2:46, Sthira Sukham Asanam, finding how we can create balance of steadiness and ease in our practise, which we can bring with us into our lives.

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The Fifth Limb, Pratyahara
Nov
21
3:30 pm15:30

The Fifth Limb, Pratyahara

This month’s workshop is on the fifth limb of yoga - pratyahara. The term means to draw the senses inwards; to reign them in from becoming attached to the things we perceive.

We’ll look at the ancient roots of this practise, from the Bhagavad Gita to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, drawing on different methods used over hundreds of years by Hatha yogis to experience this state of awareness.

We’ll also explore how Primary Series is designed to help us turn our senses inwards, acting as a bridge between the external and internal limbs of Patanjali’s Ashtanaga yoga.

We’ll close with a gentle trataka meditaton, which is why the workshop this month is in the early evening, just as it gets dark.

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