Unfurl Chair Yoga - Buderim, QLD

23/08/2024

Hello friends,
I know it has been quite some time between posts but I hope you are all doing well. I did actually try to delete this page but it was a bit complicated and those that know me know that computer literacy and social media stuff has never really been high on my list of priorities. 😉

I've appreciated the time away from teaching as it has afforded me great perspective and the opportunity to continue work on my mental health without added stress or obligations.

I've recently started a little passion project in the form of an Instagram page dedicated to my recovery journey.

As friends, former yoga students, practitioners and teachers you are about as safe a bunch as you can get so I'm sharing this information with the utmost vulnerability as an explanation for one of the main factors that contributed to my decision to step away from teaching in September last year.

For those interested you can follow my journey on Instagram at .mattersoftheheart

I hope you are all still practising your yoga as we know how wonderful it can be in support of our mental health.

Warm regards,
Dani

11/09/2023

I posted this a while back when I discovered that I was a HSP and was so relieved to finally feel validated and that my sensitivity was not a problem to be fixed but a gift to be nurtured.

Scrolling back through this post I noticed that transitions for HSP can be tough and I am definitely in the midst of a big transition at the moment and feeling all of the feels.

This is such a timely reminder to go easy on ourselves as HSPs. This week I have been allowing myself to grieve the closure of this chapter of my life rather than rushing in to fill the void or jumping straight into a new work project.

As it turns out a new client I had hoped to start with in my support work job decided she didn't need me and because I have been sick since the weekend I haven't wanted to risk infecting my already vulnerable clients, so in effect I've been forced to slow down and rest and really reflect on this in between phase I am in.

A long chat with a dear friend in Perth on Sunday really filled my cup and helped me to see that this ending is allowing space for a new beginning to emerge and I am quietly excited to see where it takes me. 🌿🌿🌿

06/09/2023

📢🥹IMPORTANT ANNOUNCMENT!

It saddens me to share that I have decided to hang up my teaching hat for the time being.

Discovering yoga in my early 20s, signing up to do my training in Perth in 2016 while grieving my Nan's passing and then embarking on a 5 year journey of teaching chair yoga has been nothing short of a dream.

Finding my voice as a teacher and developing an approach to teaching, which blended traditional yoga practices like breathwork, asana and meditation with things like resistance training, the barefoot movement and completely made up postures 🤫 has been a journey that I am really proud of and that has brought me huge satisfaction.

Yoga has grown my confidence in ways I never would have believed was possible and while I have remained an over planner up until the end 😅on the several occasions I've forgotten my notes, I've experienced what true freedom is all about. I have laughed at myself and with my students and shed many silent tears of both joy for the beauty of this practice and of pain as I navigated the early days of teaching when anxiety, panic and the idea of not being enough often weighed down on me.

I have been inspired and challenged by the bodies in front of me, driven by a passion for movement and a desire to make yoga available to everybody who came to me classes - regardless of size, ability, mental or physical health.

I have always impressed on people the need to find what works for them and to become their own best teacher and I'm certain my time as a facilitator of yoga is one that I will reflect on fondly for years to come.

Maybe one day I'll get back to it or perhaps I'll find a way to weave yoga into my current role supporting clients affected with dementia and experiencing mental health challenges. Either way, I know for certain that yoga will continue to be an important leveller for me - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

I'm looking forward to spending more time in nature and perhaps embarking on some further study to that I can take the necessary steps toward my dream of working outdoors in nature.

To everybody near and far, past and present that I have had the pleasure of getting to know, please know that your enthusiasm and quite confidence in me have been so supportive through this journey and I can't thank you enough for putting your trust in me.

Let's keep unfurling with the practices of yoga, taking direction from ferns, the symbol that inspired my small business and the start of my yoga journey all those years ago.

Blessings, Dani 🌿🌿🌿

23/08/2023

✨ Inspiring ✨

Catherina van der Linden, who is believed to be Australia's oldest living person, will celebrate her 111th birthday this week.

14/08/2023

~ YOGA THIS WEEK ~

🪑TUESDAY
Buderim 9:30-10:50am
Caloundra Arts Centre 1:00-2:00pm

🪑FRIDAY
Club Mooloolaba 9:00-10:00am

Please contact me on 0400257287 with any questions.

Dani

13/08/2023

C h a i r Y o g a

Each term in my chair yoga classes we explore a new standing sequence of postures. The standing flow which originates from Vinyasa yoga is a sequence of postures that flow into one another, often repeated for effect. These flow sequences demand focus, control and balance. As you can see in these videos the chair is there to be used as a support where needed. Some of my students choose not to use a chair but for others it greatly assists with balance and peace of mind. Your practice, your choice!

With Spring approaching, warmer weather and the chorus of birdsong that often accompanies us from the deck makes for the ideal setting to unwind and relax into our chair yoga sessions.

Yoga truly is for everybody. 🌿

31/07/2023

Chair yoga is indeed a revolutionary practice, bringing the myriad benefits of yoga to more people than ever before.

🙋‍♀️ If you spend a lot of time, hunched over or feel as if your joints & muscles are stiff/weak OR you've noticed a deterioration in you balance, this is a sign to act now.

🫁 If you don't know your inbreath from your out breath or how to breathe from your diaphragm, my guidance and direction can help.

🤯 If you're always rushing from A to B, your thoughts have you feeling stuck or you feel more run down or restless than relaxed, you could definitely benefit from chair yoga.

I love this about chair yoga and so much more...and feel blessed that I get to share this practice with many of you.

If you're curious about chair assisted yoga or would like to attend one of my community classes be sure to ask!

28/07/2023

Q:What is this, you ask?
A: A big fat bowl of love.

To truly love ourselves we need to treat our bodies well. This can include self compassion when unhelpful thoughts or feelings arise, movement to relieve stress or move stagnant energy and fuelling our bodies with nourishing food, just to name a few examples.

Loving ourselves also means getting to know ourselves deeply, utilising our gut and intuition to guide our actions. In class this week we've been exploring the Vijnanamaya kosha or wisdom sheath. This higher level of intellect comes when we concentrate more closely, directing our attention inward, beyond the realm of manomaya kosha, which is associated with habitual thinking and feeling and governed more by the ego than the true Self.

Learning to trust ourselves can be hard at times. We put expectations on ourselves or feel burdened by the expectations of others. Sometimes what we think we need is not actually in our best interests, like discovering that a vegetarian diet isn't really serving us and a more flexible approach is needed (or vice versa). At the end of the day you only have one body and one life so live it according to your truth.

How are you showing yourself some love today?

25/07/2023

Chair yoga is a MIND-BODY practice and one I have been teaching since 2019 after graduating from teacher training @ The Yoga Space - Perth & Online

My classes are grounded in movement but with a strong focus on the subtle practices of breathwork and meditation, particularly useful for many students who are managing pain, are dealing with loss or experiencing changes in their physical or mental health. I have a soft spot for poetry and enjoy weaving philosophy into my classes.

This is not your 'typical' yoga class. I am not an alignment focused teacher. You will be encouraged to build self-trust and become your own wise guide.

If you are new to yoga, can no longer practice from a mat or simply want a practice you can adapt to your changing needs, then chair yoga can be a great fit.

Continuing to teach through Covid and an interstate move has been such a rollercoaster ride but my practice continues to support me to stay true to my intention of supporting those in my community who can most benefit from the life changing practice of yoga.

REMEMBER...it's never too late and you are never too old to start something new! 🧘‍♀️