Flametree Yoga Studio (2025)

23/11/2025

The Darwin cyclone (Fina) has cut the main power transmission from Channel Is. So all Flametree Yoga classes are cancelled on Monday. We will update you about Tuesday, but for now we are hopeful that at least classes during the day will be on... at Coolalinga, and Woolner NT. Meanwhile, here are some images about the importance of the core, and how to build it. The core, in yoga, is the front, back, and sides of the torso. (It's much more than just a "six pack"). A firm or strong core is critical not just for doing the obvious poses, like leg raises, but also for any pose that involves standing straight, or inverting. The core is the "cylinder" around the torso that is doing much of the "work" in poses, or in life! Plus, it has the added benefit of having you "look good" externally!

While you're waiting for Darwin to return to normal, try some active yoga like some of these poses, or some of the rejuvenating, restorative poses we posted about yesterday. Everybody can do leg raises! And everybody can lie with legs up the wall, or on a chair. They're easy ways to have a calmer, stronger you! 🦆💕🧘🙏

22/11/2025

B.K.S. Iyengar once said, “The importance of Sarvangasana cannot be over-emphasised… Sarvangasana is the Mother of asanas.” When I began yoga, plenty of poses made me hesitate. The sensations were new, and sometimes confronting. Many students feel this especially when they first go upside down. It’s completely natural to feel anxious when your orientation shifts and everything suddenly feels unfamiliar.

But Shoulderstand was different for me. Even as a beginner, it felt steady and comforting. My mind slowed, the inner noise softened, and it became a surprisingly peaceful place to be.

In Iyengar Yoga, that ease is cultivated step by step. We start with Viparita Karani, (legs up the wall), Supported Bridge Pose, or a simple chair arch so the chin lock , jalandhara bandha is introduced gently. Little by little, the body and nerves learn that being upside down can feel safe, supported, and grounding.

And the benefits truly span every layer of our being. Shoulderstand supports emotional, hormonal, and metabolic balance. It stimulates the thyroid and parathyroid glands, boosts circulation to the chest and neck, aids lymphatic drainage, and soothes the nervous system. It can ease backache, support digestion, improve sleep, and restore energy when we feel depleted.

Mentally and emotionally, it builds calm, vitality, and clarity Salamba Sarvangasana is a posture that steadies us, especially in times of stress. The importance of Sarvangasana cannot be over-emphasised .

22/11/2025

Supta Kurmāsana is one of the most extraordinary forward bends we practise. It asks for patience, devotion, and a willingness to surrender layer after layer. As the body folds in and the limbs wrap, something remarkable happens — the mind becomes utterly quiet.

In that deep containment, the usual noise just drops away. You feel calm, composed, completely present. It’s an intense posture, but its intensity leads to stillness, not strain.

B.K.S. Iyengar described Supta Kurmāsana as a place where equanimity is born — where the grip of fear, anger, and passion softens, and you become free from anxiety. When the pose completes, you rise as if from a long, undisturbed sleep: refreshed, light, and whole.

And the chin lock… that gentle drawing down quiets the brain so profoundly it almost takes your breath away.
You come out of this pose feeling complete — steady, cleansed, and deeply at peace.

22/11/2025

SUNDAY MORNING CLASSES CANCELLED. Due to the recent upgrade of Tropical Cyclone Fina to a Severe Category 3 system and the associated risks of flash flooding across the Greater Darwin and Palmerston region we have cancelled the 9:15 AM class at Coolalinga tomorrow Sunday November 23. As you probably know, road conditions are expected to remain hazardous with potential debris and flooding even after the winds subside, so please do not attempt to travel to the studio until the Authorities issue an official all clear.

Ideally, while we’re all under lock down, do some active and restorative poses at home. If nothing else, then to reduce anxiety, and quieten down any nerves or overly busy minds, do poses like Legs Up The Wall or supported Bridge pose along a bolster or folded blankets (with feet to the wall).

Just lying down with legs resting on a chair is also an easy variation of Legs Up The Wall.

Such poses also have a chin lock (Jalandhara Bandha), which is especially good for quietening body and mind. See some of the pictures with this post, and our other posts about the power of chin locks.

Any of the other restorative yoga poses with this post are also wonderful for staying calm, and passing the time.

We’ll be back at classes on Monday. Tomorrow, Sunday, Chris will also be sending an email with discounts for our upcoming 2026 Bali retreats.

Stay safe and dry. 🧘💕🦆

21/11/2025

The yoga maestro BKS Iyengar said of the chin lock "When the head is held high, the ego is active... But when the head is bent down in Jalandhara Bandha,(chin lock) there is humility... and the brain becomes quiet."

I still remember the first time I lowered my head onto support in a forward bend. Almost like magic, my mind stopped churning and a calm wave swept through me. What I felt, that sudden quieting of mental activity, that soft inner hush, is the physiological and yogic signature of the chin lock. For many practitioners, this first experience is unforgettable.

BKS Iyengar said that forward bends “teach the art of quietness,” and Sarvangasana “teaches the art of introversion.” Both rely on the same doorway: the throat softly closing, the senses withdrawing, and the mind folding back toward its own center.

This is why supported forward bends, deep forward bends, and the Sarvangasana–Halasana cycle are traditionally sequenced toward the end of practice, after standing poses and standing forward bends have done their work. By the time you reach them, the body is open, the brain is quieter, and the chin lock can do its subtle magic, turning agitation into absorption and scattering into steadiness.

It’s a reminder that the inner journey often begins with a gentle bowing inward, a soft seal at the throat that settles the nervous system and gathers the mind home to itself.

20/11/2025

Fri morning yoga classes in Woolner & Coolalinga are on. Woolner & Casuarina Sat & Sun classes are cancelled. The 9.15am Sunday Coolalinga class is ON, unless we post further about it. Stay safe! (Pictures at East Point Darwin, where Cyclone Tracy crossed the coast).🧘

17/11/2025

When writing about the sequencing (or order) of poses to be done in a yoga class, Geeta Iyengar said that asanas (postures) should be arranged so that “the body, mind and intelligence are awakened gradually, triggered gently, moved & expanded smoothly…. [So] there should be no chaos.”

The order of postures, including what is taught, when it is taught, how it is adapted to the individual, the weather at the time, & even the time of day; are central to the transformative method of Mr B.K.S. Iyengar & his daughter, Geeta Iyengar.

Sequencing in Iyengar yoga is what turns the practice of asana into a nourishing inner journey.

For this reason, students learn standing poses first, followed by forward bends, seated poses, twists, inversions, & backbends. This ensures physical & mental health is built up steadily & positively.

Many find forward bends deeply challenging, so their placement in a sequence is crucial for dissolving both physical & mental resistance.

In addition, practising forward bends after standing forward extensions helps to free the lower spine. For instance, try going forward with supports, like a chair or bolsters, or using weights on your thighs, or both. Plus, resting your head on supports can help with staying longer, as well as encouraging introspection & inner quiet.

Forward bend benefits include releasing tension in the spine & back body, improving flexibility & mobility, and reducing fatigue & mental restlessness.
They also naturally draw the senses inwards, helping cultivate reflection, patience & a meditative state. As a result, Iyengar style forward bends open the way for new insights to arise naturally.

14/11/2025

The Belt: Your Ultimate Yoga Prop for Deep Self-Awareness. The humble yoga belt is one of the most versatile tools in practice, serving both the newest beginner and the seasoned practitioner.

For beginners, belts offer a clear pathway to accessibility and safety: They act as a literal extension of your limbs, providing a needed sense of reach and stability.
By containing and organising muscles (like looping a belt around the outer arms in Chaturanga Dandasana, Handstands, and Downward Dog), they help build strength with better form, allowing the body to learn safe action before struggling to "get" into a pose. This safely builds the courage to go further.

However, the real magic of the prop, according to B.K.S. Iyengar, lies in its ability to refine the practice of even the most advanced student: "Is the prop useful only for people who cannot do a particular asana? The answer is 'no'. Props are helpful for the adept too. When one thinks (s)he has attained 'perfection' in an asana, (s)he should use the prop to attain sense of direction and a higher level of sensitivity."
The belt, therefore, becomes a feedback device that challenges everyone's self-awareness:

In this way, the belt moves the focus from the external shape to the internal action, transforming movement into conscious action and leading to true self-awareness.

12/11/2025

BKS Iyengar: Yoga ‘props help to perform the asanas [postures] with ease… The [yoga] student understands & learns āsana faster on props, as the brain remains passive”. By passive, he meant that the yoga prop helps one be more reflective. Yoga belts are some of the most versatile props. They give gentle support to hold alignment, stretch safely, & avoid overreaching.

A belt extends arms or legs when flexibility is limited, helping find space & ease in each pose. It also builds postural awareness, especially in the shoulders & upper back, relieving tension & encouraging better habits.

In restorative poses, a yoga belt lets you fully relax, taking the effort out, so the body (& mind), can release.

It’s also helps learn new or advanced poses, giving the steadiness to explore without strain. In traction work, as in some pictures, a belt can even deliver a gentle extension that further opens the neck & shoulders.

With a belt, muscles work more effectively, so you can stay longer, adjust with more precision, & get more benefits.

In short, belts make yoga inclusive, supportive, & endlessly adaptable for every person’s level.

04/11/2025

To all our dear Flametree yogis... please be aware of this very sad message from Flametree's teacher, Gertie. Through our tears, all of us in the Flametree community offer Gertie and her family our heartfelt condolences. Some years ago, Felix was one of the very bright, fun and entertaining students in our kids yoga class at the time. We are glad to have known him.

04/11/2025

“The prop is not a crutch, it’s a teacher,” said yoga maestro, Mr B.K.S. Iyengar. In forward bend yoga poses, that truth shines. When hamstrings and hips resist, yoga props like belts, chairs, and bolsters create space where strain would otherwise take over. They let you stay, breathe, observe; and replace frustration with patience.

Over time, regular practise of standing poses, particularly standing forward folding poses, strengthens the legs, opens the hips, and delivers flexibility and mobility into the upper back. In the process, standing forward bends prepare the body for safe, deep forward extension. As flexibility develops, the outer fold also becomes an inner movement toward stillness.

What once felt impossible in seated forward bends starts to feel like rest (while extension still continues). The lengthening of the spine mirrors the emotional act of letting go of control, expectation, and resistance.

It’s where forward bends reveal their true gifts: they soothe the nervous system, stabilise the emotions, and connect effort with awareness. The outcome is to turn physical precision into meditation in motion. The “simple” act of folding forward becomes an inward journey toward humility, calm, and understanding. Even better, the more you do it, the easier it becomes, and the further it takes you.

31/10/2025

Yoga master B.K.S. Iyengar often said that “broadening the back is the key secret of back health.” In essence, he taught us to create space before movement, and move from steadiness and awareness, not from tension or gripping of muscles. In Iyengar yoga, we pay a lot of attention to posture. Tadasana (Mountain Pose) is a key pose. Here, we learn to stand with our feet facing forward and our back broad and open.

This balanced foundation aligns the feet, knees, hips, and shoulders, allowing the muscles around the spine to soften. As this happens, the lower back begins to widen and release, bringing a sense of lightness and ease.

When the alignment is correct, the thighs roll slightly inward and the buttocks lengthen downward. This subtle inward roll broadens the sacrum and lumbar region, relieving compression that often builds from poor posture or tight hips.

It’s a quiet but powerful action; that supports your back from the ground up.

When your feet turn out, your weight rocks back into the heels and you tend to clench your buttocks and tighten the lower back.

When you stand with your feet facing forward, you stand evenly on what Geeta Iyengar called the "four corners of your feet", encouraging true balance and spinal freedom.

Plus, Iyengar yoga uses props and mindful actions to help you feel supported as you explore these principles. Step by step, it safely strengthens your core, opens the hips, and moves the spine in every direction... forward, backward, sideways, and through gentle twists.

It’s not about forcing the body. Instead, it’s about noticing. You’ll start to see how habits like clenching, slumping, or favouring one side affect the back, and how awareness and alignment can transform your movement.

With practice, the back can feel strong, spacious, and free again. As a result, it helps to reduce, prevent, or even eliminate back pain.🧘😍

Flametree Yoga Studio

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