Katie's Pilates & Yoga

06/06/2025

I was going to write something here about my intense and deep connection with nature and how it's been my saviour, my purpose, my one constant in a chaotic world, my healer, my retreat, my source of awe and wonder, as it is for so many billions of people across the world. Instead, Arhanta Yoga sums it up more succinctly and perfectly than I could. We are nature, yoga teaches us this. We are all universally connected to one another, not separate entities, yet day after day we forget that connection in our busy lives. Remember to connect your feet and hands to the soil, your eyes to natural beauty all around you, your ears to nature's orchestra of sound, immerse your body in natural water, feel it's flow, it's caress be it strong or gentle, turn your face to the sun and feel it's life-giving warmth, but most of all tread lightly and look after this special, special planet earth. Yoga is this, not simply asanas on the mat. Namaste! 🙏😊💕🌏

02/03/2023

Little reminder that there will be no classes until Thursday 16th March now. If you'd like to join us for some Yin or Restorative Yoga please message me for details. For my regulars, I look forward to seeing you on the 16th 😊 and don't forget, there's thousands of on-line videos if you want to do some practice at home in the meantime😉😁.

02/03/2023

It's vital to remember that we are just teachers, not Gurus. We're attempting to transmit the incredibly transformative practice of Yoga in it's entirety and in the best way that we can but by no means are we Gurus, nor should we pretend to be. I particularly like the way he highlights that whilst teaching, things will come to us that we did not know, for us it's also a learning process. We are only touching the tip of the iceberg in terms of a true yogic life but if we can travel this journey and build that special energy together during our practice, both students and teachers, what a wonderful path and world we could create! Make a cuppa, kick of your shoes and watch this very relaxing 6 minute video 😊.

Sadhguru explains the transformative power of Classical Hatha Yoga, which has been preserved and transmitted in its pristine purity for millennia. He also ta...

21/02/2023

If you would like to experience all of these wonderful benefits why not join our lovely Yin Yoga group practice on Thursdays 3.30pm to 4.45pm at the Dojo d'Esperaza 😊.

For all further info and to book a place please email me at katieconnect1@gmail.com, PM me or comment below 🙏.

28/01/2023

This is just amazing and incredibly fascinating to anybody but if you practice Yin Yoga it's just the best video I've ever seen to truly see what's happening to your fascia as we move or place it under healthy stress during our practice. It's just an incredible organ, the largest in our body alongside skin so surely basically we are an organ in our entirety given that fascia covers just about every part of the soft tissue and cells that we have🤔. So, the importance of fascia health? This video speaks for itself! What an incredible thing life is!

To help our viewers understand the universality of the fascia we have looked at the complex connective tissue of a grapefruit followed by microendoscopic foo...

03/01/2023

So, I've never been a fan of New Year's resolutions. I feel that changes can be made to our lives at any time of the year, following our feelings, inner guidance, the seasons, our natural instincts for change. However, this year felt a little different. I could feel a big shift towards a return to a more natural, frugal way of life and embracing the "old ways" again. Something that I always embraced before but somehow got a little lost on the path over the last few years. So, I'm turning back to foraging, crafting, veggie growing (last year I had an allotment and an amazing crop but this year am in an apartment so perhaps window sill growing for the time being!), old narrated stories, really observing the changes of the seasons in nature and a million other small things that make a collective life where I can breathe more freely and be me. I think that mindful movement forms such a huge part of my journey and I love to see others benefiting from this. With this in mind, and for various reasons, I have chosen to drop my Hatha Yoga classes and I am really focusing on restorative and yin yoga this year as well as Pilates for those that need or wish to improve their movement and assist them in to a better quality of life physically and/or mentally. Here's my reduced timetable and if you'd like more info, are hesitant about joining, or have any questions of any kind please do message me. I'm always happy to talk! All lessons are held at the Dojo in Esperaza.

Thursdays 4pm to 5pm: Yin & Restorative Yoga
Fridays 10am to 11am: Pilates

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23/12/2022

Wishing a cosy and contented Christmas to all my clients and friends, both new and old. I hope that the Universe brings you everything you wish for in 2023! Love and gratitude to you all for being part of my life journey 😊❤️.

21/12/2022

It's the Winter Solstice! Take a step back and reflect during the longest night, while looking ahead to the return of light and new possibilities.

We can consider winter solstice as yin: a time for slowing down, reflecting and turning inward, honouring simply “being” over “doing,” which can allow us to connect deeper to our intuition. This shift can be difficult because our society tends to value the more active energy of “doing,” rewarding the accomplishment of tasks, which can often feel overwhelming at this time of year.

There's no better time than now to come home to more restorative practices such as meditation, gentle yoga, Qi Gong, gentler mindful walks, whatever calls to you the most.

Why is this important? It helps restore the natural flow of energy, and it is from this quieter space that true creativity arises. Winter is a great time for journaling, reflecting, meditating, and other restorative practices.

Finally, it is important to be kind to yourself, and not create shame for having an urge to slow down. We are connected to the cycles of nature, and as the ancient cultures remind us, this is something to celebrate 😊.

Image courtesy of Tijanadraws. 🙏

12/12/2022

Only 9 more days until the nights start getting shorter! Admittedly it's only in tiny increments but there's something significant about the tide turning towards the spring. In the meantime, embrace those cosy evenings, fires blazing, hands wrapped around a bowl of soup or a mug of steaming hot chocolate. Were we to follow our natural instincts in winter we would cocoon, shut out the bleak darkness and wrap ourselves up in warm blankets, using this time to bond with our families, to go inwards and listen to our true nature. Healthy nourishing food and holistic practices such as Yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi and meditation keep our immune system strong and healthy, carrying us through the winter and back out in to those wonderful spring days! Personally, I love winter, the snow, the frosty mornings, heavy rain and wind battering against the windows, the excuse to snuggle myself up in blankets but I do suffer with SAD symptoms so have to work hard to fight that off. Yoga plays a huge part in that battle and as with all things, I just dial it down a little. Gentler asanas, longer savasanas, more Yin, being kind to myself and my body. How about you? What do you love about winter? 🤩☃️❄️🌬

06/12/2022

Hear hear! 😊

Let’s talk about functionality and aesthetics in yoga poses. 👇

On social media, the practice of yoga is often portrayed as aesthetic asanas and nothing more. But at its core, yoga is meant to be a function-based practice, not a practice based purely on aesthetic or Instagram likes.

That’s not to say that a pose shouldn’t or can’t be beautiful, but aesthetic alone should not be the main objective or intention of the practice.

Very often students, and teachers too, get caught up in their desire to achieve the aesthetics of a pose that they forget the functionality that lies behind it. When we forget what the pose is meant to achieve for us (on a physical and mental level), we may miss out on many benefits and in the worst case, risk injury.

Remind yourself and your students that mobility is not only determined by your muscles but also by your skeletal structure. Don’t rush a challenging pose or ignore your limits simply to get the shot. Listen to your body, respect its limits and progress in a pose naturally and safely to see lasting results. 🙏

23/11/2022

Only 3 or 4 weeks of lessons left before the Christmas Holiday! Why not get a head start on your New Year's resolutions and bring some healthy movement in to your lives now by joining one of my Pilates or Yoga lessons in Esperaza? The small groups of 5 maximum allow me plenty of mental space and time to give personal assistance in your alignment or adapt an exercise according to your particular needs. Quality over quantity! Here's the classes I'm currently running:

Gentle Hatha Yoga - Tuesdays 9.30am to 10.45am
Yin Yoga - Thursdays 4pm to 5pm
Pilates - Fridays 10am to 11am

Leave a comment or PM me if you'd like more details or to reserve a space 😊.

22/11/2022

So, we all have weaknesses and as teachers we have many! One of mine is that I'm atrocious at keeping count of repetitions as I'm too busy talking and guiding my students through the movements! Usually, the grimaces and groans tell me I've gone over my count or I've done 10 on one side and 15 on another! 🤣. Of course, this is a minor, superficial thing and in both my personal & professional life there are much deeper aspects of my SELF that I have to work on or work with as do we all. The old saying "nobody's perfect" is so utterly true and let's be honest, it was impossible to be so even for the Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, the Pope etc!! Seriously though, I think in today's world where we are pushed and pulled in every direction and feel so much pressure to achieve, to be perfect, to please, it's so important that we can accept our "faults" or "weaknesses" as actually not being either but rather just us, who we are, part of our nature. I have many, I'm sure you do too, but as long as we're not harming ourselves or others let's just embrace them and allow them to simply be, as part of our lovely crazy selves! 🧐🤗 It's all part of the journey! Do you have a "fault" that you're willing to embrace as just simply "you"? Let me know below! 😍