Doda Yoga

12/09/2025

This week I’m celebrating a milestone.

In my first full week back from summer leave, I taught 120 people; across both mat and chair-based classes. That number isn’t just a metric; it represents connection, community, and the trust people place in me when they show up. I will never take this for granted, and whilst I try to remember everyone’s name, sometimes my dyslexia causes me to slip up, and for that I am sorry 🫣

But here’s the honest part: on Wednesday, I had a wobble. A crisis of confidence. With new students in the room, I worried about living up to their expectations. Instead of hiding it, I shared openly, because to me the only way I can teach wholeheartedly is by showing up as myself. In turn I hope this allows you the permission to show up as you.

And then something beautiful happened:

💬 One student described the class I’d been most nervous about as “a treat to attend.”

💬 Several people reached out afterwards to say they had shared the reading I read in class with their families. The poem itself had been gifted to me just a week earlier by a participant in another class,proof of how wisdom and kindness ripple outward.

💬 And one message I’ll never forget: “If you ever feel this way, just remember you have saved lives — mine included.”

Those words stopped me in my tracks. They reminded me that yoga isn’t just about movement, whether on a mat or in a chair. It’s about holding space, building community, and sometimes quite literally helping people keep breathing.

When people ask me why I do what I do, this is my answer: because I cannot not believe in it. I see change in people each week, sometimes gradual, sometimes profound. I see the trust when someone returns after an injury, knowing I will hold space for them. That’s why I keep showing up.

So today, I’m celebrating more than numbers. I’m celebrating the people, the connections, and the reminder that vulnerability is the real strength.

💛 To everyone who shows up with me each week: thank you. You’re the reason I do what I do and I will never stop being grateful for that.

Have a wonderful weekend,

With love,
Naomi ✨

📸 - Taken at my Tidworth Civic Centre class, Tuesdays 1730

11/09/2025

✨ Why “Just Stop Stressing” Isn’t the Answer ✨

I came across this BBC article on stress today: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg42zq7nqxwo

What I like is that it brings stress into the spotlight, because stress is real, and it affects our health, relationships, sleep, digestion, even pain levels. Talking about it matters.

But what I find less helpful is the subtle suggestion that we can simply “stop stressing.” For anyone living with anxiety or chronic stress, that’s just not possible. Stress isn’t only in the mind, it’s a whole-body response: fast heartbeats, tight shoulders, racing thoughts.

This is where Yoga Therapy offers something different. Instead of telling you to “calm down,” it meets you where you are and gives you practical and personalised tools to support your nervous system, like:

🌬️ Breath practices to slow down racing thoughts
🤸 Gentle movement to release tension from the body
🛌 Restorative rest to allow the body and mind to reset
🧘 Mindfulness to build resilience and soften anxious spirals

Stress won’t vanish from our lives, but with the right tools we can learn how to navigate it in healthier, kinder ways. That’s the heart of Yoga Therapy offering support, not shame.

If you’d like to explore these tools in practice, you’re always welcome in my community or private classes.

💛

With love,
Naomi ✨

Stress, in small doses, can be good for us. Here are five simple, science-backed ways to manage it better.

10/09/2025

✨ Perspective is everything ✨

Recently over summer we were in Milan, stuck behind a driver trying to squeeze into a parking space that (to me) looked impossible. Objectively, it didn’t fit. Yet, he saw it differently. With a few bumps and nudges, he proved himself right, while everyone in our car giggled watching it unfold. 🚗😂

It made me wonder: how often do we label something as “impossible” just because we can’t see a way forward? Yoga reminds us that shifting perspective can open up new possibilities, on the mat and in life. 🧘‍♀️

👉 Read the full blog here: https://www.dodayoga.co.uk/post/shifting-perspectives-lessons-from-a-parking-space-in-milan

With love,
Naomi ✨

07/09/2025

✨ Some of the kind words I’ve received lately…

Feedback isn’t always shared, and it certainly isn’t why I do what I do, but when it arrives, it’s such a gift. 💛

From retreat reflections, to kind notes after class, to quiet words as people roll up their mats, every message reminds me why I love sharing yoga, sound, and space for rest.

My favourite piece of feedback is at the end: “You are a really nice person.” Sometimes the simplest words carry the most weight. 🌿

Thank you for every smile, every presence, every kind word. I see and appreciate it all.

We are back this week with the full schedule, and if you still needed encouragement to roll out your mat, hopefully this is the nudge you need.

With love,
Naomi ✨

05/09/2025

What a welcome back 🤩

Our first Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra after summer was everything I had hoped for and more.

I truly mean it when I say the people who come to these classes are the best. The way you all show up for each other, offering quiet support and kindness, fills me with more joy than I ever imagined.

It’s hard to put the magic into words, but if you were there, you’ll know exactly what I mean.

And you know it’s good when people are already booking straight back on for next month, 10th October 💫

Thank you 🙏 from the bottom of my heart. I can’t wait for the rest of my classes next week.

Naomi ✨

03/09/2025

✨ Yoga is more accessible than ever, whether we roll out our mat at home or step into a shared space. But the experience isn’t the same, and the difference really matters.

I’ve written a new blog exploring what changes between online and in-person classes, and why it’s worth thinking about.

🧘 Read in my blog. Link in bio 🔗

Which do you prefer: online or in-person practice? I’d love to hear your thoughts 👇

With love,
Naomi ✨

01/09/2025

✨ Yin Yoga & Yoga Nidra – Friday 5th September - 1830 - Augusta Park Community Centre✨

A few spaces left for this week’s Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra – a gentle, slow, and deeply relaxing practice designed to nurture your body and mind. 🌙

Set in soft, low light, this session creates a sanctuary of calm, helping you to:
🌿 Release tension and stress
🌿 Improve flexibility and joint mobility
🌿 Cultivate inner peace and stillness
🌿 Restore energy and balance

Perfect for beginners or anyone looking to slow down and reconnect with themselves in this inclusive class.

Friday 5th September, don’t miss your chance to unwind, recharge, and experience the quiet magic of Yin. 💛

📩 To book your spot – only a few spaces remain visit my website:
https://www.dodayoga.co.uk/service-page/augusta-park-andover-yin-yoga

With love,
Naomi ✨

31/08/2025

🎉 Classes are BACK this week! 🎉

Starting with Yoga Therapy Clients on Wednesday, Chair Yoga on Thursday and Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra this Friday evening at 1830.

I’ve missed you all and cannot wait to see your lovely faces on the mat or in a chair 🤩

If you haven’t booked your space yet, now’s the time as classes are filling up.

My public schedule is:
Tuesday's
Yoga for Wellbeing - King Arthurs Hall 09:15 (apply here https://www.icantherapycentre.co.uk/yoga-for-wellbeing/)
Yoga - Tidworth Civic Centre - 17:30

Wednesday
Yoga - Augusta Park Community Centre - 19:00

Thursday
Chair Yoga with I Can Therapy Centre - Royal British Legion - 14:15

Friday
Monthly Yin & Yoga Nidra - Augusta Park Community Centre - 18:30

Sunday
Monthly Sound Bath Sundays - Studio Yoga Stockbridge - 1630 & 1800

Private Classes, events and sessions available by appointment.

Let’s ease back in together with breath, movement and that lovely sense of community 💛

Booking online via www.dodayoga.co.uk/book-online

With love,
Naomi ✨

28/08/2025

✨ Begin Again This September ✨

Six years ago, I stopped running. This summer, I’ve started again with the NHS Couch to 5K, not to chase distance, but to celebrate what my body can do. And do you know what? It feels joyful to be a beginner again.

Movement really is medicine, lifting mood, calming stress, and reminding us of our strength. 💛

This September, I’m inviting you to step back into class with a beginner’s mind too. You don’t need to be “fit enough” or “flexible enough” you just need to be open, curious, and willing to meet yourself as you are.

🌿 My new term of classes begins in September and you’re warmly welcome to join me.

👉 Book your space here: www.dodayoga.co.uk

Let’s begin again. Together. If you’d like to read more about beginning again, check out my blog post here: https://www.dodayoga.co.uk/post/begin-again-the-power-of-moving-forward-one-step-at-a-time

With love,
Naomi ✨

26/08/2025

🧘‍♀ Let’s talk props!

The simple tools that can completely transform your yoga practice, making it more supportive, more accessible, and often, a lot more comfortable.

✨ I genuinely can’t pick a favourite… but here are a few I reach for often:

🔹 Yoga block – My go-to! I use a block in almost every practice, for support, stability, to change a way an asana feels in my body or to bring the floor a little closer.
🔹 Eye pillow – Not essential, but oh-so-lovely. There’s something about the gentle weight over the eyes that invites deep rest.
🔹 Blanket – Comfort, warmth, grounding, and the perfect way to signal to your nervous system: You’re safe now.
🔹 Yoga belt (strap) – Great for those hard-to-reach places or to gently explore range of motion without strain.

Props aren’t a sign of weakness, in my eyes they are the sign of a pro! They help you meet your body where it is with kindness and care.

💬 What’s your favourite yoga prop and why?

I’d love to hear what’s in your kit and what you actually use!

With love,
Naomi ✨

P.S If you are considering joining a yoga class initially you just need you and a yoga mat, I do have other props to share if you need a little extra support.

25/08/2025

✨ One powerful question to ask yourself before your next yoga practice:

“What do I really need today?”

Not what you should do.
Not what your to-do list says.
But what your body, heart, and mind are quietly asking for.

🧘‍♀ Maybe it’s movement.
🕯 Maybe it’s stillness.
😌 Maybe it’s a big exhale and a few tears.
💃 Maybe it’s a little joy and some chocolate cake afterwards (see exhibit A 😄☝️).

Whatever it is, let that be your guide.

Yoga is about listening, finding your own intuition and believing in yourself enough to show up for you.
It is about coming home to yourself, again and again.

With love,
Naomi✨

P.S As a vegan (no judgement here, you do you, and I'll do me!), if ever there is dessert that is vegan, you can bet I'll be having it! Life is too short, eat the cake is my mantra!