YogaKutir

YogaKutir Inspiring yoga practices for mind and body. Classes, courses, workshops, retreats & teacher training. Welcome! UK and International Yoga Retreats. Yoga Therapy.

Welcome to yogakutir...

We teach traditional Hatha Yoga, a holistic science for health and wellbeing. Feel awesome in body and mind through ancient practices for contemporary life. Our Yoga is inspired by our study of classical teachings of Hatha yoga in disciplines that include Iyengar, Sivananda, Satyananda, Krishnamacharya and Dona Holleman's Centered Yoga system. We offer weekly yoga classes, courses and workshops in Clifton - Bristol, the South West & London. Yoga Teacher Training. Holistic Treatments. Private Tuition. Yoga in the workplace.

17/10/2025

Something I love to focus on in all asana is energy efficiency.

Only using what’s required to express the pose.

No wasted energy
No unnecessary movements
No unnecessary adjustments
No unnecessary muscles
No wasted breath

This comes from first having a plan
Knowing the complete picture before any movement happens.
Visualising it
Feeling it

Then allowing the body to be pulled into the asana on its own accord without force, reward or tension

It becomes light, effortless, artful.

We give our personal power away so much in life. And it’s often the case in asana too.

So much unneeded movements and actions.

Energy efficiency is rooted in strong foundations. In having the complete road map.

In not rushing
In being patient, developing each stage layer by layer.

When this happens, not only does movement become effortless and light. Staying in the pose also becomes effortless.

So the focus can move away from the physical and absorb into the subtle layers and dimensions with greater awareness and depth.

It’s all in the foundations 💎

Hundred Headstands
Day 8: tripod repetitions

100 days of daily headstand practice.

16/10/2025

The first stage of any inversion isn’t strength or courage
It’s foundation

Most people skip this part

Not because they’re lazy, but because most commonly taught methods make it look like getting up is the goal

Walk in. Kick. Hope for balance.
And when it doesn’t work, the story begins:
“I’m not strong enough.”
“I’m not ready.”
“This just isn’t for me.”

It isnt you - its the method...

Because without the right foundations, you’re building on instability. You can’t refine what isn’t yet rooted.

Here’s the thing — you’ll agree that effective techniques that align with the real foundations make the most effective inversions.

But when foundations are misunderstood (as they are in many commonly taught approaches), the techniques built on them cannot align.

And when techniques don’t align with the foundations — how can you expect the inversion to work at its best?
In Inversions Foundations LIVE, we go right to the source.

You’ll learn the biomechanical and energetic principles that create stability and freedom in Headstand, Pincha, Shoulderstand, Handstand, and Arm Balances.

Not through quick tips or tricks — but through understanding and practice.
You’ll discover how to:

Build structural clarity so your body supports the movement, not resists it

Repattern unhelpful habits that keep you stuck or strained

Develop awareness and control so your practice becomes steady, easeful, and safe

This is a small-group, live container, so you’ll receive direct feedback and support, wherever you are in your journey — whether you’re taking your first steps or refining years of practice.

If you want to be part of this, join the priority list now
Details will go first — and only — to that group

Reply LIVE to this message and you’ll get the full lowdown

Cannot wait to support you building the most effective foundations & creating a path for longterm practice x

——
Hundred Headstand
Day 7

100 days of daily headstand practice
Tips, reflections and more

16/10/2025

Is this familiar to you…

You’ve mainly learnt headstand in a group yoga class (or teacher training if you teach).

There’s perhapes something you still struggle with
fear, lifting legs, not feeling strong enough, balance, can’t lose the wall, can’t stay for long periods

And you’ve likely heard these cues before:
▫️Place little/no weight on your head
▫️Arms take the full load
▫️Hold opposite elbows for arm setup
▫️Dolphin reps build strength
▫️Press hands into head
▫️Walk feet in before lifting

And maybe you’ve searched online for tips —
only to hear “just stack your hips over your shoulders.”

Yet here you are, still not feeling 100% with your practice.

I’ve been there 🙌🏼
I practised more, focused on arm strength, tried diff teachers… all saying the same thing.

Then 15 yrs ago, a chance encounter changed EVERYTHING.
I realised it wasn’t me — it was the method.
The same commonly-taught techniques still around today (in classrooms & TTC’s) are the biggest issue.

Why?
Because they don’t align with the real headstand foundations.

I share in a short vid why these cues don’t actually help (reply VIDEO if you want it before it’s taken down this weekend)

This realisation led me to share a new blueprint — rooted in true mechanics + the 4 vital phases of headstand (most ppl only know 2).
No missing steps.
It’s transformed 100s of students + teachers who now lift w/ ease, balance longer, and feel light + stable — all w/out relying on arm strength.

It’s not about “stacking hips.”
It’s about awakening the real foundations that make EVERYTHING else effortless.

Next month I’m opening a live container to go through all inversions in this same detail — headstand, handstand, pincha, shoulderstand + more.

Because principles are universal — but each body needs an individual solution.
And that’s why so many ppl struggle or give up.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

If you’d like an invite to the first group, reply LIVE.
Unhelpful cues? History 🙌🏼

15/10/2025

Hundred Headstands: Day 6
Elongate the Legs

Once you know how to activate the postural support chain (not your arms or arm strength) in headstand, the legs become key to the structure and sustaining the posture.

What you do with them is the difference between light or heavy, stable or wobbly, and how long you can stay with ease.

Elongation is the key.

From the moment the feet leave the floor, imagine your legs and feet reaching away from you.
This continual elongation keeps the support chain active and alive.

The more you extend the legs away, the more lift, lightness, and effortlessness you’ll feel.

There are a few ways to explore this.
Here, I’m using a block between the feet and sending it as far away from me as possible — through the lift, the balance, and the return to the ground.

The block gives tangible feedback to the feet to help keep them switched on.

If you already have the key foundations and are comfortable with double leg lifts, give it a try.

That’s it for today.
See you tomorrow for Day 7 x

15/10/2025

Whenever I see someone online promising headstand in 7–14 days, it’s a massive red flag

Why? Because it usually means two things

1️⃣ They’re teaching you a version that relies on arm strength
2️⃣ They think headstand is just about “getting up” no matter how shaky, short, or supported it is

I was brought up with both these situations because that’s what the common understanding was (& generally still is)

Think of a baby learning to stand
They might get it for a few seconds before falling down
After consistent practice & time, they do it effortlessly
Then they’re really walking

And just like you wouldn’t prop a baby up & call that standing, you can’t force or shortcut headstand & call that mastery

Anyone who practices headstand regularly (3+ times a week, for more than 5 minutes) knows there’s a huge difference between a fast-track approach & building a practice for life

A 2-week “breakthrough” might get you upside down but not stable, fearless, or effortless
That takes time

It won’t give you that moment where your legs lift with ease, you stop gripping through the arms, your body organises naturally, & it feels more like being held than doing. That also takes time

That’s what headstand really is
& yes, it takes time
But it doesn’t have to take forever

You can get there faster — if you have the complete map & guidance from someone who knows exactly what to do
If you know how to switch on internal support, understand the mechanics, & consistently apply the right principles & methods

It’s not that it’s “hard”

It’s just that most plans skip VITAL pieces, use unhelpful designs, or rush the process so your body never develops natural support
Over time, those gaps compound

I’m not a fast-track teacher — because 95% of the people I now support came to me after trying one

If you want to build a real, lasting, stable headstand — with time to integrate, live support, & a step-by-step method — that’s exactly what Inversions Foundations LIVE is about

The next generation of inverters who understand that progress comes from precision, patience, & presence

comment LIVE if you want to be first to know when doors open

14/10/2025

If you want a headstand that feels effortless, stable + fearless — you need to know the 80/20 Headstand Rule

This metric shows up everywhere… and it applies to headstand too.

Headstand is 80% foundations, 20% movement + balance

The lift + hold — the “cherry on the cake” — only happens when the base is built.
But so many skip the cake + go straight for the cherry

Not their fault
Most classes + even TTs don’t show the full picture and focus on the cherry

When I started, I just wanted to get up
Every class focused on that: get up, hold it, get stronger
But it always felt heavy — more effort than stability

Over time I realised: trying harder isn’t the answer
Whenever I teach now, there’s always someone who wants to skip the foundations + jump ahead
And that’s exactly why they’re stuck

Because the lift isn’t separate — it happens through the foundations

Lifting is a continuation of everything you switch on in the first two phases of headstand (there are 4 phases)
When they’re right, the legs rise by themselves.

Miss them, and you end up muscling it — arms + core doing all the work

We live in a world of instant gratification
“Nail your headstand in 2 weeks!”
“Master arm balances in 5 days!”

But there’s a huge difference between propping yourself up & building something stable, light + long-lasting.

This is what I care about — supporting those who know it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Because when the full support system is locked in, headstand becomes effortless.

That’s the intention behind Inversions Foundations LIVE
No quick fixes
No “stand on your head in 24hrs” promise.

The ultimate 80/20 blueprint

Real, continuous support + time to integrate what you learn for the most effective practice you can imagine
Small group, so everyone gets individual attention.

If you want to be part of the first cohort + get lifetime access, comment LIVE below 👇

——
Hundred Headstands
Day 5: 10 minutes, no variations and an unexpected visitor 🐮

14/10/2025

For years, I used to teach headstand as part of a general yoga class
a 5-minute window

I did this because that’s how I was taught
That’s how it was modelled in trainings & classes I attended

Back then, headstand always felt heavy, more effort than I imagined

Then, about 15 years ago, I was shown something completely different. it changed everything

It revealed two big truths
1️⃣ Most commonly taught methods miss key elements of the real mechanics & build on unhelpful foundations
2️⃣ A group class simply isn’t the best environment to learn headstand properly

So I stopped teaching it that way

What I realised was that I still had huge gaps in my understanding — gaps I didn’t even know existed
And if I had them, the people I was teaching did too

Trying to fit a complete, methodical process into 5 minutes meant those missing pieces were inevitable
That’s why so many people struggle & think they’re “not ready,” when really, they’ve just never been shown the full picture

Because in a class you can’t.

It’s like trying to build an engine with crucial parts missing — it’s just not going to fire as it should
And that’s what I see time & time again with headstand

Since then, every inversion training I offer has been its own container — dedicated, joined-up time to explore the full step-by-step method that builds the right kind of support, stability & awareness

The difference this makes is HUGE
Teachers & students who’d been stuck for years finally understood why it wasn’t working & experienced real breakthroughs

Classrooms are OK for refinement once you already know what you’re doing
But to develop inversions properly, you need more than a few minutes at a time

Over the past few years, I’ve been teaching these trainings on the road.
now, I’m really excited to open Inversions Foundations LIVE

A guided space to systematically explore headstand, pincha, handstand & more,
with individual feedback, clear progression, & time to integrate what you learn

If you’d like to know more when it opens, comment LIVE below.

13/10/2025

The two primary forms of headstand are forearm and tripod (Sirsasana I + II).

Through the lens of Yoga asana, they serve different purposes.

Forearm headstand is designed for duration.
Tripod headstand is designed for transition.

Tripod creates a base for arm balances — a bridge between inversions.
You don’t hang out there for ten minutes like you could with forearm.

Forearm headstand, though, is where the deeper effects unfold and the version that gives you more than physical effects.

Both place weight on the head,
but tripod carries more load.
That’s why we learn forearm first:
1️⃣ The load is lighter.
2️⃣ The position teaches how to activate your support system, rebound gravity, and develop postural strength in a more tangible and stable way.

If your intention is to explore arm balances, tripod becomes your launch pad.
With time, you’ll build enough rebound energy and postural support to move through each balance without coming down for air!

Forearm headstand is more sophisticated.
It gives more back.
A short hold gives one experience.
Five minutes or more gives a completely different one.

Your wrists and head co-create a rebound pointthat allows you to stay longer, breathe softer, and feel lighter.

So why do so many go straight to tripod?

Often it feels steadier because of the base.
or it’s simply that stiffness in the shoulders and chest makes the forearm version less accessible to many.

That openness can be cultivated.
With patience, practice, and a plan that makes sense.

Both versions — and the transitions between them — will be explored in depth inside Inversions Foundations LIVE, along with Pincha, Handstand, and arm-balance work.

If you’d like details, comment LIVE below.

——-
Hundred Headstands
a daily headstand for 100 days

Day 4: Today exploring banded work to help coordinate the cooperative actions of the legs.

Tag .kutir & use to join the journey.

Each day I’ll share headstand tips, insights & reflections post-practice.

Next week I turn 47 — and this one feels different.It marks 25 years since my first yoga teacher training.25 years of ex...
13/10/2025

Next week I turn 47 — and this one feels different.
It marks 25 years since my first yoga teacher training.
25 years of exploring the mind, consciousness, and human potential.
25 years of circling the same questions:
Where am I being from?
What is possible?
How do I step fully into life without shrinking back?

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the Sanskrit term parikramā — circumnavigation.
In yogic tradition, it’s the act of walking around a sacred site in devotion.
Each revolution returns you to the same centre, but at a higher turn of the spiral.
Each loop is an opportunity to attune, soften, and grow.

We all have our own parikramā.
We orbit our challenges, our doubts, our patterns
hoping that this time, something will shift.

This birthday feels like a personal parikramā
a return to centre, infused with gratitude, clarity, and the invitation to step into the unknown.

That’s what 21 Days of Mind Mechanics is:
A 21-day journey into the subconscious patterns that quietly run your life.
A chance to pause, explore, and live from a deeper frequency.

For 21 days, we’ll:
Explore mind mechanics and why your patterns keep you looping.
Dissolve blind spots and release what limits your flow.
Receive daily practices and meditations to embody ancient wisdom in modern life.
I’ll share the practices that keep me aligned, and guide you in applying them practically every day.

We begin October 15 — my 47th birthday.

DM 47 for details

Love

Dory

13/10/2025

If Utkatasana always feels like a battle — thighs burning, knees complaining, everything sinking down while you wait for the teacher to move on — you’re not alone

But the problem isn’t your strength or flexibility. It’s how you’re using gravity

Most people unconsciously fight the downward pull instead of learning to receive its support
Here’s what usually happens:

1️⃣ As soon as the legs bend, everything drops. The body becomes heavy and effortful
2️⃣ The feet switch off, so all the weight lands in the knees
3️⃣ The pose widens, which diffuses the upward lift and makes the legs feel even heavier

But gravity works both ways. When you learn to root and mobilise, the earth offers a return force that creates lightness & energy efficiency

Your feet are key
When you start to bend the legs, it’s easy to feel like you’re just pressing the brakes to stop falling
Instead, when you engage the feet in a specific way, you create an upward current — even as the body moves closer to the floor

No feet = hanging in the knees
Active feet = uplift through the whole structure

Utkatasana isn’t just about strong legs. It’s a whole-body conversation between the feet, pelvis, spine, & arms
If you send the sitting bones too far back & lean forward, the upper body checks out
Instead, keep the stance narrow. Keep moving the knees & sitting bones forward
Imagine passing a block up & behind you — you’ll feel your upper body come alive

Don’t worry how far you bent the legs

When you maintain that two-directional flow — rooting through the feet & lifting through the crown — over time the posture becomes light, dynamic, & steady

Asana isn’t meant to feel heavy
That heaviness comes when we rely on muscular strength alone
When you connect the physical with the subtle & work with your body’s intelligence, everything changes

Utkatasana means fierce or intense
It doesn’t mean chair
Most treat it like a chair — trying to sit down and wishing they could
Fierce is a whole different energy

This is one of 75+ poses we break down inside The Complete A–Z of Asana — step by step blueprints of all Foundational poses designed to give you the complete picture

Comment AZ for details

12/10/2025

Hundred Headstand
Day 3/100

10 minutes today. No variations.

And for the first time in a while — not a cloud in the sky.
So, alfresco practice on the beach.

When the Arabian Sea is your view, distractions seem to dissolve.
Looking at the sunset over the sea makes 10 minutes feel like two.

It’s funny how a beautiful view can make it easier — a reminder that so much of the practice is mental, not physical.

Some of my most potent practices, though, have been in unlikely places.

Over a decade studying with Dona Holleman taught me that the space itself doesn’t matter.

A windowless wine cellar.
Her living room.
A horse paddock.

For years my own practice meant sweeping kids’ toys aside and getting on with it.

We live in a time of abundance
pants, mats, studios, equipment
and yet all this luxury can quietly create limits.

We start to believe we need perfect conditions to practice.
That unless it’s this mat, that room, those vibes — we can’t.

But the world is your playground.
Anywhere is perfect.
All you need is the arrow of intent to practice — and for headstand, not even much space.

So if you catch yourself thinking:
It’s too noisy.
Not enough room.
Not the right setting.
Pause.

Ask: Who’s saying that? What’s really behind the noise? Who is the one trying to sabotage?

Because if you really want to do something,
you do it — regardless.

A Hundred Headstands
a daily headstand for 100 days 🧘‍♂️
Tag .kutir & use to join the journey.

Each day I’ll share headstand tips, insights & reflections post-practice.

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BS84BX

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About us

We are passionate about the full spectrum of yoga. We live, teach and embrace the richness of a yogic lifestyle. We endeavour through our teaching to share our own experience of yoga as a transformative practise on and off the yoga mat. Our classes are inspired by our study of classical teachings of Hatha yoga in disciplines that include Iyengar, Sivananda, Satyananda, Krishnamacharya, Scaravelli and Dona Holleman's enlightened asana work. We teach group classes and private lessons, host courses, workshops, retreats, and organise Teacher Training programmes.