ALOLA YOGA

Having practiced yoga for nearly 20 years the time seemed right to share what I have found so useful to me all my adult life.

YOGA CLASSES IN DARLINGTON - ALL ABILITIES

Mon 10am - 11.30am
Mon 1.15pm - 2.45pm
Mon 7pm - 8.30pm

Wed 1.15pm - 2.45pm
Wed 7pm - 8.30pm

Thu 10am - 11.30am
Thu 1.15pm - 2.45pm

Book online (button) or www.alola.yoga or 07900 69 78 68 Named after my parents Alan and Lola, who encouraged me to take up yoga and have always taught me the importance of kindness, the two fit with the main ideal of yoga "ahimsa" which means kindness to self and others. If you have never tried yoga before, want to get back to practising or increase your practice ALOLA YOGA offers yoga classes for all abilities.

16/08/2025

100% donations go to Cancer Research UK. You don’t have to be a regular at a yoga class to enjoy one of these sessions while supporting a great cause. Both sessions start at 11am in Croft Village and have refreshments after. Hope to see you there. https://facebook.com/events/s/yogaforlife-supporting-cancer-/2169777600189451/

08/08/2025

This is something I have practiced for MANY years. We all have different life experiences but many of us have in common times when things can feel like they're bringing you down.

Keep your perspective - those negatives often have such loud voices you don't notice everything else that brings you joy.

I find this technique extremely useful and instead of keeping it just for those difficult times, I use it as a pre-emptive strike and have found it helps me deal with the challenges a life lived brings with it. 🤔Why not give it a try and see if it helps you?

30/07/2025

So often we feel as if we should be "more", do more, have more, but our worth is no dependent on our achievements, possessions or how others perceive us.

The philosophy of our yoga practice helps us to find that self-acceptance where we recognise our value simply exists and there is no need to constantly strive for more to feel worthy; embrace the perfection of our imperfections, all creating the opportunity to realise "you are enough".

23/07/2025

Half way through the first week of my summer break after a very timely reminder at the beginning of it to take advantage of the benefits of this opportunity to rest. Letting the rain encourage me to stay in and the sunshine to entice me out - how are you spending this summer?

Don't worry though - classes will be back in September and the charity event ends the summer break on 30th and 31st August.

30/05/2025

☀️SUMMER SPECIAL☀️
Try a yoga class for FREE* with no obligation to join the rest of the block. If you choose to join us at a weekly class there are 6 classes at various venues and you can choose your session subject to availability at a pro-rata rate.

Message me, email karen@alola.yoga or call 07900 697 868 to book your FREE TRIAL.

FREE trial available in Monday afternoon classes only - 1.15pm - 2.45pm at Darlington Quakers Friends Meeting House on Skinnergate. If you would like to donate via the link please feel free to do so but it is not necessary.

*terms and conditions: FREE class on Monday afternoons only during the 2025 summer term. New students only (beginners and experienced yogis welcome). Donation to CRUK welcome but not required. Mats and props available to borrow for trial subject to availability.

26/05/2025

Are you interested in joining a regular yoga class that is fun and inclusive? Last term we had great fun exploring how to use a chair as a prop so that at times it helped make a pose accessible for longer, other times it allowed us to explore how it created a difference in the movement and sometimes it made a pose more challenging. Classes are suitable for all abilities including beginners.

A seven week block of 1½ hour classes costs £66.50. Message me, email karen@alola.yoga or call/text 07900 697 868 if you would like to join us.

Mondays
10am Darlington Quakers* (full)
1.15pm Darlington Quakers*
7pm Hurworth Village Hall

Wednesdays
1.15pm Darlington Quakers*
7pm Clifton Road Community Centre

Thursdays
10am Clifton Road Community Centre

02/05/2025

You can gain so much more from a yoga practice than just the physical movement. Every time you step on a mat you have the opportunity to improve your whole wellbeing - physically, mentally, emotionally and energetically.

The number of places available varies depending on the class so please message me, email karen@alola.yoga or call/text 07900 697 868 to get more details.

Friendly and inclusive, you are encouraged to "adjust, adapt, rest or challenge" to suit your needs, making classes available to all levels of experience including beginners.

Mondays (5th, 12th, 19th May)
10am Darlington Quakers*
1.15pm Darlington Quakers*
7pm Hurworth Village Hall

Wednesdays (7th, 14th, 21st May)
1.15pm Darlington Quakers*
7pm Clifton Road Community Centre

Thursdays (8th, 15th, 22nd May)
10am Clifton Road Community Centre

*available online via Zoom as well as in person

23/04/2025

You can gain so much more from a yoga practice than just the physical movement. Every time you step on a mat you have the opportunity to improve your whole wellbeing - physically, mentally, emotionally and energetically.

New term of 1½ hour classes start next week. Thanks to the late Easter this term is the perfect opportunity to try a few classes and feel the difference for yourself. Email karen@alola.yoga for more information.

14/04/2025

Adding another tool to our techniques for increasing our sense of positivity we considered how we can find "joy in the small things". All current students should have received a renewal email including links to all the "Positivity" series of classes and the opportunity to join next term.

If you want to join us I should know how many places are available across the classes by the Easter weekend. So please message, email or join the waiting list on my web site booking page www.alola.yoga/book-online.

Mondays (3 weeks)
10am - 11.30am Quakers Meeting House, Skinnergate
1.15pm - 2.45pm Quakers Meeting House, Skinnergate
7pm - 8.30pm Hurworth Village Hall, Hurworth

Wednesdays (4 weeks)
1.15pm - 2.45pm Quakers Meeting House, Skinnergate
7pm - 8.30pm Clifton Road Community Centre, St Columbus Church

Thursdays (4 weeks)
10am - 11.30am Clifton Road Community Centre, St Columbus Church

04/04/2025

The root of peace within is acceptance. The Niyama of 'Santosha' echos this approach, enabling a sense of contentment (not complacency),acceptance and gratitude so we can avoid being caught up in the past and avoid fuelling unnecessary greed.

In our yoga practice we often need to find an acceptance of where our body takes us on the day, whether it is a balance, a stretch, a strengthening pose or our breathing - a tool we can use off the mat as well. We all face many challenges and Santosha can help guide us towards the most positive approach to deal with them.

Deborah Adele, a lecturer in yoga philosophy, sums it up with a great phrase that "being content with our discontentment is itself a gateway to the calm depths within".

28/03/2025

This quote is from and touches on how important it is to resist the pressure we sometimes put on ourselves to be an idealised version of "perfect" - whether placating our ego's idea of achievement or feeling the need to echo our peers.

Jung, Freud, Sartre, Erickson and many others consider the ego as well as our own yoga philosophy. Most agree that 'Too much "self" causes suffering. And too little "self" also causes suffering.' Finding a balance so the ego does not take over pushing past what is healthy for your body and mind to create what you believe a practice "should" look like, or having such a fluid sense of who you are that external influences pull you in whatever direction is current. The right amount of ego is a keen and positive sense of one's self, but set in playdough not concrete. Our practice challenged us to find the healthy way to explore and move in familiar and new ways adapting to our unique body and life experiences.

Perhaps BKS Iyengar is referring to this when he said "It is through the alignment of my body that I discovered the alignment of mind, self, intelligence".

22/03/2025

When we encourage and develop a growth mindset it helps our sense of positivity and supports our life goals, at whatever age! See challenges as an opportunity to learn and grow; don't forget to celebrate the small wins so you can acknowledge your progress rather than focusing on the hurdles; and practice 'ahimsa' (kindness to self as well as others) so your self compassion allows you to accept and learn from your mistakes as you would to those you love. We can practice this on the mat as well as our daily lives. The phrase "fail faster" just means to keep going for what is important to you and you will get there even if it is through trial and error. Good luck🍀!

Address

Darlington
<<NOT-APPLICABLE>>

Telephone

+447900697868

Website

http://www.alola.yoga/

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My story

Having practiced yoga for over 20 years the time seemed right to share what I have found so useful to me all my adult life. Named in tribute to my Mum, Lola (known to many of my friends as Aunty Lola or A. Lola), who encouraged me to take up yoga and always taught me the importance of kindness, the overriding principle of yoga "ahimsa" which means kindness to self and others. I was delighted to find out that ALOLA in Sanskrit means “tranquil”. If you have never tried yoga before, want to get back to practising or increase your practice ALOLA YOGA offers yoga classes for all abilities.

I aim to offer yoga classes suitable for our current lives, encompassing the wisdom of the past with our current knowledge of safe practices so we can benefit from the 1000’s of years of yoga experience to find our own tranquil place in the modern world.