Pemma Does Yoga

23/09/2025

Exciting news! My husband at Edinburgh Karate Shizen, his wonderful colleague and our very good friend Alison and I are opening a Karate and Yoga studio and we are having an open door hour this Sunday the 28th September at 4pm. Soft drinks and nibbles provided, thank yous at 445pm.
Come along, have a look see at the space and find out what we will have on here.

New Studio nearly complete!

If any of our friends would like to join us this Sunday at 4pm to have a look and raise a glass for the opening of our new space then we would love you to join us. Drinks and nibbles will be provided and we'll say a few thank yous at about 4:45pm.
Would be great to see you if you can make it. 🙏

Unit 7, 2 Harvest Road, Newbridge, Edinburgh, EH28 8AN
Sunday 28th September - 4pm

19/09/2025

Yesterday my son and I found this very shiny dude in our Rosemary bush. I’d never seen one before, looking more like a hard boiled sweetie than garden beastie, so we had to look it up - it is in fact a Rosemary Beetle.

This week’s theme is new beginnings. This time of year is all about harvest and readiness for autumn. The fruits of our labour become apparent.
I invited attendees to today’s class to think about things they may have achieved this year. Now, this doesn’t have to be world domination style achievements. It can be much simpler than that. For me, having new experiences with my family has been my harvest.
But with the completion of goals/end of harvest we experience a new beginning as we look towards the rest of the year. Rebirth is a big theme in Buddhism and Hinduism which Yoga is often intertwined with, considering its mother country - India.

We see rebirth mythology in the west too - The Phoenix and Ouroboros, through Greece via Egypt, for example.

So now is a time to reflect on what we have had and what we have done, with gratitude. A pause before rushing on to the next thing.

For me, a new beginning is always best done s l o w l y. Our asana sequence today was a new one, but we built upon what we have learned over the summer. This new sequence was gentle and explorative, more so than the last couple of weeks, and we shall build upon it over the next 9 weeks.

You can join us at any time during our exploration of this new asana sequence, it is always easily modifiable to any body’s body and ability. I often have drop ins as well as block bookers.
Please do make sure you book online or contact me before a class to ensure a space - the Winchburgh Hatha Class is often full nowadays.
www.bookwhen.com/pemmayoga

08/09/2025

I am obsessed with this book that my son and husband brought home from a charity shop the other day!
Even if you don’t have kids this book is a treasure.
A beautifully written piece full of emotive photography for any avid pebble collector.

04/09/2025

How to practice Dirga Pranayama!

1. Find a comfortable position:
You can practice Dirga
Pranayama lying down, sitting, or standing, ensuring a straight spine and relaxed body.
2. Inhale:
Begin by inhaling deeply through the nose, first filling the abdomen, then the rib cage, and finally the upper chest.
3. Exhale:
Slowly exhale through the nose, releasing the breath from the upper chest, then the rib cage, and finally the abdomen.
4. Repeat:
Continue this three-part breath for several rounds, gradually becoming more fluid and natural with the practice.

Dirga Pranayama is a great step in learning ‘how to breath again’. We often underuse the diaphragm and lower lobes of the lungs due to a number of reasons including stress and lifestyle, so this is a great way to remind yourself of your actual lung capacity! Lowering stress response and much more.

29/08/2025

Reminder that there is no class tomorrow (Saturday 30th August)
Back to normal next week

25/08/2025

Last week’s theme for the classes was ‘Satya’ - truthfulness. Being truthful to ourselves can help us find out exactly where we are on our journey and aid us to make informed choices to better our lives. This may be how far we can bend down in Paschimottanasana or it could be more relevant to our lives off the mat like a relationship or healing journey.
***This week the Saturday class is not on but Friday classes are as normal.***
Do you have a request for a theme?
❤️

14/08/2025

Reminder that there are no classes on tomorrow (Friday 15th August).
Back to normal for Saturday class.
Thank you!

13/08/2025

I was so happy to see this book arrive last Friday - perfectly in time for my restorative yoga class on Saturday. Those who attended were treated to a reading from it, learning about some mythology and how the lessons can be applied to our yoga practice and life in general.
This book is an absolute gem! Not only beautifully told stories, some of which you may recognise, retold by Dr Raj Balkaran but the illustrations by Devika Manon are also incredibly gorgeous. The book itself is tastefully bound and feels good quality - for those book enthusiasts out there, we know how important that is.
The stories themselves take about 5 minutes to read and offer some insight on how the lessons may be applied at the end of the story.
A wonderful book for everyone, not just Yogis since the tales are so compelling. My five year old son is already hooked on them!

I believe from my research these are not the ‘definitive’ stories behind the chosen poses. More the author using their vast knowledge and thought to bring two concepts together in a way that people have been doing since the beginning of time. Of course Hindu mythology and the ancient practice of Yoga has been wrapped around each other since their births that it really does work very well.
So, enjoy the stories and the author’s interpretation, the beautiful illustrations and the chance for a moment of mindfulness.

07/08/2025

Had an amazing time with Winchburgh Women’s Group last night - I was invited to spend two hours with them and so we delved into the history of yoga, what it can do for us and different techniques we can use. We did some seated yoga, core engagement exercises, pranayama, mantra, guided meditation and sound bath to finish.
This Saturday it will be our monthly restorative session at The Thomas Chalmers Centre, 9-10am! Bring your pillows and prepare for a good ol’ snuggle 🥰

04/08/2025

Freestyling practice on the tongue drum.
❤️

02/08/2025

This weeks theme was ‘Drishti’. Practicing how we may use our gaze to deepen our intention and concentration. This was built upon last week’s theme of Pranayama where I read out some excerpts from Iyengar’s book ‘Light on Yoga’.

23/07/2025

What do you think about this quote? B.K.S Iyengar was a yoga teacher, guru and author of many books on yoga. He is widely credited for popularising yoga in the west and is known as ‘the father of modern yoga’.
One of my favourite yoga books - Light on Yoga is authored by Iyengar. It’s a very informative read; offering detailed explanations of asanas, accompanied by photos, information on the eight limbs of yoga, pranayama instruction and even a week by week breakdown of an asana course devised by Iyengar himself.
It’s really worth a read!