Yoga with Laura Colenso, Main Street, Alne, York (2025)

22/08/2025

Our week often begins at full speed with lists, tasks, and rushing around. 🙃 But what if you could begin with some time for yourself to pause, breathe, and reset before the new week takes over?

My 10.30am class is now full but I have 2 places left for my Monday 9am yoga at Alne Village Hall.

If you’d like to join us, send me a message today or visit my website below for more information. 💛

Laura x

14/08/2025

Need a break that actually feels like a break? So many of us power through, ticking things off the list and taking care of everyone else but ourselves.

So stopping, checking in, and recharging before we hit empty is a must. My Micro Retreat “Autumn Grace” is a space to do just that.

Watch the video below and if you like what you hear get in touch for more information or visit my website which is in the first comment below. Laura x

12/08/2025

The sun is shining. The breeze is light.
I’m lying in the dappled shade of the trees, surrounded by the wildflowers of La Borde Blanque.

We’re nearing the end of our French yoga retreat, enjoying the wonderful company of six other families from all over Europe. Our children swim, run, laugh, and bond in nature.

Yoga has brought us all together in this special and comforting way.

On our first day, our teacher, Elleke - wise and strong in body, mind, and spirit encouraged us to follow our breath, rather than making our breath follow us.

These words got me thinking.

We can become so busy in life that our poor breath has no choice but to be dragged around by us, becoming fast, shallow, desperately trying to keep up.

But what if we took a break and invited our breath to lead for a while?

Letting it set a steady, nourishing pace. Allowing it to guide us with depth and purpose, carrying us consciously through our day.

So that has been my aim this holiday. To step back and to be guided by my breath.

Our breath, our one constant companion is guaranteed never to leave our side, staying with us faithfully until our very last moment. For this reason alone, it deserves our trust, our respect, and our attention.

So, why not take a moment now?
Inhale slowly. Exhale gently. Let a smile spread across your lips, knowing your breath has always got your back.

Thank you for being here. Sending love and kindness,

Laura x

24/07/2025

Yoga is not about being good at something. It’s about being good to yourself. Join us on a Monday morning for some time to reset and recharge for your week ahead. The next 6 week course begins on Monday the 15th September to the 20th October. Visit my website to get more information. It's always the right time to start yoga! Laura x

10/07/2025

“They always raised me to fly the nest,” were the wise words of a friend when I asked how his parents felt about his travels. I was only twenty-five at the time, but that conversation stayed with me. I always thought it was such a beautiful description of parenthood.

And now I find myself at the end of my daughter’s last week of primary school, another pivotal step in her journey towards one day flying the nest. And the weight of that knowing hurts like nothing else can.

I remember her first day of primary school, walking her through the gates with her tiny hand in mine, apprehension in her eyes. On her last day, she confidently made that journey by herself, not wanting or needing me by her side and that’s exactly how it should be.

The push and pull of emotions as a mother are heart-wrenching. I could easily be the smothering mother who keeps her baby close, but then what would that mean for my darling daughter? No confidence, no independence, no belief in herself. So I do what I have to do for Nell, not for myself. I give her the space and opportunity to grow the skills she’ll need to eventually fly free.

Dominic and I are raising her to fly the nest in whatever direction she chooses and all we can do is be here when she needs us. The hardest, but also the most important and beautiful act we will ever undertake.

Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is loosen our grip. So maybe this week we can all ask ourselves could letting go just a little be exactly what’s needed?

Thank you for being here. Sending love and kindness,

Laura x

P.S. A shout-out to my wonderful mother, who did exactly the same for me! x

01/07/2025

We all have emotional triggers - moments that make our blood boil or hearts race. Something happens, and instantly, we form a strong opinion about it. But what if it’s not the event itself that causes our reaction… what if it’s our interpretation of it? And what if that interpretation is wrong?

I read the story below and wanted to share it as it’s a powerful reminder that not everything is as it seems.

A monk decides to meditate alone, away from his monastery. He takes his boat out to the middle of the lake, moors it, closes his eyes and begins to meditate. After some time of undisturbed silence, he suddenly feels the bump of another boat colliding with his own. With his eyes closed, he senses his anger rising, and by the time he opens his eyes, he is ready to shout at the boatman who carelessly disturbed his meditation. But when he opens his eyes, he sees an empty boat that had become untethered and floated to the middle of the lake all by itself.

When we add our own meaning to a situation, we often create unnecessary suffering. A passing comment or a missed glance can suddenly leave us feeling disrespected, ignored, vulnerable, or rejected. But so often, these emotions are less about what actually happened and more about the story we’ve told ourselves.

So I’m hoping that the next time I overreact to something I don’t fully understand, the image of the monk and the empty boat will gently remind me to pause, breathe, and question the story I’m telling myself. And I hope it does the same for you too.

Thank you for being here. Sending love and kindness,

Laura x

04/06/2025

Summer’s on the way! Are you feeling ready in your body and mind? 🌞

I’ve got just three spots left in my 9am class starting this Monday! Join us!

Made for women who need a little time for themselves.
Contact details are below. Laura x

30/05/2025

🌿 When was the last time you took a couple of hours just for you — to pause, breathe, and reconnect with what truly matters? Click on the link in the first comment below to find out how to make this happen. Laura x

21/05/2025

Gary Oldman, Regret, and a Spiritual Practice.

A few weeks ago, Dom and I had a sneaky date night in town to see the brilliant Gary Oldman in Samuel Beckett’s 1958 one-man play, Krapp’s Last Tape.

In the darkness and silence of the theatre with only one attic light glaring down on the character of Krapp we watched for 55 minutes an old man rewinding and replaying his memories, stopping and starting a tape machine, listening to his younger self from three decades ago.
In this time we slowly watched the journey of vulnerability and regret wrap themselves around his being like a dark, heavy cloak.
It was a fascinating evening, not just the play or the performance but what this piece of art forced 750 audience members to do. To sit still, in silence, switch off phones and watch a normal human being just feel.

There was no loud music, no flashing lights. No violence or superhero’s just an old man reflecting on his life and who he used to be.

For me, it shone a blinding spotlight on how our society has changed since 1958.

Our ability to entertain and to be entertained has grown to insane levels of speed and action over the past sixty seven years that unless we are feeling a rush of adrenaline or a hit of endorphins we get itchy in our seats.

This became very obvious in the dark, quiet auditorium with coughing from audience members reaching a worrying high in a fifty five minute period of time!
The conversations that I witnessed between couples that couldn’t wait until the performance was over and the vibrating notifications of a phone somewhere in the darkness going off at least every few minutes through the entire performance.

Samuel Beckett’s play has become a spiritual practice for his 2025 audience members. A practice to slow down, to sit still, to become aware and fully engage with another human being and his vulnerability.

I’m not sure if that was his intention or not but I’m grateful for his work as it is was a reminder of the pace that we used to live in not that long ago.

So, if you get a chance today why not hit pause on the adrenaline and endorphin raging entertainment and go for something a little softer for the senses. Using your imagination to rewind back to a time of a simpler, slower way of being.
Thank you for being here. Sending love and kindness,
Laura x

P.S If you enjoyed this please sign up to my Sunday email. Your support would mean the world to me! Link in the first comment below. xx

17/05/2025

🌞 Ready to Reset, Recharge & Embrace the Summer? 🌿

Sometimes all we need is a couple of hours just for ourselves to pause, breathe, and reconnect with what truly matters.

I’ve created a 2.5-hour women’s yoga morning to help you gently transition into summer with intention, energy, and self-care. This is time carved out just for you to move your body, calm your mind, and take a moment to dream, plan and create for the season ahead.

🌸 Saturday 21st June 2025
🕙 10am–12:30pm
📍 Alne Village Hall, York YO61 1RT
💷 £45 (Early Bird: £40 until 1st June!)

Whether you're navigating the juggle of work, family, or just feeling the need to reset, this "Summer Time Micro Retreat" offers some time to recharge and realign.

If you would like more information simply fill in the form in the first comment below or visit my website, and I’ll be in touch with all the details. 💛

Sending love & kindness,
Laura x

10/04/2025

I was told off by the teacher this week and it did not feel good.

An off the cuff, late evening decision by the parents on our year 6 WhatsApp group turned into an unexpected drama the next day at school.

I won’t bore you with the details but what we all thought was an innocent, time saving, logical idea was not seen that way in the slightest!

At 8:56am the email explaining the disruption we had caused landed in the parent’s inboxes.

I instantly turned into my eleven year old self full of shame and nerves for being told off. I responded with an apology explaining it was an impromptu choice and we had not thought through the consequences. I forgave myself 😂 and moved on. 🙌🏻

But it turned out the drama would unfold with stories of shouting, tears and of bad behaviour.

Nell was having dinner at a friend’s house so I had time to decide how I would respond to the calamity of the day. Once Nell had me to herself she announced

“You got me into trouble today.”

“I know. And I’m very sorry. Tell me all about it.”

She went on to tell me how the parent’s decision had affected the teachers and some of her friends.

So our conversation became a chance to talk about how we handle conflict. When tensions rise, I shared with Nell, our first step should be to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes. To ask: Why might they be reacting this way?

We can’t get too attached to our opinions. There is always another side to the story. We must all take time to ask questions and listen so we can respond rather than react. Not easy, I know.

Maybe this week, we could all try pausing before we react. One deep breath. One silent “What might they be feeling?” It’s a powerful way to shift the energy.

Thank you for being here. Sending love and kindness,

Laura x

05/04/2025

Monday morning yoga at Alne Village Hall is your personal reset button. Designed to wash away stiffness, fatigue, and overwhelm, and replace them with a sense of calm strength. You’ll walk into your week with a clearer mind feeling ahead of the game, not behind it.

The next four week course begins on Monday the 28th of April. I have spaces in my 9am class - perfect for the after school drop-off. Comment below or DM me for more information. You can also visit my website in the picture below. 🙏

Laura x

Yoga with Laura Colenso

22/08/2025

14/08/2025

12/08/2025

24/07/2025

10/07/2025

01/07/2025

04/06/2025

30/05/2025

21/05/2025

17/05/2025

10/04/2025

05/04/2025

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category