December already?!
Sinterklaas has already arrived in the Netherlands! The time of bare trees, bike lights, speculaasjes, wet jeans on your bike saddle (also known as the Dutch Bum) and warm socks. In the distance Christmas drinks, annual reviews and the inevitable top-2000 are looming already.
But it is also a time to pause for a moment, in between all the hustle and bustle. As the days get shorter and the festive season fills up, yoga offers a moment to recharge and stay with yourself. There is plenty to do in the studio this month to keep your body moving and give your mind some rest. In addition to classes every day, also at Christmas and New Year,there are two longer Masterclasses with Francesca in December: Lower Back Love.and between Christmas and New Year Sunday afternoon full of twists and arm balances. We are also looking ahead: in February Tally is coming to teach a short workshop again! You can read more about our plans for 2025 below.
When you ask Chat GPT: ‘statistically, what percentage of the population suffers from lower back pain?’, the answer is:
“Lower back pain affects up to 70% of people at some point in their lives, with 15-30% of adults experiencing it annually. It’s also the leading cause of disability worldwide. At any given time, 4-25% of the population is experiencing lower back pain.”
The good news? Iyengar yoga can help! If you want to learn how, join Francesca in the Lower Back Love masterclass.
That Sunday afternoon between Christmas and New Year? After the speculaas, chocoladeletters, pepernoten and borstplaat of Sinterklaas… not to mention the kerstkransjes, kerstborrels and christmas dinners? You might want to reconnect with your body through an invigorating Iyengar yoga workshop with Francesca Thompson.
This is the perfect chance to restore balance and refresh your energy with a practice centered around twists and arm balances. Builds core strength, improves focus, and creates a sense of balance and stability in both body and mind. What more do you want?
Photo: Ardha Matsyendrasana (Geeta Iyengar, ‘Yoga, a Gem for Women’)
Do you know Nakrasana? It means crocodile pose. And it involves a bit of jumping around. Tally is already working on ways to help you leap into the light of spring! In the last weekend of february, she will come to Utrecht to guide you into the joy of ‘ jumping asanas’.
Tally’s playful approach will help you discover dynamic series of poses with curiosity and lightness. But don’t worry, there will be plenty of time for rest, too. Expect to be challenged – within your limits! Take a leap of faith and sign up here. Meanwhile you can of course join her classes on Zoom.
Photo: Nakrasana (B.K.S. Iyengar, ‘Light on Yoga’)
Eyal Shifroni | Yoga Kurunta: early bird ends soon
In March, Eyal Shifroni will come back to our studio, to teach a workshop about yoga in the ropes. Because we want people to be able to use the ropes without having to wait a long time, we have limited the amount of participants. So if you know you want to join, book on time. Until 31 December you can still enjoy the early bird discount.
Garth McLean | Save the dates & pre-register
This year, the workshop with Garth McLean was very well attended! This was great of course, but it did mean that we had to disappoint some people who wanted to book last-minute. That is why we have the option to pre-register (at no cost) for the workshop next year. That way we will send you the option to book early once registration opens.
Finally, a personal note. You may have noticed that Hiske is not teaching at the moment. The reason is that she has had surgery on her hip and needed some time to recover.
We’re happy to report that her recovery is going well. She is doing her physiotherapy and yoga, and finds herself improving a little bit every day. This week, she took her crutches for a walk on the ASW (and had a look at the evolving wall painting in the entrance – spot the croco-dragon!). She hopes to be back to teaching very soon.
Thank you for the well-wishes!
