A long established yoga class has been run by Rosemary in the Childwall/Wavertree area with its current in-person venue being St Stephen's URC Hall, Lance Lane, Wavertree, L15 6TB. Classes also take place online.
These friendly classes are suitable for all levels of ability, whether you are new to yoga or you have been practicing for many years, come along and give them a try.
Class Schedule
Monday evenings from 7.00pm-8.30pm (GMT) on Zoom - Hatha Yoga, mixed ability.
Tuesday mornings at 11.00am-12.15pm (GMT) Gentle Years Yoga on Zoom - a chair based class.
Tuesday evening from 7.00-8.30pm (GMT) in person at: St Stephen's Church Hall, Lance Lane, Wavertree, Liverpool, L15 6TB and online via Zoom - Hatha Yoga, mixed ability
For more details please email or message.
We are not where we used to be
We are not
Where we used to be
And we will never
Be there again.
That is the rule of the universe.
by Salwa Tambe
Love the heck out of your life
“Just decide to love the heck out of your life and if you truly can’t, then you simply must make it more loveable. Change things around. Move things out, add things in. it’s your life, you can do that. Do whatever you need to do to get any kind of joy, every day. And start now, right this minute. The future is promised to no one, what are you waiting for? This is it my friend, this is it.” Donna Ashworth
Mantra
I am present
I am here
I am breath
Bring the mind back to the present moment
If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back to the point quite gently and replace it tenderly in the present moment. And even if you did nothing duirng the whole of your hour but bring your heart back and place it again in the present moment, though it went away every tme you brought it back, your hour would be very well employed.
"If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back to the point quite gently and replace it tenderly in the present moment. And even if you did nothing during the whole of your hour but bring your heart back and place it again in the present moment, though it went away every time you broght it back, your hour would be very well employed. (St Frances of Sales - modified by Rosemary]
Magic is afoot
Solar Eclipse by Christina Baker
From a blazing blue sky,
The darkness is sudden.
A hush and a stillness descend across the land,
Like a blanket.
Animals, shaken by the unexpected nightfall,
Shrink back into their holes.
Birds cease their merry song and fall silent.
The blackness lingers for a matter of minutes,
Long enough to make us wonder if we’ll ever see the
Sun again.
Then, at last, she peeks once more.
No longer wishing to hide.
The beads of light glimmer thorough,
And we let out our breath.
The shadow crawls away across the land,
Loosening its grip on the Earth,
Beckoning the brightness back,
And all is as it was.
There is an excess of energy in the Universe with an eclipse, and it may make you feel frustrated or anxious. You may even feel like you’re waiting for something exciting to happen, but you don’t quite know what it is yet. When you feel this, move, breathe and contemplate. “When you break up stagnant energy, you create freedom and unlock your potential. Having free-flowing energy will also allow you to soak in the energy of the eclipse for transformation and intention-setting.” (Wintersteen, 2024)
Rainbow Energy
Somehow, we have acquired the idea that the mind is working best when it runs at top speed. Yet a racing mind lacks time even to finish a thought, let alone to check on its quality. When we slow down the mind, we work better at everything we do. Not only is the quality of our work better, we are actually able to get more done. A calm, smooth-running flow of thought saves a lot of wear and tear on the nervous system, which means we have more vitality and resilience in the face of stress. (Easwaran)
The Inner Breath
Consider this, cycling continuously through day and night, the breath empties the lungs and fills them with air. In due course, each breath rids the body of wastes, replenishes the bloodstream with oxygen, and nurtures the cellular fires of metabolism. Durable and able to accommodate an enormous range of circumstances, breathing forms a backdrop for every activity.
But exhalation and inhalation, the two great tides of the breath, do not give us a complete picture of breathing. Exhalations and inhalations are connected to a vast inner system of energy, a latticework of activities, all woven around a central hub. Contained in that system are mechanisms that process and put energy to use. Thus, without conscious effort, we are able to maintain the temperature of the body, circulate blood to each of the cells, digest the food we have eaten, and prepare the wastes accumulating inside us for elimination. This mobilization of the entre array of human functions – functions propelled by a living, vital energy – is what we really mean when we say that breathing sustains life. Under the influence of this inner breath, the body/mind comes alive.
Springtime
Let everything go, allow yourself this moment to take time out, to rest and be still. Let the river of life flow by whilst you rest on the shore and watch.
Just for now I will not worry.
Just for now I will be thankful for all my blessings.
Just for now I will find joy in even the smallest of life’s gifts.
Just for now, I will feel at peace.
The breath is the missing link between the mind and the body
“When you rest your attention on the breath, your awareness is anchored. Currents and crosscurrents of thinking continue to create sensations of movement in the mind, but a steady focus on breathing prevents these mental provocations from disturbing your equilibrium.” Rolf Sovik
“Thousands of years ago, the masters of Yoga realised that the breath is the ‘missing link’ between the body and mind. This simple insight is the key to transforming both the body and the mind, for by regulating the breath we can influence the nervous system and the brain.
As we become calmer, our mind also becomes more lucid and the flow of our awareness is less and less interrupted by intruding thoughts and emotions.” George Feuerstein
Feuerstein, G. (2002), Yoga Gems, Bantam
Uniting Thought and Action
During the day do not do one thing while thinking about another. Thought and action must be unified – to thought be permitted without reference to action or intended action; and no action be performed without intention. By this practice all day long the mind and body are taught to act together, without any waste of physical or mental energy.” Ernest Wood (Feuerstein, 2002)
Quiet Appreciation
My prayer for you by Danna Faulds
May there be space in your day
For silence, space for celebration
And quiet appreciation. May there
Be room to stretch your boundaries
And grow, along with a place for
Wonder and amazement. May love
Take up residence in your heart
And compassion expand outward
Like gentle ripples in your pond.
May your connection to the
Nameless One be strong enough
To sustain you through the peaks,
Valleys and plateaus to come.
And may your awareness dance
To the music only you can hear
As your soul sings its imaginings
Into being. Why not imagine joy,
Fulfilment, generosity, and light?
In that light, may you walk at
Just the right pace for you in the
Direction only you can choose.
This is my prayer for you.
Stillness
Just for now, without asking how, let yourself sink into stillness.
Just for now, lay down the
Weight you so patiently
Bear upon your shoulders.
Feel the earth receive you, and the infinite
Expanse of sky grow even
Wider as your awareness
Reaches up to meet it.
Just for now, allow a wave of breath to enliven your experience.
Breathe out
Whatever blocks you from
The truth. Just for now, be
Boundless, free, awakened
Energy tingling in your
Hands and feet. Drink in
The possibility of being
Who and what you really are
So fully alive that when you
Open your eyes the world
Looks different, newly born
And vibrant, just for now. (D. Faulds)
Developing Gratitude
The more you practice gratitude the better it will serve you, for it becomes a habit. Over time, this practice will transform your life and change your mood toward all things. It takes away friction, enables you to manage personal challenges and allows you to live a happier life.
Things to be grateful for
"the sunshine on your skin
your mistakes that help you learn
your health
the ability to experience emotions
establishing connections with new people
the wind brushing upon your face
your friends and family
the bed that is always available for you to rest on
the ability to laugh
the time you have on this planet
the different smells of each season
moments of solitude
tears to express your deepest feelings
the ability to move your body in unique ways
the sounds of music
the shade of the sky at dusk or dawn
the first sip of your morning coffee or tea
interactions with strangers
the warm embraces you share with loved ones
yourself and the simple fact you exist"
@thebraincoach
Surround yourself with people that feel like sunshine
“And one day, you realise it was never about the big things. You realise it's actually about the little moments that feel like magic. It's about the simplest of seconds that make you smile. It's about the genuine experiences that fill your heart with joy. It's about the conversations that make you believe in kindness and compassion. It's about the hugs you want to hold for that little bit longer. It's about surrounding yourself with people that feel like sunshine. It's about the moments of peace and stillness that prove how beautiful the world can be. It was never about the big things.” @by.alysilia
"I find your classes so helpful in enabling relaxation and sleep." Jane
Today I went to Prema Yoga. I didn’t search for it and no one told me about it, I just found it, a little bit by accident but what a find! Prema Yoga doesn’t have a great Google page rank. It doesn’t appear in the initial listings when you do a search for ‘yoga and Liverpool’, but it should. ‘Many teachers and student teachers attend this class along with people who have been practicing yoga for many years, therefore it includes the practice pranayama, mantra and meditation. The format of the sessions mean there is always something for any level of student from beginner to experienced. It is a mixed class of males and females’.
I found Prema Yoga in my search term ‘Yoga Liverpool’ and I was impressed by Rosemary's experience and qualifications that I read on the website. I was intrigued by her credentials and curious about the type of class that she would deliver as on the website it simply said ‘Yoga’ class. I was looking forward to meeting her and experiencing the class. I called her up in the morning to check that the class was on as there wasn’t a booking facility online. She was friendly and told me it was a drop in class and to definitely come along. So at 6:30 p.m. I called a cab and arrived at the Conference Centre in Hope Park with time to chill on my mat before we began.
I haven’t been back to Hope since I finished Uni and the gardens have really taken off! Also for anyone who knew Hope before the Liverpool 1 era, the Conference Centre is what used to be the nursery. The yoga class is held in one of the conference rooms. It’s warm and dimly lit with good space for about fifteen to twenty students. The class was full and everyone seemed to know each other and chatted before we began.
Rosemary has a very gentle and reassuring tone of voice and is knowledgeable about the postures. She delivers this knowledge to the class in a manner that is warm and informative. She had set a theme for the class and the postures complemented the theme. The class flowed beautifully. We were often asked how we felt after certain postures and Rosemary also demonstrated modifications of postures that we could choose.
The latter part of the session included pranayamas, (breathing exercises) meditation and an invitation to affirmations. The class closed with a luxurious yoga nidra (body scan). I thoroughly enjoyed the practice of yoga in this style. The class was not rushed and not arduous. Some of the joint freeing series at the beginning of the class made me feel as though I’d had a great massage!
I understand now why the class was just listed as ‘Yoga’, because it was totally just yoga, in all it’s glory! I have to admit that I was so blissed out at the end of the class I thanked Rosemary and gave her a big hug! It was difficult to believe that I had been there practicing for two whole hours! When I left Hope Park and walked out onto Taggart Avenue I was feeling super relaxed and incredibly present. An hour later I arrived home. I’d walked all the way … Maybe yoga should come with a health warning; because it really does makes you feel amazingly alright!
Rachele, co-founder of Eco Liverpool (http://mindfulyogaliverpool.com/page/2/)
The BWY is recognised by Sport England and The Sport and Recreation Alliance (formally the CCPR) as the National Governing Body for Yoga in England. As the NGB for Yoga we also accredit other organisation's teacher training programmes.
