During the 20th century, a very physical approach to yoga (with the invention of many new and varied postures) enjoyed a huge surge in popularity in the West. Yoga in the West has come to be seen by some as a system of exercises to tone and stretch the body – which can certainly be part of the objective of our yoga prace but there is so much more to yoga. We can work not only with the body but also with the breath and the mind – using them as tools to help us concentrate and lead us to a state of physical relaxation and mental clarity. By attempting to still the ‘chitter-chatter’ of the mind, we are often able to see more clearly and deal with life situations more calmly and more effectively. By allowing our movements to follow our breath pattern, the whole movement practice becomes a ‘moving meditation’. In the yoga system in which I trained, developed by the late T.K. Desikachar, we apply yoga to the individual, to respect the specific needs, condition and age of the individual student (this is why my group classes are never larger than 10 students, so that I can give each student my attention). Using the many tools of yoga, we can enable the individual to practice appropriately and safely. Notable in the way I teach is: our monitoring of and application of the breath – we emphasise the coordination of each movement with the appropriate inhale/exhale our modification and adaptation of postures to suit the individual careful sequencing of postures and use of dynamic as well as static work with appropriate, safe preparation and counter-postures. A TYPICAL CLASS My group classes normally last 60 minutes and consist of about 45 minutes posture practice followed by 15 minutes seated breathing practice and quiet, meditative sitting. INDIVIDUAL TUITION/YOGA THERAPY There is no “one size fits all” in yoga practice and, whilst we are able to modify postures where appropriate in a group class setting, having individual tuition and developing your own home practice can be vey beneficial. Please see Individual Tuition/Yoga Therapy. HEALTH ISSUES All of my students are required to complete a full health questionnaire before joining so that I can discuss any health issues fully with the student and ensure that they are able to practice safely. Students are expected to keep me updated on any change in health issues. This then enables me to support the student fully with their practice and offer modified postures where appropriate.