02dc44e2

Yin Yoga and the power of stopping

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:09:15 GMT

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do… is stop

In a world that asks you to move faster, do more, habit stack, eat enough protein, walk enough steps and optimise everything, Yin offers something radically different - stillness, softness, acceptance of where you are and space to simply be.

In Yin, we meet our edge gently.

There’s no pushing or striving - just allowing. Using the breath as your guide, you’ll learn to sit with sensation, soften around intensity and surrender into stillness.

And that, often, is the hardest (and most needed) practice of all.

More and more of us are turning to Yin - not because it’s easy, but because we’re tired of the constant doing. From the moment we wake, the world rushes in.

Yin is your chance to step out of it.

Benefits of Yin Yoga

��‍♂️ Deep release in connective tissues and joints

��‍♀️ Calms the nervous system and reduces stress

�� Improves flexibility and mobility

��‍♀️ Encourages mindfulness and emotional balance

��‍♀️ Creates space to pause, rest and reconnect

WARM YIN 90 MINUTE LONGER PRACTICE THIS SATURDAY

Our 90 minute Yin class with Michelle Neary is your invitation to press the pause button in the middle of the noise.

�� Saturday 25th April

⏰ 14:00-15:30

��HeartSpaceYoga, Twickenham TW1

��£19, 1 class credit, included in memberships

�� BOOK YOUR SPACE HERE

Yin on our regular weekly schedule

As well as this Saturday's 90 minute Warm Yin we have other classes on our regular schedule to give you space to pause throughout the week

Monday 19:15-20:15 - Warm Yin with Ella

Wednesday 19:30-20:30 - Warm Yin & Nidra with Louise

Friday 12:30-13:30 - Warm Yang Yin with Kelly

Why Iyengar Yoga (and Ann) might be exactly what you need right now

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:53:42 GMT

We recently received this review after Ann's Iyengar Alignment Yoga classes...

"Ann is a wonderful teacher providing clear instructions, allowing time for everyone and offering optional alternative poses. She made me feel welcome and comfortable at every stage of the class.”

Ann really is something special.

A long-standing senior teacher, she brings decades of experience into the room and was actually one of the very first teachers of our Studio Manager, Amanda.

Her teaching carries true depth and integrity...she's calm, attentive, strongly rooted in the tradition of yoga with the BEST verbal cues you'll ever experience.

Not sure what Iyengar is?

One of the more traditional schools of yoga, created by Yoga Master B K S Iyengar it places with a strong focus on alignment, not just for how a pose looks, but for how it feels in your body.

By working carefully with your external alignment on the mat, you create the conditions for better internal balance, steadiness and a sense of harmony and ease throughout the body.

Using props and thoughtful, precise guidance, the practice supports you to...

work safely with injuries or mobility limitations
access poses more fully (even the ones that feel out of reach)
build awareness and stability that carries into all other styles of yoga

It’s an incredibly supportive place to begin if you’re new, but equally powerful if you’ve been practising for years and want to refine and reconnect with the foundations of your practice.

Many people also find strengthening their foundation makes more dynamic or flow-based classes feel stronger, steadier and more accessible.

Think of it as the gift that keeps on giving!

If you've been curious about trying it take this as your sign to book a class today.

THURSDAYS 12:30-13:30

BOOK IYENGAR ALIGNMENT YOGA

Spring clean mind body and soul with our 21 day reset

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:10:00 GMT

Commit to your practice and come home to yourself this Spring

The arrival of a new season and the shift away from winter is the perfect time to reset your mind, body and soul with our 21 day journey into movement, balance and renewal

Starting on 21st March we'd love to invite you to commit to 21 days of practice, at home or in studio. Your practice can include...

�� Yoga (asana)

�� Breathwork

�� Meditation

�� Sound healing

�� Simple rituals like journalling or a mindful walk in nature

It doesn’t have to be long and it doesn't have to be perfect. Just show up for yourself in a meaningful, intentional way each day.

Exculsive online content coming soon

To support you in committing to your health and wellbeing - and bearing in mind many of you will be away for the Easter break - we're putting together a library of pre-recorded classes, available in the coming days.

A combination of 15 and 30 minute practices that fit neatly into your busy schedules and give you the freedom to practice from anywhere in the world, there's a choice of Yoga, Breathwork or Meditation to suit your needs on the day from your favourite HeartSpace teachers.

How to take part

The Spring Reset is free to join, you can sign up using the link below and you can either pick up a 21 day practice tracker card from the studio or download one to print at home.

Remember to complete the tracker every day you practice.

For every completed card we will donate £5 to WarChild - supporting children in war zones across the world - which makes this commitment to yourself a gift to others too.

A small daily practice can create a powerful shift.

JOIN THE RESET HERE

It's getting hot in here!

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:30:42 GMT

Infrared Heat comes to HeartSpace!

You may have noticed that our studios have been feeling a little warmer lately… that’s because we’ve recently installed infrared heating to make your practice even more comfortable and supportive.

So what is infrared heat?

Infrared heat works a little differently from traditional heating.

Instead of warming the air, it gently warms your body directly , much like the natural warmth you feel from sunlight (without any harmful UV rays). This creates an even, comfortable heat that supports the body during movement and relaxation.

Why we love it in the studio...

Infrared heat isn’t just about comfort - it can also support your wellbeing in several ways...

�� Improved circulation – gentle warmth helps stimulate blood flow and oxygen delivery around the body

�� Muscle relaxation - heat can help ease tight muscles and reduce stiffness

�� Support for joints and mobility – particularly helpful if you arrive feeling a little creaky

�� Encourages a healthy sweat – helping the body release impurities

�� Deep relaxation – many people find the warmth calming and grounding

�� Because infrared heat warms the body rather than blowing hot air around the room, the studio stays warm without feeling stuffy or dry, making it perfect for yoga and mindful movement.

TRY IT IN OUR WEEKLY WARM CLASSES

If you’ve been curious about practising in the warmth, this is the perfect time to try it. The heat can help you move more freely, deepen stretches and leave you feeling wonderfully relaxed afterwards.

MONDAY 19:15 Warm Yin with Ella

TUESDAY 09:30 Warm Traditional Hatha with Dhara

WEDNESDAY 09:30 Warm Yoga Pilates Fusion with Kate \ Warm Candlelit Yin & Nidra with Louise

THURSDAY 19:15 Warm Vinyasa with Amanda

FRIDAY 12:30 Warm Yang Yin \ 17:15 Warm Vinyasa with Kelly

MONTHLY HOT 26 90 MINUTE CLASS

Hot26 is a traditional hot yoga sequence practiced in a heated room, designed to systematically work the whole body.

This original style of hot yoga focuses on strength, flexibility, balance and circulation, with each posture carefully sequenced to prepare the body for the next. The heat supports deep stretching, increased mobility and a strong connection to breath and focus. You’ll be encouraged to work at your own pace, rest when needed, and meet your body where it is on the day.

Guided by experienced hot yoga teacher Vinna Barber, the class offers clear instruction, steady support and a grounding, empowering practice that leaves you feeling both challenged and deeply refreshed.

This monthly 90 minute class is suitable for all levels.

�� Saturday 11th April - Saturday 16th May - Saturday 13th June ⏰ 13:00-14:30

��£19 drop-in, 1 class credit, included in memberships

BOOK HOT 26

Finding Alignment

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:50:41 GMT

On our mats, with the seasons, in our lives

As we move toward the equinox and the astrological new year there’s a quiet energy brewing in the air...alignment.

The earth is waking up.

The light is changing.

You can feel it in the mornings and the brighter evenings - the subtle shift away from the quiet dark of winter as energy beneath the earth is beginning to stretch and rise again.

Which, after all the rain and the grey is a welcome relief, right?

The Equinox: A Moment of Balance

The Spring Equinox on 20th March marks a moment of perfect balance- day and night equal in length. A point of alignment before the steady climb toward the height of summer and the Solstice.

All the turning points of the year invite reflection. But the equinox feels especially potent - balanced, poised and full of possibility.

It gently asks...

Where am I now?

What is beginning to rise within me?

What seeds do I want to sow in the coming months?

What feels aligned? What doesn’t?

An Invitation to Pause

Our invitation to you in the lead up to the Equinox is simple.

Take a few quiet moments, perhaps with your journal, or with a cup of herbal tea in the early morning light.

Notice what’s shifting.

Notice what feels steady.

And whatever arises, meet it with non-judgement. No need to overthink or analyse. Just drop into awareness. Stay open to what honest self-enquiry can cultivate.

Alignment doesn’t require force. It begins with presence, reflection and pause.

Alignment in Action: On Your Mat

If all of this sounds a little out-there or esoteric, the good news is you can explore alignment in a practical, tangible, embodied way - right on your mat.

PURE PILATES - Tuesdays 17:30 & Saturdays 09:45 | POWER PILATES - Sundays 10:45
Our Pilates classes are a precise, intelligent and holistic. Pilates strengthens and supports us through thoughtful alignment, core activation and by creating length, stability and integrity in the body. When we organise our physical structure well, everything feels more efficient, balanced and supported.

BOOK PILATES

IYENGAR ALIGNMENT YOGA — Thursdays 12:30
Iyengar Yoga offers a deeper exploration of precision and structure. Through clear guidance, intelligent sequencing and the extensive use of props and modifications, you’ll build strength, stability and an understanding of how your body likes to move in the optimum way. Iyengar benefits every other style of yoga and should be a staple in every dedicated yogi's practice routine.

BOOK IYENGAR YOGA

Alignment Within and Beyond the Mat

What’s really beautiful is that this physical alignment ripples outward into our everyday lives and seeps into our inner world bringing us into a state of harmony and union - the ultimate yoga of Yoga.

When we move with clarity and intention on the mat, it becomes easier to move with clarity and intention in our lives.

Over time, that clarity grows into alignment of body, mind, soul, with the seasons, with each other - and with all of life.

International Women’s Day: Honouring Strength, Solidarity & Reflection

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 16:52:31 GMT

Each year on 8th March , the world marks International Women's Day (IWD), a global day recognising the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

But International Women’s Day is more than a celebration. It is rooted in activism.

The first National Woman’s Day was observed in the United States in 1909. The idea of an international day followed in 1910, proposed by German activist Clara Zetkin at the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen. The first official International Women’s Day was marked in 1911 across Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.

In 1977, the United Nations formally recognised 8th March as International Women’s Day, helping establish it as the global movement we know today.

2026 Theme: Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls

This year's theme is a powerful reminder that while progress has been made, inequality, violence and systemic misogyny remain very real for millions of women and girls around the world.

International Women’s Day asks us not only to celebrate, but to reflect.

To notice where we benefit from systems that disadvantage others.

To consider how we use our voice, our resources and our spaces.

A Space for Reflection and Embodiment

At HeartSpace, we hold our International Women’s Day workshop in that spirit of reflection.

We recognise that gathering in a yoga studio is, in itself, a privilege. And we don’t confuse personal practice with political change.

But we do believe that self-awareness matters. That when women learn to trust themselves, speak clearly, set boundaries and support one another, something shifts - even if it begins quietly.

Our Embody Your Divine Feminine workshop is offered as a space for connection, conversation and conscious presence. Not as a solution to global injustice - but as a moment to pause, reflect and recommit to living in alignment with our values.

Because action can take many forms.

And it often begins with awareness.

This International Women’s Day, we honour the global movement for rights and justice - and we gather with intention, humility and solidarity.

EMBODY YOUR DIVINE FEMININE WITH LOUISE CASHIN

�� Saturday 7th March ⏰ 14:00-17:00

�� £45/£36 for HSY Members

��HeartSpace Yoga, Twickenham TW1

�� BOOK YOUR SPACE HERE

A luxurious workshop designed to nourish and restore through mindful movement and breathing, luscious rest and soulful meditation, all mixed together with a sprinkling of magic!

We're delighted to be hosting this workshop which will be led by international Yoga teacher and teacher trainer Louise Cashin .

BOOK EMBODY. YOUR DIVINE FEMININE WORKSHOP

Inner Sky

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 15:18:06 GMT

Three Ways to Cultivate Your Inner Sky

“You are the sky. Everything else - it’s just the weather.”

~Pema Chödrön, Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness & Compassion

In our last blog we explored shanti or peace as an active practice - something we cultivate through intentional aligned action.

Yet peace, like all twelve divine qualities, already exists within our hearts.

Explore th e 12 Divine Qualities of the Heart

In her quote, ‘You are the sky. Everything else - it’s just the weather,’ American Buddhist nun, teacher and author Pema Chödrön reminds us that beneath the clouds of thought, emotion and circumstance, there's a vast, steady awareness that never changes.

This is the essence of Shanti - peace not as something we earn, but as something we remember .

In yogic philosophy, this steady awareness mirrors sākṣī bhāva, the witness consciousness described in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras...

Sutra 1.3: Tadā drashtṛḥ svarūpe ’vasthānam

~The Seer rests in it's true nature when it does not become entangled in the fluctuations of the mind

Or, simply put... just as the sky holds the clouds without being changed by them, our awareness can observe thoughts and emotions without being consumed by them.

We can cultivate this inner sky in many ways

Here's three accessible practices that bring us back to that steady, luminous presence:

1. Pause & Breathe

The space between the inhale and exhale, kumbhaka , is a doorway to stillness.

Breath-focused meditation invites us to rest in this pause, gently observing the stream of thoughts and sensations without getting attached to them or disappearing down a rabbit-hole.

In these moments of pause our awareness expands, reconnecting us with our inner spaciousness.

2. Move with Presence

Mindful movement reconnects us with our bodies and endless inner sky.

Yoga is a beautiful vehicle for this (of course!) but any movement you love whether it's Pilates, Barre, dancing, walking, swimming, gym or HIIT serves the same purpose - to help us feel grounded, calm and and bring us home to ourselves.

3. Creative Flow

Flow is the art of full absorption - dharāṇā - where time seems to stand still and our attention is fully immersed in what we're doing and it's one of the steps on the Eightfold Path and the ultimate goal of enlightenment.

Doing the things you love and bring you joy like painting, cooking, gardening, reading, watching a compelling film, listening to music, spending time with people you love or simply walking in nature can bring us into this state.

When we allow ourselves to be fully immersed, the busy-ness of life falls away and the inner sky quietly reveals itself.

��️ YIN FOR PEACE

Peace is a practice, a choice and a gift and tomorrow, for the final time in October, we have the opportunity to embody it together...

YIN FOR PEACE with Michelle Neary | @shellene

�� Saturday 25th October

⏰ 14:00-15:30

��£19 drop-in, 1 class credit, included in memberships

Rest deeply into peace through longer held postures, stillness and quiet presence and allow the heart’s innate wisdom to surface. Through breath, gentle movement and deep rest we return home to the vast, steady sky within.

Om Shanti!

Suitable for all abilities.

RESERVE YOUR SPACE

Om Shanti and the Yoga of Peace

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 10:22:21 GMT

Peace Within, Peace Around, Peace Beyond

In our previous blog we explored Shanti as both a mantra and a quality - the vibration of peace that settles the heart and quiets the mind.This week, we go a little deeper.

Read Shanti: Cultivating Peace Within, Around, Beyond blog

The threefold repetition of Om Shanti Shanti Shanti invites us to make peace a lived experience - within ourselves, in our relationships and in harmony with the greater whole. When peace becomes embodied, it moves from something we seek to something we naturally radiate outwards.

In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, peace isn’t something we find, it’s something we cultivate through active practice.

Patanjali teaches that the mind becomes calm when we live with kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity (Sutra 1.33), when we act with integrity and care in our relationships (Sutra 2.30–2.32), and when we surrender to the greater flow of life (Sutra 2.45).

These teachings mirror the threefold repetition of Om Shanti Shanti Shanti... peace within (Adhyātmika), peace around (Adhibhautika) and peace beyond (Adhidaivika).

✌��The Three Dimensions of Peace

In Sanskrit, the prefix “adhi–” means upon, toward, or pertaining to. It carries a sense of relationship; how one realm of experience rests upon or connects with another. In the Shanti Mantra, this linking word reminds us that peace moves through every layer of existence...

��️ Adhyātmika ~ peace within the self

��️ Adhibhautika ~ peace around us, in our relationships and surroundings

��️ Adhidaivika ~ peace beyond, in harmony with the unseen, divine and natural forces of life and universal energies.

Together, these three dimensions invite us to experience peace not as an idea or concept external to ourselves, but as a living thread that weaves through the self, the world and the entire cosmos.

☮️ Bringing Shanti into Everyday Life

Here are three simple ways to weave this threefold peace into your daily rhythm:

Adhyātmika ~ Peace Within
Begin your morning with three conscious breaths and a reflect on three things you're grateful for before reaching for your phone. Silently repeat Om Shanti Shanti Shanti, centering yourself in inner peace before the busyness of the day starts.

Adhibhautika ~ Peace Around

Gandhi reminds us “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Offer a small or random act of kindness, speak with gentleness or listen deeply, even in tension or maybe get involved in a charity or project that brings greater peace and harmony to your local community.

Adhidaivika ~ Peace Beyond:
At the end of the day, release what’s beyond your control. Pause to appreciate the vastness of the night sky and the unseen forces that guide us, sending blessings into the darkness, and trust the ripple effect of your seemingly small act of peace… think Butterfly Effect ��

��️ Peace is a practice, a choice and a gift and this October we have the opportunity to embody it together...

��‍♀️ Shanti: Practice With Peace with our Studio Manager Amanda @soul_star_spirit

This full-spectrum practice including asana (poses), pranayama (breathwork), mudra (symbolic and energetic hand gestures), mantra and meditation invites you to embody the threefold wisdom of Shanti, cultivating peace within, radiating peace around, and sending peace out into the world and beyond. Suitable for all abilities.

�� Saturday 18th October

⏰ 14:00–15:30

�� £19 drop-in, 1 class credit, included in monthly and annual memberships

RESERVE YOUR SPACE

Next week's Saturday session invites you to embody peace through stillness

��‍♀️YIN FOR PEACE with Michelle Neary | @shellene

�� Saturday 25th October

⏰ 14:00-15:30

��£19 drop-in, 1 class credit, included in memberships

Rest deeply into peace through longer held postures, stillness and quiet presence. The intention for this Saturday Session is to soften into inner peace, cultivate harmony in our outer relationships and open to the wider flow of universal peace.

Om Shanti!

Suitable for all abilities.

RESERVE YOUR SPACE

Shanti: Cultivating Peace Within, Around, Beyond

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 13:36:06 GMT

As part of our ongoing exploration of the 12 Divine Qualities of the Heart , October invites us to focus on Shanti - Peace

What is Shanti?

The essence of peace invites us to connect with a deeper sense of calm that resonates not only within ourselves, but in our relationships, communities and the world around us.

In yogic tradition, Shanti (Sanskrit: शान्ति, Śānti) is more than just the absence of conflict, it's a state of balance, harmony and clarity that emerges when body, mind and heart are aligned.

One of the most well-known expressions of this virtue is the Shanti mantra:

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्ति: ~ Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Peace within, peace around, peace beyond

The threefold repetition reflects what yogic texts describe as the three dimensions of peace..

Adhyatmika (अध्यात्मिक) - Peace within - calming disturbances in body, mind and emotions

Adhibhautika (अधिभौतिक) - Peace around - cultivating harmony in our relationships and environment

Adhidaivika (अधिदैविक) - Peace beyond - acknowledging and flowing with forces beyond our control, including nature, fate and the cosmos.

Through this mantra, we are reminded that peace is both a personal practice and a gift we can radiate outward.

Shanti in daily life

Even outside the studio or your yoga mat there's simple ways to invite this month’s theme into your day...

Take a moment to pause and repeat the Shanti mantra (ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः) and observe how the vibration of peace begins to resonate on an inner level

Reflect or journal on where in your life you can invite more peace into your own life and how it could ripple out to the lives of those around you

Take a few slow, mindful breaths and feel the sensation of peace in your body, let it settle in your chest, soften your shoulders and flow through your body to the tips of your fingers and toes. Use this practice especially when you feel stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, or reactive, and notice how this energy of calm naturally touches not only your own experience but also how you interact with others.

Shanti: Practice With Peace with our Studio Manager Amanda

Peace is a practice, a choice and a gift and this October we have the opportunity to embody it together.

�� Saturday 18th October

⏰ 14:00–15:30

�� £19 drop-in, 1 class credit, included in monthly and annual memberships

RESERVE YOUR SPACE

From my first Yoga class to HeartSpace

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:39:16 GMT

Over 25 years ago, I found myself in a new life on the other side of the world...

I had moved to Australia to escape the London grind and explore something different. Far from home, family and friends, I was searching for connection.

At the end of my street in suburban Melbourne, stood a small church hall offering community activities. One Sunday afternoon, curious and a little uncertain, I walked into my first ever yoga class. The teacher and his wife, a kind Indian couple new to Australia themselves, welcomed me in.

What I didn’t realise at the time was that this was a Sivananda-style class, and one of the very first poses in the sequence is a headstand. I remember thinking it was outrageous to expect beginners to do this! But with gentle encouragement, clear guidance and support, I found myself attempting a wobbly headstand within just a few weeks.

Those classes combined strong asana, breathwork and a dreamy, nourishing savasana. More than learning to do a headstand, what stayed with me was the feeling after class. Each Sunday evening, as I walked home, I felt lighter, clearer, restored... as if I’d shaken off the week behind me and opened space for the one ahead.

That feeling became a thread through my life. It’s what eventually brought me to train as a yoga teacher and ultimately inspired me to create Sunday Reset at HeartSpace .

For me, yoga has always been more than postures.

It’s about finding grounding when life feels uncertain, release when the week has been heavy and restoration for body, mind and spirit.

My hope is that when you step out of Sunday Reset, you’ll carry that same feeling I did all those years ago - a sense of renewal...ready to meet the week ahead with clarity and calm and who knows...maybe begin a story of your own.

Sunday Reset is a 90 minute practice in two halves:

Part 1 focuses on release, through somatic movement, breathwork and a dynamic Yoga flow.
Part 2 brings restoration through deep stretches, restorative poses, yoga nidra, meditation and a long, lush savasana.

I hope you can join me and experience the renewal that first inspired my yoga path.

�� Sundays starting 5th October

⏰ 15:00-16:30 (except 5th October which is 16:00-17:30)

��HeartSpace Yoga & Wellness, Twickenham

��‍♀️ Suitable for all abilities

RESERVE YOUR SPACE

Finding Stillness in a World of Distraction

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 16:02:11 GMT

Meditation isn't about stopping the mind from thinking. It’s about finding our way back to centre, again and again

Our world today spins fast. Notifications ping, schedules overflow and our attention is constantly being pulled in a hundred different directions. No wonder so many of us feel scattered, anxious or disconnected.

Yet the teachings of yoga remind us of a profound truth, one expressed by Patanjali in perhaps the most famous sutra of all...

'Yogaś citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ' - yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are a collection of ancient teachings, often described as the philosophical “bible of yoga.”

Compiled around 2,000 years ago, they distil the essence of yoga into short, powerful verses that continue to guide practitioners today. Very early in the text we come across the sutra above, which reminds us that the true purpose of yoga is not to twist ourselves into ever more complicated shapes (no matter how Instagrammable they might be), but to prepare the body and mind so that we can sit, breathe, and rest in meditation.

Why meditate? The benefits on every level

Physical: Meditation has been shown to reduce blood pressure, support immune function and release muscular tension. It can help the body shift out of 'fight-or-flight' into the 'rest-and-digest' state where true healing happens.
Mental: Practicing meditation regularly can improve focus, memory and creativity. It strengthens our ability to choose where we place our attention, instead of being hijacked by every unwanted thought or distraction.
Emotional: By creating a pause before reaction, meditation helps regulate emotions, easing anxiety, irritability and overwhelm. It builds resilience and compassion, both for ourselves and others.
Spiritual: Beyond relaxation, meditation opens the door to a deeper sense of connection - with our inner self, with life and with the quiet mysteries of the universe that holds us all.

Simple ways to begin

You don’t need a mountain cave or a special cushion to meditate. Here are a few simple techniques you can try at home:

Breath Awareness - Sit or lie comfortably, close your eyes if you wish and bring your attention to your breathing. Notice the rise and fall of your belly or chest. When the mind wanders (and it will) simply bring it back to the breath.

Body Scan - this can be done lying down or seated...slowly move your awareness through different parts of the body, noticing sensations, where you might be holding tension, emotions that rise up - all without judgement or the need to analyse, resolve or change anything.

Mantra or Word Repetition - silently repeat a word or phrase that feels supportive, such as 'Let Go', 'Peace' or 'So Hum' (which means 'I am') allowing the repetition anchor your attention.

Walking Meditation - walk slowly and mindfully, ideally out in nature, noticing the sensation of your feet touching the ground, the rhythm of your steps, the movement of your body.

The key is curiosity, not perfection. Meditation is less about doing it 'right' and more about showing up for the practice, even when you don't feel like it or think you don't have time - that's generally when you need it the most!

Finding the practice that fits you

Much like Yoga, meditation isn't one-size-fits-all. Some people find ease in stillness, others through movement, sound or absorping themselves in something like colouring in a mandala. What matters is finding an approach that resonates with you... something that feels natural enough to sustain, yet expansive enough to gently challenge.

That’s why our 4 week meditation cours e - Reclaiming Attention: Meditation For Life has been designed as an intimate, exploratory space for just nine participants. Together we’ll explore embodied movement, breath awareness, contemplation and relaxation as pathways into meditation.

Each week builds on the last, offering practical techniques while encouraging enquiry into your own experience.

Our aim is not to 'empty the mind' but to engage with the rich lens of attention, discovering what opens the door to calm, clarity, and presence for each unique individual.

The course runs over 4 Monday evenings from 6th to 27th October at our Twickenham Studio and is facilitated by senior Yoga teacher and trainer Tuesday McNeill and costs £65.

FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK YOUR SPACE

Ahimsa, Ashtanga Yoga & The Eightfold Path

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 17:48:57 GMT

An ancient guide to modern life

If you've read our other blogs or follow us on social media you may know that over the coming year we're exploring the 12 Divine Qualities of the Heart - virtues that guide us toward a more open, balanced and fulfilling life.

Each month, we’ll focus on one quality, discovering how it can be embodied both on and off the mat and in September it's Ahiṃsā or non-harming/compassion.

In yoga, a hiṃsā or non-harming is the first step the Eight Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga - the Eightfold Path guiding body, mind and spirit that originate from Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras , an ancient guide to the philosophy (and less-importantly, practice) of yoga. The key sutra is Yoga Sūtra 2.29 :

yama-niyama-āsana-prāṇāyāma-pratyāhāra-dhāraṇā-dhyāna-samādhayoṣṭāvaṅgān

which translates to:
"Restraint (yama), observance (niyama), posture (āsana), breath control (prāṇāyāma), withdrawal of the senses (pratyāhāra), concentration (dhāraṇā), meditation (dhyāna), and absorption (samādhi) are the eight limbs of yoga.”

The first step on the path, the yamas are the ethical foundations of yoga, five guiding principles for how we relate to the world around us. They are...

Ahiṃsā – Compassion, non-harming

Satya – Truthfulness, integrity in word and action

Asteya – Non-stealing, not taking more than you need

Brahmacarya – Wise use of energy; desire in moderation

Aparigraha – Non-possessiveness, non-grasping, simplicity

As the first Y ama and therefore the foundation of yoga philosophy, we chose compassion as the first of the 12 Divine Qualities to explore together on our year-long journey.

Often translated as “non-harming,” ahimsa invites us to live with kindness and care, starting with ourselves.

Compassion requires courage, strength and willingness to do things differently. When we treat ourselves with kindness, we're better able to open our hearts to others. In practice, this can look like...

Softening self-criticism and choosing positive loving thoughts about ourselves
Moving the body as a form of self-love and nurture rather than punishment
Prioritising proper rest, nourishment, hydration and time in with loved ones or nature
Practising forgiveness and letting go of old hurts and resentment

As we begin our journey with ahiṃsā , we are reminded that compassion is not a passive quality but an active choice - one that shapes how we think, move, rest, and connect. It is the root from which all other yogic practices grow, and the ground on which the 12 Divine Qualities of the Heart can truly flourish.

✨

Join our Studio Manager and Senior Teacher Amanda Brough on Saturday 13th September at 14:00 for Ahimsa: Practice with Compassion , a full-spectrum practice blending asana (poses), pranayama (breathwork), mudra (symbolic and energetic hand gestures), mantra, meditation and yoga philosophy that invites you to meet yourself with gentleness, soften the inner critic and honour your limitations.

��Saturday 13th September

⏰14:00-15:30

��Included in monthly/annual memberships, 1 class credit or £19 drop in.

BOOK AHIMSA - PRACTICE WITH COMPASSION HERE

Coming Home to the Heart

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:39:23 GMT

Compassion and the 12 Divine Qualities - your journey starts here...

September carries the energy of new beginnings. The air feels fresher, the relaxed routines of summer shift towards greater structure as we return to work, study and our yoga practice.

At HeartSpace Yoga, we see this season as an invitation to come home to yourself.

Because HeartSpace isn’t only about the moving our bodies. It’s about cultivating inner peace, living with presence and creating space to just 'be' - meeting yourself where you are, with unapologetic self-acceptance and love.

Yoga invites us to develop strength of body, mind and spirit so we can step into the world with awareness, show up for others, walk gently on this earth and honour all living beings. In essence, it's about union - the very meaning of the word 'Yoga' is to yoke, to bring together, to harmonise.

It teaches us how to balance opposing forces... effort and surrender, masculine and feminine, grounding and expansion. In our physical practice, we often speak of 'rooting to rise' - a metaphor for finding stability and connection to the earth in order to reach towards a higher version of ourselves.

The heart is the meeting place of the upper chakras, where wisdom and a sense of oneness reside, and the lower chakras, which connect us to our body, the earth and our emotions - hence why it's often referred to as the heart centre! And within this centre dwell the 12 Divine Qualities, one for each of the lotus petals we see in depictions of Anāhata, the heart chakra.

The 12 Divine Qualities are...

�� Love – Unconditional, boundless connection to all life
�� Purity – A clear channel for love, aligned to thought, word, and deed
�� Clarity – The light of truth that arises from an unclouded heart
�� Compassion – Tender awareness of the suffering of others, met with loving presence
�� Kindness – Gentle acts of care that ripple outwards
�� Patience – Trusting the divine unfolding of our own and other’s time
�� Understanding – Heart-based wisdom that sees beneath the surface
�� Forgiveness – The grace to let go and allow healing to arise
�� Peace – Deep inner stillness and serenity, undisturbed by outer chaos
�� Harmony – A state of balance, alignment and resonance within and without
�� Joy – A radiant spark of inner happiness that bubbles up from the soul
�� Bliss – The soul’s natural state of divine ecstasy and union

These qualities are not abstract ideals. They're lived experiences we can return to again and again. They remind us that the heart is not just an organ of the body or a metaphor, but a way of being in the world, guiding how we move, speak and connect to ourselves and others.

This September, we begin a year long journey through the 12 Divine Qualities

Our first quality is Ahimsa or Compassion , the tender awareness of suffering met with presence.

It's often the first tenet of yoga philosophy we encounter when we first come to the practice as it underpins everything that follows.

Hence why we’ve chosen it as the first quality to explore on our heart’s journey.

Ahimsa (अहिंसा) is one of the five yamas, the ethical guidelines of yoga. At its core, it means 'non-harming'. But it's not simply the absence of violence; it is the practice of compassion in thought, word and action.

As with all things, ahimsa begins within. It asks us to meet ourselves with gentleness...to soften the inner critic... honour our limitations...cultivating patience with our process. From this place of inner compassion, we naturally extend the same to all living beings.

Compassion does not mean weakness. It's strength expressed through kindness. It is the heart’s capacity to hold space for pain without shutting down - a guiding light in times of challenge and a reminder of our interconnectedness.

From Philosophy to Embodiment

Each month, our Studio Manager and Senior Yoga Teacher Amanda will be guiding a 90 minute practice dedicated to one of the 12 Divine Qualities - a sacred space to journey beyond philosophy and embody the essence of the theme. These sessions are a chance to deepen your understanding, awaken your heart, and experience the teachings in a way that stays with you long after you leave the mat.

AHIMSA - PRACTICE WITH COMPASSION

�� Saturday 13th September 14:00-15:30

As with all things, ahimsa begins within.

This full-spectrum practice including asana (poses), pranayama (breathwork), mudra (symbolic and energetic hand gestures), mantra and meditation invites you to meet yourself with gentleness, soften the inner critic and honour your limitations.

Suitable for all abilities.

BOOK YOUR SPACE HERE - included in HSY monthly and annual memberships, 1 class credit or £19 drop-in.

 A Fresh Start, Rooted in the Heart

As we step into this new season, we invite you to let compassion guide your practice. Each breath, each posture, each pause can become an act of ahimsa, a gentle returning home with softness, kindness and love.

Come back to your mat, come home to yourself

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 15:21:21 GMT

The Golden Glow of late summer has its own kind of magic

(especially in our glorious sun-drenched Twickenham studio!)

The light is softer, the days slower and the air carries a gentle warmth that invites us to pause and enjoy the moment before autumn’s busy rhythm arrives.

At HeartSpace Yoga in Twickenham we believe this is the perfect time to reconnect with your yoga practice.

Your mat doesn’t mind how long it’s been since you rolled it out.

Whether you’ve been travelling, juggling summer holidays with the kids, or simply out of your routine, it will always welcome you back, ready, willing and eager to hold you, stretch with you and help you come home to yourself.

Make Your Practice Work for You

We know life in late summer can still be full, so we offer classes to fit every schedule:

Early mornings – catch the day before it catches you

Try Sunrise Flow on Mondays and Fridays at 7:30am or Spiritual Warrior on Tuesdays at 8am, perfect before the summer camp run or work calls begin.

Evenings – Unwind after the day

Choose from dynamic classes like Mandala and Fierce Flow, steadier paced sessions like Slow Flow and Friday Flow Down , or the perfect blend of the two with Yang Yin .

Seasonal practices to rebalance you

If daytimes classes are your thing try Seasonal Slow Flow on Fridays at 11.00am. You'll move seamlessly from a gentle flow to longer held poses that create space for relaxation using the five elements and seasons of traditional Chinese Medicine.

And for the ultimate seasonal deep dive, join Catalina for a 90 minute Late Summer Yin Yoga class on Saturday 23rd August. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, late summer is linked to the Earth element, a time for grounding, centering and nourishing body and mind. Expect long-held, supported postures to restore your balance and replenish your energy levels.

No matter when you choose to return, you’ll find a warm welcome and a supportive community here

at HeartSpace Yoga.

�� View our full timetable and book your class here →

Quickening, Purity & Songs of the Heart

Thu, 22 May 2025 11:12:27 GMT

From Taurus Blossoming to Gemini’s Quickening: A Journey Through Heart and Throat Chakras

The Quickening Begins: From Taurus to Gemini

From the earthy, sensuous blossoming of Taurus season, the quickening begins as the Sun enters lightning-quick Gemini on 20th May.

We stand at a threshold as we transition from Spring to Summer, the days growing brighter and longer as we climb ever higher towards the Solstice on 21st June — even the plants and trees are reaching skywards to find the light, mimicking the dynamic, masculine upward-moving energy of the element of air - in Sanskrit, Vāyu.

The Element of Air: Breath, Inspiration, and the Heart Chakra

Air/Vāyu governs our breath - inspiration - communication, thought, curiosity, ideas and the intellect - the mental realm. But the esoteric home of the element of Air is Anāhata, the Heart Chakra, bridge between the lower and upper energy centres, our inner and outer experiences, higher and lower selves. Where thoughts become feelings, ideas become intentions and our words an expression of our deepest soul truth.

The 12 Divine Qualities of the Heart

Anāhata is home to the 12 Divine Qualities of the Heart…

�� Love – Unconditional, boundless connection to all life.
�� Purity – A clear channel for love, aligned in thought, word, and deed.
�� Clarity – The light of truth that arises from an unclouded heart.
�� Compassion – Tender awareness of the suffering of others, met with presence.
�� Kindness – Gentle acts of care that ripple outward from a loving heart.
�� Patience – Trusting the divine unfolding of our own and other’s time with a spacious heart.
�� Understanding – Heart-based wisdom that sees beneath the surface.
�� Forgiveness – The grace to let go and allow healing to flow.
�� Peace – Deep inner stillness and serenity, undisturbed by outer chaos.
�� Harmony – A state of balance, alignment, and resonance within and without.
�� Joy – A radiant spark of inner happiness that bubbles up from the soul.
�� Bliss – The soul’s natural state of divine ecstasy and union.

These qualities aren’t just concepts — they’re lived experiences we can return to again and again, especially in times of transition. As the season shifts, we’re invited to anchor into the heart as the source of our truth, so that what we express outwardly flows from a place of inner alignment.

Rising to Viśuddha: The Throat Chakra of Pure Expression

From the spacious, expansive energy of the heart, our consciousness rises to Viśuddha, the Throat Chakra.

Traditionally depicted as a vibrant, piercing blue. This is the energetic centre of pure, clear expression and our authentic voice , where sound, speech and song become the outward expression of our inner truth. Viśuddha literally means “ purification ” in Sanskrit, and in yogic myth, Lord Shiva is intimately connected with this centre. During the tale of the cosmic churning of the ocean, the Samudra Manthana, a deadly poison known as Hālāhala emerged, threatening all of creation. Shiva, in a profound act of compassion, swallowed the poison and held it in his throat, where it turned blue but did not pass into his being. From this, he became known as Nīlakaṇṭha — the blue-throated one — expressing the deeply entwined energies of the purification of Viśuddha and the divine qualities of Anāhata, one of which is purity.

Gemini’s Quicksilver Energy and the Blackbird’s Song

And so, as Gemini’s quicksilver energy dances through the air, inviting us to express our deepe st truths with clarity and compassion , perhaps we might pause to listen to the Blackbirds singing from the hedgerows and rooftops...clear, melodic, unmistakable (Gemini, ruled by Mercury, the fleet-footed messenger of the gods, governs all winged ones - birds, bees, butterflies, dragonflies - those who move through the air with ease and lightness) their song an embodiment of the energy of the season , of Anāhata and Viśuddha, as they sing their hearts out with wild sincerity.

�� Journal Prompts for Gemini Season

✨What is inspiring me right now, and how can I give voice to it?

✨Where in my life am I being called to speak with more clarity, love, or courage?

✨Which of the 12 Divine Qualities of the Heart resonates with me most right now and why?

�� Gemini Season Ritual: Song of the Heart

�� Light a white or yellow candle to honour the clarity and vitality of Gemini’s air element.

�� Burn some incense , your favourite essential oil , or our HeartSpace Signature Blend that evokes the nurturing energy of the Heart Chakra, allowing the scent to gently fill the space , grounding you through the sacred sense of smell.

�� Sit comfortably with your hands resting over your heart . Close your eyes. Breathe slowly. Let your awareness settle into the quiet rhythm of your breath.

�� If it feels right, listen to a song that stirs your soul - one that lifts your spirit or brings you home to yourself... sing along without worrying about what it sounds like , allow the sound move freely through you, loosening anything unspoken, softening your heart.

�� Then ask inwardly “What does my heart want to say?”

�� When you feel ready, open your journal and begin writing, start your sentence with “What my heart wants me to know today is…”. Let your pen move freely across the page, don't worry about how neat your handwriting is, and trust, without overthinking, that something will come to you, rising like birdsong from within.

�� When you feel like you've run out of words put the pen down, place your hands over your heart again and whisper a silent THANK YOU to your heart for speaking to you. Stay here for as long as feels right.

We're nearly 6 months old!

Wed, 14 May 2025 12:48:21 GMT

�� Growing Together: A 6 Month Check-In

Six months ago, HeartSpace Yoga opened its doors, and since then, something truly magical has been unfolding. We've shared breath, movement, and sacred space with you and your generous feedback, glorious energy and presence have helped shape our evolution.

We’ve spent time reflecting on what’s working beautifully, where we can refine and how to make our class schedule feel even more aligned with the needs of our incredible community. This is the first phase of our ongoing timetable review and we’re excited to share these changes with you. Some classes are finding new time slots, others are stepping aside for a while and a few fresh offerings are blossoming into life!

�� What’s Changing: Class-by-Class

MONDAY

Yoga Pilates Fusion with Kate Mundie
⏰ New timing: 12:30–13:30 (was 45 minutes)
�� Starting Monday 19th May
Kate’s beautiful fusion class now has more space to strengthen and stretch—extended to a full hour.

TUESDAY

Pure Pilates with Milly Hill
⏰ New timing: 17:30–18:30
�� Starting Tuesday 20th May
This class is moving from Saturday afternoons to early Tuesday evenings—a great midweek core refresher!

Flow & Go with Eve
❌ Class Cancelled
This lunchtime class is stepping aside for now—thank you to everyone who’s practiced with us here.

NEW: Yoga 101 ~ 4 week course with Tina Moxon
⏰ Tuesdays 18:00–19:15
�� Starting Tuesday 2nd June
A supportive 4-week foundation course for beginners or anyone seeking to reconnect with the basics.
�� Free for members + pass holders | £55 for new customers
*This replaces Slow Flow with Tina on Tuesday evenings.

WEDNESDAY

Candlelit Yin & Nidra with Iona Webster
⏰ New timing: 19:45–20:30
�� Starting Wednesday 21st May
A slightly later start and a shorter format - this dreamy, deeply restful midweek reset is now just 45 minutes of pure calm.

FRIDAY

NEW: Friday Flow Down with Ella Kennaway
⏰ 18:30–19:45
�� Starting Friday 23rd May
Ease into your weekend with a soulful flow to wind down your week. This replaces the rotating Friday masterclass slot.

SATURDAY

Yoga 101 with Kelly Mesut
⏰ New timing: 08:45–09:45 (was 11:30–12:30)
Start your weekend with the grounding support of our signature beginners' class, perfect if you're new to yoga or want to build confidence in a welcoming space.

�� This Is Just the Beginning...

These timetable shifts are just the first wave of changes as we continue tuning into the evolving rhythm of HeartSpace. More updates will be arriving soon, along with new offerings we’re so excited to reveal.

If it’s been a while since you explored our site, now’s the perfect time to check out our class schedule or read our other blogs for seasonal insights, moon magic and studio updates.

Thank you for being part of our journey so far, we’re so grateful for your presence in our community. Here's to the next chapter in the HeartSpace story ��

No Mud, No Lotus

Wed, 07 May 2025 11:02:16 GMT

Exploring the symbolism of the Lotus and the purpose of Yoga beyond the pose

The symbolism of the Lotus in Yoga

The lotus flower (padma in Sanskrit) is one of the most iconic and enduring symbols in the yoga tradition.

Rooted in mud, rising through water, and blooming in light, it speaks to our personal evolution through challenge, growth, and transformation. It’s a reminder that beauty and wisdom arise from within, even when life feels murky.

What is Padmasana?

Padmasana (Lotus Pose) is a classic seated posture in yoga, traditionally used as a seat for meditation.

But rather than being a goal or a shape to strive for, it is a metaphor: a symbol of inner stillness, grounded openness, and readiness to receive.

This weekend at HeartSpace Yoga, our Lotus Rising masterclass with Ella Kennaway will explore not just the physical aspects of Padmasana, but also its deeper meaning. Through flowing sequences and mindful preparation of the hips, ankles and knees we cultivate the balance of strength and softness needed to unfold into this sacred shape.

But more importantly, we hold space to sit with ourselves.

From movement to meditation - why we really practice Yoga

In modern yoga culture, there can be a strong emphasis on aesthetic perfection - how the pose LOOKS rather than how it FEELS.

But in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which many consider the philosophical heart of yoga, there are only three verses out of 196 that address physical postures. One of the most well-known is sutra 2.46...

स्थिरसुखमासनम्
Sthira sukham āsanam

"The posture (āsana) should be steady (sthira) and comfortable (sukha)."

This foundational teaching reminds us that the goal of asana is not extreme flexibility or performance, but to cultivate a state where the body can remain grounded, supported, and at ease —a necessary condition for entering deep states of meditation.

Not fancy. Not contorted. Not for Instagram.

It’s for us- for our healing, growth and evolution.

The physical practice of Yoga is a portal to the inner landscape, where stillness can reveal the deeper truths of our true nature.

Like the lotus, physical postures only finds meaning when they from a foundation of softness, stability and surrender.

No Mud, No Lotus - the path of inner clarity

Meditation is where the symbolism of the lotus truly comes to life.

Just as the flower grows through muddy waters, we too must sit with our internal noise and distractions. With practice, the mud of the mind settles and clarity begins to emerge. As Patanjali writes in Sutra 1.2

योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः
Yogah citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ

"Yoga is the stilling (nirodah) of the fluctuations (vrtti) of the mind (citta)."

When the surface becomes still, we can see deeper. The real purpose of yoga isn’t to perfect the outer form, it’s to meet the quiet, spacious awareness that resides within.

Lotus Rising Masterclass

Sunday 12 May ~ Lotus Rising: Padmasana, Seat of Meditation with Ella Kennaway

@ellamayyoga

Members only 14:30–16:00 Open to all 17:00–18:30

Free I nstagram Live

Monday 13 May 13:45–14:00 ~ No Mud, No Lotus

Join our Studio Manager Amanda @soul_star_spirit to honour the Full Moon in Scorpio with a short guided meditation focused on

stillness, release and rebirth.

Other Masterclasses This Weekend

Both of this weekend’s masterclasses beautifully align with our May theme, Blossoming, Fertility, and the Source of Life, drawing on the grounding qualities of Earth and the fluid, intuitive nature of Water, the very elements that nourish the mud from which the lotus blooms.

Friday 10 May 18:30–20:00 ~ Earth Mandala with Eve Sheedy

@eveysheedy

Mandala Vinyasa is a playful and dynamic yoga practice that involves moving around the mat in a circular pattern, flowing through poses while focusing on the breath. In this masterclass you'll work with the Earth element, inviting a sense of stability, strength and presence into the body and mind. Expect a grounding practice, which will focus on creating firm foundations, cultivating steadiness within and playing with balance.

Suitable for anyone with a regular Vinyasa Flow based practice.

Saturday 11 May, 16:00–17:30 ~ Building an Intuitive Practice with Kelly Mesut

@silver_linings_yoga

Each time we step onto our yoga mat we are a unique version of ourselves. Key to building an intuitive and beneficial practice, is the ability to tune in, meet ourselves in the moment and practice in the most connected, nurturing way possible.

Focusing on the Svadisthasana (sacral chakra), often translated as “one’s own abode’, we’ll move through a gentle, fluid practice inspired by the water element. This longer practice intends to help each person tune in and deeply connect on an emotional, mental and physical level. Engaging in breathwork, mudras, relaxation and meditation as well as asana, experience tools and tips to help you meet yourself in the moment each day and build a profoundly intuitive practice that best meets your needs, whether on or off the mat.

Suitable for all abilities.

Beltane Blessings: Celebrating the Fire Festival of Fertility, Passion & Creative Power

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 16:08:09 GMT

Honour Beltane and the turning of the Wheel of the Year with rituals to connect to nature, awaken your heart and step into your full potential

Today is Beltane (or Beltain), one of the ancient Celtic fire festivals that honours the cyclical flow of Mother Earth.

The Celtic Wheel of the Year turns through eight sacred celebrations, each one marking an energetic shift, in the seasons around it but within us too, whether we’re conscious of it or not.

Many of our modern May Day traditions have their roots in festivals like Beltane

From dancing around the maypole to celebrating the return of warmth and light, the spirit of this seasonal shift still lingers. In the UK, our early M ay bank holiday nods to these age-old rites of spring, even if the deeper meaning has faded over time. And it’s not just here—countries like Germany, Austria, and parts of Scandinavia also celebrate May Day with festivals, dancing, and even bonfires, echoing the same ancient themes of renewal, joy, and community.

Beltane honours the most potent part of the annual cycle when all of life is bursting with fertility and potential. It’s the peak of spring and start of summer, a time of blossoming, passion and creative fire.

Green is the colour ��

Nature is cloaked in green, the colour of the heart chakra, symbolising divine balance and the sacred union of masculine and feminine in the form of the May Queen and the Green Man or Horned God. Dancing around Maypoles weaving ribbons symbolises this sacred union.

Our ancestors would light fires, leaping over them for fertility, healing and as a pledge or promise to themselves or someone special. Everyone dressed in green to honour the colour of earth and to invite in the fae, nature spirits and elementals, believed to be easier to sense at this time as the veil is thin, much like Samhain (Halloween) which represents the energetic shift from autumn to winter.

Beltane Rituals ��

�� If you have a firepit, write a promise to yourself, or someone you love, on paper - or a dried bay leaf for extra magickal potency! - and toss it into the flames

��️ No firepit? Light a candle and meditate by gazing at the flame. Place your favourite plant, bunch of flowers or a green or pink crystal nearby to invoke the energy of the heart chakra. Imagine your heart space expanding in all directions as you blossom into your own power and potential

�� Create a spiral labyrinth using stones or flowers, large enough to walk round three times counter-clockwise. Walk inwards slowly and intentionally, pausing in the centre and either speak aloud or quietly in your mind state what you wish to release. As you walk back out welcome what you wish to grow.

�� Or keep it super simple and stand barefoot on the earth and feel the pulse of life beneath your feet, the fire in your belly and the magic in the air.

Blessed Be!

Slow Down and Reconnect: Taurus New Moon Intentions for Abundance, Beauty and Inner Peace

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 12:26:25 GMT

Slow Down and Reconnect: Taurus New Moon Intentions for Abundance, Beauty, and Inner Peace ♉️

After a stormy week of intense astrology, with major players Pluto, Mars, the North Node and Saturn clashing overhead, the New Moon in sensual earth sign Taurus on 27th April at 20:31 GMT invites us to slow down and do the things that make us feel good, especially If you’ve felt tired, overwhelmed or emotionally charged over the last few days.

All the planets have signs where they feel at home and others where they’re not so comfy, and luckily for us the Moon ADORES being in feminine Taurus, ruled by Venus, goddess of love, beauty, art, harmony, abundance and the finer things in life.

The Moon and Venus both represents the feminine principle so let today be the day that you nurture yourself by doing the things you love, things that nourish and sustain you…

Wear something that makes you feel fabulous, even if it’s just your favourite lipstick or a t-shirt that brings out the colour of your eyes…

Spend time in nature, walk barefoot if you can….pause to bask in the glorious fertility of the season…

Prepare and enjoy your favourite meal with loved ones and share what’s blossoming in your life right now…

B uy yourself a new plant, or a beautiful bunch of flowers and create a small altar or sacred space at home with candles, crystals and meaningful objects to remind you of the richness already present in your life…

Plant seeds - literally or symbolically - to represent the dreams and intentions you wish to cultivate, especially around finances, security, or self-worth as Taurus rules money and material abundance. This is the first New Moon since February (before eclipse season) that we can use to make wishes, so use it wisely!

Be patient though, wait until you spot the first sliver �� of the waxing crescent Moon (likely Monday or Tuesday evening) before speaking your wishes aloud.

If you know which area of your chart is ruled by Taurus focus your intentions there too!

Blossoming, Fertility and the Source of Life

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 15:16:15 GMT

Exploring Taurus Season, Svadhisthana and the Fertile Wisdom of Spring

In Aries season, we emerged from the harshness of winter, putting down fresh roots in soil warmed by the increasing light of the sun.

Now, Taurus grounds us fully in the sensual unfolding of spring and the blossoming… as nature unfurls in full bloom, we’re invited to soften, open and feel into the fertile, feminine energy that flows through this season of expansion and fertile growth.

Attuning to Swadisthana: The Sacral Chakra

This month at HeartSpace, we attune to Svadhisthana, the sacral chakra—often translated as “one’s own abode.” Located in the lower belly and pelvis, it’s the energetic centre of emotion, intuition, sensuality, creativity and pleasure .

Aligned with the element of water, Svadhisthana reminds us that movement, emotional connection and the ability to flow with life are essential to our well-being. When balanced, this chakra allows us to feel deeply connected, inspired, nourished and emotionally alive.

The Sacred Waters of Life

As the energy centre rooted in our pelvic space, Svadhisthana resonates with the sacred waters of the Yoni —a Sanskrit word meaning ‘sacred space’ or ‘womb’. This powerful symbol of the divine feminine represents the source of life itself. In yogic and spiritual traditions, it embodies the creative and nurturing energy that flows through us all.

Considered a feminine element, water is not only the source of life, it’s deeply spiritually significant. From holy springs and sacred wells to rituals of purification and the ocean of consciousness , water speaks to intuition, emotion, memory, and the deep inner wisdom our grandmothers might have described as “feeling it in our waters.”

Taurus Season: Grounding Through Earth

Taurus season offers a strong earth foundation for this fluid, emotional and creative energy to rise and flow—like a river held by strong banks, or a lotus rooted in the mud reaching toward the sun.

Earth and water combine to bring fertility —in the most literal sense with plants and crops, but also through the blossoming of inspiration, relationships, projects and inner shifts. It’s a reminder that we must be grounded in order to grow.

Beltane: A Celebration of Blossoming Life

Beltane, celebrated on April 30th to May 1st, is a vibrant Celtic festival that marks the cross-quarter day between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. The cross-quarter days represent the midway points in the wheel of the year, symbolising the shifts in the natural world and the cycles of growth, harvest, and rest; each one infused with specific energies that reflect the rhythms of life .

Beltane is a time of vitality, passion, and creativity, celebrating fertility and the blossoming of life as the growing season begins. It honours the union of masculine and feminine energies with central themes of sensuality, love and creation.

At the heart of the celebration are the figures of the Green Man and the May Queen , embodiments of nature’s growth and the seasonal changes. Traditions such as the Maypole , where ribbons intertwine to symbolize the merging of their energies, are an integral part of Beltane celebrations. Morris dancing brings the spirit of rhythm, vitality and joy and rituals like handfasting , the binding of hands in union, and jumping the broomstick , symbolising a leap into new beginnings, ritualise the themes of love, transformation and the creative force.

JOURNAL PROMPTS FOR TAURUS SEASON & SVADISTHANA

�� What seeds of creativity or passion are you planting this season, and how can you nurture them to help them grow?
Reflect on what you’ve been quietly cultivating over the winter and early spring, whether it’s an inspiring new project, relationship or inner shift. What care and attention does it need to flourish?

�� How can you embrace the sensuality and pleasure that nature offers?
Reconnect with your sense s, whether it's through feeling the warmth of the sun on your face, the scent of flowers or recent rain or the taste of fresh spring produce. How can you engage with the world around you in a way that nourishes your mind, body, and spirit?

NATURE MANDALA RITUAL

Reconnecting With Your Body and Inner Knowing

Svadhisthana invites us to connect with the fluid energy of our emotions and creativity, while Taurus season and the earth element ground us through sensory, embodied practices like movement, breathwork, and time spent in nature.

To help you return to the wisdom of your body and deepen your connection to your intuition, try this simple and soulful nature ritual.

Step 1: Move First

Before you begin creating your mandala, take some time to move your body to awaken your senses . Go for a walk, dance freely, do some gentle yoga or simply walk barefoot on the grass. Feel the earth beneath you, breathe deeply, allowing your body to soften. Slow, intentional breaths will help ground you and open your senses.

Step 2: Gather What Nature Has Freely Gifted

As you walk, allow yourself to be intuitively guided to gather materials - fallen petals, leaves, moss, bark, lichen, stones, feathers, dried grass, or any other treasures you encounter on your journey will do - but remember to take only what nature has freely gifted you, leaving living plants untouched.

Take slow, conscious breaths as you collect, staying present with your surroundings and open to whatever draws your attention.

Step 3: Create Your Mandala

When you feel ready, create your mandala . If possible, set it up near water, somewhere like a stream, river, lake or even your garden pond. If you don’t have a pond or garden use a shallow dish filled with water as the centre piece and create the mandala around it.

Let your intuition to guide you as you arrange the items, knowing that this mandala is a unique reflection of YOU, allowing the process to unfold naturally, without the pressure of trying to make something perfect - there’s no such thing!

Why Create a Nature Mandala?

Mandalas are ancient, sacred symbols of wholeness and harmony. By crafting one from natural materials, you’re engaging in a moving meditation and a ritual of gratitude, grounding, and embodiment. It’s a beautiful way to align with the energy of spring, the blossoming of Taurus season, and the flowing waters of Svadhisthana.

Let your creation be an offering - to the earth, to your body and to the part of you that remembers how to trust your inner knowing.

Rewriting Our Relationship Story with the Full Moon in Libra

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 16:11:53 GMT

A powerful Full Moon in Libra closes a karmic cycle

Full Moon in Libra | Sunday 13th April 01:22 BST

We’ve reached the final chapter, the final page, of a story that began in April 2023, when the lunar nodes — karmic points of destiny, release, growth, and transformation — entered the Aries/Libra axis of the zodiac.

Over the past two years, we’ve been cosmically called to see our relationships with fresh eyes... to redress the balance between self and other... to stop losing our sense of self to the desire to please another... to be interdependent rather than co-dependent ⚖️

It’s been an invitation to step into radical honesty, to meet ourselves with radical self-love, to courageously reshape our core values, and to rewrite the story of how we define and derive our self-worth.

Venus, the ruling planet of Libra, ends her current retrograde phase exactly an hour after the Moon reaches fullness — a powerful celestial signal that this cycle of learning, growth, and relationship evolution is now complete.

Every two years, Venus, goddess of love, retrogrades for 40 days, during which time she disappears completely from the sky. This journey is closely linked to the myth of Inanna, the Sumerian goddess who descends into the underworld — ruled by her sister Ereshkigal — in search of inner wisdom and renewal. When she emerges, she is stripped of her old identity, reborn as the morning star.

Like Venus and Inanna, many of our relationships have undergone a death and rebirth — not just over the past 40 days (although this has been a collectively challenging period astrologically), but across the wider arc of the past two years.

��So what relationship story are you writing now? What’s changed within yourself and your relationships in the past 2 years?

��How are you showing up as a renewed, more authentic version of yourself, while remaining deeply connected to your significant others?

��Where can you create even more harmony and peace without betraying your own needs and wants?

��What does it mean to give and receive love in equal measure — to be love instead of seeking it?

Let this full moon �� light the way as you step boldly into a new chapter of self-love, authenticity, and harmony. Allow your relationships — with yourself and others — to reflect the love you are. Use this moment to renew, rewrite the stories that no longer serve you, and remember the truth of who you truly are.

Rebirth, Emergence & Putting Down Fresh Roots

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 08:42:26 GMT

On 20th March we celebrated Ostara, the Spring Equinox, the point of perfect balance between light and dark and nature’s rebirth which marked the onset of Spring and the season of renewal.

Ostara represented a threshold for purification and release of what no longer serves us, so fresh intentions can take root in nourishing, fertile soil, warmed by the sun as it climbs higher each day on the way to the Summer Solstice. As we emerge from the darker months and the harshness of winter, it’s time to spring clean the physical spaces we inhabit and the energetic spaces of the mind, body, spirit and soul.

The equinox was also the first day of Aries season and the start of a brand new astrological year. Unlike 1st January it’s seasonally, cosmically and energetically aligned with new beginnings .

But with Mercury, planet of communication and Venus the Bringer of Peace both retrograding in Aries until mid April, and Neptune, planet of dreams and the subconscious waiting to move from Pisces to Aries (for the first time since 1861!) on 30th March, we're inhabiting an energy of both/and...

We are between worlds

BOTH in a new beginning at the start of a new astrological year

AND there are cosmic forces holding us back for just a little longer

It’s time to pause, for patience and reflection, for mindful contemplation and connection, to Muladhara , our Root Chakra, which represents our foundation, sense of security and the right to be here , so we can establish a grounded base from which to flourish and expand when the cosmic energies shift.

02dc44e2

Yin Yoga and the power of stopping

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do… is stop

﻿

In a world that asks you to move faster, do more, habit stack, eat enough protein, walk enough steps and optimise everything, Yin offers something radically different - stillness, softness, acceptance of where you are and space to simply be.

In Yin, we meet our edge gently.

Benefits of Yin Yoga

WARM YIN 90 MINUTE LONGER PRACTICE THIS SATURDAY

Our 90 minute Yin class with Michelle Neary is your invitation to press the pause button in the middle of the noise.

�� Saturday 25th April

⏰ 14:00-15:30

��HeartSpaceYoga, Twickenham TW1

��£19, 1 class credit, included in memberships

�� BOOK YOUR SPACE HERE

Yin on our regular weekly schedule

Why Iyengar Yoga (and Ann) might be exactly what you need right now

We recently received this review after Ann's Iyengar Alignment Yoga classes...

Ann really is something special.

Not sure what Iyengar is?

Using props and thoughtful, precise guidance, the practice supports you to...

If you've been curious about trying it take this as your sign to book a class today.

Spring clean mind body and soul with our 21 day reset

Commit to your practice and come home to yourself this Spring

The arrival of a new season and the shift away from winter is the perfect time to reset your mind, body and soul with our 21 day journey into movement, balance and renewal

Exculsive online content coming soon

How to take part

JOIN THE RESET HERE

It's getting hot in here!

Infrared Heat comes to HeartSpace!

Why we love it in the studio...

Infrared heat isn’t just about comfort - it can also support your wellbeing in several ways...

TRY IT IN OUR WEEKLY WARM CLASSES

MONTHLY HOT 26 90 MINUTE CLASS

Hot26 is a traditional hot yoga sequence practiced in a heated room, designed to systematically work the whole body.

�� Saturday 11th April - Saturday 16th May - Saturday 13th June ⏰ 13:00-14:30

��£19 drop-in, 1 class credit, included in memberships

Finding Alignment

On our mats, with the seasons, in our lives

As we move toward the equinox and the astrological new year there’s a quiet energy brewing in the air...alignment.

The Equinox: A Moment of Balance

An Invitation to Pause

Alignment in Action: On Your Mat

Alignment Within and Beyond the Mat

International Women’s Day: Honouring Strength, Solidarity & Reflection

Each year on 8th March , the world marks International Women's Day (IWD), a global day recognising the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

2026 Theme: Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls

A Space for Reflection and Embodiment

EMBODY YOUR DIVINE FEMININE WITH LOUISE CASHIN

BOOK EMBODY. YOUR DIVINE FEMININE WORKSHOP

Inner Sky

Three Ways to Cultivate Your Inner Sky

“You are the sky. Everything else - it’s just the weather.”

~Pema Chödrön, Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness & Compassion

We can cultivate this inner sky in many ways

1. Pause & Breathe

2. Move with Presence

3. Creative Flow

��️ YIN FOR PEACE

Peace is a practice, a choice and a gift and tomorrow, for the final time in October, we have the opportunity to embody it together...

Om Shanti and the Yoga of Peace

Peace Within, Peace Around, Peace Beyond

In our previous blog we explored Shanti as both a mantra and a quality - the vibration of peace that settles the heart and quiets the mind.This week, we go a little deeper.

In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, peace isn’t something we find, it’s something we cultivate through active practice.

✌��The Three Dimensions of Peace

☮️ Bringing Shanti into Everyday Life

��️ Peace is a practice, a choice and a gift and this October we have the opportunity to embody it together...

����‍♀️ Shanti: Practice With Peace with our Studio Manager Amanda @soul_star_spirit

Shanti: Cultivating Peace Within, Around, Beyond

As part of our ongoing exploration of the 12 Divine Qualities of the Heart , October invites us to focus on Shanti - Peace

What is Shanti?

Shanti in daily life

Shanti: Practice With Peace with our Studio Manager Amanda

From my first Yoga class to HeartSpace

Over 25 years ago, I found myself in a new life on the other side of the world...

I had moved to Australia to escape the London grind and explore something different. Far from home, family and friends, I was searching for connection.

For me, yoga has always been more than postures.

Sunday Reset is a 90 minute practice in two halves:

Finding Stillness in a World of Distraction

Meditation isn't about stopping the mind from thinking. It’s about finding our way back to centre, again and again

Why meditate? The benefits on every level

��‍♀️ Shanti: Practice With Peace with our Studio Manager Amanda @soul_star_spirit