Hi, my name is Geri and I began practising yoga in the early 1970’s watching Lynn Marshall on TV. In my early teens I attended my first yoga class and later trained as a Yoga Teacher 20 years ago.
I run a range of yoga classes in Blackwood, Caerphilly County Borough, and South Wales area to suit all abilities.
Geri is also a Menopause Yoga Accredited Teacher
Yoga really is a ‘Science for Life’ that has and continues to sustain me. Yoga is an integral part of my life and I’m passionate about practising and teaching Yoga. I aim to always keep my classes welcoming, relaxed and fun.
The main objective is not to tie yourself in knots but to ‘un-tie’ them. We use a combination of various techniques to achieve this goal.
My teaching is based on The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a plethora of great teachers
I’ve had the privilege of working with a plethora of great yoga teachers, Donna Eden’s Energy Medicine and sharing the joy of yoga with the thousands of students that I have taught and continue to teach. My homoeopathic professional training has also enriched me beyond belief.
Asana – Posture Work
This is probably the most common image that people have of yoga – people bent in a variety of seemingly impossible shapes and poses. The reality is though that you do not have to be flexible or bendy, nor is yoga meant to be painful or challenging. The asanas, or poses, in yoga each build upon a foundation of an initial base that very gradually and progressively deepens.
It’s not about touching your toes but what happens in the process of doing so. Patanjali defines Yoga “as the removal of the fluctuations of the mind”. This is what I noticed when I first began practising yoga – the unique ability to observe and control the thought waves of my mind as I formed the postures with my physical body and enabled me to become mindful of everything I do, on and off my yoga mat!
This means that for every pose that appears to be ‘impossible’ there is a variation of that pose to suit every person.
The key here is to remember that striking an asana and holding a pose, is not a competition, but a way to feeling, self-acceptance, bringing out the best in your own body and mind.
Pranayama – Breathing Exercises
Prana, also known as chi, ki (or reiki) or life force, is central to the practise of yoga in the form of pranayama. This practise of breathing is not just the simple inward and outward breath that we so often take for granted. In the practise of pranayama the actual focus and attention to breath is what is most important. In our lessons we will learn about the different types of breath work and how it affects and aids our focus and practise of yoga.
I teach classical pranayama that can be applied to help ease anxiety, panic-attacks, birthing babies, etc. The practise of Pranayama is empowering and helps to balance the subtle energies of the body and mind.
Visualisation and Relaxation
While yoga is often thought of as a physical exercise, visualisation and relaxation play a central role in helping us tune in to our highest state of mind. After the ‘physical work out’ that is yoga asana and pranayama we wind down to a relaxed state in which we allow both our bodies and minds to rest and rejuvenate.
With the use of visualisation and relaxation techniques I help my students tune-in in a non-judgemental, loving manner, enabling them to ‘let-go’ in a safe and supportive environment.
Mantras (the use of words/sound)
Mantras in the traditional sense have always been brief Sanskrit terms or even simple sounds which provide a focus, typically during meditation. In our more modern takes on mantras, we begin to understand that any phrase that helps us find focus and shifts our attention positively, functions as a mantra. The power of sound/words/mantra fascinates me and form an integral part of my teaching.
Meditation
Despite it often seeming to be a challenge, ‘Just how do you not think any thoughts?’ meditation forms an important part of my classes. In reality the practise of meditation is more the observation of your thoughts and watching them ebb and flow until they come to a calm quiet state and the brain waves switch frequency during the practise.
It does not require control or challenge and certainly, over time and with practise, we will find that getting to that calm peaceful state of mind gets easier and quicker. ‘Vipassana or Insight Meditation is my favourite method to introduce the concept of meditation. In Vipassana you become aware of sounds, sensations, emotions and label each one with your mind’s eye. It illustrates just how ‘busy’ our minds are. This then leads to our minds switching to a more relaxed state of being when we allow the process to occur gently. It’s a bit like switching channels on the TV or radio, whereby we alter our focus/thoughts!
Guided meditations are also used to encourage my more ‘visual’ students in their meditation practise.
At the end of every class it is my hope that you emerge energised and revitalised ready to embrace life.
Classes
I run a range of yoga classes in the South Wales valleys to suit all abilities.
If you would like to attend, my classes are run as a short course, on a pay as term basis. Please contact me if you would like to book or require some additional information.
Qualifications
I have trained to be a Yoga teacher with the British Wheel of Yoga having taken the following qualifications.
- British Wheel of Yoga Teaching Diploma
- British Wheel of Yoga Yoga for Pregnancy Module
- British Wheel of Yoga Yoga for Children Module
- British Wheel of Yoga Meditation Module
- Pranayama Course with Philip Xerri
- Donna Eden Basic Energy Medicine Course
- First Aid at Work Training