Level 1

Inspired by freediving. We do simple stretches with the breath held.

The stretches work on the mobility of the rib cage and the expansion of the chest, and you practise holding the breath with more ease. Level 1, no props needed. A good morning practice.

Suitable for beginners and experienced meditators alike. Begin a meditation practice or deepen an existing one.

Meditation, or mindfulness practice, connects you to the present moment, and that is good for both the mind and the body.

We begin right now, right where you are.

We discover ourselves by forming a new and curious relationship with our own bodies, using the body as a tool to ground the mind in the present.

Examine and investigate your posture by turning your focus to physical sensation. A sensation is a great starting place to bring the mind to the here and now.

Discover yourself.

Noticing your thoughts and working with distraction is a large part of meditation. The mind does not stop turning because we sit on the mat.

The good news is that if you can notice thoughts and distraction, you are meditating. We learn how to work with thoughts in a kind way, and with time make them our friend.

Make friends with your mind.

We realise that we are a living organism, full of sensation and vibrancy. Go deeper into your examination of sensation.

The breath is the tool we use to investigate sensation in this class: first at the nose, then at the chest and finally at the belly.

You're alive.

Sound is another important focus for connecting to the present. If we can listen without labelling sounds, we are observing what is arising here and now. Any time you experience your senses, you are present, and that is where we want to be in today's class.

This brings us into the moment with an open awareness and lets us explore the senses in another field.

Hearing the universe.

Meditating is a bit like being a baby. We experience the world of sensation before words. The conceptual mind is the mind that puts things into words. Raw sensation is a deeper connection to reality.

We work with the techniques we have already established, and spend time with the body and the breath. Together we find stillness and the present, and stay there.

Be a baby.

This is the final class of our meditation programme. We work on body scanning, a useful way to identify and let go of tension in areas of the body. Simple and helpful.

The last session has more time in silence, which gives you more freedom to explore your practice. We watch the present moment with soft awareness and from a distance, like watching a wild animal.

Well done for completing the programme. This short video sums things up and gives practical suggestions for where to go from here.

Meditation can be a lifelong practice and should not stop here. You can never be perfect at meditation. You can always learn new things about yourself and grow in your practice. Go forward from here and find your balance.

Suitable for everyone. Use this class to begin your relationship with your breath.

We start lying down for simple pranayama breathing, and close the class with a seated practice. Level 1, no props needed.

The yoga guidelines for a healthy relationship with the world. In this yoga philosophy class, we look at the first step of the eight-limbed path, called Yama.

We go into the five practices of Yama in detail: Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha. These observances guide us towards a right way of living, so that we can feel good walking on this earth and feel the wholeness, the union, of yoga.

In this theory lesson, Sofia takes you through the second limb of the Ashtanga tree, called Niyama.

Niyama teaches us five inner practices that help us with self-discipline as we move along the path of yoga.

Una secuencia ligera para familiarizarte con las posturas y con tu cuerpo. Empezamos con gato y vaca para encontrar movilidad en la espalda, y seguimos con posturas tradicionales de la práctica de yoga.

Haremos medio chaturanga varias veces para ir encontrando fuerza en los brazos y el cuerpo. Es una práctica lenta para todo el cuerpo que a la vez relaja la mente. Las posturas se repiten, para que puedas dejar de mirar la pantalla y seguir el movimiento con el cuerpo. Nivel 1, sin accesorios.

A short five minute talk about what pranayama is and how it works.

A good place to start before you try your first pranayama class.

Esta práctica es para estirar y fortalecer la zona lumbar y tomar contacto con la columna vertebral. Si pasas mucho tiempo sentado, o muchas horas de pie, haz esta práctica para darle amor a esa espalda.

Haremos posturas como la luna para mover la espalda de lado a lado, y posturas como la cobra para fortalecer la zona lumbar. Mover la columna nos ayuda a tener una espalda sana y a soltar tensiones. Una práctica repetitiva, para principiantes.

Sofia has been surfing waves for nine years and knows how important it is to warm up the body before jumping into the ocean.

This is a short sequence of postures and movements that warms up the key muscles you use when you surf, with a focus on the shoulders and the side body. Level 1, no props needed.

In this meditation we focus on the root chakra, Muladhara, and the qualities of it we may want to bring into day to day life.

In the yoga tradition it is the first chakra, or energy center, associated with grounding, contentment and feeling secure in yourself. By the end of the practice you should feel calm, centered and relaxed. Choose a seated posture that is comfortable for you, so you can focus fully on the practice.

In this meditation we focus on the sacral chakra, Svadhisthana, and the qualities of it we may want to bring into day to day life.

In the yoga tradition it is the second chakra, or energy center, associated with creativity, adaptability and joy. You should feel relaxed, centered and calm by the end of the practice. Choose a seated posture that is comfortable for you, so you can focus fully on the practice.

In this meditation we focus on the qualities of the Ajna chakra that we may want to bring into day to day life.

In the yoga tradition it is the sixth chakra, or energy center, associated with insight, intuition and the ability to see beyond what the eye can see. By the end of the practice you should feel calm, centered and relaxed. Choose a seated posture that is comfortable for you, so you can focus fully on the practice.

A short, easy practice to limber the back. We take the spine through its six main movements: flexion, extension, rotation right and left, and lateral flexion right and left.

We begin sitting, move to all fours and end standing, enjoying the different ranges of movement each position offers. A good practice for first thing in the morning. Level 1.

A brief overview of the Yoga Sutras, and of Shruti Parampara, the traditional method of learning to chant the Yoga Sutras.

A good place to start before the chapters that follow.