I am happy to announce a return to face-to-face Hatha Yoga classes, however, at a different venue initially.

Everyone already on the register for set days will be contacted soon to check if they require their place as prior booking is part of the new regime, no drop-in, with online advance payment via BACS or Paypal. Some of you are in credit from the winter term before lockdown as we finished 2 weeks earlier than scheduled.

Aura Yoga with Geri will continue via ‘Zoom’ next week and possible on a Monday evening until we can resume at our regular venue on that day but subject to sufficient bookings.

Monday 7th September 2020 7.00-8.00pm
Wednesday 9th September 2020 9.30-11am

Meeting ID and Passcodes will be issued on receipt of payment and for newcomers, completion of a new student questionnaire/signed disclaimer.

Face-to-face Yoga Classes

Studio 54, High Street, Blackwood, NP12 1BB is our new venue from 15th September 2020 for a 6 week term, with a small car park and plenty of local free parking nearby (time restrictions may apply).

Tuesday 7.30-8.45pm 15th September – 20th October 2020
Wednesday 9.30-11.00am 16th September – 21st October 2020
Thursday 6.15-7.30pm 17th September – 22nd October 2020

There are provisionally 15 spaces available.

Prior booking and your own equipment, including your own drink, will be required please.
£30 for 6 sessions or £6 per session. (Space is limited to adhere to social distancing guidelines so block bookings will take priority).

Only the general Hatha Yoga classes will run initially before the introduction of short specialist courses such as Introduction to Meditation, Meditation, Yoga for ‘Hot’ Women, Chair Yoga, Yoga for Children, Yoga for Pregnancy, etc., will hopefully start up.

COVID 19 Policy

Numbers will be limited to comply with Welsh Government/Public Health social distancing guidelines.

You will need your own equipment – yoga mats, possibly blocks, straps, resistance bands, blankets and drinks.

2m social distancing is recommended.

There will be a 15-30 minute gap in between sessions to reduce contact between groups and allow for cleaning. The venue will be deep-cleaned daily and sanitised in between sessions.

There will be handwashing facilities and hand-sanitiser available. Toilets will be available.

Please remove shoes on entering the main studio hall and store along the back wall.

The kitchen will not be open.

It is a personal choice to wear a face covering.

A register with your contact details will be kept to comply with Track and Trace guidelines.

Please do not attend if:

You have any symptoms of COVID 19

• New continuous cough
• High temperature
• Loss of smell or taste
• Have been in contact with someone who has symptoms in the same household or elsewhere or via Track and Trace.
• On returning from some countries you may be required to Quarantine for a period 14 days.

Any questions please contact me directly.

I’m looking forward to welcoming new and familiar faces to your yoga mat to create some yoga magic @ Aura Yoga with Geri.

Our Autumn Term will begin Monday 7th September – 23rd October 2020 hopefully ‘face to face’ and ‘zoom’ sessions.

I’m currently awaiting further guidelines from Welsh Government for teaching yoga indoors. I will post updates on the Facebook page, group and my website.

I can confirm that pre-booking will be required, no ‘drop-in’, so numbers can be managed to comply with social distancing. Payment will need to be in advance.

Numbers will be limited so there may be back-to-back sessions with a 15 minute time gap in between to reduce contact between groups.

A register of attendees will be kept in line with Public Health ‘Track and Trace’ guidelines.

The venue will be deep-cleaned daily and sanitised in between sessions.

You will need your own equipment – yoga mats, blocks, straps or resistance bands, blankets, drinks.

Hand sanitiser will be available.

Toilets will be available and hand washing facilities.

The kitchen will not be open.

2 metre distancing is recommended.

It’s a personal choice to wear a face covering.

Please do not attend if you have symptoms of Covid 19 or have been in contact with someone who has within the period of Public Health suggested quarantine.

Any questions please contact me.

I’m looking forward to welcoming new and familiar faces to your yoga mat for Aura Yoga with Geri.

Many thanks for your ongoing support.

The Welsh Government have announced from Monday 13th July 2020, organised activities can take place outdoors, including team sports and other activities, such as dance and fitness classes. Activities must be limited to 30 people, and a risk assessment must be taken to keep everyone safe.More

In my opinion online yoga sessions are here to stay for the immediate advised ‘physical-distancing’ period and beyond. Remote yoga sessions provide an opportunity for us to connect with our preferred yoga teacher, friends and familiar yoga class personalities, access a pre-recorded session at a time to suit ourselves or work with a teacher in another geographical area, possibly in another part of the world.

I long for the day when I can return to ‘face-to-face’ yoga teaching but in the meantime I’ve gleaned some tips from the British Wheel of Yoga guidelines to enhance your experience when accessing remote yoga session:

• Allow 15 mins prior to the session to begin with, to allow enough time to get set up properly, be comfortable and in the right place. You may need to adjust your lighting so your teacher can see you clearly. After a few sessions it will not take so long to set up.
• Think about connecting your laptop to your TV via an HDMI cable to give you a bigger screen. If you want to do this, have a trial run beforehand to make sure you can do it easily on the day.
• Opting for gallery view will bring images of all participants onto your screen and you will have more of the experience of a group class. The downside is that the image of your teacher will be smaller. Depending on the size of your screen this might not be practical. Experiment and see which works best for you.
• The main image will switch to whichever participant makes a sound so use speaker view and keep muted once started, unless you are in a group chanting or philosophy discussion. In a physical session you can use the chat button on whichever online platform you are using if you need to speak to the teacher.
• Arrange your screen so that your teacher can see as much of you as possible and then you won’t have to keep moving the screen or adjusting yourself. You will probably need to be a minimum of 6 feet away from your device.
• Make sure you have plenty of room to move your arms and legs.
• Your teacher will let you know in advance what props you will need; make sure you have everything ready beforehand, including water.
• Don’t have any music in the background because it will distort and/or be in competition with your voice if you do need to speak to the teacher.
• Dress as you would if you were attending a face to face yoga class. This will eliminate the possibility of any embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions! Remember, other people in the class will be able to see you on their screens.
• Laugh – it’s a new experience so don’t worry about being perfect. Be human, be authentic, be you!

www.bwy.org.uk

If you’d like to join one of Aura Yoga with Geri’s yoga sessions via ‘Zoom’ please complete and submit the online Health Questionnaire on my website www.aurayoga.co.uk and acknowledge your understanding of the remote learning disclaimer.

If you are a new student to my classes, you will undertake a ‘one-off’, brief online assessment interview. It is advisable to bring to the attention of your teacher, before each yoga session, anything that may impede your yoga practice, in relation to your health. This is vital for your wellbeing, safety, enjoyment and to maximise the benefit of your yoga experience.

I always advise the principle of ‘Svadhyaya’, a Sankskrit term which means ‘Self-Study’, be observed throughout every yoga session and in every thought, word and deed we undertake.

We practice each asana (yoga posture) at least three times, where I encourage the student to observe their body and breath in each posture, breathing exercise, yoga technique, as it provides such instant and reliable feedback. For example – “Where do I feel this most? Why that may be? What can I do to improve the quality of the movement/experience? Which side of the body moves more freely? Why is this may be the case? ……”

I always suggest any modifications to suit specific medical conditions or injury, throughout the session or have advised each participant, beforehand of prohibitions and precautions to apply to their yoga experience.

The aim of each of my yoga classes is to provide a well-balanced blend of hatha yoga asana (posture), prananyama (breath control), relaxation, fun and laughter to balance and harmonise each student’s energy system, resulting in a feeling of enhanced wellbeing – physically, mentally and emotionally.

Why not join us via ‘Zoom’ soon?

I hope you and your loved ones are safe and well.

Hatha Yoga and Meditation with Geri is available via ‘Zoom’ during this social distancing period.
Just download the Zoom app or visit Zoom.us.

Pre-recorded sessions will also be available soon on my YouTube channel.

Monday 19.00 – 20.00 hours BST
Wednesday 9.30 – 11.00 hours BST
Saturday 11.00 – 12.00 hours BST
Meditation Sunday 14.00 15.00 hours BST
(Prior Meditation experience is recommended as we sit for 30-45 minutes. Please bring a notebook and pen to record your experience.)

Please set out your yoga mat in a clear, safe space, dress appropriately, ensure the room is well ventilated and you are hydrated. Always remember to observe and listen to your body, adjusting postures and practice to suit you.

If you have not joined my yoga sessions before, please complete a British Wheel of Yoga Health Questionnaire here before your first session. For further information do visit https://www.bwy.org.uk/covid-19/ to read the disclaimer and  view guidelines.

Please let me know before class if this is your first yoga class or if you are not confident about your experience and/or yoga ability. We can also have a chat about any health issues that may impede your yoga practice.

Cost is £5 per session via BACS or Paypal, or £50 per month unlimited access to all sessions. If you have difficulty paying please contact me.

These sessions are free to NHS staff and keyworkers.

Hope to see you soon on ‘Zoom’.