Yoga for Bellydancers
with Johara from Inspire
Joining breath and movement to quiet the mind and find ease:
on the mat, in dance and in life!
Have you ever been curious about yoga, or thought you ‘should’ try it, but worried that it wouldn't be right for you? Let us help you overcome your hesitation. This beginner-friendly course is a perfect place to start your yoga journey, or to return to it if you’ve had a break. All ages and body types are invited to join.
For dancers, there are extra benefits! Obviously your dance will improve as you build strength, range of motion and body awareness. But it offers so much more, and in this course, while teaching yoga, Johara will also help you ‘connect the dots’ so you uncover these surprising additional benefits. Read on…
“I started practising/learning yoga with Jo during COVID lockdowns in 2020. Jo is a truly special teacher. Her practice is thoughtfully planned and clearly explained as she guides us through each sequence of movements. I particularly enjoy the gentle pace of each class where I settle calmly into the practice guided by Jo’s soothing manner. By the end of each practice my body feels stretched and more flexible while my mind is calm and centred.
Jo is a very supportive teacher and offers variations within particular poses to suit each person’s needs or experience. Her yoga classes are great and a perfect start to a weekend - wouldn’t miss them!”
with Johara, 60 mins /week from Saturday 19 October - 14 December (9 weeks)
Open to everyone - whether you've got some yoga experience, or have never tried it before. (Non dancers are always welcome too! There’s no actual bellydance in the course; bellydancers will be given extra tips on how to make it relevant to their dancing, but if you don’t dance, it’s still a fabulous Yoga Fundamentals course.)
A regular yoga practice supports the health of your mind and body.
Discover the physical aspects of yoga ('asana' or poses) alongside the philosophical, providing a well-rounded holistic foundation to yoga that builds from week to week. Experience benefits in strength and range of motion, as well as body awareness and mental focus. For those who have done yoga in the past, these classes will consolidate your foundations and deepen your practice.
LEVEL: All welcome. Do let us know in advance if you have any conditions that may affect your ability to participate, so Johara can plan modifications for you.
Pricing: This term it's only 9 weeks, so $105. If you’re already taking another 10-week course, such as Bellydance, the price comes down to just $65 to add this course. The discount will apply automatically at the checkout.
Why do Yoga?
Improve strength and flexibility, balance and posture.
Reduce stress, anxiety and self-judgement
Increase energy levels, concentration and focus
Gain a greater awareness of mind/body and connection to breath.
Improve joint mobility and core strength for greater freedom and ease of movement
Dancers will appreciate all of this, as well as exploring more abstract benefits that can make you a more embodied dancer. Johara has found that thanks to her yoga practise, she can allow the flow of energy from the ground, up the legs and muscles, into the core and then out the rest of the body, giving her dance more texture, feeling, depth and power. Being able to feel many levels of the body, skin, muscles, bones, joints, micro movements in all of these.... feeling all the way to fingers and toes and out. Connecting movements to breath has helped her to feel that breath in the music as phrasing, influencing how she executes the moves to the music. Plus she has uncovered more freedom during improvisation: allowing the body to lead more, with less mental interference.
Doesn’t that sound inspiring?
What do you need?
yoga mat (if possible, otherwise a large towel)
2x yoga blocks… these can be chunky books, or sturdy Tupperware containers
strap or belt
chair
blanket
a towel or two to roll up and make a bolster
enough space to lay down and stretch out
Classes are recorded and available to you for the whole term, so you can use them to practice every day if you wish!
About your instructor:
Johara has a background in dance with a special interest in how the body moves as a whole, and how the fascial system impacts breath, flow and ease of movement.
Persistent injuries and chronic pain (from both dance and life in general) were the catalysts for investigating other modalities to improve body awareness, strength, flexibility and overall health. Eventually finding Yoga in 2016, Jo hasn’t looked back. In just three years, Jo has explored a variety of styles coming to fall in love Hatha/Vinyasa flow and yin – so much so she has achieved her qualification to teach both in 2018 at Sukha Mukha Yoga, and continues to further her teacher training as well as her personal practice. In her Yoga teaching, she aims to combine her knowledge of body movement with traditional Yoga postures and philosophy.
Inspire Yoga classes were among the first to go online when the pandemic struck in early 2020, and Johara is experienced at facilitating your Zoom experience.