Why waking up early is worth it When you’re cocooned in bed on a cold winter’s morning, getting up for your 6am yoga class sure feels like a feat. That’s because it is! But it’s one with so many incredible benefits that you might just feel inspired to set the alarm a little earlier tomorrow… Here’s why morning asana practice is one the best ways to boost immunity during the winter season, keep the spirits high and lifted, and ​ create an amazing coherent, connection between your body, mind and senses/life. Grounding into any physical practice at the beginning of the day is a sur ..read more

(oosh-TRAHS-anna) ​ustra = camel Camel pose is one of those poses that can either feel really good or really… not. But done right, the pose should feel strong but never painful. We’re here to run you through a few things you can think of as you come into the pose to make sure you’re not walking around for the next few days with that notorious Post-Camel-Back-Twinge. As well as just looking cool on your instagram feed, camel pose stretches out the hip flexors, psoas, thighs and abdominal muscles – meaning it’s the perfect pose for anyone who spends most of their day sitting. The p ..read more

(parsh-voh-tahn-AHS-anna) parsva = side, flank ut = intense tan = to stretch or extend  ​Whether you’re in a slow, juicy hatha class or flowing through a power vinyasa, Pyramid Pose seems to always pop up. But for an asana that looks quite straight forward, there are quite a few key points to think about to make sure you’re really getting the most out of it!  Just from looking at the pose you can tell you’ll be feeling this one in your hamstrings, but it also gives a nice stretch down the sides of the body and through the shoulders. And of course, as a mild inversion, i ..read more

Tiffany was one of Stretch's most dedicated student's before becoming one of our favourite teachers! She's sassy, strong and resilient - her rehab from her knee injury earlier this year is a huge testament to that! She's a permanent fixture of the Stretch Family and we hope she's teaching incredible classes for us for many, many, many years to come! We asked her a few of our favourite questions, and she gave us her heartfelt answers below. When were you first introduced to yoga?  I went to my very first yoga class when I was on tour working in India in 2008. I had no idea wh ..read more

​(par-ee-POOR-nah nah-VAHS-anna) paripurna = full, entire, complete nava = boat   Abs – we need them, and we need them to be strong. But gosh darn, they’re a hard muscle to work! Boat pose features pretty heavily in class rotations – here’s the low down on how to sail your ship with ease! As well as strengthening the abdominal muscles, this pose also works the hip flexors and spine. The strong muscular contractions are great for massaging our internal organs, and energetically this one works strongly on our solar plexus chakra. Think confidence, will power and disci ..read more

Ever heard a teacher mention Metta Bhavana? Thankfully although they’re strange words, they have a pretty straightforward meaning - put simply, Metta Bhavana is a practice of loving kindness. Metta means ‘love’ (in a non-romantic sense), friendliness, or kindness, Bhavana means development or cultivation. This is a meditation technique and spiritual exploration using visualisation. This might all sound a little confusing, but it’s actually easier than it seems! All we need to do is practice loving everyone and everything – easy breezy! Our Senior Teacher at Stretch Academy Miriam Van D ..read more

Paul first began a consistent yoga practice in January in 2017. Like many, he was hooked from the first class and would attend classes at Stretch almost daily. After a while a friend suggested he looked in to teacher training. That day he Googled it and Stretch Teacher Training was one of the first results, it was the first intake of Teacher Training that Stretch Yoga had ever conducted so he took it as a sign! ​He now balances corporate work with yoga teaching. We sat down with our Stretch Academy Graduate and now Stretch Teacher Paul, and asked him about his yoga. ​When were yo ..read more

We recently looked at the Yamas, and this week we’re looking at the second limb of yoga, the niyamas. Niyama means ‘rule’ or ‘laws’ and are suggestions Pantajali provides for internal awareness and observance. They’re suggestions on how we can relate to ourselves, but can also be considered with our actions towards the outside world.  The prefix ‘ni’ is a Sanskrit verb which means ‘inward’ or ‘within’. Niyamas are traditionally practiced by those who wish to travel further along the Yogic path and are intended to build character. Interestingly, the Niyamas closely relate to t ..read more

Vrksasana (Tree Pose)(vrik-SHAHS-anna) vrksa = tree   Easy one day, impossible the next. Standing on one leg sounds simple enough, but sometimes it takes a little more focus and effort than others. This is one of our favourite balance poses for new students, so we thought we’d break it down to get you standing stable every time!   Vrkasana strengthens the thighs, calves, ankles, and spine as well as providing a great stretch for the groin and inner thigh, chest and shoulders. It’s a hip opener, helps to improve our balance and is fantastic for focus and concentration – a ..read more

(AH-doh MOO-kah shvah-NAHS-anna) adho = downward mukha = face   Ahh – good ‘ol down dog. The nemesis of all new yogis, and a constant work in progress even for those who have been practicing for decades! From day to day the way we feel about this pose is bound to change, but today we’re hoping we can add a little more love to your DD. After all, it’s definitely here to stay! So why do we practice this awkward triangle shape? It energizes the body, stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches, and hands, strengthens the arms and legs, and helps in conditions such as ost ..read more