New to Yoga / Pilates

New to yoga?

If you are new to yoga, simply curious, or want to brush up on yoga basics, we offer regular beginners' courses at both centres. Courses normally run for six consecutive weeks and must be booked in advance. If you are unable to commit to a full course, occassionally we offer New to Yoga workshops at our Islington centre.

The beginners' courses introduce you to the basic philosophy of yoga and will teach you techniques for breathing and bodily alignment. You will also learn some of the key yoga postures that you are most likely to encounter in Level 1 classes. Although Level 1, All Levels, Gentle, and Restorative classes are open to beginners, we strongly recommend that complete beginners attend a beginners' course to equip you for these classes. If you are keen to start yoga but are unable to attend a beginners' course or New to Yoga workshop, please speak to one of our receptionists who will be able to advise on which general classes will be particularly suitable for you.

New to Pilates?

If you are new to Pilates, come along and try one of our Level 1 or All Levels Pilates classes - remember to tell the teacher that you are a beginner before the class starts .If you would like to know a little more about what Pilates is, and what Pilates classes involve, take a look at our What is Pilates? section below.

If you would like to know a little more or what to expect at the centres, please also take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions.

What is yoga?

The precise origins of yoga are clouded by the mists of time, but we can safely say that yoga as a practice originated in India at least 2,500 years ago.
The best known description of yoga from the ancient texts is that it is a process of stilling the turbulence of the mind to create mental clarity. This enables us to live more in the present moment, and to be more aware of the true nature or our selves and the world around us.
There are many different ways of doing this, but the most common in the west involves working with the physical body in order to bring it to a state of effortless ease, which prevents it from distracting our mental calm.
This is primarily done through putting the body into a variety of postures - known as asanas - usually combined with specific awareness of the breath. As well as strengthening and opening particular areas of the body, individual yoga asanas (and sequences of asanas) also have a different impact on our energetic state: for example, some will stimulate our energy, whilst others will quieten it.
Purely on a physical level, regular practice of yoga asanas will help bring about increased stamina, strength and flexibility. These are worthwhile by-products, but they are not the specific goal of yoga. Yoga is not competitive and is open to everyone - young or old, flexible or stiff, athletic or deskbound, male or female.
Although posture work forms the core of yoga classes at The Life Centre, many also include specific breathing exercises - known as pranayama - reflecting the yogic (and western scientific) belief that the state of our breath has a direct influence on the state of our mind. Some classes will also introduce you to seated meditation. All will end with a short period of complete relaxation: an important part of the class which helps integrate all that has gone before.
Over the centuries, many different styles of yoga practice have developed and most major contemporary posture based styles are available at The Life Centre: if one teacher's style doesn't work for you, please don't give up - another might. Take a look at our guide to some of the different styles.
And to clarify... although there are spiritual elements to yoga, yoga is not a religion and does not require you to subscribe to any particular set of beliefs. All yoga requires you to believe in is yourself.
In fact, one of the best reasons of all for practising yoga regularly is simply that it makes you feel good!!

What is Pilates?

Pilates is a much more recent 'invention' than yoga, and is an exercise system designed to elongate, strengthen and restore the body to balance.
Pilates is hugely complementary to yoga, helping students build a greater awareness of their core and of the movement patterns of their body. Many of our yoga students and teachers also regularly attend Pilates classes.
Pilates exercises are very much directed towards developing core physical strength and efficient movement habits that translate into daily life. While yoga postures can also do this, yoga is more directly concerned with shifting mental patterning through movement.
Like yoga postures, Pilates exercises involve concentration, muscular control, bodily alignment, flowing movement and breath awareness.
Pilates classes will focus on specific areas individually whilst using exercises that integrate the whole body to re-educate and restore it to optimum muscular and skeletal function.
Osteopaths, physiotherapists and general practitioners recommend Pilates as one of the safest forms of exercise today. Pilates can be beneficial to just about everyone regardless of age and fitness level.