The blurb
It seems in recent years the obsession with yoga has been for the likes of fast-paced Vinyasa flows, Jivamukti and Rocket classes, or for the heat endurance sweatiness of a Bikram studio. But when you experience the non-stop bustle of the Londoner lifestyle, with its cramped commuting, power-walking up escalators, and hunching over your computer necking shots of espresso, why not try a form of yoga that strips away the bells and whistles and offers a respite from your day of overachieving.
Enter yoga expert and founder of Good Vibes Studios Nahid de Belgeonne, who is bringing mindful yoga classes out west to Ravenscourt Park. What is ‘Mindful Yoga,’ you might ask? Well, Nahid describes it as “a form of yoga where the mind truly meets the body, we move at a pace dictated by the breath where the soft tissues have a chance to release. Mindful yoga brings you back into your body and quietens the mind.”
Signing myself up for two classes in a row, I headed to 227 King Street to start my two-and-a-half-hour journey to total rejuvenation.
The process
The upstairs function room of The Hampshire Hog pub may seem an unlikely venue for an evening of zen, but the large airy space and dreamy smells instantly began easing any tensions gathered through the day. With an open fireplace and array of tall white candles, chandeliers, antique mirrors and large windows letting the evening light shine in, it felt like an idyllic location to spend a Monday night.
Starting with the mindful yoga flow, Nahid led our small group of five through a series of exercises to increase the awareness of our breath and body. Taking the time to identify where any aches or tensions might lie, she focused our breath to that area. This built up to a slow flow in which every movement was deliberate and well thought-out. There was no rushing from pose to pose, which makes it easy to not properly engage your core or think about hand and foot placement. The thoughtful movements and slow pace gave you time to identify your strengths and weaknesses, making adjustments where needed, for which Nahid was amazing guidance.
The Restorative yoga class that followed was an intimate session supported by props. This week’s focus being hip flex, we started with a range of movements to increase mobility, leading into positions that were held for a substantial length of time, working through different variations at our own pace with the assistance of Nahid to further increase flexibility. The class concluded with a heavenly guided meditation accompanied by plush bolsters, woolen blankets and weighted eye-masks—it took some willpower not to drift off into a deep slumber.
Finishing in a seated cross-legged position with heavy eyes and a body more relaxed than you’d think humanly possible, we bowed our heads to each other as whispers of ‘Namaste’ echoed around the room.
The results
Whereas you come out of plenty of fitness classes gasping for air, covered in sweat and with legs like jelly, Nahid’s classes (obviously) didn’t leave me in this state. Rather I felt a sense of calm for the rest of the evening. It was waking up the morning after that surprised me: I could really feel the areas we’d worked on releasing tension, particularly around my scapula and hip joints—they clearly hadn’t been moved so much in a while!
