About

Yoga Feeling was setup as a reaction to the homogenised, watered down yoga which is currently being offered by many health clubs, gym etc. It is our firm belief that Yoga is a practice which requires Teachers who can actually teach a class as opposed to running a class that is stacked to the rafters with anonymous students who have no idea whether what they are doing is correct or not.

We want to help people to develop in the asana practice, to help and support them to grow in their yoga practice both on and off the mat.

We encourage our students to practice regularly with us to support the health of both body and mind. This regular practice with the same teacher allows for a two way partnership between student and teacher where the teacher can see where the student has limitations or needs more support and the student can trust the teacher to know how the student moves and to not cause injury or harm to the student.

Classes

Structure
Yoga class usually run to around 1hour 15 mins. Each class will start by warming the body through followed by standing and seated postures, vinyasa and relaxation.

Useful Info
It is recommended that you practice yoga before eating. You should bring your own mat if you have one (especially during these covid times!) and bring a drink to swig during class. For the more energetic classes you may find a gym towel is helpful and, if it is chilly weather, a jumper for relaxation time is recommended.

Props
Traditional Ashtanga yoga doesn’t tend to use props, that being said they are often of benefit and so, if you would like to bring along blocks, belts etc to help you then you are very welcome to.

Teachers

Tim Steel
Tim has been practicing Yoga since the age of 8. His mother was practicing yoga in the 1960s when the very first yoga classes were held in the UK, so it has always been very normal for Tim to see headstands being practiced in the lounge before dinner!

He has been extremely lucky to have met and practiced with some of the most renowned Yoga Teachers of the age. His own practice began with the renowned teacher Kisen and, after many years as his student, Kisen qualified Tim as a Teacher in 2001 with his certification being affiliated to the Patanjali School of yoga in India.

The style in which he qualified was traditional Ashtanga but since qualifying Tim has continued to develop his teaching and own practice by actively seeking out the best Teachers to train with. The result is that his teaching now incorporates all the best elements from the various styles of yoga in which he has practiced.

Tim firmly believes that it is Imperative that the Teacher continues to develop their own yoga practice. It is a great mistake to let the work of teaching take away the joy of practicing for yourself!

Workshops

Workshops are held on Sundays at the Yoga Feeling Studios in Hayes. These are usually around 2 hours in length and are centred around a particular element of practice. Previous workshops have included Hip Openers, Inversions, Balances and Backbends. The longer class time allows for a deeper level of practice, attempting poses in various way in order to achieve the desired goal. Hints help and tips are given which can then be taken forward in to a normal class environment.

Private Lessons

Whilst a great deal can be learned in a regular public class, private lessons offer the opportunity to really focus in on the particular needs of the individual and to work on the areas which may need extra work or additional help. Some people come to private lessons with a particular goal in mind (such as achieving a Handstand or drop over back bend for example!) whilst others just like to have a general practice but at their own pace with individual attention to assist them.

Private lessons can be particularly helpful for those who are working through an injury and may not be at the stage of joining a public class.

Tim also runs Backcare Courses. This is a set of six classes all focused on helping people who are recovering from back injury or working with limitations.

Teacher Training

Tim has qualified a handful of dedicated students over the years. Traditionally a student spends years dedicated to their teacher honing their practice and when they are deemed qualified, they are then certified to teach for themselves.

Nowadays things are a little different! In order to teach in most studios it is necessary to be a registered Yoga Alliance Professional or British Wheel of Yoga teacher.

For the first time in 2021 Tim created a Teaching Programme which both fulfils the requirements of the certification body, but also conveys all the important elements of Teacher Training that Tim feels are of vital importance in any new teacher. His first Training Course students graduated in October 2021 and we are still supporting them on their teaching journey. As it is possible to control the quality of those taught by Yoga Feeling, we are assured of the level of teaching that these graduate teachers provide, and many will be found teaching classes in the coming years at Yoga Feeling.

Benefits of Yoga

Physical Yoga practice is designed to keep the body supple and healthy so that it is not of concern when you are focusing on other, non-physical aspect of yoga.

On a purely physical level Yoga improves Strength, balance, and flexibility. It can help with pain relief, ease symptoms of arthritis and improve heart health, but as well as the physical benefits it can also improve the ability to relax, improve sleep, help give you more energy and lighten your mood. It can also help with stress management.

Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is the practice of focusing the mind and redirecting thoughts.
If practiced regularly it can have beneficial effects on stress and concentration. It can help to foster a more positive mind set, help self-discipline and sleep. It has even been shown to have a positive effect on pain tolerance.

Our Gentle Yoga Class has a seated meditation at the end of each class. This is around about twenty minutes in length and is followed by a brief “Dharma talk” which usually covers a topic with which people tend to struggle. If you are interested in a more formal Zen Buddhist style of meditation, then our Zen Class is the place to go.

Zen

Tim runs a Zen group once a week with Tony Shinro Doubleday of the Stonewater Zen Group.

This is a more formal Zen Meditation class and is ideal for anyone interested in the concepts of Zen or those who would like to Study Koan.
Stonewater also offer Zen Retreats throughout the year click here to be taken to the Stonewater Zen website.

Sangha

Sangha means Community. As well as providing yoga classes, meditation classes and Zen teaching, our aim with Yoga Feeling is to encourage a sense of community in all our students. We care about the lives of those who practice, and we encourage students to care for one another, to be supportive of one another and extend the hand of friendship to each other.

There is nothing better than to watch someone trying for ages to achieve a handstand and to hear the huge round of applause from the rest of the students who have seen that student struggle and practice week after week when they finally stand aided on their hands! Brilliant!!

We have curry nights and café lunches, everyone mucked in to get the new studio up and running, we watch the tiniest yogi kids develop and grow, disappear off to university and then return to practice and eventually bring their own children along!

What a wonderful thing it is to watch the flowers grow and bloom!