Journal

From April – end of May 2026, we’ll be alternating deep rest yoga nidra (YN) and restorative classes on Thursday evenings 8 – 9.15pm. Book all classes here and check which week we’re on below! What’s the difference between restorative yoga and deep rest yoga nidra? Read more here.

Thursday 21^st May: deep rest Yn

Thursday 4th June: restorative

Thursday 11th June: deep rest YN

Thursday 18th June: restorative

Thursday 25th June: deep rest YN

Thursday 2nd July: restorative

In today’s fast-paced world, the art of self-care often takes a backseat and will almost always be the first thing to go when life gets busy. Yet, for every woman striving to find balance amidst the chaos, prioritising your well-being is not just a luxury—it’s essential. All of my yoga and massage offerings for women in Headington, Oxford, are designed to create spaciousness in body and mind: bringing you back to who you truly are.

The power of rest

Imagine a life where rest is not viewed as a guilty pleasure but as a productive and vital activity. When we take the time to nurture ourselves, we create space for clarity and creativity to flourish. This isn’t about just taking a break; it’s about resetting your nervous system and allowing yourself to recharge fully. This creates space for us to respond thoughtfully (or, more thoughtfully!) to those around us, rather than some kind of knee-jerk reaction. There are times we all react, but these happen most often when we’re under-resourced, depleted.

This is when our decisions and actions can become misaligned with our true intentions. By filling your cup and nurturing yourself deeply, you empower yourself to speak and act from a place of abundance. This shift can profoundly impact your life and the lives of those around you.

The transformative experience of yoga

Yoga is so much more than just bodily movement – I will write more on this in future – but for now, know that it offers a holistic practice that nurtures every part of your being—body, mind, and soul. My exclusive yoga classes offer a calm and beautiful sanctuary where you can escape from daily stressors , big and small, and immerse yourself in practices that replenish and restore. Exclusively to my classes (as far as I can tell from my own extensive research across the county), I also provide resources for you to take home to truly support you further in real, daily life situations – enabling you to continue your practice and deepen the benefits.

I offer the following classes, all of which are suitable for beginners and experts alike – there is always something new to experience. All my classes are designed to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, enabling you to feel soothed, balanced and calm.

• Restorative yoga: This gentle practice focuses on relaxation and rejuvenation, allowing your body to release tension and embrace tranquility through supported poses using a variety of beautiful, thoughtful, freshly laundered props
• Slow flow yoga: A relaxed blend of mindful movement and breath, this class encourages you to connect deeply with yourself
• Yoga nidra: Experience the profound depths of relaxation with this guided practice. Often referred to as “yogic sleep,” nidra offers the opportunity to enter a state of deep rest, supporting sleep, but also creativity, concentration and flow depending on the style/time of the class

Each of these practices is designed to help you reset and replenish, allowing you to emerge feeling renewed and empowered.

Why you need this in your life!

Every woman deserves to feel radiant and balanced. And we also know with all the pulls on our time and attention, just how difficult and often fleeting those feelings can be. By committing to your self-care through yoga, you’re not only investing in your health but also in your overall well-being, and that of the community or family that surrounds you. Women are often the anchors and the state of our peace determines that of the household/workspace. It can feel a lot. Believe me, as an often solo mother of two, I know and work hard to support myself in this way daily. This journey is about more than just physical fitness; it’s about cultivating a sense of peace and purpose that has the potential, with your commitment to yourself, to resonate in every aspect of your life.

Join me and small groups of local women on this journey

Are you ready to embrace this journey? Every week, small groups of women from across Oxford and more widely, attend my classes, prioritise their well-being and experiencing the transformative power of yoga. Read their independent reviews here and book here.

Two cake recipes for you today, although as always, with a twist to pack in as much nutrition as possible. Both are low/no sugar and full of extra benefits specifically designed and tested to support perimenopause and puberty – and everything in between! The orange and chia is a take on lemon and poppyseed… orange juice from leftover oranges/satsumas etc gives you a vitamin C boost (lemons would too, to be fair) but chia packs a much stronger nutritional punch than poppyseeds! Full of protein, fibre and crucially omega 3 fatty acids these tiny seeds will help your digestion, support your hormones and help you feel fuller for longer. My kids loved these for lunch boxes. 
Sweet potato “choc” brownies – well, who doesn’t love a chocolate brownie? Except these are full of fibre, vitamin C and A, and A and iron (in the cacao). Remember my blog about enhancing iron absorption? Here it is again – the vitamin C in the sweet potato is a super way to make iron more accessible here. I’m really giving my family a big nutritional boost at the moment as we head through the last days of winter towards the spring light and these are two recipes that taste great AND provide a greater depth of nutrition AND school lunchbox friendly.

Orange and chia seed muffins: makes approx 12

100g wholemeal self raising flour

100g ground nuts/seeds/flax

4 eggs

Juice from 3-4 oranges/satsumas (see how many need using up in the fruit bowl)

100g butter

100g chia seeds

Dash of milk

Sprinkle of baking powder

Optional dark chocolate drops

What you do: combine all the ingredients except the chocolate drops, in a food processor. Whizz until smooth. Stir in the dark chocolate drops. Check the taste. Likely to be sweet enough with the orange juice, but stir a drizzle of honey if not. Distribute into muffin cases. Bake for 20ish minutes at 180 degrees. Enjoy!

Sweet potato chocolate brownie – makes approx 20 depending on how big your slice!

250g butter

3 tablespoons cacao

1 table spoon cinammon

4 eggs

4 large sweet potatoes/6 or 8 small skinny ones

150g wholemeal self raising flour

100g ground nuts/seeds/flaxseed

Packet of dark chocolate drops

Dash of milk of your choice

Possibly a dash of honey if you need it

Sprinkle of baking powder

What you do:

Roast the sweet potatoes, skin on, until soft and gooey. Combine with all the other ingredients (except the chocolate drops) in a food processor and whizz until fully mixed. Check the taste. Likely it is sweet enough already but add a bit of honey if not and whizz again to combine. Stir in the chocolate drops. Pour into a prepared tray/tin to bake for approx 20 mins at 180 degrees. It should look baked on top like a normal cake, but the cake consistency is likely to be softer than normal cake, due to the sweet potato consistency.