wellness centre | schedule

WELCOME TO BEETROOT SAUVAGE WELLNESS CENTRE

MONDAYS

VINYASA YOGA
with Nina
10:00 - 11:00

LEVEL: OPEN
+ hot drink afterwards

This is a Beetroot Wellness Class. You can use the 10-class pass purchased here

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MONDAYS

BEGINNERS YOGA
with Kat
18:15 - 19:15

LEVEL: OPEN

This is an Edinburgh Community
Yoga Class - you will be redirected to their website

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New to yoga? Unsure what the fuss is all about? Here is an easy, quick read to give you all the info you need!

Yoga is for everyone. Often people say “I’m not flexible enough for yoga!” But that’s like saying you can’t drink water because you’re too thirsty. Another common idea is that yoga is full of crystal-loving, hairy hippies who say Indian terms while bowing and looking very serious. And finally, the most common misconception about yoga is that it’s about fitness or exercise, in all honesty, some teachers and classes do make yoga into a sport, but we can say with confidence that “sporty” is not a word that rings true of our ethos, and here’s why:

A brief description of yoga

Yoga actually has many different branches, Rāja Yoga is considered the primary or ultimate form of yoga which is to attain self-realisation or enlightenment. But let’s dial it back a bit. Apart from that lofty goal, there are a variety of different yoga “branches” for example Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga, although in western cultures when people refer to yoga, 99.99% of the time they are talking about one particular branch called Hatha Yoga, which is the most “formulaically physical” yoga as it is primarily about the postures or asanas.

You’d have seen images of people doing all sorts of bendy movements or heard of things like downward facing dog. Side note: the original practice of asana yoga was to prepare the body for hours of meditation. So when we talk about “yoga” in western societies we tend to be referring solely to asana. To make things even more confusing for people who just want to know what on earth it’s all about, there are different types of asana yoga. You may have heard or even been to a few classes either called Vinyasa, Hatha, Bikram, Iyengar, or any number of other types - there really are a lot! Hatha is the original and all other types are based on Hatha. Each type has its own distinctive quality, for example Vinyasa is known for its habit of “flowing” from one posture into another. There are a lot of opinions talks about the different types of yoga, and ultimately the facts are a) it’s up to each person to find the type of asana yoga that suits them best and b) ultimately Hatha is the original and most ancient of all the types of asana yoga. At Beetroot Sauvage we focus mainly on Hatha and Vinyasa classes that are more gentle on the body, involve deep stretches and are open to all levels of experience.

Beetroot Sauvage’s Classes - what to expect

Traditional Hatha includes asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing), and shavasana (rest). It’s not as complicated as it sounds, and teachers are quick to guide beginners who are uncertain of the terminology. It can be daunting to step into a class and feel out of place when Hilary-Headstand is on the mat next to you, and everyone just seems to nod along when the teacher says complicated Sanskrit terms, but even Hilary was once a total newbie, and when the teacher says “your practice is yours, listen to your body, and your experience is just for you” - they mean it. Because they know, every yoga practitioner knows, that half the battle is just keeping your focus on what’s going on with your body and not getting caught up with what everyone around you is doing. Eventually after a few classes, it gets easier and easier to bring your focus onto what’s happening on your mat and the subtleties of what is going on with your body. After a while you’ll start to feel the powerful effects your breathing has on your body. Once you get used to that, you begin to go a step deeper still, and you experience the movement of your body, breath, and mind all in unison, and to try to put that into words would be like trying to describe a dream. At Beetroot Sauvage the culture is to wear whatever, be whatever, do whatever, as long as you turn up to the mat wanting to help yourself. Which leads to:

Why is it good for me?

Well… it’s hard to explain without sounding like we sampled one too many cacao balls after having a vitamin B12 injection, but it is almost like magic. Because the effects are both slow and quick, and affect you physically, mentally and emotionally, and for many sparks a massive journey into self-inquiry work. It doesn’t have to be any of those things, and it can of course be used simply as a wonderful tool to gain flexibility, heal an injury, hang out with friends, feel relaxed, or generally just stretch out your body. Although, for many it is very easy to allow it to become a huge part of your life, and that’s because when you start doing yoga almost immediately you feel more relaxed, less bothered by things, and a little buzzed from the endorphins. Over time and with regular practice, as your body begins to gain flexibility and muscle, you feel stronger, more rooted, and with improved awareness of what if going on in your body. Mentally your focus improves, your mood improves, and your stress begins to dissipate. Emotionally you may start to release and let go of a lifetime’s worth of anger, trauma, stress, negative thinking, and negative perceptions. Then with even more time spent on your practice, your relationship with yourself begins to change too! Self-love goes up, habits reform into positive alternatives, and in general you have a new relationship with yourself. For those with injury or illness, it’s very common for yoga to either cure or dramatically improve the cause and effect of the injury or illness.

I’m still a little unsure…

Yoga is for everyone, despite adverts for expensive yoga attire, instagram “shmogis”, or even Hilary-Headstand. Yoga is for grandparents, mums-to-be, children, teeangers, people with injuries, those with disabilities, people experiencing depression or anxiety, those prone to being self-conscious, even those suffering ill-humour. We welcome all the bursts of laughter, pools of tears (both the grateful kind and the self-pitying kind), sweaty t-shirts, old gym shorts, greasy hair, and whatever else you have going on. The point is to show up, to give yourself the opportunity to trust that something you’ve never done before may be good for you, and maybe, just maybe… change your life.

Some FAQs

Is Yoga a meditation?
In short, no. Meditation in its original sense is a practice of emptying the mind (methods may vary from path to path but generally involve repetition of a few words or what is called single-point meditation). However, in English we use the term meditation as a synonym for thinking, so we will say “let me meditate on that”, and we may say that reading, walking, or working can be a form of meditation. This is true in the sense of English language and popular usage, but in terms of what is considered the practice of meditation, that is something different because the intention is to empty the mind not “tidy” it. So yoga asana can be meditative in the sense that English speakers use the word, where you feel calm in your mind and generally very relaxed, however in the strict sense, it is not a meditation practice per se. According to the eight limbs of yoga as described by Patanjali, the practice of yoga asanas is one of the preparatory practices for accessing a deep state of meditation, also called dhyana, in preparation for a further state called samadhi (bliss/enlightenment).

Is yoga a “spiritual” thing?
Only if you want it to be. For the most part it can and is used just for improved wellbeing.

Do I need to invest in proper clothes and equipment?
Nope. You can leggings, trackie bottoms, or anything with some stretch in them, and any top that doesn’t flop onto your face if you bend forward or feel tight if you lift your arms up. And as far as equipment goes - we have everything you'll need, if you get hooked and want to start a home practice you can look into some basic mats, bolsters, or blocks, but that isn’t something you need to bother with when you’re starting out.

How do I know what type of asana yoga is best for me?
The only real way to know is to go to different types of classes like Hatha, Vinyasa, Forrest, Iyengar, Ashtanga and so on. Each has its own features that make it distinctive.

Why do people say “my” teacher?
Many people figure out after testing a few teachers that there is one that they “just click” with. For reasons only they can explain, they feel a particular bond with, or safety with a specific teacher and will go to different studios just to attend their teacher’s class.

Do I need to do one-to-one classes with a teacher to start off?
One-to-one can be great for beginners and even practiced students who want more focused attention. Attending group classes is a good way to stay motivated and share a connection with like-minded people.

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Have other questions? We are always happy to answer them, big or small, just pop us an email and we will get back to you as soon as we can, anything that is asked remains strictly confidential.

See below for contact details!

We look forward to having you.

You can find us at 33-41 Ratcliffe Terrace Edinburgh EH9 1SX
If you have any questions please email us on wellness@beetrootsauvage.co.uk

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