Pole Infinity & Beyond Gravity Yoga

Pole Fitness – Our studio offers numerous pole fitness classes every week for anyone who wants to become fitter in the most fun way possible! Pole fitness is suitable for anyone who wants to tone up, lose weight and enjoy the benefits of lots of laughs in the process. It does not matter what age, size or level of fitness you have as we start people off at a very basic level and gradually work up from there. Pole fitness has the added benefit of a helping people improve their confidence and self-esteem and meet lots of new friends. Our experienced instructors not only are fantastic teachers but they all have great personalities to help people really get the most out of their classes. Classes are once a week over a 6 week term and last an hour and 15 minutes. They are priced at a fantastic rate of £45 for the 6 week term.

Tone class - We offer a class once a week for one full hour on exercises to tone your abs, your bum and legs. This is not a pole fitness class but more a body reconditioning one and is open to all men and women with the same goal in mind. This class works you hard but is also a lot of fun. Anyone can join this class and you can either commit to the 6 week term or you can pay as you go and use it as a drop in for whenever it suits you to come along. It is specifically for people who just want to tone up and improve their physique. Class will last an hour and will be priced at £30 for the 6 weeks.

Yoga for Chronic Pain Relief – We are very proud to say we have developed a very unique programme which we offer for people who would like to improve their flexibility and fitness but suffer from chronic pain. The programme is based on gentle yoga exercises using a chair and is suitable for people with all sorts of health problems and those who may have limited mobility.

Sophie Dechant is our very highly qualified yoga instructor and also works as a senior nurse practitioner in Altnagelvin Hospital. Sophie leads the yoga part of this programme.

Karen Baldwin works as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist will give some specific information each week on some techniques to help manage pain better outside of classes. Karen has written numerous chronic pain management programmes which continue to run today. Topics will include how pain is felt, pacing, stress management, changing how you think and mindfulness. She has 17 years experience as a CBT clinician and works throughout Northern Ireland as a private CBT practitioner treating a wide range of psychological disorders, teaching and developing programmes for various organisations throughout Northern Ireland.

Michelle Glenn is a very experienced physiotherapist and is also involved in the programme and speaks to the group on the final week of the term to offer specific physiotherapy advice and answer questions to anyone who wants to attend.

Living with chronic pain of any kind is a humbling experience. Pain causes our lives to change in both small and major ways. Unexpectedly we find ourselves needing to create a new relationship to our body, mind and spirit – a process that can be frustrating and confusing. Modern science and yoga agree: our present pain and suffering have roots related to past pain, trauma, stress, loss, and illness and the very real biology of your thoughts, emotions, expectations, and memories. Often pain is sustained by how initial experiences/beliefs or traumas changed not just the body but also the mind-body relationship. Self-awareness brings light to such relationships and allows room for new ones to begin.

Gentle Yoga
Gentle Yoga is an easy, nurturing practice that is a slower pace and combines warm-ups, gentle and restorative postures, yogic breathing and guided, deep relaxation. Ideal for anyone wanting to work on strengthening, stress-release, flexibility and balance and overall well-being. The class is fitting for students who are new and also familiar to yoga, students who have physical limitations, chronic pain, or are recovering from injury, and students who want to have a less rigorous, softer nurturing and more relaxing practice.

Gentle yoga classes are well-supported with carefully orchestrated movements, longer, softer stretches, including range of motion exercises. Postures are introduced in gradual steps, with plenty of time to focus on breathing and repetition so that the practice is safe and not stressing to the joints. A gentle yoga style builds mindfulness and concentration that encourages the student to be more aware their body’s messages, thus creating a safer approach so they can make their own moment-to-moment adjustments.

Benefits
• Strengthened muscles and joints
• Improved range of motion and flexibility in hips, spine, and shoulders
• Improved balance
• Improved posture
• Reduced stress and pain
• Increased vitality and a greater sense of well-being
• Improved sleep
• Better eating habits
• Rejuvenates the body's healing capacity through restorative yoga poses

Who should attend?
Appropriate for beginning and continuing students including those experiencing or recovering from illness or injury and for pregnant women.

Chair Yoga
Chair yoga is a general term for a practice that modifies yoga poses so that, instead of a mat, the poses can be done while seated or, for those who are able, standing using a chair for support. It is perfect for students with physical challenges who find it difficult to get on and off the floor as required for a traditional yoga class. While seated on a chair, students can do versions of twists, neck and shoulder stretches, hip openers, forward bends, and mild backbends.

Benefits
In addition to stretching, chair yoga participants can also enjoy the other health benefits of yoga including:
• Improved range of motion and flexibility in the hips, spine, and shoulders
• Greater muscle tone
• Increased circulation, balance, better breathing habits
• Meditation and ways of relaxation
• Reduction of stress and pain
• Better sleep
• Increased vitality and a greater sense of well-being

Who Should Attend?
Anyone, beginner to advanced, who is unable or who has hesitated trying yoga because of the challenge of getting down onto the floor or doing standing poses. Appropriate for those experiencing or recovering from illness or injury.

Class includes
• Breathing
• Meditation
• Stretching and gentle movement
• Neck and shoulder stretches
• Hip openers
• Twists
• Balance
• Strengthening
• And... a lot of fun while sitting on a chair!
Classes also include education on psychological and physical techniques to manage pain better.

Here are some conditions for which one may find relief through these classes:
• Arthritis
• Back pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic Fatigue
• Cancer
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Chronic Injury Pain
• High Stress (which is known to exacerbate pain and its recurring cycles)

Benefits may also include:
• Improved sleep
• Improved posture
• Improved ability to focus
• Ability to resume activities previously discontinued due to pain and help with learning relaxation

Tea and coffee is available for those that fancy a cuppa after the yoga part of the class structure. Classes last an hour and 15 minutes each week. This is an excellent programme which is unique to our studio and has been getting excellent feedback. Classes are once a week for 6 weeks and are priced at £25 for the 6 week term.

AntiGravity Yoga;

Antigravity Yoga is a fitness regime designed to increase one’s overall health and physical agility while having fun. The technique was created by gymnasts for the sake of exploring the air and has been modified and enhanced to fit into the yoga mold and to cater to the everyday athlete. By adding additional techniques from dance, pilates and calisthenics, AntiGravity has created a complete workout that is certain to get you in shape while realigning you from the compression of gravity.

The AntiGravity Hammock is a structural fabric that is connected from two overhead points. It acts like a swing or soft trapeze

BENEFITS

Zero compression inversions
Circulatory and lymphatic system refresh
Stimulating the release of neurotransmitters from the brain.
Decompression of spine thruoughgentle traction
Hydration of vertebral disks.
Increased muscular flexibility
Core strengthening
Upper and lower body muscular strengthening
Increased kinesthetic awareness; Fine-tuning balance & agility
More astute proprioceptor (sensory receptors) response
Increased joint mobility
Low impact cardiovascular conditioning.
Increased command/response acuity.
Greater cerebellum function
Increased Neuromuscular plasticity.
Hormone stimulation.
Self-esteem enhancement through conquering basic fears.
More astute presence through mindful consciousness conditioning.
Learning of new skills: A creative and artistic fitness experience.
Uniquely fun experience that works risible muscles as well as functional muscles.

You will leave class feeling lighter. Your posture will be improved and you will be taller (growth is not cumulative).