Yoga’scool

Kids & Family Yoga

Kids and families around the world are learning yoga in the super-fun way of Rainbow Kids Yoga, which is known for its unique teaching style: loads of music, games, stories and props (such as soft toys, face paints, bubbles and costumes).

The Rainbow Kids Yoga motto is “it’s always more fun together”, so there’s lots of partner yoga poses and group activities.

How could something so FUN be so HEALTHY? That’s the beauty of yoga – it makes us feel good, it helps us bond with others, and it gives our body, mind and soul so many benefits.

Children are given the respect they deserve and learn to respect others in the process. For kids, yoga is especially helpful in building self-esteem and good body image, and boosting concentration.

Now parents and grandparents can go to yoga class without booking a babysitter! Everyone does yoga together.

Yoga’scool’s Kids & Family Yoga classes are held at Debbie & Abbey Borgia Recreation Centre, 531 Illawarra Road (next to Steel Park), Marrickville. There’s plenty of free off-street parking.

Adult Yoga

Yoga’scool’s adult yoga classes in Newtown, Sydney, are based on gentle hatha yoga and are suitable for people of all ages, levels of flexibility and health conditions – yoga is for every body! Enjoy gentle yet strengthening yoga classes with an emphasis on stress relief and relaxation.

Yoga classes include:

• Postures (asanas) to increase flexibility, build strength and release tension
  
• Breathing practices (pranayama) and meditation to calm
  
• Deep relaxation (Yoga Nidra)

Beginners/general course is a mixed level course for newbies and those who have attended yoga classes before. Each asana (posture) and exercise given has many levels of strength and depth available, so can be practised according to your capabilities, with scope for growth and learning. Learn at your own pace!

Laughter Yoga classes

Kids laugh 300 to 400 times a day, while adults laugh about 15 times a day. As we grow older we get socially conditioned out of laughing at anything and rely on humour – and we also tend to get serious. Laughter Yoga helps you to bring more laughter into your life and enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits.

Laughter Yoga is relatively new – created in 1995 by a medical doctor in India, Dr Madan Kataria. Today there are thousands of Laughter Yoga groups in 65 countries around the world. Why so popular so quick? It’s fun, healthy and easy – and you feel really good afterwards!

There’s a growing body of research proving the health benefits of hearty belly laughter, including stress relief, the release of feel-good endorphins and excellent cardio exercise (1 minute of laughter equals 10 minutes on an exercise machine!). But you need to laugh for at least 15 minutes continuously to get the benefits, so that’s where a Laughter Yoga class comes in.

A Laughter Yoga class is not based on humour – it uses playful exercises, clapping and chanting. We practice the exercises and make eye contact with others in the group, which starts to turn fake laughter into genuine, contagious laughter. The exercises are silly and make us laugh. The class also includes breathing and relaxation practices from yoga. The class usually finishes with a guided deep relaxation (Yoga Nidra). Classes are usually 30 to 60 minutes.

Yoga’scool is currently offering free Laughter Yoga classes at Enmore Park, Victoria Rd Marrickville. To be notified of upcoming classes, email stretch@yogascool.net and “Like” Yoga’scool Newtown on Facebook.