Classes
Weekly Classes:
Location and Venue
Weekly classes are held at the Frank Wise School Hall. Frank Wise School is situated close to Banbury town centre, just up the road from Banbury Cross. The Hall is a lovely light and airy space which benefits from climate control, making it a lovely warm space in winter and comfortable and cool in the summer. Just outside the hall is the school car park providing plenty of spaces.
The full address of the hall is:
The Seymour Hall
Frank Wise School
Hornbeam Close
Banbury
OX16 9RL
Class Times
Classes are held every Thursday, throughout the year from 7.30pm - 8.30pm. Any pre-arranged holidays on my part will be factored into your class pass at the point of purchase to allow you the appropriate amount of time in which to complete it.
As the hall is not used before-hand ideally please arrive around 5 - 10 minutes before the start of class to allow plenty of time to get settled so we can start on time. There is no class afterwards either so there is no rush to get packed away. This is often the time that I find women really get chatting to each other and ask questions. I am always happy to spend time giving extra pointers on yoga or anything else that you might want to discuss.
Class Size
Classes are kept small with never more than 12 ladies in a class. This means that there is more chance for you to get to know each other in a relaxed and friendly environment and I can work with the individual needs more effectively.
Class Content
Each week the content of class will vary. This will be dependent on the ladies in the class at the time and on how many weeks they are, previous yoga experience, any conditions they may be experiencing, the time of year, even the weather! If there is anything specific that you would like to work on please do ask me!
Although these are not birth preparation classes a lot of what we do will be very useful for labour and birth, which I will flag up when appropriate. Even if you know you are going to have a C-section, the techniques can still be very useful for staying calm and collected ready to meet your baby.
The content will generally be organised with a breathing exercise to begin the class and settle everyone in, we will then do some general warming up followed by some seated and then standing poses. We will finish the class with a period of relaxation called 'savasana'. This means getting comfy, closing the eyes and either focusing on a breathing technique, or perhaps a guided meditation, or a visualisation, or perhaps just drifting off - whatever you need at the time!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to have practiced yoga before?
No! The classes are gentle and aimed at beginners so do not worry if you have never stepped on a yoga mat before.
How soon can I start?
Ladies are welcome in class from 14 weeks, ideally after you have had your first scan which should confirm how many weeks that you are.
Yoga is a very safe practice at any time. However, up to around 12-14 weeks there is a higher risk of miscarriage and although it is highly unlikely that yoga would cause this, it is my preference to be as safe as possible.
What do I need to bring to class?
I have a small number of spare mats, but I would encourage you to purchase your own - it is much nicer to have your own space, you will be more inclined to practice at home and I always feel more comfortable and able to relax on my own mat. You can usually pick mats up for anything from £5 - £15 in TK Maxx or Tesco.
Please also bring either a normal pillow, or if you have one a pregnancy support pillow is great, these are for use in Savasana at the end of class. A blanket is a must for keeping you warm and cosy in relaxation and can also be useful for providing some extra padding under the knees etc during the class.
Can I try one class or drop-in instead of buying a Class Pass?
I do not offer drop-ins as I need to be able to plan for the needs of the group and prepare lesson plans in advance. I may occasionally run taster sessions, but again, these will need to be pre-booked and pre-paid.
For ladies that are over 32 weeks and have already practiced with me previously, I am happy to offer them a 4 week class pass, or see how they are week by week on a drop-in basis. However, without pre-paying I cannot guarantee space in class; classes get booked up quite quickly and to be fair to the ladies that have paid in advance, their place in class will always take priority. See Prices for more details.
Class Passes
Places in class are pre-paid and booked by purchasing a class pass. This means that you pay in advance for classes, but you have an extended period in which to take them, i.e. you can miss classes for holiday, illness or any other reason, but you will not miss out on classes that you have paid for. This is a really flexible way to attend classes as you are committing to come to class, but in a way that is compatible with busy modern lives.
Class passes are rolling, so there is no set start date; some ladies might be on their first class and some on their fifth. As you get towards the end of your pass I will give you first refusal to rebook before offering your 'space' to any other ladies that might be waiting to join.
If you would like to start classes please contact me for availability, based on due dates I can usually guage when space will be available in class.