Holyrood Yoga Studio

I have been a massage therapist since 1994 and a yoga teacher since 1996. I offer treatments and yoga classes for adults and children. I have worked in the U.K. (London, Surrey and Edinburgh), Grenada (spa resorts, villas, yachts and private homes) and at Petit St.Vincent Resort, St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean. I returned to the UK in 2011. I have a B.A. (Hons.) in Social Psychology from the University of Sussex, U.K. I trained soon after in Body Massage, Anatomy and Physiology at the Wilbury School of Natural Therapy in Hove, Sussex, and gained an I.T.E.C. qualification.

I hold a yoga teachers’ (200 hour) certificate from the Sivananda Ashram in Reith, Austria, which has international recognition through the US-based ‘Yoga Alliance’. I have a Reiki II (Practitioner’s Level) qualification from London, U.K. Holyrood Yoga offers yoga classes to all age groups and abilities. Small class sizes in a relaxed environment make the atmosphere friendly and non-competitive. You will be placed in a class that suits your ability and experience. Individual sessions are also available. As of August 2016, classes are about to resume on Monday and Wednesday evenings 6-7pm in Duddingston and cost £10 for a drop-in session, or £24 for four consecutive sessions. Hour-long beginners’ classes are running on Friday mornings at 9:30am.

Special classes are on during the Edinburgh Fringe. 9am daily in a central location. Venue 201, T (Tank) Bar, 235 Cowgate. August 6-25. £5 or £60 for a 20-day pass. There will be delicious fruit, yoghurt and smoothies, coffee and Scottish style hearty breakfast available afterwards. Mats available. I also teach preschoolers and older kids, so if your child or school are interested in setting up a class or would like a class at your child’s nursery, do get in touch. Appointments for massage are can be booked for either half an hour (£25) an hour (£40) or 90 minutes (£60). The massage is a blend of Swedish and deep-tissue techniques, acupressure, reflexology and Reiki. I also offer Reiki and reflexology as stand-alone treatments. You can book a yoga class or massage appointment at a time convenient to your schedule, perhaps while the kids are at school. Treatments are also available on Saturday mornings. I offer treatments in Abbeyhill, in a quiet area close to London Road. I also offer half day, full day and week-long yoga and meditation retreats in beautiful, peaceful settings in the UK and abroad, to give you the opportunity to deepen your experience of yoga and meditation practice. Call or text me on 07429 540849 for booking or more information. I look forward to seeing you soon, Lisa Williams B.A. Psychology, I.T.E.C., 200 hr Yoga certification, Reiki Level II

Proper Exercise

Yoga physical exercises are called ‘asanas’, a term which means steady pose. To start with, the main emphasis is to increase body flexibility. Postures focus first on the strength and flexibility of the spine, which helps to increase circulation and nerve health. Asanas also work on the glands and internal organs, as well as the muscles. When the hormonal system is rejuvenated this helps to balance the emotions and improve the mental outlook on life. When the asanas are performed slowly and with conscious awareness, they also become exercises in concentration and relaxation.

2Proper Breathing

Learning to breathe deeply and fully will allow you to use more of your lung capacity, and give you more energy. A full yogic breath is slow and deep and involves the proper use of the diaphragm muscle. The inhalation starts from the abdominal area and continues through the intercostal (rib) and clavicular (collar bone) areas. You will also learn special breathing exercises called pranayama which will allow you to build up and store energy, known as prana.

3Proper Relaxation

Tension and stress drain us of both physical and mental energy. To counteract this, we must learn how to relax fully. Lying on your back in ‘Savansana’, the relaxation pose, you will learn first how to tense and relax each part of the body in turn, starting with the feet and ending with the head. Then you will continue with auto suggestion, right through the outer and inner parts of the body. Focusing on your breathing will calm your mind, and allow you to release mental tension and worries. As you become more advanced in your yoga practice, you can go on to identify with the all-powerful, all-peaceful and joyful Self or pure Consciousness within, which yogis assert is our true nature.

4Proper Nutrition

The yogic diet is a lacto-vegetarian one, using pure, unprocessed foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Simple meals are easier to digest. Processing, refining and over-cooking destroys a great deal of the nutritional value of the foods we eat. The sun is the source of energy for all life on our planet. The food that is directly nourished by the sun – i.e. fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts and grains – has the greatest life-promoting properties. Food has a subtle effect on the mind and body, and the more seriously you take your yoga practice, the more attention you pay to avoiding substances that are either overly stimulating or create a feeling of lethargy or sluggishness.

5Meditation and Positive thinking

The ability to concentrate is common to all – there is nothing mysterious about it. When we concentrate on something we enjoy, like a game of golf or painting a watercolour picture, other thoughts are slowed down or stilled. Meditation is just taking this a step further by concentrating inwardly instead of on external objects. Happiness achieved through the mind is temporary. To achieve a state of lasting happiness and peace, we must first calm the mind, and then concentrate to go beyond the mind.