OM Yoga Magazine – July 2018

om travel

More often than not most of us take
classes in church halls, gyms, community
centres and the like. And while the yoga
itself can be wonderful, the surroundings can
sometimes, dare I say it, be a little lacking.
So, I decided to explore some more eye-
catching yoga spots to spice up my practice.
Here are a few that I found.

Castle warriors

Yoga in a castle at candlelight in front

of a roaring fire. All of these things are

pretty magnificent alone but put them

all together and you have a very special

evening indeed. Powderham Castle lies in

a beautiful deer park on the banks of the

River Exe and over 600 years of history

lies within the castle walls. Arriving for

your class along the sweeping entrance

is quite the event in itself and it’s all

thanks to the Earl and Countess of Devon

(or Charlie and AJ as they are known in

class), who decided to fling open their

substantial doors to the community and

offer yoga classes with local teacher

Gillie Sutherland of Flow Yoga Devon.

Depending on the weather, it’s either the

roaring fire in the state dining room or

perhaps the rose garden or maybe the

deer park overlooking the Exe estuary.

powderham.co.uk or behappyfit.co.uk

On the beach with a crowd

One of the largest gatherings of fellow yogis with wonderful views out onto Swansea

Bay, this is for the beach lovers among you. A truly life-affirming experience as you and

hundreds of others make beautiful shapes in the sand. If that wasn’t good enough, it’s

a donation-only class that attracts over 100 students each time and runs throughout

the summer months. Led by Annapurna Helen Wilson, the lucky attendees are full of

admiration. In the words of one (Jenny): “It’s absolutely wonderful to be able to do yoga on

the beach and to hear the waves crashing; it gives you an enormous sense of relaxation.”

womankindyoga.com

Colour therapy

An assault to all the senses

this one, but in a very good

way indeed. Beautiful shades

of the spectrum fill the room

and sequences correspond to

the healing properties of that

colour. And it’s not just colour

that works its magic during

the class: soundscapes that

emulate the sound frequencies

of our brain are played out

and essential oils are used

in harmony to encourage a

wonderful fully immersive and

healing experience. Unique

and quite the revelation.

chromayoga.co.uk

Cherry Williams is lucky enough to practice yoga in a beautiful converted chapel in

Warwickshire. But it made her ponder where else you can do yoga with a view

Classroom

with aView

Photo: Stephanie Sian

Smith (ChromaYoga)