Yonder Spring Series 2025: Yoga Asana, Alignment & Assists

Understanding Asana, Alignment & Yoga Assists

When: Saturday 17th May 2025, 2 – 4.30pm 

Where: Yonder, 4-6 Hookers Road, London, E17 6DP

Costs: £35

BOOK HERE

 

Discover the historical lineages of the physical practice of yoga often referred to as yoga asana.  We will cover the anatomical alignment of yoga poses and the potential of yoga assists. 

This workshop brings together my 22 years of experience in teaching yoga asana, seeing bodies in practice; applying my knowledge as a bodyworker and yoga practitioner.  For more info about me see the following link

This workshop is for inquisitive yoga practitioners who wants to:–

  • evolve and inform their yoga asana practice;
  • understand the balance between body anatomy and yoga alignment; and 
  • explore the nuances of yoga assists.

Open to anyone with an interest in yoga asana whether they be a beginner or with multiple years of experience.

We will cover: – 

  • the historical traditions and lineages of yoga asana;
  • the alignment principles of at least ten key yoga asanas/poses found in most yoga asana classes and how it applies to different bodies and flexibilities; and
  • the art of helpful adjustments, what is appropriate and what is not.

Come with your questions and thoughts about your own practice, there will be room for us all to share and learn together. 

BOOK HERE 

Jaqui Wan Bio

Jaqui is a supportive yet challenging teacher.  She has a yoga practice spanning 28 years and 18 years of teaching experience.  In 2006 she was one of the first acroyoga teachers in Europe and is a keen acrobat and Thai massage practitioner.  She is a creative teacher who is both inclusive and supportive; her ongoing ethos is to advocate for playful collaboration and connections.

 

Yonder Spring Series 2025: Partner Yoga & Thai Massage

Delving into Collaborations & Connections

When: Saturday 12th April 2025, 2 – 4.30pm 

Where: Yonder, 4-6 Hookers Road, London, E17 6DP

Costs: £35

BOOK HERE

Slowing down, allow yourself to cultivate connection and conscious listening.  This workshop will cover partner yoga, partner stretches and Thai massage techniques.

Partner yoga and stretches is: –

  • the physical concept of listening and collaboration;
  • an engagement in assisted and supported yoga stretches; and
  • the ability to connect with both breath and touch.

Thai massage is: – 

  • the physical embodiment of the Buddhist concept of loving-kindness ‘Metta Bhavana’;
  • a bodywork to address alignment & rebalance of energy in the body; and
  • referred to, by many, as the “lazy person’s yoga”.

‘Massage is not just a luxury it’s a way to a happier and healthier life.’ Anon

Open to all with an interest in massage techniques.  No partner is necessary.  Come with a willingness to learn something new.  

BOOK HERE

Jaqui has a yoga practice spanning 28 years and 18 years of teaching experience.  She is both an AcroYoga teacher and Thai massage practitioner.

Yonder Spring Series 2025: Exploring Inversions & Arm Balances

Exploring the world of balancing on your hands.

When: Saturday 1st March 2025, 2- 4.30pm 

Where: Yonder, 4-6 Hookers Road, London, E17 6DP

Costs: £35

BOOK HERE

This workshop is ideal for anyone with a regular yoga or movement practice, essentially for those who are keen discover more about their inversions and arm-balancing potential.

We will cover the holy trinity of classic inversions: –

  • Sirsasana / headstands,
  • PIncha Maryasana / forearm balances and
  • Ardho Mukha Vrksasana / handstands.

We will there after explore a range of arm balances which may include: –

  • Tittibasana / firefly,
  • Bakasana / crow,
  • Parsva Bakasana / side crow,
  • Eka Pada Koudiyasana / split leg arm balance,
  • Eka Pada Galvanasana / one legged balance,
  • Eka Hasta Bhujasana / one leg over arm balance,
  • Astrabakrasana / figure of eight pose

We will cover alignment techniques, strength training, the embodiment of inversions and how safely take weight on your arms and hands.

We will build up progressively working on upper body stamina, core conditioning and wrist and finger power.

Prerequisites:-
Should be comfortable being upside down and be able to do a headstand against the wall.

BOOK HERE 

Jaqui has had a long-standing fascination with inversions and arm balances. Since certifying as an acroyoga teacher in 2006, she has been working on handstands and believes it’s a never-ending journey of ‘work in progress’.

AcroYoga Lunar Autumn Series at Yonder

AcroYoga Lunar Series at Yonder E17

 

When: 

Where: Yonder, 4-6 Hookers Road, London, E17 6DP

Costs: £35 for each workshop 

 

AcroYoga Lunar Series

This is your opportunity to slow down, cultivate connection and conscious listening.  These two workshops offer an introduction to partner yoga, Thai massage and flying therapeutics.

These practices embody the restorative side of AcroYoga. It will enable you to explore methods of being present and the importance of shared physical well-being.

 

••••••••

AcroYoga Lunar: Partner Yoga & Thai Massage

Saturday 19th October 2024 2pm – 4.30pm

BOOKING LINK

Slowing down, allow yourself to cultivate connection and conscious listening.  This workshop will touch on partner yoga and thereafter introduce Thai massage techniques an act of conscious loving kindness.

Partner Yoga: –

  • introduces the physical concept of listening and collaboration;
  • is an engagement in assisted and supported yoga stretches; and
  • the ability to connect with both breath and touch.

Thai massage is: – 

  • the physical embodiment of the Buddhist concept of loving-kindness ‘Metta Bhavana’;
  • a bodywork to address alignment & rebalance of energy in the body; and
  • referred to, by many, as the “lazy person’s yoga”.

‘Massage is not just a luxury it’s a way to a happier and healthier life.’ Anon

Open to all with an interest in massage techniques.  No partner is necessary.  Come with a willingness to learn something new.  

 

••••••••

AcroYoga Lunar:  Flying Therapeutics

Saturday 16th November 2pm – 4.30pm

BOOKING LINK

Learning to fly, requires you to trust and let go.  This practice is both unique and stimulating, one is suspended in the air, allowing the practitioner to work with the weight-bearing gravity of the flyer. 

Flying therapeutics is: –

  • being suspended in the air on the base’s hands and feet;
  • being flown, often in an inverted position, where gravity aids length and space to the torso, shoulders and spine; and
  • through a sequence of assisted stretches, encourages the feeling of flight and lightness.   

We would recommend attending the Partner Yoga & Thai Massage workshop to attain the most out of our Flying Therapeutics workshop.  Open to all with an interest in massage techniques.  No partner is necessary. You will be working in pairs or in groups of three.  Come with a willingness to learn something new.  

Women and Non-Binary Retreat 2025

Women & Non-Binary Weekend Retreat with Jaqui Wan, Dora Rubinstein & Lauren Azor 

When: 

  • Friday 4th April – Sunday 6th April 2025
  • Check-in starts at 3pm on Friday and the event finishes at 2pm on Sunday.

Where: Westwood Retreat Centre, Westwood Edge Rd, Golcar, Huddersfield HD7 4JY

Cost:  

Price includes housing, catering and all teaching.  Accommodation availability is on a first come first serve basis: –

  • £600 – private double room – The Eyrie 
  • £550 – private single room – The Eyrie 
  • £475 – twin room ensuite (sharing with one other) –  The Nave 
  • £475 – double bed in luxury studio (sharing with one other) – The Lookout 
  • £475 – double bed in luxury studio (sharing with one other) – The Sanctuary
  • £450 – single bed in luxury studio (sharing with one other) – The Lookout 
  • £450 – single bed in luxury studio (sharing with one other) – The Sanctuary 
  • £450 – twin room (sharing with one other) – The Clerestory 
  • £450 – double bed in shared living space (sharing with one other) – The Nave
  • £440 – single bed in shared living space (sharing with one other) – The Nave
  • £420 – double bed in shared living space (sharing with two others) – The Clerestory
  • £420 – double bed in shared living space – The Eyrie
  • £380 – single bed in shared living space (sharing with two others) – The Clerestory

 

REGISTER HERE

Please register before payment, the payment link is in the registration form.  

 

 

 
Join us in Yorkshire for a weekend-long acro retreat to celebrate the experiences, skills and abilities of women and non-binary people. A weekend to empower women and non-binary voices, and to explore the group dynamics of gender in amateur circus and acrobatics – as well as to have loads of fun and acro play!
 
What’s included:-
 
  • Multiple daily workshops ranging from AcroYoga L basing, Thai massage, flying therapeutics to standing acrobatics;
  • Daily yoga and handstand classes;
  • Accommodation will be in beautiful boutique apartments;
  • All vegetarian meals and snacks are prepared by a local chef Billbery Bee 

What’s not included: –

  • Transport to/from the venue (we are happy to help coordinate car-shares and taxi-shares from local train stations) and 
  • Travel Insurance
  •  

Venue Information 

Westwood Retreat Centre, a 19th-century church building converted into an events hall and accommodation, surrounded by a lawn and gardens for private use and lush green countryside beyond.

Please note the venue operates a noise curfew from 11pm through to 8am, our retreat will also comply with this. 

Transport 

The nearest train station is Slaithwaite (pronounced ‘Slawit’), which is accessible from Huddersfield and Manchester Piccadilly. It’s a 1-mile very steep uphill walk from there so most guests prefer a 4-minute £5 taxi ride.

 

Example schedule:
Times Activity
8am – 9am  Breakfast 
9am – 10.30am  Workshop – Solar Asana
10.30am – 11am  Break
11am – 12.30pm Workshop – Same Size Flows
12.30pm – 2.30pm  Lunch
2.30pm – 4pm   Workshop – Handstands on Body Parts
4pm – 4.30pm  Break
4.30pm – 6pm Workshop – Trio Tricks 
6pm – 8pm Dinner and Chill 
8pm -9.30pm Workshop – Thai Massage & Therapeutic Flying 

REGISTER HERE

Please register before payment, the payment link is in the registration form.  

 

Your Hosts:


This retreat weekend is led by acroyoga, handstands and yoga teachers Jaqui Wan, Lauren Azor and Dora Rubinstein.

 

Jaqui is a yoga asana & acroyoga teacher based in London. She has been teaching full-time since 2008 and has had an ongoing yoga asana practice spanning almost 30 years. She is challenging yet playful and has an attention to detail that actively celebrates difference and group learning. She is the founder of Bodhitrix and the L Basing Compendium. She is an acrobatics elder in the London community and is one of the main organisers of the London Acro Convention.

 

Lauren is a playful teacher, who is keen to share her love for acroyoga. She is also a RYT300 Yoga teacher, who has taught Yoga in the UK & India. She currently teaches weekly Yoga and AcroYoga classes in her hometown of Brighton, workshops in the UK and Europe, and updates her experience at Acrobatic conventions.

 

Dora is a yoga and acroyoga teacher, and a theatre and circus performer. Classes are lively, light-hearted, and usually full of laughs! She is based in York, but teaches and performs internationally. Most recently a tour has taken her across the USA where she’s acro-jammed in Missouri, Nevada, Ohio and California. She can’t wait to share the fun things she’s picked up on her travels.

 

Catering is provided by Bilberry Bee, and will be a hearty, healthy and wholesome vegetarian catering to dietary requirements. Expect breakfasts like turmeric porridge, stewed apples & pears, homemade granolas & smoothies. Lunches might be buddha bowls, flans or jacket potatoes with chilli. Dinners will always be 2 or 3 courses with mezzes, curries or lasagnas, plus homemade cakes and desserts for both lunch and dinner!

 

REGISTER HERE

Please register before payment, the payment link is in the registration form.  

 

Who is this retreat for?

This retreat is open to all acroyogis and acrobats who identify as women or non-binary, and who are excited to train in a space primarily for those identifying as women & non-binary. We want to celebrate the diversity of what this means and embrace what we have in common.

There are a limited number of spots available, so to plan workshops and make sure everyone is catered for, we ask that you have some acroyoga or acrobatics experience. There are some prerequisites for this event which you can read below – please get in touch with one of the lead teachers if you are unsure on this or need help meeting these prerequisites.

 

Your acrobatic skills:

We are aware that every person’s experience will be slightly different. This retreat is intended to cater for people who would consider themselves ‘beyond beginner/improver’ – this could mean that you’ve practised acro consistently for at least 6 months; have a solid background in another field like aerial or gymnastics; or have done acro for years but had some time away due to injury.

We request that all participants have a familiarity base or/and fly as well as confidently spot the following: –

  • L basing Star – shoulder stand of feet
  • L basing Front Bird on hands
  • L basing low Foot to Hand
  • Standing Thigh Stand
  • Standing Two High

 

If you are unclear of any of the above, please email wnbacrofest@gmail.com or you can contact the three organisers on Instagram: –

 

REGISTER HERE

Please register before payment, the payment link is in the registration form.  

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