Six Tuesday evenings, £72, the same eight people, and the questions answered
The beginners' course
A six-week course for people who have never done yoga or Pilates and would rather learn with other beginners than guess in an open class: the basic poses and principles, how to breathe, what the words mean, what to do when something hurts, and a free class afterwards to try the schedule. Eight people, Tuesday evenings, Eleri.
Most people who try yoga and give up do so because the first class was an open one and they spent it confused. The course exists so that the first six weeks are with people who are equally new, a teacher who expects nothing, and enough time to learn what a downward dog is before being asked to do twelve of them.
Six Tuesdays at 7pm, seventy-five minutes each, eight people, Eleri teaching. Week one is standing and breathing; week two the floor; weeks three and four the poses that appear in every class and the kinder versions of each; week five Pilates principles so you can try those classes too; week six a full gentle class with everything you have learned. Each week ends with tea in the hall and the questions people do not ask in a class of fourteen. At the end you get a free class on the schedule and a note from Eleri saying which classes suit you.
The course is for adults of any age and any body; the oldest so far was seventy-eight and the stiffest, by his own account, was a rugby prop. It is also where people with anxiety about group classes tend to start, because the group is small and stays the same. Courses run every eight weeks or so and fill a fortnight ahead; the dates are on the schedule page and a deposit of £20 holds a place.
What is included
- Six Tuesday evenings, seventy-five minutes
- Eight people, the same eight every week
- Yoga and Pilates basics, the words explained
- Tea and questions afterwards
- A free class on the schedule at the end
- A note from Eleri saying which classes suit you
What it costs
£72 for six weeks, including a free class on the schedule afterwards. Runs about every eight weeks; dates on the schedule page. The schedule page has every class, the levels explained, every pass and every price. Mats and props are provided.
Questions about beginners
What if I miss a week?
Tell Eleri and she will send a ten-minute video of what was covered and a few lines to read. Missing two is fine; missing three and we would suggest joining the next course, at no charge.
Can I just do a drop-in class instead?
Yes: any gentle class, £8 for your first, and the first-visit page tells you what to expect. The course is for people who would rather not guess. Both routes are fine and both are used.
Your first class is £8. Read the first-visit page, then come.
Any gentle or open mat class, mats and props provided, the teacher told you are new, and the kinder version of every pose offered without being asked. Book in the app, send the form, or walk in ten minutes early; the desk is open half an hour before each class.