LIMBERING UP IN LOCKDOWN
After spending at least half of the last lockdown flat on my back with morning sickness, unable to lift my head on some days, this lockdown I feel like my energy has doubled and my brain has switched back on. OK, I still get tired easily but what once looked impossible when it came to moving my body is now something I really look forward to every day.
I’m no hardcore workout person; I never was but did throw myself around from time to time in the name of health (such a Vata-Pitta trait too). I’ve now learnt what suits me — calm and grounding workouts suit my mind-body much better. My day-to-day life is pretty yang (masculine, hot, active, doing energy) in many ways, though less and less so lately, and so more yin (feminine, cool, grounding, being) styles of workouts from qi gong and yin yoga to park walks with the dogs are what I seek for balance. Now back in lockdown, where online content pervades, I thought I’d share what’s been floating my boat lately.
QI GONG WITH KATIE BRINDLE
Every weekday morning at 8am on Instagram Live
Chinese Medicine Practitioner Katie Brindle took to Instagram Live right at the beginning of lockdown 1 to form a community that is still going strong and introduced Qi Gong to a now-super loyal following with remarkable improvements to health concerns of all types. Nick and I did it every weekday morning for 7 weeks at the beginning of lockdown and after doing a #WellnessWednesdayWorkshop Live with her, my mum followed suit too and is still doing it now! Expect to learn about cultivating your own energy, meridians (energy channels), tapping and healing sounds and why it’s important to look after your health from the inside out. One of Katie’s favourite phrases, “relaxed yet energised,” is exactly how you feel after 45 minutes with her — and totally inspired. It’s been such a success that she’s launched Hayo’u Fit, an online platform providing Qi Gong any time, any place. Nick and I also trained in 12 Rivers (a brand of Long White Cloud Qi Gong which works on 12 of the meridians in the body which are linked to your major organs for increased energy) with Arron Collins Thomas who is head trainer at Hayo’u Fit. Hayo’u fit is currently offering readers 15% off courses with code Jasmine15.
THE UNDERBELLY YOGA WITH JESSAMYN STANLEY
Online yoga 2-week free trial, £9.29 a month thereafter
I started following yoga teacher, podcast host and author Jessamyn a few years back — for her body positive yoga as well as being intrigued by her name, an Old French, Persian variant on my own. I recently started her online yoga classes after I got a buzz for getting back on the mat and wanted to add in some variety. So far, I love them. Her brilliant chat that you get to know via her Instagram feed works brilliantly for her classes — the mood is that you are there in class with her, the set-up is casual and you get to understand what each posture can offer you through the nurturing way she explains it rather than focusing only on copying a posture without mentally and spiritually connecting with it. It’s like a therapy session and a hangout in one. Her current classes are divided into the elements of Air, Earth and Fire which are 30 minutes long (love this and so will anyone following Ayurveda or TCM), Seeds — less than 10 mins — and Sprouts, which is around 20 minutes. My favourite so far is an Earth track called “Connect to the Energy of Being Alive” — a great one for starting my day with! And because Jessamyn talks you through being in your body I feel like I have time to intuitively feel what is right while sporting a baby bump.
12pm every Sunday through November - currently one ticket admits two, so your friend can join you virtually, OR check out The VOGA Method Live Wednesday 6pm and Saturday 10am
Probably the most dynamic of the workouts I do… I met Juliet years ago just before she launched VOGA — a culmination of all her passions: music, dance, yoga, all things ‘80s, and Ibiza. After experiencing illness in her teens, she wanted to help others prioritise health and wellbeing while maintaining the fun. Fashion and fitness merged into a style of “chic yoga,” inspired by the voguing community, where getting lost in the beat and finding your inner confidence and self-expression while working out was the goal. Juliet is currently pregnant with her second child so she’s just launched a Sunday prenatal session that takes into consideration all things pregnancy, but judging by who joined last time it's a hit with others too. Expectant mums can now enjoy all the benefits of the original VOGA: style-charged, Vogue-fused workout via a brand new class designed especially for pregnant women. VOGA Mama offers the buzz of a regular VOGA Method workout (think yoga and Vogue-inspired dance, stretching and posing, strengthening and toning, to an ‘80s House Beat, Madonna-style), while safely preparing your mind and body for birth.
THE HUMAN NAHID WITH NAHID DE BELGEONNE
Online classes and one to ones - try out the Friday night Restorative class on Zoom at 6pm
I met Nahid at an Ayurvedic event in Cheltenham a few years back and instantly loved her yoga style and just hanging out with her as a person. During a particularly stressful time I got a one on one with her in one of her previous yoga studios, Good Vibes in Covent Garden, where she put me into a deep relaxed state which calmed my whole nervous system by giving me permission to let go. Nahid’s offerings have evolved into The Human Method, which aims to keep you agile and resilient in a constantly changing environment. She does that with the profound practices of breath, yoga and neuro-muscular education classes, blending mindful yoga flow, somatic movements and restorative yoga poses with breathing techniques and meditation. She introduced her classes globally at the start of lockdown straight from her deep blue living room. Slow and low is how I’d describe these classes — subtle yet powerful, understanding your body in a whole new way. Check out her Takeover of my channel.
STRALA YOGA APP WITH TARA STILES
7-day free trial, then ~£15 per month
One of my all time favourite yoga teachers and a truly beautiful person. Tara was one of the first people to use the web to bring yoga to a wider audience… and was my first online yoga teacher via Youtube. Then whenever work would take me to NYC I would arrange my schedule to ensure I could head downtown to make one of Tara or her husband Mike’s (movement master) classes. Roll on a few years and we are firm friends. Tara’s baby even shares my birthday! Tara’s yoga is juicy flow, easy and strengthening — all the things that put me in a good head space. Her yoga school, Strala Yoga, is well established and so is the app, so expect to find plenty of content there. It also has a whole prenatal workout section which I’ve been enjoying. Tara held daily morning yoga classes from her living room during lockdown and Mike did Tai Chi workshops (a Chinese martial art meant to help you find calm), so have a scroll through Tara’s personal feed and the Strala feed on Insta.Check out my Wellness Wednesday with her.
Free for the first month, then £9.99 per month or £58.99 per year
A super popular app judging by the thousands of 5-star reviews on the App Store. It covers yoga, HIIT and barre. My mind is slightly blown at how they filmed and put together this app where you can literally dictate your choices in workout from how long you want, what style, what area you want to focus on to what voiceover you want (think US, UK, South African, Australian, etc), and music choice! They also do Prenatal Yoga which is how I came to finally give it a go. Did I mention you can personalise how long you want the savasanas at the end to be and also what pace you want to go at? Choose from 5 speeds! Oh and you can save your favourite workouts that you helped personalise. It’s very slick and clean though more impersonal with its voiceovers, but if you want something you can structure without scrolling through a tonne of content on YouTube every time, then this is a great app to have. It’s free to sign up to for about the first month and you can choose Full Practice (think yoga flow) or Restorative (think Yin yoga). Plus you can personalise to the trimester you are in if you’re pregnant too!
Free for everyday heroes, or £10.99 per month
FRAME is one of the coolest London studios, with jam-packed class schedules and affordable memberships. For lockdown, they’ve developed an on-demand platform, where you can take all sorts of yoga, barre, box-fit, pilates, dance cardio and so much more. Plus to boost morale throughout this pandemic winter, they’re offering free classes to frontline workers, teachers and anyone struggling with the state of things right now. To take advantage of this offer, just DM @moveyourframe on Instagram!