Restorative classes, Wednesdays 6 – 7.30 pm, with Lucy
Next one – tba
This class offers long holds in supported asana, providing deep release in the body and a quiet stillness in the mind. Restorative yoga practice is the first step towards Pranayama, since it teaches us the stillness required to begin to observe and understand our breath, while conditioning the body, particularly the respiratory organs, for Pranayama practice. A restorative practice teaches us to listen to our body and nourishes us in both body and mind.
Book your place on the Timetable
Garth McLean, Friday 30 May – Sunday 1 June 2025
Friday 30 May 6 – 8pm
Saturday 31 May 10 – 12.30 and 2 – 4pm
Sunday 1 June 10.30 – 2pm (with a short break)
Whole weekend £220 / £195 Early Bird by 25 April
General level (open to all students of Iyengar yoga)
Anyone with MS, Parkinsons or other neurological condition is particularly welcome.
Garth McLean is a senior Iyengar Yoga teacher based in Los Angeles. He has studied extensively with the Iyengar family in Pune and is Internationally recognised for his work with people with neurological or movement challenges. Steeped in the the tradition of Iyengar Yoga, Garth brings years of experience (Introductory to Advanced) coupled with compassionate exploration and creative adaptation, to empower students of all levels of ability to move beyond perceived limitations.
Garth is a co-founding and current board member of the Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics group, a non-profit organisation (Los Angeles) dedicated to helping people manage diseases and conditions through the therapeutic applications of yoga. He also serves on the advisory board and is a faculty member of AnuYoga, a non-profit organization (Tel Aviv), that facilitates the integration of Iyengar Yoga as a therapeutic intervention for patient rehabilitative care in hospitals and the medical field. Garth is a published author of Yoga and Multiple Sclerosis, A Practical Guide for People with MS and Yoga Teachers, (Singing Dragon Books, London 2020). He has written and performed a one-person show entitled, Looking For Lightning, about his journey which he performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2018).
Garth McLean’s story is an inspiring one. In his own words, he was “blessed with a diagnosis of MS” in 1996, an event that disrupted his career trajectory as a Hollywood actor and that changed everything for him – as he says, instantly, forever and continuously. Yoga helps him manage his symptoms and the stress of these huge changes. While yoga is not a cure, he is living proof that a well-informed practice can help lessen symptoms and safely empower the practitioner to enhance their quality of life, whether dealing with a condition or
convalescing from an injury or illness.
Taking into consideration the needs, ability and level of those in attendance, we will explore a range of asanas to enhance mobility, strength and balance. Steeped in Iyengar Yoga, Garth keenly draws upon his insight and experience (introductory to advanced) to scale the practice to benefit and empower each individual. Garth’s approach can be especially potent for the persons dealing with nervous system conditions and related challenges.
Booking is now open for the whole weekend only, early bird £195 if you book by April 25th. Book your place on the Timetable – scroll to April 25 to find the link.
Please note, refunds are not available for this event
Lucienne Vidah – weekend of Yoga, July 4-6, 2025
Friday 4 July, 4 – 6 pm, restorative yoga
Saturday 5 July, 9.30 – 11.30 am and 5 – 7 pm, lateral poses and inversions
Sunday 6 July, 10 – 1 pm, (un)supported backbends
Early bird £135 by 1 May
Full weekend £165 after 1 May
Saturday £80, Sunday £60 available later
Lucienne is a Senior teacher from New York who has become a good friend and much loved visiting teacher here at Yoga Now. She has a background in modern dance and has been studying Iyengar yoga since 1984. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend a whole weekend with her – a yoga retreat here in Edinburgh!
Lucienne has a deep interest in the body and how it functions – as a tool for artistic expression in dance, as a tool for healing through bodywork, and as a tool to sharpen the mind as a yoga practitioner.
“By exploring and defining the outer form, we can find the layered composition of the form which gradually transforms our inner perceptions, ultimately reaching ourselves.”
To book your Early Bird place for the whole weekend, scroll to April 30 on the Timetable page of the website.
Booking for Saturday or Sunday only will be available later, if places remain.
Please note, refunds are not available for this event
Practice Session, next one tbc, 10.30 – 12.30, in the STUDIO.
Come and join Lucy and Katie in the studio, to practice together and use the studio equipment. Suitable for all regular students of Yoga Now, with a home practice.
Each person’s practice will be self-directed but we could have a theme so that the explorations and energy will have a common thread. As these will be spaces of self-practice within a group with no-one leading or directing, people will of course be welcome to practice as they choose or what best suits their conditions on the day.
Group practice is a tremendous way to learn and at the same time feel connected with others who also love yoga. They are kind, supportive and respectful spaces. It can be inspiring to see how others practice, how props are used; we can be reminded of different approaches to asana or of those we neglect; a pair of hands can be there to help us. The supportive environment may encourage us to find courage in place of fear, to explore further and delve deeper.
1 credit, £4.
Please book from the timetable.