Blossoming Tree Yoga - Carla Cooper

**When do we cross the threshold?**

When do we realise that practising yoga has changed the way we see the world?

Changed the way we are present in the world — and with ourselves?

Does it creep up on us slowly, almost without us noticing?

Or is there a moment of realisation... an epiphany... when we suddenly recognise that something has shifted?

When do we realise that this wonderful practice, which we might only do for a few hours a week, has somehow begun to change us?

Not just our bodies.

But **us — as people.**

Perhaps it's in the way we respond rather than react.

Perhaps in the way we notice things we didn't notice before.

Perhaps in the way we sit with discomfort, uncertainty or change.

Or perhaps we don't notice it happening at all.

Until one day, something happens and we realise:

**I wouldn't have responded to that in the same way before I found yoga.**

Maybe that's when we cross the threshold.

What do you think? 📩👇

This week is the last week of my short summer series — a bite-sized 4-week block. 🙏

How did that happen? How did these weeks fly by at such speed...?

However, that is the beauty of yoga. It offers us a pause. A silent space to just be. And I think this is such a valuable practice to cultivate in the fast-paced world we live in.

During these 4 weeks, we've explored Yoga as a practice of connection — connection to our mind, body, breath and inner awareness.

We've also explored some of the traditional practices of the Hatha Yoga tradition — the poses, breathing practices, mudra, mantra, meditation etc. — which are traditionally understood as ways of cultivating, balancing and directing *prana*, our life force energy.

So, in this final class of the block, we'll consider...

**What happens when we practise these things regularly? And what does modern science tell us about why we might feel different as a result?**

If you fancy joining us, there are drop-in spaces available. 🧘‍♀️

Or, if you'd like to know about the next block (to be scheduled soon!), just get in touch. 🙏

🌿 One of the things I love about yoga isn't what you learn to do… it's what you begin to notice.

One of the lovely things a participant on my Yoga for Absolute Beginners course said to me this week was that she's becoming much more aware of her breath and her posture.

And this is exactly what I mean when I say that yoga is about so much more than physical postures.

At first, you might simply be learning how to do a yoga pose.

But gradually, something else starts to happen.

You begin to notice how you're standing, how you're breathing, where you hold tension, whether you're rushing, whether you're holding your breath without realising it, how your body feels when you slow down. And perhaps even how your thoughts and emotions influence the way you move and breathe.

This is awareness — and it's one of the foundations of yoga.

The aim isn't to constantly analyse ourselves or to become hyper-aware of everything we do. It's simply about becoming a little more present in our own bodies. And that awareness doesn't necessarily stay on the yoga mat.

You might suddenly notice that you're sitting at your desk with your shoulders hunched…or holding your breath while concentrating…or rushing through something that doesn't actually need to be rushed.

And once we notice something, we have a choice.

We can pause.

We can breathe.

We can adjust.

We can respond differently.

That's one of the quiet gifts of yoga. 🧘‍♀️

It doesn't just teach you what your body can do.

It can teach you to listen to what your body is telling you.

If this is the only thing that the attendees on the beginners course take away with them, I will be happy 🙏

**Still a student…**

Today I'm feeling the benefit of a yoga class I attended last night, and reflecting on how I'm still very much a student.

Yoga practice reminds you that you never "finish" learning.

I do my best to keep up with my personal practice, still attending other teachers' classes. This ensures I continue to challenge myself, and improve my posture or alignment in a pose.

And I think there's a balance to be found between respecting your body and challenging it.

Listening to your body doesn't mean always staying within the easiest version of a pose. Sometimes it's about exploring your range of movement, building a little more strength or mobility, staying for an extra breath, trying something slightly different or simply noticing, *"I think I can explore this a little more today."*

But challenge is different for everyone.

For one person, holding Warrior II for another few breaths might be challenging. For someone else, it might be working on their balance. And for someone else, the challenge might actually be learning to back off, rest and accept that today isn't the day to push.

That's something I come back to again and again in my own practice.

**Sthira Sukham Asanam** — the yoga sutra often translated as "steady and comfortable" or "stable and at ease."

I don't think that means yoga should always feel comfortable. There can be effort. There can be challenge. There can be moments when we're definitely working!

But there should also be respect for the body and an awareness of what is appropriate for *us*.

And perhaps that's part of the learning.

Knowing when to challenge yourself… and knowing when not to.

So, today I'm thanking Yaiza for teaching me, and I'm grateful that my learning can continue to influence and improve my teaching. 🙏️

**Did you know?**

One of the traditional purposes of **Hatha yoga is to cultivate, balance and direct prana** — our vital life energy.

You may have experienced something of this without having a name for it.

That sense of being **more energised after a yoga practice**.
The feeling of becoming deeply calm after slow, steady breathing.
Perhaps warmth, tingling or a subtle sense of aliveness in the body when you become very still and present.

In the Hatha tradition, experiences such as these can be understood in relation to **prana** — the energy that animates and sustains us.

The practices of Hatha yoga are traditionally intended to **awaken and strengthen this energy, regulate its flow, and help us direct it where it is needed** — bringing vitality when we feel depleted and calm when we feel overstimulated.

**This is what we'll be exploring in this week's Beginner's Course and my classes.**

It's about turning our attention inward and becoming more aware of **what we can actually sense and feel within ourselves.**

Because yoga isn't just about what the body can do.

**It's also about developing our felt sense — becoming more attuned to what is happening within.** 🧘‍♀️

I'm so looking forward to getting back to teaching this week.

I've still been practising obviously, but there's something special about practising together. The shared energy, the conversations before and after class, the smiles, the laughter, the simple human connection... I've really missed it.

Over the last few weeks I've also been writing the handbook for my upcoming **6-week Absolute Beginners Yoga Course**, and it's reminded me why I fell in love with yoga in the first place.

✨ Yoga is connection.
✨ Yoga is so much more than exercise.

The style of yoga I teach is rooted in **Hatha Yoga** — a traditional practice that explores the relationship between body, breath, energy and awareness.

Alongside that, I gently weave in elements of mindful flow, restorative practices, somatic movement and Yoga Nidra, creating classes that help you move well, breathe deeply and reconnect with yourself.

For me...

**Movement is the doorway.**
**Breath is the bridge.**
**Awareness is the practice.**

That might sound a little abstract—or perhaps like one of those "flowery" things yoga teachers say! 😊

But there is a real, practical meaning behind it, and it's something we explore together in every class.

🌿 My 4-week summer series starts this Thursday 6th August at Welford YACC

and

🌿 My new **6-week Course for Absolute Beginners** starts tomorrow - this is designed for people who're completely new to the practice.

Get in touch if you'd like to know more.

Carla 💚😊🧘