Castle Donington Yoga

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Castle Donington Yoga

This is a gentle Hatha Yoga class for all abilities that promotes flexibility, balance, strength and relaxation. Good for the body and mind.

13/09/2026

🌿 WEEK 3 – WHY WE HOLD TENSION 🌿

Have you ever suddenly realised you’re clenching your jaw, gripping your hands or holding your shoulders up around your ears… even though you’re not actually doing anything that requires it? 😂

This Wednesday we’re continuing our Understanding Your Body Through Yoga – Nervous System Series, and we’re asking:

🧠 Why does the body hold onto tension?

We often think of muscular tension as something that’s gone wrong, something we need to stretch out, massage away or simply tell ourselves to “relax!”

But tension actually has an important job.

Our nervous system constantly adjusts how much muscular effort we use depending on what we’re doing and what it thinks we might need.

We need tension to stand, move, balance, stabilise and protect ourselves.

Sometimes though, our body can use more effort than the task actually needs…gripping the toes when we balance, clenching the jaw when we concentrate, lifting the shoulders when we’re stressed or continuing to brace even after the demand has passed.

So this week we’re not going to battle against tension.

✨ We’re going to get curious about it.

During our 90-minute practice we’ll explore:

🌿 Necessary effort versus unnecessary gripping
🧘‍♀️ Deliberately creating tension and noticing what happens when we release it
💨 Breath and its relationship with muscular tension
⚖️ What happens when balance makes the nervous system feel less certain
🙌 Movement, shaking and stillness
🛏️ How the body responds when the floor takes over the job of supporting us
💚 A guided Tension, Support & Release meditation

And throughout the class I’ll keep asking one very simple question:

“Could you do this with 10% less effort?”

Not floppy.
Not passive.
Just enough.

Because the aim isn’t to spend our lives completely relaxed.

It’s to become better at recognising when effort is needed,and, when it isn’t anymore.

🌿 Tension is information, not failure.

📍 Wednesday – Gentle Hatha Yoga
Spital Pavilion, Castle Donington
⏰ 10–11.30am

Part of Understanding Your Body Through Yoga – Series 2: The Nervous System 🧠🌿

08/09/2026

🌿 WEEK 2 - THE VAGUS NERVE

This Wednesday we’re continuing our Nervous System series, and we’re getting to know one of the most talked-about nerves in the body…

🧠 The Vagus Nerve

You might have seen claims that you can “reset” or “switch on” your vagus nerve, but the reality is far more interesting.

The vagus nerve travels from the brainstem, through the neck and into the chest and abdomen, playing an important role in the communication between the brain and body.

And this week we’re going to explore that communication for ourselves.

We’ll be experimenting with:

✨ Gentle facial, ear & neck self-massage
🌬️ Breath and longer exhalations
🎶 Humming, sound and vibration
🙌 Movement, shaking and sensory input
🧘 Stillness and noticing what happens afterwards

There may also be some whole-body jiggling accompanied by a rather enthusiastic “AAAAAHHHH!” 😂 You have been warned.

But this isn’t about trying to force the body into relaxation.

It’s about noticing how your nervous system responds to touch, breath, sound, movement, effort and rest, and recognising that regulation doesn’t mean being calm all the time.

Your nervous system needs to activate. It needs to settle. And it needs to be able to move between the two. ❤️

🌿 Wednesday Gentle Hatha
📍 Spital Pavilion, Castle Donington
⏰ 10–11.30am

01/09/2026

🧠 Understanding Your Body Through Yoga – Series 2: The Nervous System

After spending our first four-week series travelling down the spine — from the neck, through the thoracic and lumbar spine and finally into the pelvis and hips — this week our journey continues. 🌿

And this time, we’re exploring something rather extraordinary…

Your nervous system. 🧠

Your nervous system is working every second of every day.

It helps you move.
It receives information from the world around you.
It helps you know where your body is in space.
It coordinates your balance.
It responds to stress and challenge.
And it continues working away in the background when you’re not consciously thinking about any of it.

Over the next four weeks we’ll explore:

🧠 Week 1 – Meet Your Nervous System
🌿 Week 2 – The Vagus Nerve
💪 Week 3 – Why We Hold Tension
💚 Week 4 – Rest, Repair & Resilience

And as always with Understanding Your Body Through Yoga, we’re not just going to talk about it.

We’re going to experience it.

This Wednesday, in Week 1 – Meet Your Nervous System, we’ll use breath, gentle movement, coordination, sensation and balance to explore how the nervous system communicates with the body.

We’ll play with proprioception — how on earth do you know where your foot is when you’re not looking at it? 🤔

We’ll discover why something as simple as coordinating opposite sides of the body can suddenly make your brain go “Hang on…WHAT are you asking me to do?!” 😂

And we’ll explore what happens to balance when we change some of the sensory information available to us.

We’ll finish with a beautiful deep reflection meditation, observing the nervous system in real time — not trying to force ourselves to relax or change how we feel, but simply becoming curious about what’s happening within us.

Because this series isn’t about learning how to keep your nervous system permanently calm.

It’s about understanding it. ❤️

📍 Spital Pavilion, Castle Donington
🗓 Wednesday 2nd September
⏰ 10–11.30am

🌿 90 minutes of gentle Hatha yoga, education, exploration and deep relaxation.

I’m REALLY looking forward to teaching this one. 🧠❤️

Yoga is more than movement. It’s an opportunity to understand the incredible body you’re moving in.

31/08/2026

✨ I’m back! ✨

After a few weeks away from teaching, Radiance Yoga is back this week. 🧘‍♀️❤️

I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone again, but I’m also coming back with a slightly different approach.

My body has been giving me some fairly loud reminders lately that I need to practise what I spend so much time encouraging my students to do: listen, adapt and stop pushing through just because I think I should be able to.

So, for the time being, you’ll see me demonstrating less in class. I’ll still be right there teaching, guiding, explaining and probably talking far too much 😂 — I’m just going to be much more selective about how much I physically demonstrate.

And actually, I think there’s something quite fitting about that.

Yoga has never been about performing the “perfect” shape. It’s about learning to work with the body you have today - even when today’s body is different from yesterday’s.

So that’s exactly what I’ll be doing too. ❤️

Back this week, taking it gently, and very much looking forward to seeing my lovely yogis again. 🥰🧘‍♀️

Claire x

25/08/2026

Hi everyone. I’m really sorry, but I’ve made the difficult decision to cancel all of my classes this week.

I was feeling a little better yesterday and genuinely thought I might have turned a corner, so I tried a very gentle yoga practice at home for around 15 minutes to see how my body coped. Unfortunately, it left me in quite a lot of pain afterwards and I’ve also had a very restless night.

As you all know, I have HSD (Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder), and it’s becoming increasingly clear that what I’ve been experiencing over the last couple of weeks is a significant flare. Although I’m starting to feel better in myself, yesterday was a bit of a reality check that physically my body just isn’t ready for me to return to teaching yet.

Teaching also means much more physically than simply being present for the class — I need to be able to demonstrate and move safely with you, and at the moment I can’t honestly say that I can do that without risking making myself worse.

I’m absolutely gutted because I really hoped I would be back with you all this week, but I think I need to listen to what my body is telling me and give it a few more days to recover, rather than repeatedly testing it and setting myself back.

Thank you so much for all your lovely messages, patience and understanding. It really does mean a lot to me. ❤️

Love Claire xx

17/08/2026

Hi everyone

I’m really sorry, but unfortunately I’m quite unwell and need to take some time to properly rest and recover, so I’ve made the difficult decision to cancel all of my classes this week.

I’m hoping that giving myself the week to recover will mean I’ll be back to myself and ready to see you all again next week. Thank you so much for understanding and I’m sorry for any inconvenience.

Take care and I’ll see you all soon ❤️

Claire xx

04/08/2026

🌿 Could Wednesday mornings become your favourite part of the week? 🌿

I’m looking to welcome a few new faces to my 90-minute Gentle Hatha Yoga class at Spital Pavilion, Castle Donington, on Wednesdays from 10:00–11:30am.

This isn’t a fast-paced fitness class. It’s a gentle, supportive space where you can slow down, move mindfully and give your body the care it deserves.

You don’t need to be flexible.
You don’t need experience.
You don’t need the “perfect yoga body.”

Many of my students come because they’re living with aches and pains, stiffness, stress, hypermobility, arthritis, or simply because they want to feel stronger, calmer and more connected to their bodies.

Each week we explore a different area of the body, learning why it behaves the way it does and how gentle movement, breath and relaxation can help. We always finish with a deeply restorative relaxation, leaving you feeling lighter in both body and mind.

If you’ve been thinking, “I’d love to try yoga, but…” then this class was created for people exactly like you.

💚 Wednesdays
🕙 10:00–11:30am
📍 Spital Pavilion, Castle Donington

If you’d like to know more, or you’d like to book a place, just send me a message. I’d love to welcome you to our lovely little community.

02/08/2026

🌿 Understanding Your Body Through Yoga – Week 4 🌿

Pelvis & Hips – Finding Stability, Freedom & Balance

Our pelvis and hips form the foundation of almost every movement we make. They support the spine, help us balance, and allow us to walk, bend, reach and move through everyday life with ease.

The hips can help reduce unnecessary strain on the lower back.

As always, we’ll move mindfully, take time to understand why we’re doing each movement, and finish with a deeply relaxing guided meditation.

✨ Suitable for all abilities.
✨ No previous yoga experience needed.
✨ Come exactly as you are.

📍 Spital Pavilion, Castle Donington
🗓️ Wednesday
🕙 10:00–11:30am

You don’t need flexible hips to join this class - just a willingness to move with curiosity and kindness towards your body. 💚

I look forward to sharing the final week of this series with you. 💚

29/07/2026

We have spaces for this mornings Lumbar Spine class with chakra bowl sound bath. Drop me a message on 07877489946 if you would like to join us. All welcome 🙏

27/07/2026

🌿 Understanding Your Body Through Yoga – Week 3 🌿

The Lumbar Spine – Creating Space & Ease

Many people think they have a “bad back”, but often the lower back is simply working far harder than it was designed to.

This week we’ll be exploring the lumbar spine - the five vertebrae that support the weight of the upper body and help us bend, lift and move through everyday life.

Together we’ll discover how improving movement in the hips, breathing more effectively and building gentle stability can help reduce unnecessary tension in the lower back.

Our practice will include:

✨ Breath awareness to support the deep core
✨ Gentle joint freeing movements
✨ Accessible yoga postures to improve mobility and stability
✨ Relaxation with chakra singing bowls
✨ Simple tips to take into everyday life

Whether you’re living with back pain, stiffness, hypermobility, or simply want to understand your body better, this class is designed to help you move with more confidence and ease.

📍 Spital Pavilion, Castle Donington
🗓 Wednesday
🕙 10:00–11:30am
💷 £10 drop-in

Address

Spital Pavlion Hall, Spital Hill, DE74 2NQ
Castle Donington
DE742JH

Opening Hours

10am - 11:30am

Website

http://www.radianceyogauk.org/

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