Ruth Mackman Celebrant and Kind Heart Yoga with Ruth

01/09/2026

Ever wondered why people do yoga? ...
Well, here's some feedback my students have given me since starting to practise yoga:
· They often tell me they feel less frazzled and more calm after an hour on the mat
· They sleep better that evening, and the effect carries on
· They have a better quality to their breath, and breathe more easily
· They feel more alert, better able to concentrate or focus, less likely to react or be snappy
· They feel like their body has given a great big yawn, stretched and said, Ah, thank you, just what I needed
· And they often tell me that after practising yoga for a while they find they have better balance, they are more stable, better able to respond to trips and slips without falling over, and realise that they have improved the range of mobility and movement they have throughout their body.
All of this is achieved without punishing routines, heavy weights or pressure to compete with the person next to them (or themselves, for that matter). There’s no judgment about how bendy you are, or whether you can stand on one leg for minutes at a time. You’ll always be assured of a warm welcome. The only thing you really need to be able to do is get up and down from the floor (not necessarily fast or gracefully!)
Tempted to find out more … well why not try your first class for £5? I teach on Wednesday morning at 930am at Houlton (between Rugby and Daventry), and 630pm on Thursday evenings in Badby. You’ll find all the details you need here, and if you’re coming for the first time, please put the code NS5 into the promo box to get your first class for £5.

https://bookwhen.com/kindheartyogawithruth =ev-suczx-20260902093000

or give me a call if you have any questions 07591 166551

Why yoga? Because you are worth the quiet moment, you are worth the deeper breath, you are worth the time it takes to slow down, to be still, to rest ...

10/08/2026

I've been so lucky to have been asked to be part of the wedding celebrations of several couples this summer ... with more to come.

I thought I'd share a couple of pics taken for this super couple, Adam and Charlotte (with thanks to Ferri Photography). The ceremony, in the barn at Aynho, was on probably the hottest day of the year (to that point) but they looked cool as cucumbers and happy as Larry as they said their vows and exchanged rings.

It was a beautiful, heartfelt ceremony, also very lighthearted with humour and lots of friends and family involved. Adam and Charlotte wrote to me afterwards, and are happy for me to share their words ...

"Thank you so much for all you did for our wedding day. We had the most incredible day and couldn’t have asked for anything more, it all just felt so relaxed, so much fun and full of so much love! We’ve never felt so loved and I don’t think we stopped smiling the whole day. The ceremony (although a little warm!) was perfect, you made it exactly as we wanted it and I’m so glad we found you. You managed to capture us both exactly in your words having only met us for a few hours, which is amazing! It was just the right balance of humour and heartfelt and we had so many compliments on how lovely the ceremony was. Most the guests were half expecting our dog to be the ring bearer but the boys did a wonderful job and looked so cool walking down the aisle!"

How lucky am I to do this, it's not a job, it's a pleasure.

09/08/2026

A big thank you to the lovely group who joined me yesterday to share the simple joys of yoga, tai chi and open water swimming. We had a gorgeous sunny day in Badby.

It's amazing how just a few hours stepping away from the busyness of every day life can help us soothe a frazzled brain and a tense body. Simply taking time to notice our breath move in a gentle mindful way, having time to appreciate all the wonderful things that we often take for granted, and doing it in kind company is the best tonic. Sometimes keeping it simple is the best way.

Extra special thank yous to Bare Hill Lakes for hosting our outdoor tai chi and open water swim, to Ciao Italia for a lovely lunch, Sue from Flowing Light Healing Therapies for the tai chi and Emma from Shine for being the best wingwoman!

I'm taking a short summer break from teaching yoga, but classes and short retreats will start again in September. All the details are here ...

https://bookwhen.com/kindheartyogawithruth =ev-snc9-20231130190000

hill lakes

24/07/2026

The joys of being self employed.

Today's to do list includes navigating the vagueries of my self-employment tax return, signing off on a couple of funerals, hoping to hear back with comments from a couple who received their draft wedding celebration script a week or so back, and juggling the numbers on a big spreadsheet planning my yoga retreats for 2027. I'm also trying to get a note out to the lovely group who are looking forward to yoga, Tai Chi and lake swimming with me on 8 August.
I have lost count of the number of hats I am wearing.
All I can say is ..."and breathe."
I think I need some yoga myself :)

21/07/2026

Just a quickie to say that my final summer class at Houlton, near Rugby, is tomorrow morning 930am, but my 630pm Thursday evening class in Badby will be continuing with classes on 23rd, 30th of July and 6th August.

If you can sneak in another class before I take a few weeks break, it would great to see you. Otherwise, enjoy the summer and some home practice.

Both Wednesday and Thursday classes will resume the first week of September. For the first few weeks we'll be thinking about yoga from the ground up, ie the importance of support and the energy we get from it. So, do join me if you'd like to learn more about the way we find steadiness and energy from the base of our poses, plus of course the interconnectedness between ourselves and the earth.

I'm also holding a nice leisurely Saturday morning practice in Badby on Saturday 26 September ... yoga, coffee and cake, the perfect Saturday morning.

And if you love the benefits of a sound bath, do join me on Sunday 6 December for my last mini-retreat of 2026. There'll be yoga, sound healing and the chance to pamper with Tropic products.

https://bookwhen.com/kindheartyogawithruth =ev-sl38f-20260722093000

03/07/2026

What a lovely lot - thank you to each one of you who spent a long weekend with me in Bourton on the Water, practising yoga and swimming in the lake, but mostly laughing, chatting and having the best time in like-minded company. You were the best!

28/06/2026

Just a few of the birds we've been sharing our retreat with. The most frequent sightings have been the resident Heron (not at home on these pics) and the Much Needed Swim Bird, whose song ranges from contented cheaping to great warbles of delight. All beautiful.

21/06/2026

Behind the scenes of preparing for my retreat ...cleaning and counting mats and props, tidying out my bags. No wonder I never have space for anything in the car! But so looking forward to sharing time and yoga with a great bunch next weekend. Thank you to everyone who is supporting it coming together.

17/06/2026

Just looking back over some of the wedding celebrations I led last year. This was a really nice day, with Dan and Adele, at Bridge House Barn in Kibworth just on the Leicestershire / Northamptonshire borders. This picture captures the moment when the bride's dad says that he's delighted at this marriage, that brings together two families. It was a beatuiful day, the sun shone, we had a canal and fields for backdrop, and the reception was held in a wonderful tipi. Happy memories.

07/06/2026

It was lovely to pop in to The Great Barn at Aynho today. The venue was closed, except showing some prospective wedding couples around, so I was able to see the ceremony room and talk to the wedding organiser about how wedding ceremonies run there. It's really important to know the lie of the land, how the guests make their way from the reception area to the ceremony room, how the bride will make her entrance, what furniture will be used on the day, where confetti can be thrown, and of course how it's best for me to liaise with the venue team on the day.

These little details, the practicalities, are so important. Getting them right makes life so much easier for everyone, and makes the ceremony feel effortless. So, it was time well spent.

My couple have now signed off the first draft of the ceremony, so that's coming along well ... again, taking time and paying attention to the details is so important.

So, by the time we get to within a couple of weeks of their celebration ceremony, they will be confident that all the Is have been dotted and the Ts crossed.

The only thing out of our control is the weather, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will be the quintessential summer's day.