Mourne Yoga

Mourne Yoga Large space for social distancing, welcoming space for everyone!

Tranquil yoga space between Seaforde and Downpatrick, Co Down, offering a variety of classes to improve mobility and wellbeing, including beginners/improvers, gentle and pregnancy yoga.

15/09/2026

COME AND BUILD SOME HEAT ON FRIDAY 🔥🔥
New Vinyasa Flow Yoga class with Deirdre Ireland 5.30pm!

Book thru bio link or at bookwhen.com/mourneyoga

10/09/2026

STOP LOOKING AT ME! If you're dubious about whether 7 minutes of rolling your legs in and out is time well spent, give this a go.

Against my natural inclination to spend time on the other side of the lens, I've recorded a little video of one of my favourite somatic movements which you can use as a taster of my new class, YOGA: MOVING INTO STILLNESS.

You can of course watch it, but I'd encourage you even more to put the screen down and do the practice by just listening.

Somatic movement is not performance based. No shapes required. It's SLOW (be warned, it's slow) and subtle — a practice of tuning in, sensing and noticing.

And the seven minutes is part of the point.

When we slow a movement right down and repeat it, we have time to notice what we're actually feeling: the qualities of movement, what parts of the body affect others, imbalances, subtle sensations — vibrations, pulsations — and what shifts as we go.

We're giving the nervous system time and space to settle rather than continually asking it to respond to something new.

In YOGA: MOVING INTO STILLNESS this kind of movement is where we begin, before moving progressively towards breathwork and meditation.

So find somewhere comfortable to lie down, go to my bio link for the full 7 minute video, press play, then preferably stop looking at me!

Seven minutes. Roll your legs in and out. See how you feel.

NEW CLASS!! Yoga is both a practice and a state. Most of us are more familiar with the practice — spending time moving t...
09/09/2026

NEW CLASS!! Yoga is both a practice and a state. Most of us are more familiar with the practice — spending time moving through different poses — but traditionally, the practice helps us experience that state.

From Wednesday 16 September, I’m introducing YOGA: MOVING INTO STILLNESS to the timetable.
https://bookwhen.com/mourneyoga =ev-sa4h4-20260916100000

This class works progressively from the outside in — beginning with the physical body and gradually moving our attention inwards.

We’ll start with slow somatic movement, giving you time to get out of your head and into your body. From there we move into breathwork followed by meditation - some guided and some quiet, creating the conditions which may help us experience Yoga as a state we inhabit.

I’ve chosen a morning slot for this class to begin with because I think it’s a particularly powerful way to start the day. This class isn't about relaxation, but equanimity and clarity.

04/09/2026

IF YOU LIKE YOUR YOGA WITH A BIT MORE FLOW, THIS ONE'S FOR YOU!
From Friday 18 September, Deirdre Ireland is joining us at Mourne Yoga to teach a new 5.30pm Vinyasa Yoga class!

Vinyasa links continuous movement with breath, flowing from one posture to the next rather than spending longer holding individual poses. Deirdre likes to use creative sequences that move through a mix of standing poses, balances, seated and supine work, building heat, strength and mobility along the way.

There’ll be opportunities to challenge yourself and explore what your body can do, but plenty of options too. What you choose to do can depend on your experience, your body and quite simply how you’re feeling that Friday.

One of the things I really like about Deirdre’s approach is that, while she loves the physical practice of Yoga, for her that's just the beginning. Movement, breathwork and meditation all have their place, as does what we learn about ourselves through practising in the first place.

I'm delighted she’s bringing her teaching to Mourne Yoga!

Vinyasa Yoga with Deirdre
Fridays | 5.30pm
From 18 September

I'M A LITTLE ANNOYED.Not properly annoyed. Nobody needs to check in on me.But I have a bit of a problem with the tendenc...
01/09/2026

I'M A LITTLE ANNOYED.

Not properly annoyed. Nobody needs to check in on me.

But I have a bit of a problem with the tendency to stick the word Yoga onto something because someone's included some Yoga-shaped stretches in a class.

Goat Yoga. Yoga + HIIT. Yoga + w**e. Yep, even Yogalates gets me. Call me a pedant.

I just don't think adding a Downward Dog necessarily makes something Yoga.

Goat Yoga is the one I get asked about A LOT, presumably because I teach Yoga and have five of the beasts wandering around outside.

Here’s the thing though. I love goats. I love Yoga. But I really don't like them together.

We have a hard enough time cultivating and maintaining awareness when there are minimal distractions, never mind having a load of goats clambering around at the same time.

If you want to cultivate awareness, come to a Yoga class. If you want to pet a goat, come and visit us.

I feel much the same about Yoga and w**e (but bring a bottle).

So here’s the thing – and call me old fashioned if you like – Yoga is not just a collection of physical poses. It IS a practice, BUT Yoga is also a state of being. And through this practice we may experience the a state.

And so the intention behind a practice matters. If the intention is to have a good stretch, that's great. But doing that stretch in Downward Dog doesn't necessarily make it Yoga. If we're using the physical practice as a way of working with awareness, attention and that noisy, disruptive mind, then we're getting somewhere closer.

Because it's not the shapes that make Yoga, Yoga.

TURNS OUT, I COULD BE SELLING YOU MORE STUFF... I get A LOT of emails from people trying to sell me stuff, improve my SE...
16/08/2026

TURNS OUT, I COULD BE SELLING YOU MORE STUFF... I get A LOT of emails from people trying to sell me stuff, improve my SEO (which I could probably do with), partner with me etc. I tend to ignore 99.89% of them.

Over the course of a couple of weeks in August, however, I got a number of emails from someone who was very keen to design content for me to put on the screen in my waiting area. Apparently, “it upsells more than people expect... if it's kept current”.

After her unsolicited emails went unanswered, Angela* wondered if there was a better person at Mourne Yoga she should be reaching out to.

I took a Ha-breath and replied:

"Hi Helen*

Thanks for your emails. I run the studio here.

The thing about yoga is that it's a practice of reducing external distraction and stimulus that agitates our already very distracted minds. As such, we don't have screens here advertising more stuff for people to consume. We offer a quiet space in which people can tune into themselves and find a little peace.

You'd be very welcome to come along and try a class if you're in the area.

With warm wishes
Lorna"

So why am I sharing this with you?

Because when people wonder what to expect when they come here to practise Yoga, Pilates or Strength work, it's not just about the movement and physicality.

You're welcomed into a space where there is little distraction. Little fuss. Warm people. Space to chat. Space to be quiet. And a space where we're not constantly trying to sell you something else.

No branded tote bags. I stopped selling mats a couple of years ago because we have them here and you can borrow one. When I have extra homegrown veg, I share it out.

I'm not interested in creating more things for you to consume just because I have your attention.

You don't need Yoga socks. You don't need LuLu leggings. You definitely don't need Mourne Yoga lip balm.

All you really need to do for yourselves is turn up.

*Names have been changed for anonymity

19/07/2026

FLYING PIGEON
There isn't a finish line in Yoga asana.

Every pose builds on one that came before it. They are layered. There are variations.

This reel starts with a simple marching balance and gradually builds to a fledgling Flying Pigeon. But Flying Pigeon isn't the destination, it’s just another step. Here I started playing with taking it into Headstand. It wasn't pretty. 😄 But it doesn’t matter.

This has been evolving for me from Tree pose for years and it’s no different for anyone else wondering about whether Yoga is ‘right’ for them,

Where you are on that journey depends on your strength, mobility, confidence, energy, injuries, sleep, stress, inclination... and about a hundred other things. None of which need to be measured against anyone else's practice.

The real practice is knowing where you're at today, what it is you need, recognising it and being aware of the difference between challenging yourself and the ego that wants you to run before you can walk.

No Flying Pigeons for us in class this week, but we’ll continue building towards Eagle.

09/07/2026

WHAT IF I CAN'T DO IT? This is one of the things I hear most often from people thinking about starting Yoga.

Folks, there are ALWAYS alternatives. You’ll hear me say this a lot...YOGA IS NOT PERFORMATIVE. It’s about responding to what you need right now. Your body. Your mind. Sometimes that might be the middle way like Puppy. Sometimes it might be Child's pose. You get to decide.

10/06/2026

KIDS YOGA SUMMER SCHEME
This July and August, Cat Morgan of will be running a children's summer scheme here at Mourne Yoga!! ☀️🌿

These small-group sessions will combine Yoga, games and arts & crafts, designed to help children move, create, connect and simply enjoy being with other kids.

Cat is brilliant at creating a welcoming space where children can build confidence, make new friends and learn simple tools for emotional wellbeing, having lots of fun along the way. 💛

📍 Mourne Yoga Studio, Seaforde
🗓 Mondays through July & August
⏰ 12–3pm
👧🧒 Ages 7–11

Bookings are directly through Cat and you can contact her directly or follow the booking link thru our bio!

If you knew that you would live to your late eightes and beyond, but you'd be stuck on a desert island in the years befo...
04/06/2026

If you knew that you would live to your late eightes and beyond, but you'd be stuck on a desert island in the years beforehand, what 5 Yoga poses would you take with you? 🏝️

A brilliant teacher asked us this question in Paris over the weekend under the broader theme of 'what's enough'.

Initially I thought about the fun ones. Perhaps the ones that would sound a little impressive.

Crow. Headstand. Plough.

Then I stopped and thought about my 85 year old mum who had a stroke recently.

When I went to see her just after it happened, she couldn't even roll over in bed. She couldn't stand herself up. She couldn't walk without help.

Two months on and she's climbing stairs on her own.

And none of that recovery came from mastering complicated movements.

It came from practising the essentials.

Rolling. Sitting. Standing. Walking.

The things we tend to take for granted until we can't.

So I thought about what I'd actually need by the time I arrived in my late 80s and needless to say, I'd be better off balancing on my feet rather than my hands! So my desert-island poses changed.

🌿 Side-Rolling Apanasana (Knees to Chest Pose) — so I can roll over in bed.

🪑 Utkatasana (Chair Pose) — so I have the strength to get myself up from a chair / the side of the bed / the loo.

⛰️ Tadasana (Mountain Pose) — a well-aligned standing position initiates easeful bipedal movement.

🌳 Vrksasana (Tree Pose) — because being able to balance gives you a lot more confidence on your feet.

🌱 Malasana (Garland Pose) — so I can squat down to tend my garden and get back up again without wrecking my knees.

A less mature version of me would have chosen the poses that looked the most impressive.

Today, I'd choose the ones that will allow me to move with ease through life.

And maybe that's what enough looks like. ❤️

People in the studio have been adding their own thoughts on our board. 

What would your five be?

Address

40 Bucks Head Road
Downpatrick
BT308JS

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 11am
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Tuesday 10am - 11am
7pm - 8:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 11am
6pm - 7:10pm
Thursday 7pm - 8:45pm
Saturday 9:45am - 10:30am

Telephone

+447966028249

Website

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