Reflections on 2023 for Jasmine Yoga
A message from Jo
When we reflect on our yoga community in 2023 we have so many poignant memories of the many practices we’ve enjoyed together, of laughter and also some tears.
When our beloved Kathleen (mam/grandma) passed away in September, it couldn’t have been possible for you to be more loving and supportive towards us, we literally felt held by you…. That memory will stay in our hearts always.
The summer open air classes are always special when we can breathe in the fresh sea air, wear our shades, build natural heat, enjoy and simply relish the feelings of being together in the centre of our special, beautiful Tynemouth.
We have enjoyed so much togetherness at longer, nourishing events some energising, others quiet and soothing as well as our blissful weekend Retreats at our home from home Lakeside Hotel & Spa.
Jo and Steph have embarked on more specialist training in 2023, from anatomy to Trauma-Informed, Sound Healing to Restorative. We love bringing new inspiration and insights into our regular classes.
We’ve also have the great privilege of continuing to work alongside Holly and to welcome Marianne and Stacey into our team. We’ve loved their warm and thoughtful approaches, their commitment to teaching and their kind hearts.
We were thrilled to end this year with a feature in Om Yoga Magazine, you can read the article here.
A message from Steph
This has been a year of exploration and discovery for me. Developing my knowledge of the restorative practice with Anna Ashby who is such a knowledgeable and inspiring teacher, and how integral it is to be mindful of our nervous systems. I was delighted to do my Yoga for Children with Additional Needs training, as something I'm deeply passionate about. And finally, I’m excited to be delving further into the therapeutic benefits of yoga this January as I undertake my Yoga for Cancer qualification in London with a world-leading teacher in this field.
I’ve loved being creative and planning beautiful experiences for you with wonderful collaborations… Yoga to a Live Harp, The Pelvis Through Life and a variety of relaxation events.
I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed sharing yoga with such a range of ages from young children to weekly teenage yoga sessions and it’s such a joy to welcome different family members to our classes. I think there was one Flow & Restore which included a grandma and granddaughter, two pairs of sisters and a couple. It’s just lovely.
I enjoyed a festive time on our Jasmine Yoga Christmas night out with Holly, Marianne, Stacey, Laura and my mum. We forgot to take a pic but my face was achy from smiling.
Most of all I’ve loved observing how yoga helps so many people to navigate the ups and downs of life.
A message from Laura
For me it was fab to meet so many of you on our retreats and at our market, it's lovely being able to put a face to a name and learn more about you all!
Memories from this year include the Drone and all those amazing aerial pictures, lovely Heidi singing at our winter retreat, the Christmas market almost being snowed off, and of course lovely to end the year with a feature in Om Magazine!
Some of you may know I live with Chronic Pain, it's been a rollercoaster of a journey with my physical asana practice, and over time I've discovered the immense benefits of pranayama. So I was delighted to be able to complete my Breathwork & Pranayama course last month, a deep dive into breathing techniques, philosophy and how to sequence pranayama and learn what it means to truly tune in. I'm already planning some sessions on our retreats and a joint event with my Mum and Sister for the new year, a real discovery of the power of the breath, so stay tuned!
I officially left my day job this year and launched Santosha Marketing, a service for wellbeing businesses, and it’s been so great, definitely the right move!
On the Jasmine front, I’m happy to have launched a new Community/Directory page to celebrate all of the wonderful entrepreneurs in our community, more info here . And of course we have this new blog! Look forward to sharing musings and thoughts on yoga on and off the mat with you all..