BYF BLOG

The Heart of Yoga Awards : Davy Jones wins!
To honour the dedication and support of its volunteers across the UK, the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) held its first Heart of Yoga awards. Winners of the six awards were celebrated at a ceremony in London, following the organisation’s Annual General Meeting. The awards were founded to celebrate yoga in action, as BWY operates … Read more

Enjoying the company of Friends
The relaunch of the Friends of Brighton Yoga Foundation (BYF) took place at the end of January, where an evening of music, nibbles and good company was enjoyed by al at Komedia in Brighton. Folk from all walks of life came together for an evening of music, nibbles, and friends – be it seeing old … Read more

Brighton Yoga Foundation Ambassador, Emma Newlyn’s simple “Winter Wellness” guide.
Emma Newlyn’s simple “Winter Wellness” guide, including lifestyle and yoga practices for this season. As the world around us changes each season, so do our needs. Whilst the bright, warm and vibrant energy of Summer supports and extroverted and lighter way of living, the cold, dark days of Winter encourage us to turn inward, reflect … Read more

Into the deep – A guest blog from Tarik Dervish, Brighton Yoga Foundation Ambassador.
What’s fascinating about the human condition is that we are aware, at least notionally of the vastness of things both externally and from a yogic perspective, internally as well. Our planet is like an tiny dot in the vast expanse of the universe in the same way that a single bacterium living within us is … Read more

Thank you to our Brighton Yoga and Well-Being Festival sponsors for 2021
Many thanks to the great sponsors of our 2021 Festival earlier this year – we could not have held the online event without your support. We will be announcing the date and venue of our summer 2022 Festival before the end of November 2021. So watch this space! Infinity Foods What began as a … Read more

The Jill Jones Memorial Yoga Programme
Three local organisations have come together in a unique collaboration to offer free yoga classes to homeless people in Worthing in memory of a local yoga teacher – the Jill Jones Memorial Yoga Programme. The first class will be on Tuesday 25 May. Turning Tides[1], Salt Water Studios[2] and the Brighton Yoga Foundation[3] are launching … Read more

Feedback from participants in our outreach classes.
Sometimes in the day to day work of co-ordinating and organising our yoga community outreach programmes and classes, we forget just how valued they are to those who participate in them. And then we get an email like this – last week – and it reminds us that our work is so important and makes … Read more

Why the need for a yoga Trade Union?
A Trade Union for Yoga Teachers Written by Brighton Yoga Foundation Chair Davy Jones You may be surprised that some yoga teachers feel the need to join a trade union. After all, teaching yoga is a privilege, very rewarding and something we love to do. But sadly, it is increasingly obvious that “yogaworld” is not … Read more

Yoga for Children with Alternative Needs
Charlotte Cooke spoke to Jenny Watson, who teaches yoga to children with alternative needs and is also a volunteer here at Brighton Yoga Foundation. With 46 out of the 68 primary schools here in Brighton already using yoga as a tool for their pupils, it is evident that the awareness of its many benefits for … Read more

Celebrate International Yoga Day 2020 – 21st June
To celebrate International Yoga Day the Brighton Yoga Foundation will be offering two free online community yoga classes. These are a taste of our current online Community Outreach Programme, which offers free, gentle, and accessible yoga to many vulnerable members of our community. We encourage anyone who feels they might benefit physically or emotionally … Read more

Brighton Yoga Foundation Trustee Honoured as COVID-19 Community Champion
Brighton Yoga Foundation Trustee Hannah Lee Weller honoured as Community Champion during COVID-19 Pandemic. In response to a call-out from Councillor Alexandra Phillips, Mayor of Brighton & Hove, local residents have nominated over a hundred Community Champions who have been honoured for going above and beyond in their efforts to support their community during … Read more

Bringing Yoga Philosophy to Life Part 3 – Guidelines for a Peaceful Life- By Emma Newlyn
The Yamas or ‘laws of life’ as Alistair Shearer translates them, are ahimsa: non-violence, satya: truthfulness, asteya: non-stealing and integrity, brahmacharya: right use of energy, and aparigraha: non-hoarding and non-attachment. Non-violence can be understood as ensuring kind thoughts, words and actions towards oneself and others. This could be in the form of practicing positive self-talk, … Read more

BYF Online teachers Forum – Taking Yoga Online Resource Pack
On Monday 30th March, Brighton Yoga Foundation hosted an online yoga teacher forum, the topic of discussion was ‘Setting up classes online and coping with a changing world’. We shared tips on how to take your teaching online and which pros and cons of each platform, self-employed tax grants, things to be aware with regarding … Read more

Bringing Yoga Philosophy to Life Part 2 – Journey to the Mountain Top- By Emma Newlyn
The word yoga itself is derived form the root yuj, meaning ‘to join’, ‘bind together’, or ‘unify’. Dr. Matthew Clark – research associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and author of The Origins And Practices of Yoga: A Weeny Introduction, notes that at its root, yoga is “an attempt to … Read more

Bringing Yoga Philosophy to Life – The Origins of Yoga – By Emma Newlyn
Diving below the physical layer of yoga can offer deep insights into the workings of the mind, profound perspective-shifting discoveries, and philosophical concepts that allow yoga to be taken off the mat and into everyday life. Indeed, physical yoga postures are abundantly beneficial, but there’s another side to yoga that can be practiced anywhere, any … Read more

Yoga and Sanskrit – By Emma Newlyn
Modern yoga classes are often taught with a mixture of English and Sanskrit language – “downward facing dog”, “warrior two’ and “mountain pose” might seem a little more accessible to the majority of Western practitioners after all. However, the ancient Indo-European Sanskrit language still used in parts of India today actually has real depth, beauty … Read more