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Chi Running & Oxygen Advantage Breathing Retreat

A unique workshops to improve physical health and sports performance through breath and functional movement

Open to anyone looking to improve their health, fitness and achieve a sense of enjoyment and fluidity in movement regardless of age, fitness level, skill set or training regime. From beginner runners to ultra marathoners, those who have never exercised to fitness buffs.

Saturday 30th March 2019
The Oxygen Advantage will address dysfunction breathing patterns to improve breathing in everyday life. Start with this and improve your physical fitness and sports performance.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

PROGRAMME FOR THE DAY

COST & HOW TO BOOK

The science behind breathing
Tests to detect any breathing pattern disorders such as chronic hyperventilation
Practical functional movement exercises to improve breathing
Breath-hold exercises to encourage your body to tolerate build up of CO2 and thus reduce breathlessness during exercise, improve aerobic threshold and VO2 max
Tips for better sleep and reduced stress
The science behind meditation
Build the Foundations of Good Running uses the Chi Running technique to improve running efficiency, reduce risk of injury and bring enjoyment back to your running. Chi Running is based on age-old movement principles of Tai Chi, focusing on movement from the body’s centre of gravity.

You’ll learn:

The importance of body awareness
How to improve posture
Key breathing focuses to make running and walking less effort
How to speed up by relaxing
The importance of rhythm
How to use gravity and the force of the oncoming road to help rather than hinder forward momentum
How to incorporate form focuses and visualisation into any training programme

Cost: £110 (including Yoga 4 runners, lunch & 3.5hrs of Chi Running & Breathing practise)

Location: Islip, Oxfordshire (full details when space confirmed)

How to book: Email info@satyayoga.co.uk (only 2 spaces) • Payment can be made by BACs transfer (Payment must be made to reserve your space)

Note: Let us know of any injuries i.e lower back, knees, HBP, LBP, hyper-mobility • Please bring weather appropriate clothing • Yoga suitable for all levels • Mats & blocks available

Note: You can book a private one-one session (at a concession price 1hr-£45(usually £70)) with Grey Caws after 3.30pm on either days (this will need to be pre-booked & paid for in advance). You may have a chance to book on the day if he has space.

Posture Day Retreat

Perfect Posture
Jo discusses the true secret to sustainable, healthy posture and gives you the tools to achieve it, effortlessly. She use a combination of techniques: stretches and exercises, relaxation techniques, and hands-on correction to achieve the perfect posture.

There is growing evidence that poor posture can lead to a lifetime of chronic pain, fatigue, and low self-esteem. This workshop will give you practical tools to guide you towards good posture, a habit that will help put you on the path to a pain-free and self-confident life.

Furthermore, as we age it is our posture that can let us down, make us appear older and invisible to others. Come and discover how to stay young, straight and flexible with our expert Jo Kuszmar.

ABOUT JO KUSZMAR

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

SCHEDULE FOR DAY

COST AND BOOKING

“Teaching good posture is about looking at how and where a person invests their energy, as well as reflecting on where there’s an absence of energy and then helping them correct that,” says Kuszmar, who trained as a nurse and shiatsu practitioner. She developed the deportment techniques seven years ago, when, after a divorce, and approaching the wrong side of 50, she feared she was becoming invisible.

Click on the following link for a Telegraph article about Jo’s work.

Click to listen to Jenni Murray on BBC 4’s Woman’s Hour talking to Jo about her posture clinic – Are we a nation of slouchers? What good posture can do for you.

Slouching at a desk, when sitting at the dinner table or standing
Curious about their own posture and would like to get it assessed
Lopsided from wearing their handbag on the same shoulder or their shoes wear out in a certain way
Suffering from lower back pain, shoulder tension and rounded shoulders/upper back.
Interested to understand the importance of movement/mobility and how to do it correctly
Uncomfortable about their body and have low self esteem
These are just a few of the many reasons why this workshop is for you!

Stand-up Paddle Boarding on the Thames

Waves for Change invites you to join us for their annual Thames Stand-Up Paddle Board Challenge. This year they are paddling to break down gender barriers and raise funds to provide more girls safe access to surf therapy.

Taking place on Saturday 23rd June, this will be London’s biggest charity watersport event!

SUPer’s will have the choice of two distances – a 5km paddle adventure open to all (first timers too), or a 35km paddle challenge for those who need testing! Both distances will take in the iconic views of London, both guaranteed to be a lot of fun, and both will go a long way in helping them achieve 50-50 gender representation at W4C.

SUPer’s are strongly encouraged to don superhero fancy dress but not essential. There will be a host of awesome prizes kindly donated by Finisterre and Ticket to Ride, plus the opportunity to win a top of the range SUP board!

If that wasn’t enough, they will also be hosting a post paddle party where friends and family can join you to celebrate.

By being part of this event you will help in power girls across Africa, improving their confidence and self-worth, and instilling the believe they are equal to boys. All they ask is for a donation relevant to the distance you choose and as much fundraising as you can to support your journey.

So Sign-up and join them as they Stand Up for Equality this summer.

They look forward to having you ‘on-board’!

The W4C TEAM click to sign up www.waves-for-change.org

I will be organising a couple of hours of paddle boarding on the Cherwell before the event. This will be a good practise run! If you are interested email me zena@satyayoga.co.uk

Honor (12) and I are signed up to do the 35k – Join us!

Max (my son, 13 years at the time) and I did the 35k distance and it was awesome.

Tahini Fudge Slices

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1/2 cup coconut cream (the block cream not runny stuff in the tin)
1/4 cup tahini
1 tbsp organic honey
1 tbsp maca powder (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of pink salt
1 tbsp melted coconut oil

Melt the coconut cream over a bain-marie, make sure you do this first since it takes 20 odd minutes to breakdown the large block cream.
Then add the coconut oil to a small pan over a very low heat. This will not take very long so watch over it since you don't want it to get hot.
Then pop all the ingredients in to a blender or food processor and pulse until it becomes a creamy paste.
Pour in to the moulds or a lined loaf tin and place in the freezer for a few hours to set.

Raw Chocolate Fudge

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

250g raw cacao paste
75g raw cacao butter
175g Rice syrup (can use agave or raw honey)
Pinch of pink salt

Melt the cacao paste and butter gently together in a bain-marie. until runny
Add the melted cacao paste and butter with all the other ingredients to your blender and blend through on full power until smooth.
Spoon the mixture evenly into your moulds. But if you are in a hurry then spoon it into a plastic or glass container and freeze for 1 hour or until fudge is nice and firm.
Take moulds out of the freezer and pop the pieces out on to a chopping board. If you have used a container, turn the block of fudge out on to a board and cut into cubes with a very sharp knife.
store in an airtight glass container in the fridge for un to 3/4 weeks.

3 Yogis to host a charity yoga morning

On Saturday, April 28th, Zena Kidd-May , Jo Kuszmar and Nicole Croft will be rolling out their yoga mats and offering 3 very different themed yoga sessions. They’re asking you to offer 75mins of your time to help raise money for charity.

Each teacher will be offering a themed 1hr & 15min session in North Oxford and 100% of the money will go to Parishes for Peace.

You are invited to join us for yoga, herbal tea and our homemade raw energy balls all for a fabulous cause!

Date: Saturday 28th April

Zena 08.30 – 9.45am Grounding & Rooting

Nicole 10.00 – 11.15am Heart Opening

Jo 11.30 – 12.45pm Harnessing the Breathe

Open to all students, but ideally you need to be reasonably fit with no ailments that may affect your practice.

COST & BOOKING

THE CHARITY

Suggested donation: £15 per session, £20 for 2 sessions and £25 for 3 sessions £1 for tea and energy balls

To reserve your space please email zena@satyayoga.co.uk your details & session you are keen to attend.

If you can’t join us but would like to support the charity please email zena@satyayoga.co.uk with your details.

Venue: Private arts studio, Park Town, North Oxford. (full address on confirmation of booking)

12 spaces per class so book in advance to reserve your spot!

My name is Sara Ghannam (Zena’s sister) and I help run, raise funds and awareness for Parishes for Peace charity in my local area of Weybridge.

I decided to give my time to help this charity for three reasons; firstly I speak Arabic so I could easily communicate with the refugees, secondly I was born in Basra, southern Iraq, so I understand their culture, and thirdly I wanted to help these forgotten families. It wasn’t about religion or being Iraqi so much but about humanity. The charity helps mainly Christian Iraqi families but also Muslim families that need support.

We are a small charity that works alongside our local church with our only aim being that of trying to help 34 Christian families who through no fault of their own have been displaced from their own war torn country to Jordon. There are so many charities around where money gets lost in the bureaucracy of it all but in our case 100% of what we raise goes to the families.

I have had the privilege of meeting these families and have been humbled by their resilience and forgiveness. I’ve visited Jordon twice in the past year and seen first hand the never ending obstacles and adversities that they come up against on a daily bases and yet their determination is never ending. They are enormously grateful for every penny we’ve given them through our fundraising charity; Parishes for Peace. Sadly, they are restricted on working as migrants in a Muslim country, but nonetheless they do any work that is presented to them.

Their hope is to be accepted by countries such as Australia and Canada but in the meantime they need to rebuild their lives, and part of our support, through our donations we’ve been able to provide them with laptops to help improve their English, help with medical costs, transportation for kids schooling as well as feminine vouchers.

Our aim is to help in whatever way we can, to at least give these families an opportunity to have a better life.

That you very much for supporting us.

Menopause & Yoga day retreat

Only three known species go through menopause: killer whales, short-finned pilot whales, and humans. Two years ago, scientists suggested whales do this to focus their attention on the survival of their families rather than on birthing more offspring. But now this same team reports there’s another reason: older females enter menopause because their eldest daughters begin having calves, leading to fights over resources or lending a helping hand to help raise their calves. The findings might also apply to humans, some scientists say.

Do you know what is happening during the menopause? Are you concerned about the changes? Worried about the side effects of HRT? Would you like to understand how to prepare yourself before or after the menopause? What is ‘normal’ and when should we seek help from our GP? Book into our day retreat and find out more.

Learn how to boost your energy, improve health, gain ideas on what can help with night sweats and hot flushes, female dryness, mood swings, and aching joints. Is soya good or bad? What about diet, herbs, alternate support and treatments? Should you be exercising and if so what kind of exercise? Come with your questions and concerns.

Numbers are limited to 10 (only 4 spaces left)

DATE & COST

JO KUSZMAR

WHO IS THE RETREAT FOR?

Wednesday 2nd May 2018
- 9:15-9.30 tea & raw energy balls
- 9.30-11.30 Yoga for menopause by Jo Kuszmar
- 11.30-12.00 Walk (weather permitting)
- 12.00-13.00 Light lunch
- 13.00-15.30 Talk & Q&A
Cost: £60 To secure your place please email info@satyayoga.co.uk or zena@satyayoga.co.uk

Jo is an Oxford based svastha yoga teacher (means ‘Wellness’ broadly speaking) interested in eastern models of health, particularly the role of yoga and food in keeping well and for treating specific conditions. Jo is also a shiatsu therapist of 25 years standing and utilised her understanding of oriental energetic & yoga to manage her own menopause.

Jo’s main specialism, which has risen out of this field, is in posture. she has been interviewed on Woman’s Hour, the World Service and recently on PM, the news programme on the subject. Articles have been written about her work in both The Daily Mail and The Telegraph.

In your forties or fifties and want to find out more
Keen to understand how and if you can prepare yourself for the menopause
Perimenopausal
How can you look after yourself after the menopause

The menopause: The word menopause actually means your last menstrual period. Meno- refers to your menstrual cycle and –pause literally means stop. However, the actual definition of being menopausal is when you have not had a period for one year.

The term perimenopause is often used as this is the time in which you experience menopausal symptoms but are still having periods. These periods are often more irregular and scanty than they used to be.

Often when you read about menopausal symptoms this also refers to perimenopausal symptoms.

The average age of the menopause in the UK is 51 years, however this can be earlier for some women. Symptoms of the perimenopause often start at around 45 years of age. If the menopause occurs when you are under 45 years of age then it is called an early menopause.

Matcha Green Tea & Cacao

I must admit this isn’t my recipe, I came across it a year or so ago and just loved the vibrancy of the green (may favourite colour!). I sadly didn’t make a note of the creator, I send them gratitude 🙏🏻 for this truly scrumptious snack. It’s super healthy, easy to make and of course GF, DF, & refined sugar-free. The chances are that you’ll have most of the ingredients in your pantry.

The only change I made from the original recipe was use rice syrup, which is easier to digest and not as sweet as maple syrup or honey. Feel free to use a different nut and what ever sweetener you have to hand.

I normally double the ingredents and freeze them. They take seconds to defrost so the best snack on the go!

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

120g raw cacao butter
5/6 tbsp rice syrup (depending on how sweet you want it)
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of pink salt
3 cups of macadamia nuts
1 tsp matcha green tea powder

Cacao butter, syrup, vanilla and salt to a small pan on very low heat and melt slowly.
Add macadamia nuts to a food processor (I use a Kitchen Aid) and blend until completely smooth.
Add the matcha and mix
Add the cacao mixture and blend
Pour the mixture in a lined tray and spread out to your desired thickness.
Sprinkle with your desired topping if adding!
And freeze to set.
Once set, break into pieces and store in the fridge for 2 weeks or the freezer.

Chi Running & Yoga

About Chi Running: Chi Running borrows the principles of T’ai Chi, to help runners of all ages move more mindfully, efficiently and effectively. Improving performance and reducing risk of injury.

The benefits aren’t just physical. When running is easier, it’s also more fun!

Many Chi Runners have found that this more mindful approach to running has boosted their self confidence, increased their mental focus and helped them stay healthy and active in other areas of their life.

Click on the links for information on the instructors:

Zena Kidd-May http://www.satyayoga.co.uk/about-us/
Gray Caws http://chirunning.uk/instructors/gray-caws/
Rachel Masser http://www.energitraining.co.uk/

PROGRAMME FOR THE DAY

COST & HOW TO BOOK

• 08:30-09:30 2/5k run with Gray Caws & Rachel Masser
• 10:00-11:15 Yoga for Runners with Zena Kidd-May
• 11.15-12:00 Bring own lunch or enjoy Zena’s free raw energy balls, bananas & teas
• 12:00-13:00 Chi running explained with Gray Caws
• 13:00-14:00 Practise Chi running with Gray Caws

Cost: £55 Location: North Street, Islip (full details when space confirmed)

How to book: Email info@satyayoga.co.uk (only 9 spaces) • Payment can be made by BACs transfer (Payment must be made to reserve your space)

Note: Food will be GF & DF but not NUT free • Let us know of any injuries i.e lower back, knees, HBP, LBP, hypermobility • Please bring weather appropriate clothing • Eat breakfast before you come • Yoga suitable for all levels • Mats & blocks available

All about our One Day Retreats!

RETREAT VISION
Our main aim is to create a truly calming and spiritually uplifting retreat, a space for relaxation and self-reflection. I want to give you permission to be quiet and take your practice to a deeper level, fully mindful of your body, mind and spirit and ultimately leave us refreshed and smiling

WELLBEING SPECIALISTS
Each retreat we invite a different wellbeing practitioner to give a talk about their specialist topic or lead a workshop, sharing hands-on advice and take-home tips. From fasting, fermentation, foraging, healthy eating, Kombucha making, raw chocolate making, Japanese tea ceremony, weight loss, menopause and how to run injury free to name but a few.

SILENT LUNCH only on some of the day retreats or on request!
Sometimes the best cure is to find an answer from within. Turn down the volume, quieten the voice and really taste the joy of the food that has been lovingly prepared for you. I want to give you permission to be quiet whilst chewing your food. This allows the taste buds to fully engage and the food to fully digest. It will feel strange to start with, but I promise you, you will come to really appreciate the silence.

BESPOKE ONE DAY RETREAT
Your very own bespoke retreat!

An exclusive day with a select group of friends, family or colleagues. Pick a date, workshop, menu, and invite your favourite people to our beautiful private venue just outside Oxford. A usual day includes yoga/mindfulness, delicious lunch and you can choose a topic that interests you or a hands-on workshop. Flexibility on dates and advance booking is recommended to get the desired workshop. A minimum of 5 students to book a private retreat or more on some of the workshops.

VOUCHERS for YOGA classes & DAY RETREATS
If you would like to purchase a gift voucher, please email info@zenakidd-may.com. We shall personalise your voucher and send it to you ready for you to give.

SCHEDULE
This is a rough idea of the programme for the day. It can vary a little depending on numbers and the workshop.
09:45 - 10:00 Arrival for tea & introduction
10:00 - 11.30 Yoga session
12:00 - 13:00 Light vegetarian lunch
13:30 - 15:30 Workshop/Talk
15:30 - 16:00 Home time

YOGA
Our yoga studio is fully equipped & all our yoga mats are regularly washed after every session. However, do feel free to bring your equipment.
Our yoga sessions are suitable for all levels. However, if you do have a particular ailment i.e. back problem, knee issues, HBP, arthritis etc. that may impact on how you practise please let us know on our health form that will be emailed out when you book.
Prenatal students are welcome after the 2^nd trimester and postnatal students are welcome after their 6-week check-up.

FOOD
Lunch and snacks are homemade, mostly organic, vegetarian, DF (we use goats, sheep and ewe only) and mostly GF. We do use nuts and seeds in our kitchen so do let us know of any allergies/intolerances.

COST range
£130 - £150 See below for costs & workshop details.

PLEASE NOTE
Number of guests are limited to 9 ideally but we may be able to accommodate 10.
Health forms must be filled and returned 3 weeks before the event.
Full payment must be made 3 weeks prior to the event.
We do provide a lunch menu to choose from which will need to be agreed before the event.
Most of our workshops take place on Thursdays and Fridays.

VIEW DAY RETREATS

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