Flametree Yoga Studio (2025)

14/11/2025

The Belt: Your Ultimate Yoga Prop for Deep Self-Awareness. The humble yoga belt is one of the most versatile tools in practice, serving both the newest beginner and the seasoned practitioner.

For beginners, belts offer a clear pathway to accessibility and safety: They act as a literal extension of your limbs, providing a needed sense of reach and stability.
By containing and organising muscles (like looping a belt around the outer arms in Chaturanga Dandasana, Handstands, and Downward Dog), they help build strength with better form, allowing the body to learn safe action before struggling to "get" into a pose. This safely builds the courage to go further.

However, the real magic of the prop, according to B.K.S. Iyengar, lies in its ability to refine the practice of even the most advanced student: "Is the prop useful only for people who cannot do a particular asana? The answer is 'no'. Props are helpful for the adept too. When one thinks (s)he has attained 'perfection' in an asana, (s)he should use the prop to attain sense of direction and a higher level of sensitivity."
The belt, therefore, becomes a feedback device that challenges everyone's self-awareness:

In this way, the belt moves the focus from the external shape to the internal action, transforming movement into conscious action and leading to true self-awareness.

12/11/2025

BKS Iyengar: Yoga ‘props help to perform the asanas [postures] with ease… The [yoga] student understands & learns āsana faster on props, as the brain remains passive”. By passive, he meant that the yoga prop helps one be more reflective. Yoga belts are some of the most versatile props. They give gentle support to hold alignment, stretch safely, & avoid overreaching.

A belt extends arms or legs when flexibility is limited, helping find space & ease in each pose. It also builds postural awareness, especially in the shoulders & upper back, relieving tension & encouraging better habits.

In restorative poses, a yoga belt lets you fully relax, taking the effort out, so the body (& mind), can release.

It’s also helps learn new or advanced poses, giving the steadiness to explore without strain. In traction work, as in some pictures, a belt can even deliver a gentle extension that further opens the neck & shoulders.

With a belt, muscles work more effectively, so you can stay longer, adjust with more precision, & get more benefits.

In short, belts make yoga inclusive, supportive, & endlessly adaptable for every person’s level.

04/11/2025

To all our dear Flametree yogis... please be aware of this very sad message from Flametree's teacher, Gertie. Through our tears, all of us in the Flametree community offer Gertie and her family our heartfelt condolences. Some years ago, Felix was one of the very bright, fun and entertaining students in our kids yoga class at the time. We are glad to have known him.

04/11/2025

“The prop is not a crutch, it’s a teacher,” said yoga maestro, Mr B.K.S. Iyengar. In forward bend yoga poses, that truth shines. When hamstrings and hips resist, yoga props like belts, chairs, and bolsters create space where strain would otherwise take over. They let you stay, breathe, observe; and replace frustration with patience.

Over time, regular practise of standing poses, particularly standing forward folding poses, strengthens the legs, opens the hips, and delivers flexibility and mobility into the upper back. In the process, standing forward bends prepare the body for safe, deep forward extension. As flexibility develops, the outer fold also becomes an inner movement toward stillness.

What once felt impossible in seated forward bends starts to feel like rest (while extension still continues). The lengthening of the spine mirrors the emotional act of letting go of control, expectation, and resistance.

It’s where forward bends reveal their true gifts: they soothe the nervous system, stabilise the emotions, and connect effort with awareness. The outcome is to turn physical precision into meditation in motion. The “simple” act of folding forward becomes an inward journey toward humility, calm, and understanding. Even better, the more you do it, the easier it becomes, and the further it takes you.

31/10/2025

Yoga master B.K.S. Iyengar often said that “broadening the back is the key secret of back health.” In essence, he taught us to create space before movement, and move from steadiness and awareness, not from tension or gripping of muscles. In Iyengar yoga, we pay a lot of attention to posture. Tadasana (Mountain Pose) is a key pose. Here, we learn to stand with our feet facing forward and our back broad and open.

This balanced foundation aligns the feet, knees, hips, and shoulders, allowing the muscles around the spine to soften. As this happens, the lower back begins to widen and release, bringing a sense of lightness and ease.

When the alignment is correct, the thighs roll slightly inward and the buttocks lengthen downward. This subtle inward roll broadens the sacrum and lumbar region, relieving compression that often builds from poor posture or tight hips.

It’s a quiet but powerful action; that supports your back from the ground up.

When your feet turn out, your weight rocks back into the heels and you tend to clench your buttocks and tighten the lower back.

When you stand with your feet facing forward, you stand evenly on what Geeta Iyengar called the "four corners of your feet", encouraging true balance and spinal freedom.

Plus, Iyengar yoga uses props and mindful actions to help you feel supported as you explore these principles. Step by step, it safely strengthens your core, opens the hips, and moves the spine in every direction... forward, backward, sideways, and through gentle twists.

It’s not about forcing the body. Instead, it’s about noticing. You’ll start to see how habits like clenching, slumping, or favouring one side affect the back, and how awareness and alignment can transform your movement.

With practice, the back can feel strong, spacious, and free again. As a result, it helps to reduce, prevent, or even eliminate back pain.🧘😍

28/10/2025

Want to cut back pain or improve your posture. For back health, start from the feet up. In Iyengar Yoga, how you place your feet shapes the health of your spine. Stand with your feet facing straight forward, toes in line with heels — not turned out. This precise foundation aligns not only the bones and joints, but also develops all the leg muscles evenly

This alignment ensures the joints of the legs—ankles, knees, and hips—are correctly stacked encouraging balanced engagement of the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.The inner and outer thighs work in harmony, and the pelvic floor muscles quietly engage; the whole core awakens in a grounded, steady way.

The result is a broad, strong lower back that supports and nourishes the whole spine. One key outcome, is the reduction, prevention, or elimination of back pain. Standing poses like Tadasana and Trikonasana, supported by props when needed, bring back pain relief.

As you hold poses and breathe steadily, the mind quietens and awareness deepens — transforming both body and self.

26/10/2025

In Iyengar Yoga, we use sandbags and weights not to build muscle—but to release tension deep in the fascia and soothe the nervous system. When a sandbag rests on your thighs in Supta Virasana( Supine Hero Pose) or over your sacrum in Savasana (Co**se Pose), it applies gentle, steady pressure.

This stimulates receptors in the fascia that send calming signals to the brain, enhancing vagal tone and activating the parasympathetic “rest and digest” response. Over time, this helps unwind chronic holding patterns in both body and mind.

Unlike gym weights that drive effort and muscle gain, yoga weights reveal where you hold on. You begin to notice your habits, ego, likes and dislikes — what yoga calls the kleshas. By staying with sensation instead of resisting it, you learn to surrender.

Studies show that this kind of sustained, weighted pressure—can reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and soften fascia. Stillness plus weight gives the body permission to let go. It's not force—it’s a quiet invitation. That’s the magic of Iyengar Yoga: structure that creates space for healing.

The body holds memory and emotion; it tells our inner story. When we meet that story with awareness and breath, tension can transform into insight. In this quiet surrender, you don’t escape yourself — you meet yourself fully.

23/10/2025

Think backbends are all effort? Think again. Barrels in Iyengar Yoga are transformative props that open the chest, release stiffness in the back and neck, and make backbends feel accessible and supported.

Barrels also uplift your spirits, deliver an energy boost and shut down mind chatter.

Their curved shape supports the spine’s natural arc, allowing a safe, confident exploration of deeper poses. By lifting the ribcage, they expand breathing capacity, improve posture, and calm the nervous system.

The barrel helps you “see” and “feel” your back body—often overlooked in daily life—awakening awareness and strength. Beyond the physical, barrels bring playfulness into practice.

They dissolve fear, invite curiosity, and often surprise you by how deeply you can go, turning backbends from effort into joyful discovery.

22/10/2025

Weights in yoga? Why? Try it! Years ago, there was a gym across from my yoga studio. I went in to buy a pair of 10-kilo weights. The man behind the counter offered to carry them across the road, surprised that someone my size could lift them.

When he asked what I was using them for, I said, “To teach how muscles, fascia, and the parasympathetic nervous system can relax.”

He looked puzzled — in his world, weights were for building muscle and pushing the body into effort.

But in yoga, we use weight to release rather than contract, to awaken awareness instead of adrenaline. It’s a reminder that true strength isn’t about tension or appearance — it’s about balance, intelligence, and learning how to let go.

21/10/2025

“Give your body a chance to open, and your mind will follow.” Many beginners hesitate to try yoga because they only see images of flexible people in advanced poses and think, “I could never do that.” In Iyengar Yoga, we understand this. Beginners are fully supported, and no one is expected to do the full classical pose right away.

We start with simple, accessible versions of each posture and use props like chairs, blocks, and the wall to help you build strength, stability, and confidence. These modifications let you experience the benefits of yoga safely and comfortably.

At first the body is stiff—and the mind can be stiff too, convinced that change isn’t possible. But with steady practice, both body and mind become stronger, more open, and more willing to try new things. Over time, you feel calmer, happier, and more in control of your body and emotions.

Just give it a go. Trust the process. In Iyengar Yoga, beginners are looked after every step of the way.

20/10/2025

In Iyengar Yoga, we break classical poses into simple steps so beginners can learn with confidence. There are always poses that can work for what ever level you are at.

You don’t need to be flexible or strong to start—just willing to show up. With props, guidance, and smart sequencing, poses like Triangle, Tree, and Down Dog become totally doable.

Over time, yoga helps you relax, handle stress, and feel more balanced. Keep practising and you’ll notice the difference in your body, your mind, and your everyday life.

19/10/2025

"The barrel doesn’t push you — it invites you. To soften, to trust, to explore what you cannot see." Yoga barrels in Iyengar Yoga offer a playful and profound way to explore your back body. What begins as a gentle massage can evolve into an invigorating, heart-opening backbend.

As we move with curiosity rather than force, the barrels become both support and teacher — helping us break down the fear of backbends and awaken a deeper awareness of what we often cannot see: the hidden landscape of our back body.

Through this exploration, we learn to get quiet, to sense into areas of stiffness, tightness, or disconnection. Bit by bit, the body reveals its story — and we begin to move not just with greater freedom, but with greater understanding.

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