Yoga Riva UK Shala

26/12/2025

🎯 Posture fixed. Ego slightly shaken. Marriage slightly healed. 😅

After years of watching me cue “abs on, legs long, breath steady”…
My husband finally stepped onto the Reformer — and straight into Hundreds.
💥 The exercise that looks easy… until you're 30 pulses deep and questioning your life choices.

He nailed it.
Said he felt taller afterward (YES!).
Listened to every single cue.
✅ My easiest client – focused, followed instructions
❗ Also my most difficult – because he now knows exactly how precise I am 😅

If only our driving lessons had gone this smoothly...

📸 See him in full “Pilates warrior mode” — breathing, pulsing, core ON 🔥
(And yes, I’m still smug.)

Pilates: Building posture, patience, and partner appreciation, one Hundred at a time.

24/12/2025

As the year comes to a close, I’m inviting you into a little Yin—not to fix anything, but to soften around it.

Because life has its highest of highs… and its lowest of lows. And balance isn’t a tightrope we never wobble on. It’s something we return to—again and again—through breath, through stillness, through being willing to stay.

In the highs, we practise receiving without clinging.
In the lows, we practise holding ourselves with tenderness.
And in the quiet middle, we remember: we can feel it all, and still remain rooted.

If this year stretched you in any direction—upwards or downwards—may you end it gently. May you let the body rest. May you let the nervous system exhale. May you arrive back in yourself.

One slow breath in.
One long breath out.
And a soft reminder: you don’t have to carry it all into the new year.

Visit www.yogariva.com and book a gentle practice to restore balance, release stress, and reset your nervous system. Slow stretches, mindful breathing, and deep relaxation to close the year with calm and begin the new year grounded.

27/11/2025

🌟 Same Move, Different Feel 🌟
Ever tried Running on the Reformer with both heavy and light springs?

💥 On a heavy spring, the emphasis shifts to the glutes, hamstrings, and calves, creating a grounded, strength-based movement. It’s all about power and control.

💨 Switch to a light spring, and suddenly the challenge is all about control and stability. Your abdominals and hip flexors kick in to keep the rhythm, and your alignment has to work harder to stay true.

🎯 Same exercise. Two completely different challenges.
This is the magic of Reformer Pilates — subtle shifts = big impact.

✨ Whether you're building strength or refining control, personalised 1-on-1 Reformer Pilates in Dartford helps you get the most out of every movement.

📍 Find your spring — and your strength — at Yoga Riva.

25/11/2025

☀️ Out of Office. Still on the Mat. 🌿

Taking a little time away — to rest, to reconnect, to breathe.

Holidays are for slowing down, but yoga never really leaves. It simply adapts. My practice this week? Gentler, softer, more spacious. Less about strength, more about presence. Less doing. More being. ✨

Because yoga isn’t about the poses we “should” hit — it’s about listening to what the body needs right now. And right now, it needs soft sun, slow movement, and stillness in between.

Wherever you are, may your practice meet you there.
Even if it looks like lying on the floor for 20 minutes listening to the waves. 🧘‍♀️💛

24/11/2025

🌟 Rising Star 🌟
What looks like grace in motion… starts with intention in alignment.

This is Star Prep on the Reformer — knees grounded, core fired up, and shoulders dialled in. It’s a vital progression step before the full star variation, and it’s where the real work begins ✨

🔍 Why do we love this version?

*Knees down = stable base to explore side control
*Bottom hand on the footbar provides feedback for scapular engagement
*Top arm reaches long to open the side body while keeping the core active

A fantastic opportunity to build shoulder stability, oblique strength, and proprioception (aka knowing where your body is in space!)

💪 Muscles at work:

•Obliques + QL
•Latissimus dorsi
•Serratus anterior
•Glutes (yes, they’re working!)
•Deep core stabilisers

At Yoga Riva in Dartford, we focus on building strength with purpose. One-on-one Reformer sessions give you space to learn how to move smarter — and shine brighter. 🌟

📍 Book your private session today and prep like the star you are!
www.yogariva.com
£10 for first session

22/11/2025

🪑 Chair Pose (Utkatasana): It’s not a rest, it’s a workout in disguise 💪🧘‍♀️

You look like you’re sitting... but your muscles know otherwise.
Utkatasana is one of those poses that demands a little bit of everything — strength, focus, and breath.

🔥 What’s working?

Quads & glutes – supporting and stabilising the lower body

Hamstrings – eccentrically engaged to control the descent

Core muscles – to support the lumbar spine and keep the chest lifted

Shoulders & upper back – working to stay lifted and wide

✅ Alignment tips:

• Feet hip-width apart or together — listen to what your knees prefer
Knees track over ankles (not past toes)
• Weight in the heels — you should be able to wiggle your toes!
• Keep the lumbar spine long — avoid overarching or collapsing through the lower back
• Ribcage drawn gently in, arms active but not tense

www.yogariva.com

📍 Join us for group Hatha, Vinyasa and Yin classes on Monday and Tuesday evenings at Dartford Methodist Church for only £8

We’ll help you find your seat of strength 🔥






😅 Why it’s tricky:

Because it challenges your endurance, alignment, and focus — all at once. And holding it? That’s where the real strength builds (and the legs shake just enough to remind you you’re alive).

🧘‍♀️ At Yoga Riva in Dartford, we explore Utkatasana as more than a pose — it’s a training ground for stamina, support, and awareness.

21/11/2025

“Hundreds? Oh yeah, just lie down and flap your arms. Easy.”
— said no one… mid-set.

The Reformer Hundreds look deceptively chill. You're just lying there, right?

Except your:
🔥 abs are shaking,
💨 breath is controlled,
🦵 legs are lifted,
💪 arms are pulsing like you’re fanning yourself through a heatwave,
… and your teacher is casually saying “halfway!”

✅ Benefits:

✔️ Fires up core stability from the inside out
✔️ Improves breath control and endurance
✔️ Activates mind-body connection
✔️ Builds Pilates heat FAST (no jumping required)

So yes, Hundreds might look easy — until you do them right.
Join us at Yoga Riva in Dartford for 1-on-1 Reformer Pilates sessions that make every pulse count 💥

www.yogariva.com
📍 £10 for first session
West hill, Dartford

20/11/2025

🧘‍♀️ Yin Yoga Supported Inversion: Turning inward to find balance 🧘‍♂️

In the fast pace of modern life, supported inversions in Yin Yoga invite us to pause, soften, and reset — without the effort or strain.

Unlike active inversions (think headstands or handstands), these postures are fully supported by props — like bolsters, blocks, or the wall — allowing the body to gently invert without force.

🌿 Benefits of Supported Inversions:

✔️ Gently stimulates the lymphatic system and circulation
✔️ Helps reduce swelling and heaviness in the legs
✔️ Calms the nervous system and lowers stress hormones
✔️ Eases fatigue and promotes deep rest
✔️ Encourages introspection and stillness

This is where Yin Yoga shines:
🪷 Long holds, minimal effort, deep release.
🪷 A posture where gravity does the work — and the breath leads the way.

🛑 Note:
Supported inversions are not suitable for everyone.
🚫 Avoid if you have glaucoma, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or recent eye surgery.
✅ Always listen to your body and modify as needed — support is the heart of Yin.

At Yoga Riva in Dartford, we guide you into these shapes with props, options, and permission to let go — completely.

📍 Monthly Yin Yoga classes | All levels welcome

https://www.yogariva.com

19/11/2025

18/11/2025

🧘‍♀️ Slowing Down to Soften 🧘‍♂️
In Yin Yoga, we don’t rush to the end — we rest in the middle.
This seated forward fold is not about reaching your toes…
…it’s about letting go.

In this practice at Yoga Riva in Dartford, we use props like blocks and hands as gentle supports — under the head, under the knees, wherever the body needs a soft landing.

When we slow down enough to feel…
When we allow support…
That’s when something deeper begins to unwind — in the breath, in the body, and in the mind.

✨ Stillness doesn’t mean nothing is happening.
It means we’re finally listening.

Whether you're in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, or simply seeking a slower, more grounded approach — Yin Yoga welcomes you exactly as you are.

📍 Join us in Dartford for monthly Yin Yoga
All levels welcome. No rush. No pressure. Just breath and stillness.

01/11/2025

✨Intermediate Reformer Mermaid ✨
Not just a stretch — it’s a layered, intelligent movement that integrates side bend, twist, and gentle thoracic extension. 💫

This variation elevates the classic Mermaid into a full upper-body experience — promoting both strength and spinal freedom.

✅ Benefits:
✔️ Improves mobility in the thoracic spine (upper back)
✔️ Strengthens the obliques and QL (Quadratus Lumborum)
✔️ Opens the side body, rib cage, and shoulders
✔️ Encourages healthy spinal rotation with breath-led movement
✔️ Builds postural awareness

🔍 Focus on:
• Moving from the rib cage, not the shoulders
• Keeping the pelvis grounded for a stable base
• Leading the twist from the mid-spine, not the neck
• Using the breath to guide the extension, not force it

⚠️ Watch out for:
• Arching from the lower back instead of lifting through the thoracic spine
• Shoulder tension or collapsing in the arm
• Losing stability in the hips

https://www.yogariva.com/

At Yoga Riva in Dartford, we teach 1-on-1 Reformer Pilates with attention to detail, flow, and YOUR body’s needs. The Mermaid might look elegant — but the strength and control behind it? That’s where the magic is 🧜‍♀️💜

📍 Dartford Studio | Private sessions available
£10 for first session

30/10/2025

✨Fallen Star Pose✨
Looks fabulous. Feels fierce. And yes — it's more than just a pretty shape!

This yoga pose is a sneaky strength-builder disguised as a twisty stretch 💪
✅ **Primary mover?** The **obliques** (hello, side waist 🔥)
✅ Glutes, stabilising shoulder muscles, and deep core are also invited to the party
✅ Adds rotation, balance, and a little drama to your flow

**BUT** ➡️ Not for everyone.
❌ Avoid if you’re managing wrist, shoulder, or low back issues
✅ Modify with a block under your hand or skip the twist and keep it grounded

At **Yoga Riva in Dartford**, we love playing with poses like Fallen Star — always with options, guidance, and permission to laugh when you wobble ✨

Because building strength and stability doesn't have to be so serious.
Sometimes, you just need to fall like a star and get back up shining 🌟