The name comes from a combination of three key things: Shanti (meaning peace, rest, calmness, tranquility, or bliss), yo (short for yoga) and ma (short for massage). These three things are all brought together in one of my key offerings - Thai Yoga Massage. I also additionally offer yoga lessons in the Ashtanga Vinsaya Yoga tradition, which again can help bring greater peace into your life. TYM is
often referred to as ‘lazy yoga’ because you lie down on a futon (fully clothed), whilst the practitioner takes you through a series of movements and the application of rhythmic compression to energy lines and points, in synergy with deep stretching movements and gentle rocking. Simply put, the main focus of TYM is helping to regain ‘balance’ in the flow of energy in the body. The calming and healing effects of TYM on the ‘subtle’ body have a positive effect on the physical body: it both relieves excess energy and energizes, it is used to maintain wellbeing. The receiver comes out feeling more open, stretched, refreshed and ‘in balance’.
It is a fantastic massage to complement your yoga practice. What is Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga? Ashtanga Yoga is one of the more popular styles of yoga and has been my personal practice for over 10 years now. This style of yoga involves doing a sequence of poses, in a continuous, flowing, fast-paced manner. Ashtanga Yoga practitioners, or Ashtangis, move swiftly from one pose to another, timed with every inhale and exhale.
Having been a yoga teacher for 10 years (trained with the British Wheel of Yoga), I can work with students to help them master the sequence, either in a class, on a one to one basis, or in a small group of friends in a private lesson.