The future is now..

"The future is the nervous system's play-thing" literally jumped onto the keys on my laptop before I could think about what that meant. It tickled somewhat and I realise how it could well be pretty close to the truth..

Getting back
I'm fresh from a very lovely holiday with warm sea, dolphins, sailing, exotic food, quick novels and very little thinking. So to come back to the unopened post, a stream of emails that will take me a long time to get through, and a whole load of washing and all that home admin that we either try to get done before we leave, or put off till this moment.

The list
The child in me feels very restrained by the seat in my living room which doubles up as an office, as my tan fades a bit too quickly, and the mozzie bites still itch, I still have that slowness of siesta times, and the memories of actual dolphins swimming really close, no, I won't apologise for daydreaming.
But as I'm watching the list get longer, but not letting it overwhelm. That's (some of) the magic of bringing yoga with me when I've had time away.

Unstressful start please!
In an attempt to ease my way into the term time, I have reached out to my new host Lily, at the Forge to check she's still expecting me next Tuesday, and hopefully some of you, for a bit of un-creaking, a gentle start to the autumn with Easy sessions, where I have a plan to mingle the ever present ancient lore of traditional Hatha yoga with the highlight of our wonderful organs, and how, from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) some gentle, un-stressful yoga can help the health and performance of these precious bits of us as we smooth our way into the next season.

First aid for mental health
So The future is exciting, in a soft way, we won't be doing star jumps or aerobics in my sessions, but I do feel a curiosity about how things change over a 6 week period for all of us!
I can feel that in some areas of my body, in preparation for what's to come, my nervous system is gearing up to teaching you some fabulous facts, making some delicious movements, refreshing the breath! & ultimately to see your lovely faces again, and greet some new faces along the way.
I've been teaching yoga now for 14 years, and as things change around me, I notice my own changes, and respond. I recently completed a "first aid mental health" online course, which has given me a much broader understanding of why things happen, and I'm really intrigued to bring the things I have learned into my sessions as an aide to bring mental health issues into the light to dispel the darkness of stigma and discrimination, thus to open the doors further, wider, to those who might not otherwise be up for coming to a group class, and perhaps those who are not be able to afford private sessions, quite common these days! (let's not get into the politics just yet)

The studios
Totnes has long been a hub for healing and the gentle arts, and it's no surprise to learn of a few changes. Im sure most of you know about Move Forward ending its contract back in the spring, and now the Forge healing centre has been beautifully renovated to give us its best, and yes a lot of the collective teachers have booked slots to teach there. It is a super venue!
Unfortunately Bala Brook retreat centre has been sold, this is a big blow for many, and Pippa & I will be in touch with those of you who have loyally stayed with us, and will discuss the next steps to rearrange our planned retreat in January.
Interestingly There is a therapy room in Pridhamsleigh, "Hands on retreat", just outside Buckfastleigh with a long list of excellent practitioners of all kinds, some of them great friends of mine. I have been in touch and they have a lovely space to look out for workshops and treatments.
Birdwood house has been housing the costumes for TODAS who do the panto in January every year, and have recently re-homed the costumes to reveal a rather beautiful room in the dizzying eaves of the building, contact the manager Simon for details, or have a look on the website to see when it's available. It is smaller than the other rooms, and at this lofty height, it soars above the noises of the town. Check it out! the loft is in blue on the timetable.

What happens next?
The time has come to fill you in with what I'm doing...

The Collective website will have updated info on all our teachers very soon, hopefully by next week so you've got a chance to book in before the slots fill up.

My sessions will be held with the same focus (TCM & the organs) but on different levels, and start next Monday 1st September, and are as follows:

Mondays 10.45-12 Chapel house studios £12 drop in, 6+ booked 10%discount

Tuesdays 11-12 am The Forge Yoga therapy centre £11

Fridays 9-9.30 Vinyasa style sun salutations focused warm-up! donation
Fridays 10-11.30 Integrated Hatha yoga £11

I look forward to seeing you soon, please get in touch if you have any queries, and I'll do my best to help you. katie@katiesyogacollective.co.uk
Much love
Katie

August 2025

Yes, the sea was actually this colour, no tampering with photo editor whatsoever. Pico, Açores.