Qayyah's yoga classes are a smooth, continuous, playful flow of different yoga postures. The class is a 'dynamic vinyasa', which means linking movement to your breath.
In this class, you'll spend 60-75 minutes in a safe and supportive space, being guided through inhaling and exhaling to transition through one posture to the next – cultivating (a little!) heat in the body and stillness in the heart and mind.
This class isn't just about cultivating power, strength, discipline, or resilience; it aims to help you use your body to find harmony and balance, mentally, emotionally, and physically; to use the breath and the postures to find spaciousness, release, and softness... and perhaps a little playfulness, too! All postures are optional; the only compulsory element is that you breathe! Though ideal for those with some experience of yoga, this class is accessible to beginners looking to challenge themselves; all are very welcome.
Wherever you are in your practice and however you're feeling on the day, this class is a chance to step away from a busy mind and to press pause, to observe your breath and body, and to simply experience... and perhaps to unlock your own strength and flexibility – in body, mind, and heart.
About Qayyah:
Qayyah has been local to East London for six (and a bit!) years.
A yoga teacher, somatic coach, and personal trainer, Qayyah is deeply interested in communication; she originally studied translation and interpreting in Paris, later training as a journalist in Málaga, Spain.
A Muhajir from Uttar Pradesh, Qayyah’s maternal grandmother passed down knowledge of Urdu and Arabic, Sufism, mysticism, Ayurveda, and yoga; this would later inspire Qayyah to shift her focus from linguistics to a more internal form of communication – through movement and breath.
She is interested in how yoga can offer us opportunities for self-discovery and, ultimately, self-liberation.
As well as training as a yoga teacher, Qayyah has trained in other adjacent fields – from herbal nutrition for traumatic stress to somatic coaching and personal training.
When not guiding others in cultivating their own spiritual and energetic intelligence, Qayyah’s energy and time are spent on creative endeavours, from teaching aerial dance and hosting henna workshops with children and adults to writing, growing and cooking food, baking, and nature photography.
Venue: The Canvas, E2 9PJ
Access: If you have any access needs of which we should be aware, please let us know. Entry to The Canvas is step-free but the toilet is not accessible. If you need access to an accessible toilet, please let us know so we can arrange that.
Dates: Mondays
Time: 6.30-7.30pm
Tickets:
Pay Less (covers some of our costs) – I am a student, unemployed, on benefits or financially stressed - £4
Standard (covers most of our costs) – I am employed, have some expendable income, and manage to meet my basic needs - £8
Pay More (covers all of our costs and supports our work) – I am employed or have enough savings to comfortably meet my basic needs - £12