Not long until our in-person Yoga classes return to the Scout Halls. The following dates, are when each individual class resumes:
Tuesday 14 July, 9:00am – 10:30am, Hatha Yoga Class at Raceview Scout Hall, 32 Taylor Street, Eastern Heights.
Tuesday 4 August, 6:00pm – 7:30pm, Hatha Yoga Class at Scout Hall in Cameron Park, Easton Street, Booval.
Wednesday 5 August 9:00am – 10:00am, Senior’s Yoga Class at Raceview Scout Hall, 32 Taylor Street, Eastern Heights.
Thursday 6 August, 5:00pm – 6:00pm, Senior’s Yoga Class at Raceview Scout Hall, 32 Taylor Street, Eastern Heights.
Thursday 6 August, 6:30pm – 8:00pm, Hatha Yoga Class at Raceview Scout Hall, 32 Taylor Street, Eastern Heights.
You find the updated information also on the Class Info Page: https://hathayogaipswich.com.au/classes-cost/ Please let me know, if you have any questions. Looking forward to welcome you back on the Yoga mat soon. Maria Prema
Maria Steiner, February 2020.
Even once the in-person Yoga classes resume, you can join all of the above classes online via Zoom as well.
Plus for Zoom only, you can join the following Hatha Yoga classes online, time in Brisbane, Australia:
It’s already two months since I teach the Yoga classes online via Zoom. 6 hatha yoga classes and 2 seniors classes per week, Monday to Thursday. Everybody participating so far is happy to practice in the comfort of their own home. We have people joining from Ipswich, Brisbane, Melbourne, Tasmania and overseas. Even though with restrictions easing, but the Winter weeks and short days approaching, I intend to continue all classes online only until end of July 2020.
If you didn’t have a chance to join us online yet, but would like to give it a try, please contact me. I can help you setting it up, and give you all the information for payment and log-in details.
The weekly schedule for the Zoom online Yoga classes is as follows, all the classes are 1 hour (60 minutes):
Monday 10am Hatha Yoga class
Tuesday 9am Hatha Yoga class
Tuesday 6pm Hatha Yoga class
Wednesday 9am Seniors Yoga class
Wednesday 4pm Hatha Yoga class
Thursday 6am Hatha Yoga class – early bird session
Our classes are relatively small with 5 – 20 persons per class.
I will review weekly, if we can keep the yoga classes going. And also discuss with those attending each class, how they feel about coming to Yoga and being out in public.
In general I will follow the guidelines and practices of the local gyms and other fitness/yoga classes on offer in Ipswich. Especially the PCYC Ipswich. As long as the classes run at the PCYC and I teach the weekly Yoga class on Wednesdays 6:30pm – 8pm at the PCYC Ipswich. We will keep all the Yoga classes in the Scout Halls in Eastern Heights and Booval going as well.
Of course should I feel unwell, I will cancel immediately !!
Please follow the daily Health and Hygiene guidelines & updates by the health professionals and experts.
We are all in this together. Yoga helps reduce stress and keeps us calm.
Maria Prema
Zinnia in our front garden. Silkstone, March 2020.
Starting on Thursday morning 6th of February 2020 we’ll have a new yoga class at 6am – 7am.
At the Scout Hall in Cameron Park, Easton Street, Booval.
This class will run through the months of February and March. Then we’ll decide, if and how long it will continue, as the days get shorter. Maybe into April and May, before Winter.
In any case, if you are interested in this early morning yoga class, please join as much as possible. The interest has been good, for an early morning yoga class. Now you just need to show up and roll out your mat.
The cost for the class is $15, or a tick on your class pass.
60 minutes hatha yoga class. We will practice the Sun Salutation, basic yoga postures & stretches, and a short final relaxation. To get you ready for a joyful, motivated start into the new day.
Besides being a busy time of the year with Christmas and end of 2019 approaching fast, we are all affected by the current bush fires in our wider area and all over Australia. The smoke haze, bad & dry air, the lack of rain puts extra stress on all of us and our bodies.
So it’s even more important to practice some yoga, meditation, conscious relaxation and deep breathing. Even a class or two over the next few weeks is helpful.
Below is the current timetable until Friday 20th of December 2019.
Cameron Park, Scout Hall, Easton Street, Booval:
Tuesday, 6:00pm–7:30pm (last class 17/11/19)
Raceview Scout Hall, 32 Taylor Street, Eastern Heights:
Tuesday, 9am – 10:30am (last class 17/11/19)
Thursday, 6:30pm – 8pm (last class 19/12/19)
Senior Yoga classes at the Raceview Scout Hall, Eastern Heights:
In the Yoga tradition, that I practice and teach, we chant/sing/recite many Sanskrit Mantras. These Mantras all have different meanings: Mantra for protection, Mantra for safe travelling, opening and closing Mantra for the Yoga class…..
Every Day of the week is dedicated to a different Deity. In my own practice I observe these days with specific Mantras for the Deity of the Day.
Friday is Devi day, honoring the Divine Mother.
Please click on the link below to listen to a short recording, I’ve done this morning. This sound file is unedited….. I simply recorded myself as I play the harmonium and chant the Mantra.
Only a few more weeks until our Yoga & Meditation Retreat in Coolum Beach, on the Sunshine Coast, at the Luther Heights Youth Camp.
We still have spaces available in our small, focused group. If you feel inspired and called to immerse yourself into a weekend of traditional Hatha Yoga and Meditation, don’t hesitate to contact me for detailed information and to book.
email: hathayogaipswich@gmail.com
phone or text: 0423 477 725
Yoga & Meditation Weekend Retreat Friday 16th – Sunday 18th of August 2019 at Luther Heights Youth Camp, in Coolum Beach, on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Experience, learn & practice traditional Hatha – Yoga, Meditation, Rituals and Kirtan (Mantra chanting).
Simple, basic, clean accommodation and amenities.
Delicious, vegetarian meals, that might inspire to try new recipes at home.
Spectacular ocean views, observing the sunrise.
Walks along the beach, or buswalk at Mount Coolum. If we are lucky we spot some migrating whales in the distance.
Release – Relax – Recharge.
Letting go of the Winter blues, to be ready for Spring.
The topic of the weekend retreat is based on the five points of Yoga, as taught by Swami Vishnu-Devananda:
1) Proper Exercise (Asana) Proper exercise should be pleasant to the practitioner while beneficial to the body, mind and spiritual life.
2) Proper Breathing (Pranayama) Proper breathing should be deep, slow and rhythmical. This increases vitality and mental clarity.
3)Proper Relaxation (Savasana) By relaxing deeply all the muscles the Yogi can thoroughly rejuvenate his/her nervous system and attain a deep sense of inner peace.
4)Proper Diet (Vegetarian) A lacto-vegetarian diet. This is an integral part of the Yogic lifestyle.
5) Positive Thinking and Meditation(Dhyana) Here is the most important point of all, we become what we think. A positive outlook on life can be developed by learning and practicing the teachings of the philosophy of Vedanta. The mind will be brought under perfect control by regular practice of meditation.
During the weekend we practice these five points of yoga.
The retreat is suitable for beginners to learn about the basics of yoga and for more advanced yoga students to deepen their practice.
The cost for the weekend is $420.- Included in this price are the complete yoga program, accommodation (Please bring your own linen) and vegetarian meals. A non-refundable deposit of $120 .- is required to reserve your space. The final payment is due one week before the Retreat.
Here is the most important point of all, we become what we think. Thus we should exert to entertain positive and creative thoughts as these will contribute to vibrant health and a peaceful, joyful mind. A positive outlook on life can be developed by learning and practising the teachings of the philosophy of Vedanta. The mind will be brought under perfect control by regular practice of meditation.
Meditation is a natural state of consciousness that isn’t learned, any more that you learn to sleep. It just happens. When the mind becomes one-pointed and steady, it will naturally go beyond the normal mundane awareness into the state referred to as meditation.
Before meditation, practice concentration, one – pointed thinking. Then this practice will lead to a meditative state of the mind. Train the mind in a variety of ways in concentration in the beginning. Sit in a quiet place, or in nature focus on your breath. Inhale – Exhale …… mentally repeating a Mantra “OM” or “Soham”. Concentrate on any concrete image: a flower, a candle, the blue sky. Concentrate within on one of the Chakras.
In meditation do not strain the eyes. Do not strain the brain. Do not struggle or wrestle with the mind. Relax. Observe the thoughts like a cloud passing by. Gently allow the divine thoughts flow.
Meditation practice – Concentration on a flower.
Through regular meditation, the mind becomes clear and the motives pure. The subconscious mind release hidden knowledge that allows a better understanding of oneself and our relationship to the world. the limited personality slowly dissolves into an expanded consciousness. Ultimately, the super-conscious or intuitive forces are released, leading to a life of wisdom and peace.
Swami Vishnu-Devananda
Sunrise Meditation in nature – yoga weekend retreat September 2018.
How I recently experienced the power of proper breathing.
Healing on and by the water. Tallebudgera Creek, November 2018. Photo by Prema Maria
A couple weeks ago I had a root canal treatment. It wasn’t my first one ever. But for this one, I had to go to an Endodontist, a specialist for those kind of procedures. I spare you of the details.
The procedure took about two hours. I couldn’t do much, lying there with my mouth open, breathing through the nose.
And that’s exactly what I’ve done. I had my hands on my belly, focusing on deep abdominal breathing, taking the attention and focus away from my face. While I visualised healing light all around me, specially on my tooth, as well as for the Endodontist and Assistant. They did the hard work, I was just lying there.
Now in general I very seldom meditate for longer than 15 minutes. But I had no other choice, no place to go – nothing to do. I tried to detach from my body and observe myself from the outside. Forgetting time and space.
Of course I felt dizzy and was numb on one side of my face, once the procedure was finished. Instead of going home or trying to drink, let alone eat anything. I went straight to the movies. Probably the best I could do at the moment, and I can highly recommend it. I watched “A Star is born”. It made me forget my tooth, I was distracted in a dark room. While the sensation in my face and mouth came back slowly. Afterwards I drank a green smoothie with a straw and went home on the train.
In the evening I was teaching a yoga class, without bending forward or moving my head too much.
At night before going to sleep I took two pain-killers, just in case it would help me from waking up through the night with pain. Plus I did not need to be a hero, as I almost never take any painkillers.
The next morning I had the day off. I could feel the pain and swelling ease by the hour. I was thinking more about the movie I saw, listening to the Soundtrack of “A Star is born”, than my tooth.
I give credit to my almost pain-free experience and quick healing to the BREATH, proper deep abdominal yoga breathing, meditation of detaching from the body.
Everyone in my yoga classes the following week, had to listen to my story. As I was practising and experiencing in every day life, what I preach.
Thank you for reading my story !! Prema Maria
PS: In addition to the breathing exercise, I would recommend to go straight to a movie theatre after a root canal treatment or similar.
Tallebudgera Creek, a few days after the procedure we had a nice Sunday on the stand-up-paddle boards on Tallebudgera Creek. November 2018, Photo by Prema Maria
Hatha Yoga Ipswich 