I'm too stressed to relax — won't I just lie there thinking about my to-do list?

Probably, for the first five minutes. That's normal and I expect it. The techniques I teach give your brain something to do — counting breaths, scanning your body, following my voice. You're not being asked to empty your mind. You're being given something better to focus on. Most students are surprised how quickly they drop out of their head and into their body. And if it takes you the whole class to get there? That's fine too. You still got an hour away from your inbox.

Is yoga better than the gym for stress?

They work differently. Exercise burns off cortisol and releases endorphins — that's genuinely helpful. But it keeps your nervous system in sympathetic mode (go, push, perform). Yoga specifically activates your parasympathetic system — the rest and recover mode. If you're already running on adrenaline, more adrenaline isn't always the answer. Ideally, do both. But if you're choosing one specifically for stress, yoga targets the root cause rather than just burning off the symptoms.

How quickly will I notice a difference?

Most students feel calmer after their first class — lower heart rate, looser shoulders, quieter mind. That's not a placebo; research shows slow breathing reduces cortisol within minutes. For longer-term changes in your baseline stress levels, most students notice a real shift after 4–6 weeks of regular practice (once or twice a week). You're retraining your nervous system, which takes time, but less time than you'd think.

I can't switch off — is meditation even possible for me?

Yes, specifically because I don't teach the kind of meditation where you sit in silence and try to think about nothing. That's impossible for stressed people (and honestly, for most people). I use guided breathwork, body scans, and Yoga Nidra — they all give your mind a job. You're following instructions, not fighting your thoughts. The people who say "I can't meditate" are usually the ones who benefit most.

I only have an hour a week — is that enough to make a difference?

Yes. One class a week is enough to start shifting your nervous system. You'll also learn breathing techniques you can use anywhere — at your desk, in the car, at 3am. The class teaches you the tools; you can use them in two-minute bursts throughout the week. It doesn't have to take over your life to change it.

Yoga for Stress

Yoga for Stress & Burnout

Stress isn't a badge of honour. It's your body telling you something needs to change — and yoga is one of the most effective ways to actually listen.

Best For

✓Work stress and burnout
✓Chronic tension (jaw, shoulders, back)
✓Insomnia from stress
✓Feeling permanently overwhelmed
✓Can't switch off or relax

What to Expect

Breathing techniques that actually interrupt the stress cycle, physical release of held tension, and permission to stop doing for an hour. No performance, no pressure.

1–2 classes per week

Recommended Classes

View Timetable

You Don't Need to Be Told to Relax

You already know you're stressed. You don't need an app to tell you that.

The jaw clenching you don't notice until bedtime. The shoulders that live somewhere near your ears. The 3am wake-up where your brain helpfully replays every conversation you've had that week. The permanent feeling that you're behind on everything, no matter how much you do.

Stress isn't the same as anxiety — though they're close cousins. Anxiety is about threat: what might go wrong. Stress is about overload: too many demands, not enough capacity. Your nervous system can't tell the difference. It just knows something's wrong and it won't let you rest.

You've probably been told to "take a break" or "practise self-care" by people who don't seem to understand that the to-do list doesn't stop because you've had a bath. I know. I'm not going to tell you to light a candle and breathe. I'm going to teach you something that actually works.

The Science

Why Your Body Won't Let You Rest (And How Yoga Changes That)

When you're chronically stressed, your body is stuck in sympathetic overdrive — fight or flight mode. Cortisol (your stress hormone) stays elevated, your muscles stay braced, your digestion slows down, and your sleep gets shallower. Your body is running an emergency programme 24/7, even when there's no emergency. It's exhausting because it's genuinely supposed to be temporary.

Yoga works on stress at the physiological level. Slow breathing with extended exhales directly activates your parasympathetic nervous system — the rest and digest mode. Research shows this lowers cortisol within minutes. Not hours. Not after six weeks of practice. Minutes. Your body gets a clear physical signal: the emergency is over. You can stop bracing.

Then there's the tension you've been carrying without realising. Stress lives in your body — your jaw, your shoulders, your hip flexors, your lower back. Gentle movement and long-held stretches release fascia and connective tissue that's been gripping for months. Students often say they didn't know how much tension they were holding until they let it go.

But honestly? The most powerful thing might be the simplest. For one hour, nobody needs anything from you. No emails, no messages, no decisions. My studio is a shed at the end of a garden in Wallington. There's no phone signal (genuinely — not a gimmick). You get permission to stop. That's rarer than it should be.

Classes That Help

Find the Right Class

Breathe.Meditate.Relax

The breathing techniques that actually interrupt the stress cycle

·Extended exhale breathing to lower cortisol and heart rate in minutes
·Body scan meditation to release physical tension you didn't know you were holding
·Yoga Nidra (guided deep rest) — one session feels like hours of sleep

Restorative Yoga

Your nervous system needs permission to stop. This is it.

·Fully supported poses — bolsters, blankets, and blocks do the work
·Activates your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest)
·Perfect for people who find it hard to do nothing (this gives you a structure for resting)

Yin Yoga

Learning to sit with discomfort instead of running from it

·Long-held stretches release deep tension in fascia and connective tissue
·Teaches you to be still without needing to fix, check, or respond to anything
·Targets hips, shoulders, and back — where stress physically lives

The Yoga Den Difference

What Makes The Yoga Den Different

No Judgement, No Perfect Poses

Every pose is modified for your body. Blocks, bolsters, blankets — I bring the floor to you. Health forms mean I know your limitations before you walk in.

Science-Backed, Not Woo-Woo

No preaching, no crystals. I explain the neuroscience: nervous system regulation, vagal tone, somatic release. The gong doesn't 'heal' you — it creates conditions for your nervous system to rest.

A Sanctuary, Not a Gym

A garden studio, max 10 students, birdsong and wind chimes. Built by hand at the end of a Wallington garden. Not a franchise, not a brand. Just a space to breathe.

The Evidence

The Research on Yoga and Stress

1.Cortisol reduction: Harvard Medical School research confirms yoga significantly reduces cortisol levels, with effects measurable after a single session and sustained with regular practice
2.Significant stress reduction: A 2017 meta-analysis in the Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine found yoga significantly reduces perceived stress across diverse populations
3.NHS integration: The Yoga4Health programme, delivered through NHS trusts, showed statistically significant reductions in perceived stress alongside improvements in physical activity and wellbeing
4.Parasympathetic activation: Multiple studies confirm slow breathing techniques (5–7 second exhales) directly stimulate vagal tone, shifting the nervous system from sympathetic (fight/flight) to parasympathetic (rest/digest) dominance within minutes

Yoga is a powerful tool for managing stress but doesn't replace medical advice. If stress is significantly affecting your health, relationships, or ability to function, speak to your GP. For crisis support, contact Samaritans: 116 123.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to Stop Running on Empty?

I know — making time for yoga when you're stressed feels like adding another thing to the list. But this is the thing that makes everything else more manageable. One hour. No phone signal. Just you and your breath.

Book Your First Class Email Me

Come as you are. Bring the tension, the to-do list brain, the shoulders-by-your-ears. We'll work with it.

You Don't Need to Be Told to Relax

You already know you're stressed. You don't need an app to tell you that.

Why Your Body Won't Let You Rest (And How Yoga Changes That)

What Makes The Yoga Den Different

No Judgement, No Perfect Poses

Every pose is modified for your body. Blocks, bolsters, blankets — I bring the floor to you. Health forms mean I know your limitations before you walk in.

Science-Backed, Not Woo-Woo

No preaching, no crystals. I explain the neuroscience: nervous system regulation, vagal tone, somatic release. The gong doesn't 'heal' you — it creates conditions for your nervous system to rest.

A Sanctuary, Not a Gym

A garden studio, max 10 students, birdsong and wind chimes. Built by hand at the end of a Wallington garden. Not a franchise, not a brand. Just a space to breathe.

The Research on Yoga and Stress

1.Cortisol reduction: Harvard Medical School research confirms yoga significantly reduces cortisol levels, with effects measurable after a single session and sustained with regular practice

2.Significant stress reduction: A 2017 meta-analysis in the Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine found yoga significantly reduces perceived stress across diverse populations

3.NHS integration: The Yoga4Health programme, delivered through NHS trusts, showed statistically significant reductions in perceived stress alongside improvements in physical activity and wellbeing

4.Parasympathetic activation: Multiple studies confirm slow breathing techniques (5–7 second exhales) directly stimulate vagal tone, shifting the nervous system from sympathetic (fight/flight) to parasympathetic (rest/digest) dominance within minutes

Ready to Stop Running on Empty?

Come as you are. Bring the tension, the to-do list brain, the shoulders-by-your-ears. We'll work with it.