Private one to one yoga in Basingstoke, at your own pace.

How a first session works

1. 1

   You send me a message

   Tell me roughly what you are hoping for and anything you are worried about. I read and reply to every message myself.

2. 2

   We talk first

   A short phone call or a few emails, whichever you prefer. We cover what is going on with your body and what you would like to feel different.

3. 3

   We practise, privately

   Just the two of us. We start slowly, and you can stop or change anything at any point. I will confirm where to come and what to bring beforehand.

What people say

[TO CONFIRM: three real testimonials, and permission to use names or initials]

Why I teach this way

Most of the people who come to me are not what anyone would call a yoga person. They are managing a bad back, or recovering from an operation, or they have reached a point where their body does not do what it used to and nobody has offered them a sensible way back into moving.

A group class asks you to fit the shape of the class. A private session works the other way round. If you cannot kneel, we do not kneel. If standing for long is uncomfortable, we sit. If today is worse than last week, we do less, and that is a perfectly good session.

I am slow. I explain things in ordinary words. I will tell you what we are doing and why before we do it, and you can say no to any of it. [TO CONFIRM: replace with Claire's own account of how she came to teach]

Training and insurance

I teach yoga. I am not a medical practitioner, and nothing here is treatment or medical advice. If you are under the care of a doctor or a physiotherapist, it is worth mentioning that you are starting yoga, and I am happy to work alongside anything they have asked you to do.

One to one sessions

Private yoga lessons in Basingstoke

One person, one room, no audience. I do not teach group classes, so nobody else will be there and nobody is waiting for you to keep up.

Sessions are gentle and slow paced, and every one of them is adapted to your body on the day.

What happens the first time, in order

1. Before you arriveI send you the address, parking details and what to wear. Nothing special: something you can move in.
2. The first ten minutes, sitting downWe talk. What hurts, what you avoid, what you are hoping for, anything a doctor or physio has said. You keep your shoes on for this part.
3. We start moving, slowlyUsually seated or standing to begin with. I say what we are doing and why. If you would rather not do something, we skip it and I will not ask twice.
4. A few minutes of rest at the endLying down if that is comfortable, sitting or supported if it is not. No chanting, no incense, nothing you have to join in with.
5. AfterwardsWe have a quick chat about what felt good and what did not, and I write you a couple of simple things to try at home if you want them.

Length, price and cancelling

These are flat totals. There is nothing to add on afterwards.

If you need to cancel, let me know 24 hours ahead and there is no charge. Bodies have bad days, and I would rather move a session than have you push through one. [TO CONFIRM: cancellation terms]

How I adapt a practice to a body

Props do most of the work: blocks, a strap, a bolster, cushions, and a sturdy chair. They are there so a shape fits you, rather than you stretching to fit the shape.

If getting down to the floor is difficult or worrying, we can practise entirely standing and seated. If you can get down but not back up easily, we plan that in.

You can ask me to stop at any point in a session, for any reason, and you never have to explain why.

Who it's for

Yoga for beginners, and for bodies in pain

If you have been putting off yoga because of something on this page, you are exactly who I teach.

Questions people ask before they get in touch

One to one, Basingstoke

{{ condition.h1 }}

{{ condition.intro }}

Common questions

I teach yoga rather than treat conditions, so nothing here is medical advice. If a health professional is already helping you, I am glad to work alongside what they have asked you to do.

Workshops and retreats

A few times a year, in a small group

Alongside the one to one work I run the occasional half day workshop and, now and then, a longer retreat.

They are small and unhurried, and nobody is put on the spot. If you have been practising privately and feel curious about being around other people doing the same thing, this is a gentle way in. It is entirely optional. Plenty of people stay one to one and that is completely fine.

In the diary