Welcome!
Welcome to Olivia Smithies – Yoga!
Here you can find up to date information about all my upcoming and current classes with any set dates for the five week courses. Please get in touch (oliviasmithies@gmail.com) if you have any questions.
Have a lovely day and hope to see you at one of my classes soon!
Hello everyone!
I have had quite a few people get in touch asking whether classes will be moving back to the venue now that coronavirus restrictions are starting to lift so I thought I would release an update on the website.
I will be teaching for the next three weeks (until the end of April) and then I will be going on maternity leave for the summer. We have a lovely cover teacher, Michelle Mellor, who will be teaching the Zoom classes over the summer. Michelle and I trained together with with British Wheel of Yoga between 2013 and 2016, so we have a similar style of teaching. For those of you who are new to yoga, it is a gentle hatha style suitable for all bodies and all ages. Classes are mixed ability with variations available to suit your needs.
I hope to be back teaching from September. This does mean that the earliest we will be moving back to a venue will be September, and it could potentially be later if classes need to remain on Zoom.
If you would like to join Michelle’s Zoom classes over the Summer, please do get in touch! Zoom classes will run at the normal time (6.45-8.15pm) on Monday evenings.
All the best,
Olivia
Olivia Smithies Yoga now open: new socially distanced yoga class at the venue to run from 6.45pm to 8.15pm on Tuesdays.
We will be starting back at the venue (Surbiton Hill Methodist Church) on 8th September, for a short 3 week trial block (latter classes on: 15th Sept and 22nd Sept). Classes are on Tuesdays from 6.45-8.15pm, but class sizes will be limited to allow social distancing. The early bird deadline is next Wednesday (02/09/20), so get in touch as soon as possible to secure your space.
If you would like to come along as a drop in over the first 3 week block, I would be grateful if you could email me to let me know before you come along, so I can make sure we keep to safe numbers, and to avoid me turning you away at the door!
The venue is being cleaned and disinfected daily, but there are still measures that we need to take to practice yoga safely. I ask that, to maintain as much social distancing as possible, when you arrive you set up your mat as close as possible to the stage (maximum three to a row, making sure to allow 2 metres between mats), so that people don’t have to move past you to set up their mats. Please follow government social distancing guidelines on arriving and leaving the church.
As yoga is, in some sense, an exercise class, and you will be spaced generously apart, you will not need to wear a mask, but you may choose to wear one. It is recommended that you do wear a mask to come in and out of the venue, but you do not have to use it once the class has begun. All openable windows will be opened before, during, and after the class to allow ventilation. Doors will also be left ajar.
The church is providing hand sanitiser dispensers at the entrance to the church which are available for you to use, and there are hand washing facilities in the bathrooms. If you attend the class I will need to make a note of your name and contact details and hold these for 21 days and make them available to NHS Track and Trace in case anyone should become Covid-19 positive.
Unfortunately, it is now recommended that equipment is not shared, so I will not be able to lend equipment as before, so you will now have to bring your own. If anyone is interested in buying secondhand mats (£4.00), blocks (£2.00) or straps (£1.00), please let me know. They will be thoroughly cleaned, and have not been otherwise used since March.
I hope to see you at a socially distanced yoga class soon! Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions, or want to book a place.
Olivia
P.S. Zoom yoga classes continuing as normal, for those who would prefer to practice from home!
On the upcoming August bank holiday (31st August 2020 6.45-8.15pm), I will be running a free yoga class on Zoom. Priority will be given to the students booked into the August/September block, but I am happy to accept a few additional students.
If you are interested, please send me an email and once you have completed a health questionnaire and short (5 minute) Zoom consultation to discuss your health questionnaire and make sure you can connect okay I will send you the link for the class.
Don’t miss out!
Get in touch to reserve your space:
CHANGES TO CURRENT CLASSES
Due to government guidance on non-essential gatherings, I’m afraid all face-to-face classes have currently been cancelled.
I am continuing to run yoga sessions online via Zoom (https://zoom.us/) at the usual times so that you can follow along and practice from your own homes. It is free to sign up to zoom and log in.
If you have booked the block of classes I will send you a link at 6.30pm on Mondays which will give you 15 minutes to connect to the meeting. If you would like to ‘drop in’ to a session and have not booked please let me know so I can send you a link to the class – payment can be made by direct transfer in these circumstances.
Although it is not ideal, I hope that this way we can all get our yoga fix, and stay healthy and happy while staying safe at home.
Please see the below advice from the British Wheel of Yoga on attending an online yoga class:
Guidance for students: Maximising the experience of a remote yoga session 21st March 2020
Being in a remote class is a different experience to being physically present with a teacher in a group setting. You may be attending remotely because it is not possible to physically attend your regular local class, or you may attend a remote class because it offers the opportunity to work with a teacher who ordinarily lives too far away for you to attend regularly.
Either way; the following hints and tips will help to make sure that your experience of remote teaching is as enjoyable as possible and enables you to connect with the teacher and your group, albeit virtually.
• Allow 15 mins prior to the session to begin with, to allow enough time to get set up properly, be comfortable and in the right place. You may need to adjust your lighting so your teacher can see you clearly. After a few sessions it will not take so long to set up.
• Think about connecting your laptop to your TV via an HDMI cable to give you a bigger screen. If you want to do this, have a trial run beforehand to make sure you can do it easily on the day.
• Opting for gallery view will bring images of all participants onto your screen and you will have more of the experience of a group class. The downside is that the image of your teacher will be smaller. Depending on the size of your screen this might not be practical. Experiment and see which works best for you.
• The main image will switch to whichever participant makes a sound so use speaker view and keep muted once started, unless you are in a group chanting or philosophy discussion. In a physical session you can use the chat button on whichever online platform you are using if you need to speak to the teacher.
• Arrange your screen so that your teacher can see as much of you as possible and then you won’t have to keep moving the screen or adjusting yourself. You will probably need to be a minimum of 6 feet away from your device.
• Make sure you have plenty of room to move your arms and legs.
• Your teacher will let you know in advance what props you will need; make sure you have everything ready beforehand, including water.
• Don’t have any music in the background because it will distort and/or be in competition with your voice if you do need to speak to the teacher.
• Dress as you would if you were attending a face to face yoga class. This will eliminate the possibility of any embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions! Remember, other people in the class will be able to see you on their screens.
NEW STUDENTS
If you are not one of my current students, but would like to access my online classes, please get in touch! Before you begin classes, you will need:
a) to complete a health questionnaire (to be supplied by email)
b) to agree to a short health assessment and ‘interview’ on Zoom (which is where the classes will take place)
Just a reminder there are no classes tonight or tomorrow due to the bank holiday!
See you next week!
There are spaces in the Tuesday yoga classes running from 7.30-9.00pm at Surbiton Hill Methodist Church. The venue is just a couple of minutes walk from Surbiton Station.
Drop in classes cost just £10, or if you would like to book a whole course check out the block booking discounts on my Classes page.
Hope to see you soon!
March-April 2019 courses on Mondays and Tuesdays starting week beginning 18th March. Book before Wednesday 13th for the early bird discounted fee of £35.00 for 5 weeks, or pay £10 weekly. Send me an email for more information, or contact me through the website!
… are starting this week! Looking forward to seeing some familiar faces again, and excited to meet the new yogis joining us too.
If you haven’t booked yet there are still spaces in the Monday and Tuesday group.
Full 5 week course: £40.00
Drop ins available: £10 per week
Contact me for more information!
Olivia
The last yoga courses of 2018 are starting up next week. Book the whole course for £40.00 or book before 7th November to get the course for the discounted price of £35.00. The course dates are:
Mondays: 12th, 19th, 26th November, 3rd and 10th December
Tuesdays: 13th, 20th, 27th November, 4th and 11th December
The next courses will start up on 7th and 8th January respectively. Please note that January courses book up fast, so I recommend booking for the New Year by the early bird deadline: 19th December to ensure your place. Get in touch for more information!
Olivia
New Hatha Yoga class starting up on Tuesday evenings from 7.30pm to 9.00pm at Surbiton Hill Methodist Church in the Upper Hall. Classes begin on February 13th 2018 and will run in 5 week blocks. See CLASSES for more information or CONTACT ME if you have any questions.
Olivia Smithies - Yoga 