Contact Me

If you have any questions or queries feel free to email me: claire@yogaclaire.com or message me on 07703 531686.

Find me on instagram @yogaclairelondon

yogaclairelondon

When I first started to handstand, straddle press

When I first started to handstand, straddle press was a big goal for me. The very first time I tried to press to handstand was in a yoga class when a teacher suggested I straddle press in prasarita padottanasana with the instruction 'just push down into the mat'.... Obviously I couldn't do it with this advice.... so I sought out some non-yoga hand balance teachers - but to be honest it never really worked for me. Bit too much bro-culture and not enough kick-ass mid life women to inspire me. It wasn't until I started practising with @day1yoga that I began to really understand what was needed for me to develop handstand skills like straddle press and how to structure my workouts to effectively work towards my goals without pain.

Practising handstands is big fun, but it is a challenge for many people to get strong enough and skilled enough to perform a press - particularly in mid life when muscle mass is decreasing every year - you have to get focused! Aaaand before you can press to handstand you first need to master some basics - such as getting strong enough to actually kick up into a handstand and trust that you can hold yourself up. With proper guidance the possibilities open up from there. ✨

Come and build muscle, increase mobility and learn skills in my online classes which get you strong enough to handstand and start learning handstand skills. If you're curious DM me for info - you don't need to be able to handstand to join and I promise it will be big fun 💪✨

I'm a Day1yoga coach – focused on getting people s

I'm a Day1yoga coach - focused on getting people stronger while learning new skills. I teach short intense workouts focused on goals - whether those are building strength to help you stay in the water longer if you're a surfer or swimmer, bringing balance with some upper body focus for cyclists or runners, or if you just want to improve your overall level of strength, fitness and flexibility. As part of the Day1yoga Takeover I'm teaching 3 x 30 mins classes to give you a taster of what I do and what you can achieve! Classes are donation based, link for sign up in my bio 💪💪
Dates are -
Thurs 27th July
Mon 31st July
Thurs 3rd Aug
All at 7pm UK time, all on zoom.

Instagram post 17993893816972207

Instagram post 17993893816972207

Cornwall ❤️☀️🌊 #handstandpractice #han

Cornwall ❤️☀️🌊

#handstandpractice #handstandeveryday #straddlepress

Some skills from today's concentric class with @da

Some skills from today's concentric class with @day1yoga.
Yes there's loads I'm always working on, but I love practicing skills. It's slow and steady work and even though it takes me personally ALOT of repetition to 'get' some skills - it's still big fun and totally do-able when you break it down... But you can't just do skills.... You need to build strength and stamina in drills and weight sessions so the skill sessions become an expression of the strength and stamina you've built. Sticking to a structured workout routine is easy when you have skill based goals to keep you motivated 🙌💪🙌

#day1yoga #day1yogamethod
#midlifehealthandvitality #midlifewomen #yogaover40 #handstandlove #barnesyoga #yogabarnes #midlifewellness

#cornwall photo dump ❤️🌅☀️🌊 #vitami

#cornwall photo dump ❤️🌅☀️🌊

#vitaminsea #coldswim #saunatime
#midlifehealthandvitality #ilovecornwall

Not every practice has a breakthrough moment, infa

Not every practice has a breakthrough moment, infact, most of them don't.

This is just a snapshot of some of my many attempts at crow press to handstand last week….Aaaand as you can see I’m still not there yet.

I can laugh at myself and stick with it when its tough because I love these workouts – I choose to do this! I love the journey – the getting stronger and pushing myself to learn new things. In midlife you do have to change how you work out – get rid of those long practices – focus on shorter bursts of intensity and build strength, but most importantly, find your JOY. If your current workout is causing injury, leaving you feeling depleted or frankly just lacking any fun, I promise you there is a better way!

#midlifehealthandvitality #day1yoga
#yogaover40
#yogamum #yogabarnes #handstandlove #crowtohandstand

On the left is the first time I tried to pike jump

On the left is the first time I tried to pike jump in class with @day1yoga in 2020...At the time, it felt utterly impossible because I just wasn't strong enough. On the right is a snapshot of some of the many pike jumps we do in ST drills class - far from being impossible, they've become a new 'base' exercise.

Building muscle in your 40s is no joke, but I actually used to think that the decline in my strength and stamina was just an inevitable part of getting older. 🙈 I didn't realise my super long yoga practices were not the best route for me in my 40s... Thankfully, I switched up my routine and focused on building strength while learning new skills.🤸‍♂️

Now my yoga practices are short, my athletic workouts are short, my weight training sessions are short and focused and my skill practices are short. I got organised and it makes a huge difference. Midlife doesn't have to mean an inevitable decline in muscle mass, you just need to get smart about what you choose to do with your time. Thank you @day1yoga for making me so much stronger 💪 🙌

I'm stronger now than I was in my 20s and 30s… e

I'm stronger now than I was in my 20s and 30s... entirely thanks to @day1yoga 🙏... And of course I'm still working on getting stronger with the more is less, slow/fast protocol 💪

It is totally possible to increase your muscle mass over the age of 40, but you've got to put the work in. Use weights, resistance bands, body weight training - find something you love to do and give yourself another reason to get stronger and beat sarcopenia. For me it's handstands. I'm highly motivated if I'm working towards different handstand skills, but everyone's different. Key thing is - do something to build muscle, it's one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy and injury free as you age.

#midlifehealthandvitality #day1yoga #theday1yogamethod #bestrong #healthymovement #midlifestrength #fitover40 #yogaover40 #yogamum #hspu #strongforlife #strongwomen #perimenopausehealth

So far this month…. Working on control, building

So far this month.... Working on control, building strength, stamina, consistency and even more strength....One of my goals this year is crow press to handstand and I wouldn't ever have thought this would be possible for me.....but, somehow I believe it will happen. Thank you @day1yoga for the drills, skills and self belief 🙌

#handstandlove #yogaover40 #yogamum #yogabarnes #straddlepress #crowpress #handstandpushups #midlifehealthandvitality #midlifewellness #fitover40

First single leg press without blocks 🎉🎊 Hap

First single leg press without blocks 🎉🎊
Happy.

#day1yoga #singlelegpress #handstanddrills #handstandlove #presstohandstand #midlifehealthandvitality #midlifewellness #yogaover40 #yogamum #yogabarnes

… Doing athletic handstand workouts that I love

... Doing athletic handstand workouts that I love

... Getting stronger, not just to support general mobility as I age but to help my handstand skills!

... Skills that I LOVE that bring me JOY! I promise you it's big fun 🤩

Thank you for the drills classes @day1yoga 🙌

#strongforlife #ageingwell, #hspu, #day1yoga, #handstandpushups #yogabarnes, #yogamum, #yogaover40

Did @day1yoga skills class away from my blue room

Did @day1yoga skills class away from my blue room today 😱 found it quite hard to focus with the noise of the gym tbh.

Totally worth it being away to celebrate 15 years though 🎉🎉🎉@totallysicknotes

#straddlepress #handstandlove #handstandeveryday #yogabarnes #yogaover40 #day1yoga #fitover40

No live skills class today so I did Tuesdays conce

No live skills class today so I did Tuesdays concentric class again and did my first ever straddle press without blocks🎉🎉🎉

Sure, there's lots to work on and I'll be back on the blocks tomorrow 😂 but super grateful I've seen the possibility! 🥳 @day1yoga

#straddlepress #yogabarnes #yogaover40 #yogamum #day1yoga #handstandlove #handstandrills

After having to repeat herself for the millionth t

After having to repeat herself for the millionth time, I was finally able to internalise @day1yoga instructions for handstand to crow. Still lots to work on but I can finally see the path!
So grateful she has so much patience 🙌🙌😂🙌🙌

Instagram post 17915617799613747

Instagram post 17915617799613747

Skills catch-up with @day1yoga … Pike jump to s

Skills catch-up with @day1yoga ...

Pike jump to straddle negative to my first time getting my legs through 🎉

I mean, at the moment it's a bit of a fall down to sitting rather than graceful move into #tittibhasana but I'll take it for now.

Instagram post 17849169533810177

Instagram post 17849169533810177

Small boy, big sky. 📷@totallysicknotes

Small boy, big sky.

📷@totallysicknotes

Headstand sequence for my people currently working

Headstand sequence for my people currently working on it. ✌️ #sirsasana

Load More Follow on Instagram