New Term Invitation! Hatha Yoga & The Nadis
Hello everyone,
I hope that you are reading this little message somewhere warm and cosy :) I am delighted to say that we are beginning our winter yoga term this Sunday in Thrive! I have two big announcements to make about it..
The first and most important thing to say is that, due to the very busy time of year that December is for all of us, I have decided to pause the 6:30pm Yin Yoga classes until January. For this new five week term, we will have only the Hatha Yoga practice at 5pm :)
If you've been attending my Yin classes for the past few months and are curious to try the 5pm Hatha practice - I invite you to give it a go! It is a very different type of yoga class than the Yin, but it is still beginner-friendly and open to all levels. A place for you to breathe, connect with your heart, and invite space for some new beginnings (but you also get to move your body, stretch, strengthen, and find your flow!)
*In January 2026 I will be offering the lovely gentle yin classes again on Sunday evenings! If you'd like to get your name/interest in early for those, please let me know :)
Now, the fun part! I would like to announce our yoga philosophy theme for this winter Hatha term. A quick note: the philosophy theme is a completely optional part of participating in my yoga term ;) I love to add themes as a fun way to design my sequences each week while also sharing and honouring the older and wiser roots of yoga. If you find that sort of thing interesting, please keep reading :)
During this term we will explore the nadis. Hands up, I'm gonna say straight out of the gate that according to many yogic texts - such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika - there are over 72,000 nadis in the human body. Woah! That's a lot to cover in five weeks....here's a very old picture to give you an idea...
Nadis are channels of energy in the body, like rivers. These rivers are said to flow with prana (the Sanskrit word for lifeforce). Although you could try to sit in meditation and study all 72,000+ nadis with your awareness, like the ancient yogis did - we are going to simplify this task by focusing only on the three primary nadis. Two of these might feel quite familiar to you once we start talking about them!
According to hatha yoga, the three primary channels of energy (nadis) within the body are ida nadi, pingala nadi, and sushumna nadi.
The ida nadi is a channel of subtle energy associated with the left hand side of the body that begins at the base of the spine and zigzags up to the left nostril and crown. It is linked to the parasympathetic nervous system (our rest and digest response) and embodies qualities like intuition, coolness, emotions, dreams, and femininity. Think - MOON ENERGY.
The pingala nadi is said to spiral up the right hand side of the spine in a zigzag fashion (not unlike DNA). Always running opposite to ida nadi, pingala nadi is associated with the body's sympathetic autonomic response (fight or flight) as well as the more solar and 'masculine' qualities that are alertness, motivation, and vitality.
When ida nadi and pingala nadi, these moon and sun energies within the body, are balanced - sushumna nadi can flow. Sushumna nadi is the centre pranic line of the body, running from root to crown. When flowing freely, sushumna nadi can inspire joyful self-realisation, serenity, and love.
There's so much to talk about this term! When we speak about and work to embody these nadis, what we are actually doing is honouring the main goal of hatha yoga - which is to use asana and pranayama (postures and breathwork) as a way to find balance within. It is a practice of working with movement, intention, and breath, to gently unblock our natural state of flow so that we can walk away feeling calmer, more centered, and more aligned with what matters most.
Expect a breath-work filled hatha yoga practice this Sunday at 5pm! We will begin to explore prana for week one and find full body movement and shapes to help bring us into alignment, flow, and centre. Let me know if you'd like me to save you a space :)
“At the center of your being
you have the answer;
you know who you are
and you know what you want.”
Lao Tzu
Le grá,
Macha
