Being You: A Six-Week Yoga Course in Ringwood

Earlier this year, I spent six days on a yoga retreat with a wonderful teacher. Six days of movement, breath, reflection and time to pause. That experience inspired Being You, my six-week yoga course in Ringwood, in the New Forest.

The theme of the retreat was “Becoming”. We were invited to explore the parts of ourselves we wanted to change and consider who we might become through our yoga practice. The image was of a butterfly emerging from its cocoon: a transformation, an unfolding, a new beginning.

For the first few days, I struggled with this idea. Who did I want to become? What did I want to change? I kept searching for an answer, until something much simpler came to me.

I just wanted to be me.

Me with all my flaws and quirks. Me with my strengths, uncertainties and contradictions. I wanted to meet myself with compassion, understanding and love, and give myself permission to be that person.

Finding ourselves beneath the noise

There is so much noise telling us who we should be. Younger, braver, kinder, more productive, more successful. Quieter in some situations, louder in others. Sometimes even the qualities we like about ourselves can start to feel like things we should adjust to make other people more comfortable.

Among all those expectations, it can be difficult to hear our own voice.

As the retreat continued, “Becoming” began to take on a different meaning for me. It became an invitation to recognise what was already there: to notice what mattered to me, what nourished me and when I felt most at ease with myself.

There was room for change within that, too. I could grow, try something unfamiliar or respond differently to an old habit, while still treating the person I am today with kindness.

Yoga as a practice of listening to ourselves

This is something I value deeply about yoga. On the mat, we can practise listening to ourselves. We can notice when we need to rest, when we have energy to explore and when comparison starts to pull our attention away from our own experience.

Some days, a posture feels steady and comfortable. On another day, the same posture feels entirely different. Each practice offers an opportunity to meet ourselves as we are in that moment.

Through mindful movement, breathwork and moments of stillness, we can make space to notice our own needs and explore what self-compassion feels like in practice.

What to expect from this six-week yoga course in Ringwood

Being You offers time to slow down and reconnect with yourself through yoga in Ringwood. Each session combines movement, breathwork, mindfulness and reflection, with a different theme to explore on the mat and, if it feels helpful, in everyday life.

Week 1 – Creating Stillness

Making space to pause and notice. We will explore how moments of stillness can help us recognise what we are feeling and what we need, without expecting the mind to become completely quiet.

Week 2 – What Nourishes Me?

Considering what leaves us feeling supported, replenished and more like ourselves. Through our practice, we will explore the balance between movement and rest, effort and ease.

Week 3 – Letting Go of Comparison

Noticing the moments when we measure ourselves against others, or against an earlier version of ourselves. We will practise bringing our attention back to our own experience and meeting it with compassion.

Week 4 – Taking Up Space

Exploring what it feels like to move with confidence and allow ourselves to be seen. This week invites us to recognise that our needs, feelings and presence deserve space.

Week 5 – Courage

Approaching something unfamiliar with kindness and curiosity. Courage might mean trying a new movement, trusting our own choices or giving ourselves permission to rest.

Week 6 – Joy and Freedom

Making room for playfulness, enjoyment and self-expression. We will explore what happens when we loosen our expectations and allow the practice to feel personal.

Join "Being You" yoga course in Ringwood, New Forest

My hope is that these six weeks offer time to listen to yourself, recognise what supports you and feel more comfortable being who you are.

For me, that was the most meaningful discovery of the retreat: I could allow myself to grow while also recognising that the person I already am is worthy of compassion, understanding and love.

If this resonates with you, I would love you to join me for Being You in Ringwood.

Six Weeks

Starts Sunday 8 November

Wesley Centre: Ringwood

Visit Steph Carolan Yoga for course details and booking information.