My goal is to challenge people’s pre-conceived ideas of ‘yoga’ and share this amazing experience with you. Through yoga, you can find quietness, strength in mind and body, focus and discover that, though challenging, it can be fun.
If yoga was boring and easy, would I do it?
Yoga is for everyone - men, women, couples - anyone who loves a challenge. Whether a beginner who is just starting out, an established athlete who recognises the support that Yoga can offer through core strength, injury prevention, injury healing and breath control. Whether you’ve already discovered the incredible union of physical, mental and spiritual disciplines but are looking to practice with someone new, then come along to one of Ruth Ashdown’s classes - available in Crawley, Haywards Heath and via Zoom online.
Classes - whether in-person or via Zoom - feature the practice of posture, balance, breath work and matras - a true journey of self-development, physical challenge, mind calming and inner peace.
Yoga is super fun and hard work and you’d be hard pressed to find a more passionate teacher who truly believes it means something to find a way of getting in touch with her class members.
Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is suitable for all and can be adjusted and progressed across all ability levels - from beginner or to support established athletes and sports people.
Improved flexibility, strength, balance and posture
Injury prevention through a focused conditioning of muscles
Injury recovery and easing aches and pains through controlled manipulation of muscles and a reduction in inflammation.
Improved breath control
Lifted mood, reduced fatigue and an increase in spiritual and mental wellbeing
Strengthening lower body (ankles and knees) which helps balance and reduces the chances of falling
Heightened awareness and mindfulness which can be harnessed to control behaviours and self-control - which can help with cognitive functioning, diet and inner awareness and mindfulness.
Proven studies show that Yoga can have a positive impact on blood pressure amongst those with hypertension and is include in many cardiac rehabilitation programmes due to the cardiovascular and stress-relieving benefits.
STRONG YOGA
Classes
STRONG YOGA
Testimonials
I started doing yoga with Ruth during lockdown through zoom. Even though we were all in our own homes, I could still feel the connection and community spirit and it brightened my days. Ruth isn’t just great at what she does, she is a beautiful soul who puts her all into her classes and that is obvious every single time.
STRONG
YOGA
Zoom
ANDRÉ ROBERTO
I’ve been to Yoga classes on and off for a few years and although I’d enjoyed them and different types of practice, I never quite felt they gave me the physical and mental benefit of other exercise so I’d never kept them up. With limited time outside of work and family life, I needed to maximise the time I have to myself to exercise.
When Ruth started Strong Yoga classes it sounded like a more intense form of Yoga and the timing and location made it easy to join the first four-week course.
From the very first class, the mental benefit was very evident. I’d successfully managed to switch off my mind and clear the content mental chatter for an hour. I walked home afterwards with no music, podcasts, phone calls to friends - just present in myself.
The classes have enabled e to understand better how to control and switch off my mind and the mental calmness and amazing peaceful, deep sleep afterwards is unrivalled.
Physically, my flexibility, strength and core improvement have amazed mum and benefitted my swimming and running - and also recovery from a calf tear. Ruth’s method of teaching has elevated my confidence and belief in myself and what my body and mind can do.
