Vinyasa yoga is all about movement. This yoga style is often known as flow yoga or vinyasa flow, due to its poses that move seamlessly from one to the next using the breath. It takes its name from the word ‘nyasa’, which means ‘to place’ and ‘vi’, which means ‘in a special way’. The flowing nature of this yoga style essentially means moving the body in a special way. Each class is unique, with sequences designed to help you move with your breath, inhaling and exhaling.
A common characteristic of this style of yoga is the inclusion of the vinyasa flow sequence, often at the end of a phase of poses, to bring the body back into equilibrium. This sequence flows from Chaturanga to Baby Cobra or Upward-Facing Dog and then to Downward-Facing Dog. Other common sequences practiced in vinyasa include Sun Salutations A, B, and C from Ashtanga yoga. Vinyasa yoga is all about fluidity and change, just as constant change is an inherent part of life.
Why Practice Vinyasa Yoga?
This style offers a number of benefits. Some of the top reasons to give vinyasa yoga a try include the following:
It is always varied
If you are looking for a dynamic form of yoga that is never the same during any two classes, vinyasa is a great choice. Each class is completely different, focusing on different parts of the body and uplifting you in new ways. Teachers will often plan unique classes that mix up sequences and poses, resulting in a class that is always varied and never dull. This also helps the body adapt and strengthen from top to toe, with a fluidity that helps muscles and joints.
It is beginner-friendly
This style is surprisingly great for beginners. Most classes include variations that help you work at your own pace. It is a fun way to start your yoga journey, learning about breathwork and teaching your body how to move with your breath. As classes are fun and varied, you will be able to challenge yourself in a way that is light-hearted and joyful, moving your body the way it was designed to move.
It is a good workout
Thanks to its continuous flow, vinyasa yoga is an excellent way to get your heart rate up while working up a sweat. Resting poses are active, flowing into more rigorous poses that continue to pump blood throughout your body. Each class works the entire body, leaving you feeling recharged and revitalised after your class.
House of Yoga offers classes for all levels, from our Yoga for Absolute Beginners class to our dynamic Yoga for the Morning and Yoga for the Evening classes. Book your spot to experience the magic of vinyasa yoga for yourself.
For me, every time we step onto our mats, we begin a journey – a journey home to ourselves. Yoga is a philosophy and practice for living. It’s about celebrating the adventure of life, being human, our uniqueness, but also our connection to all things.
Coming from a background in dance, I’ve always found joy and expression through movement. But it was yoga that really taught me to listen in and to feel. To move the body in a conscious way, and to reawaken my breath. To embrace not only strength and resilience, but also stillness, quiet and surrender.
After over a decade in the corporate world in London and the renewable energy sector in Cape Town, I was fortunate to found House of Yoga in 2018 – an urban sanctuary in Claremont, Cape Town where people from all walks of life can explore the gifts of yoga.
I completed my 200hr Teacher Training with the Marianne Wells Yoga School in 2016 and my 300hr Advanced Teacher Training with The Shala in 2020. I’ve practiced yoga for 20 years and love interweaving the teachings from the various styles I have explored (including Hatha, Iyengar, Vinyasa, Scaravelli, Ashtanga, Yin & Restorative) in my classes.
Through movement, breath work, meditation and philosophy, I am passionate about sharing with others what the practice has gifted me: tools to navigate life with presence, to manage stress and anxiety, and to heal the relationship with self.
‘I found an easier way to be.’ – Hilary Mantel
Yoga has significantly improved my life, and I find happiness and fulfilment in teaching it to others.
In my twenties I sustained several serious injuries from playing rugby and not resting when I had niggles. I got into yoga in the hope of alleviating my injuries, and luckily for me, it worked. And to my surprise, I benefited even more from the mental and emotional peace that yoga gave me. For those who have constantly busy minds, even a few moments of stillness are a great relief. Yoga has allowed me to feel more at ease within the world, and within myself.
When I initially started yoga, I was self-conscious about how physically inflexible I was. Fortunately, I had teachers who reassured me. Now, I would like to do the same for others. I like the idea of making an hour a day where we can be kind to ourselves, and it’s important to me to establish a kind, non-judgmental and non-competitive space in my classes. I don’t really believe that there’s such a thing as being ‘good’ at yoga, and I’d certainly like to try to take the idea of being ‘bad’ off the table. I don’t think it’s about how far we can stretch past our toes, or how still we stand in balancing exercises. Rather, it is a personal journey in which we get in touch with our bodies and understand ourselves better.
I completed my 200 Hour Teacher Training at the Shala in 2019, and have subsequently taught in different places, from a private game reserve to a school rugby team. In 2023 I completed my 300 Hour Advanced Teacher Training through Wellness Connection Yoga Academy.
Having benefited so much from yoga, I would like to pass it on to as diverse a range of people as possible. I welcome students of all skill levels.
Outside of yoga, I work in television and have a Masters in Creative Writing from UCT. I enjoy reading and compete in amateur boxing.
My intention is to create an incredibly safe and accepting environment led with love and support. As I gently guide others through a conscious physical and mental flow, mindfulness and a deeper experience of self-connection is of utmost importance.
My aim is to provide support for both the physical (asana) and mental aspects of my students’ practice, through nourishment and self-empowerment. I have a calling to learn from, as well as support, others on their journey to awakening.
I have trained in Thailand and India, in Vinyasa, Hatha, Ashtanga, and Yin. And over the last three years have undertaken three 10 day silent Vipassana meditation courses locally at Dhamma Pataka. As I continue to explore these powerful mindfulness practices, I see my own journey of growth and development run parallel to the journeys of those whom I teach.
“I believe that yoga is a very personal practice. To me, it is the glue that holds my overall well-being together. It continues to provide me with endless tools that help me navigate my life mindfully and move smoothly through adversity.”
Linnet was never the one to prioritise evaluation concerning where she was headed or determine whether she was truly happy with the direction, and to make adjustments as necessary. Upon growing and coming into her body, she realised she had mainly been operating from the nervous system (instead of in alignment with it) and that, in order for her to hear and see things clearly, she had to move out of survival mode.
Yoga introduced her to the simple beauty of sitting down, taking some time to come into the body, to reflect and then to navigate life from a more grounded space. It helped her so much that she just wanted to share it with everyone around her.
This led her to complete her 200hr Teacher Training with The Wellness Connection and a 30hr Kids Yoga Training in 2019. She recently completed a 50hr YIN Yoga Training as she finds herself falling more and more in love with the marriage between the Chinese philosophy of Daoism & Indian Tantric Yoga.
Accompanied by affirmations, Linnet’s gentle and nurturing nature allows one to connect with their inner silence at their own pace whilst at the same time building strength and capacity.
“Yoga and meditation have given me ritual, refuge, an opening into self – discovery.”
Through a lifetime of curious exploration, Candice has developed a self-practice rooted in intuitive movement, yoga, meditation, breath work and self-study. She believes this potent combination of weaving breath, movement, contemplation and meditation is the path to healing and empowerment.
Candice’s teachings are gentle and explorative, threaded with embodied philosophy. She holds space for students to journey to their own rhythms and embodiment as gateways to embrace their depths, delighting in their own empowerment and awakening. In this way the practice becomes a call to home – to ourselves.
Candice completed her 200 hr Teacher Training in May 2020 with Unraveled Yoga and is passionate about sharing yoga in a community space, teaching a weekly community class ever since as well as a Sunday class at the District Six Haven Night Shelter for women.
With a background in fitness, Giulia has always followed an active lifestyle – keeping her body moving has always been her number one goal.
A healthy and fit daily routine led her to discover her love of yoga, as the fundamentals of her yoga practice allowed a deeper connection to her body as well as her mind.
After finding her place on the mat, Giulia proceeded with her 200hr teacher training at The Wellness Connection in Cape Town, which ignited a deep passion for the world of yoga anatomy. Giulia’s classes not only focus on strength building and alignment but also touch on a softer side of connection through breath to movement, allowing the mind to reconnect with the body.
Through her experience of teaching, Giulia has discovered the beauty of slow progression through movement and dedication to practice. She aims to focus on each and every student’s journey in their own practice and to guide them in a way which encourages more curiosity about their own body and finding contentment with where they are.
“As I breathe in I feel calm, as I breathe out I feel peaceful.”
Karen teaches yoga to little humans.
She is a certified children and teen’s yoga and mindfulness teacher, having completed her teacher training through Yoga4Kids, as well as obtaining her Mindfulness4Kids, YogaTherapy4Kids and Peaceful Babes certifications.
After attending her first yoga class more than 10 years ago Karen felt firsthand just how beneficial yoga was in helping her to deal with day-to-day stress and to self regulate through breathing and mindfulness. Over the years yoga has been crucial in helping her maintain a healthy balance between the mental, physical and emotional aspects of herself.
It is through her own ongoing journey with yoga and love for the practice that Karen found her calling in teaching yoga to children of all ages. She would love to make yoga and mindfulness accessible to as many children and teens as she possibly can, and believes the younger a child is exposed to the tools and benefits of yoga, the better they are equipped to handle the challenges of life.