This is the start to a new you
Hello 👋
Whether you’re new to yoga, new to mindfulness or new to us, welcome. We’re excited for you to be part of our community.
We believe everyone should have the tools to live a happy and healthy life. And so we set out to make that possible in Chesterfield and Hasland.
We use movement, mindfulness, and special events to educate and inspire people to live well.
We’ll say more about how we’re making it accessible a bit further down, but first, who is behind Kula?
Meet Bronwyn & Kevin
This is us: Bronwyn and Kevin. We started Kula in August 2023 wanting to create a space where people can come together and grow. And before you ask, yes, we’re a couple in real life as well as in setting up Kula.
We can’t wait to see you at the studio.
Bronwyn is a 200hr Registered Yoga Teacher and specialises in embodied movement and Trauma Informed teaching. She believes that as we become more in-tune with our bodies, we can start to embrace ourselves better, grow and heal. Bronwyn leads the teaching team at Kula.
Kevin is a climber and writer, fascinated by how we can be happier by living more intentionally. He's meditated since 2013, studied simple living and has done a 10-day Vipassana silent meditation course. He loves to explore how simplicity and help us live better lives, at work and at home. Kevin offers mindfulness classes at Kula.
Be part of the community
There are always things going on at Kula, so we’ve got a few ways of keeping up-to-date.
Most people (87%) sign up to our newsletter. This way you’ll never miss a thing, and you’ll get a regular dose of little ideas to cultivate physical, mental and emotional wellbeing in your life (which everyone loves). Little ideas like recipes, links to videos and book recommendations.
Join the newsletter here
Your email address will never be shared and if it ever becomes too much, you unsubscribe in an instant. No hard feelings.
Once you’ve signed up to our newsletter, you can also follow us on Instagram @wearekula.uk or find us on Facebook at Kula Chesterfield. Which ever works for you.
So, you might be thinking, what exactly happens at Kula? Let’s have a look.
Ready to book a class?
What you can expect at Kula
We all start somewhere.
A tree from a seed.
A wave from a ripple.
A friendship from a conversation.
Starting can be exciting, it can bring you joy, and a sense of accomplishment.
It can also be really, really scary.
We’re here for everyone who wants to start their journey towards living a healthier life. No matter your starting point, we’re in it together.
We run classes to meet you wherever you are in your journey.
Whether you’ve never been on a yoga mat, are new to meditation, or have been practising for years, we’ve got something for you.
We know it can be daunting to go somewhere new, so here’s what makes us, us.
We promise not to:
Push you to the extremes
We don’t promote overly strong, super flexible yoga
We don’t do hot yoga
We don’t take photos in class
We don’t have mirrors in the space
And we promise we will:
Give you options and modifications to suit your body
Invite (not pressure) you to do poses
Use language that’s supportive
Give you space if you need it
Welcome you into a brilliantly warm community
Our teachers are all wonderfully kind humans. We only work with teachers we’ve personally practised with, so we know they’re amazing.
Affordable for everyone
We offer two pricing options to help make our services accessible to more people in and around Chesterfield. We ask those who can afford it, to pay the true cost of our services and choose ‘Oak’ passes. In doing this, you help us subsidise classes for those less financially stable and make it possible for us to hold pay-what-you-can classes for our community.
Have a look at the criteria below, and choose the option that honestly reflects your financial situation.
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This membership reflects the real cost of running Kula. It means we can pay our teachers fairly for what they offer, and continue to operate a premium studio.
If you are in full-time work and/or financially stable, the Oak membership is for you. This is the default option you’ll see when booking a class.
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Times are tough, not everyone is in the economic position to pay the true cost of attending classes. But we still want to see you at Kula.
The Elm membership is our effort to make yoga and mindfulness available to more. If you’re struggling to make ends meet, buy this pass.
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We hold regular pay-what-you-can classes. These are one-off classes that are purchased individually. If you’re unable to commit to regular classes, please join our Karma classes and pay what you can.
What is yoga?
Yoga is an ancient practice that combines physical postures, meditation and breathwork. Its origins can be tracked back over 2,000 years to modern-day India.
The physical postures in yoga, called ‘asana’ in Sanskrit, are the most recognisable part. They’re commonly thought to improve flexibility, strength and balance. And while they do this, their main role is actually to cultivate awareness. Movement helps us to focus on the here-and-now, and ultimately increases our mindfulness, which is what we’re trying to achieve through our yoga practice.
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Most Yoga classes follow a fairly similar structure.
We start by settling into the class. Maybe with some gentle stretching and movement, or a short meditation.
Then we start to warm up. We’ll introduce more dynamic movements and wake up the body, building heat. Strengthening our bodies through movement.
Once we’ve warmed up our muscles and fascia, we transition to some deeper stretches. This is where we tend to build flexibility. This section can vary quite a bit, but it’ll generally consist of standing poses, then move to seated postures.
As we start to close the class, we’ll soften the poses and slowly journey toward total relaxation (sivasana). This is normally everyone’s favourite bit. A moment where you get to enjoy peace and calm.
What is mindfulness?
Simply put, mindfulness is awareness. Being present in each moment. Moment to moment. Not getting caught up in our thoughts or stories of what’s going on.
Meditation is the practice of intentionally being present in our mind and body. Meditation is training for the mind.
Yoga is, in fact, a moving meditation. We often do a short formal meditation at the beginning of a yoga class as well, to help us leave the day behind and settle into the class.
Here’s another way to think about mindfulness.
Imagine you’re laid in a field watching the clouds. Each time you spot a cloud, you don’t jump up and chase it. You just watch it pass. Then notice the next one. And on, and on. Watching each cloud pass.
Well, being mindful is doing that with our thoughts. Letting each thought pass, without chasing it.
Practising meditation helps us reach a deep sense of calm, promotes compassion for ourselves and others, and helps us truly be in the here and now.
It’s not as daunting as it sounds.
Our teachers will guide and support you throughout. They’re there to help you get the most out of your practice. And that’s key: it’s your practice.
All our bodies are different.
And what each of us can do is different.
We celebrate that.
For us, Yoga isn’t about touching your toes, or being ultra flexible.
At Kula, Yoga is about taking time out to come back to yourself, to push yourself, and to find calmness.
If you’ve got any questions or concerns, we’d be more than happy to answer on email, or give you a call to speak things through.