mind, body and spirit
SHADOW/ HATHA YOGA
Shadow Yoga is a Hatha Yoga methodology that emphasises preparatory activity as the foundation for developing a meaningful practice. This can be particularly useful in a modern Western setting, where a Hatha Yoga student begins from a very different orientation (mind, body and spirit), than the culture and context from which the practice originated.
Shadow Yoga prepares participants through moving sequences or ‘Preludes’ which combine strengthening stance work, round and spiralling movements, breath awareness, and bandha development. The three Shadow Yoga Prelude forms are:
1. BALAKRAMA: Stepping into Strength.
2. CHAYA YODDHA SANCHALANAM: Churning of the Shadow Warrior.
3. KARTTIKEYA MANDALA: Garland of Light.
Together these movements and shapes can cultivate flexibility, endurance, mental well-being, and vital energy flow. Over time, they may also prepare the participant for the inner work of mudra, pranayama, and meditation.
Shadow Yoga was developed by Shandor Remete using the tools common to classical Hatha Yoga and other self-cultivating practices (including Kathakali and Bharatanatyam dance and the Martial arts). Its approach was inspired by his extensive study and practical application of Hatha Yoga anatomy, physiology and energetic systems (Marmasthana, or vital junctions).
HELEN ROSE
Helen is an avid yogi and enjoys empowering people to develop and sustain their own Hatha Yoga practice. Since 2013 she has explored various styles of Yoga, completed a three-year Hatha Yoga apprenticeship (Jaymin McQueen, Yoga Being, Whangarei) and attended workshops with Shandor Remete and Emma Balnaves (Shadow Yoga, Auckland and Adelaide). She continues to practice and study Hatha Yoga and receives regular teaching and mentorship with Martina Gotz (Stillness in Movement, Auckland).
Helen also has a background in psychology and is committed to creating supportive and inclusive environments for sharing Yoga. She is qualified as a Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator (Center for Trauma and Embodiment, Boston) and is a deferred post-graduate student with the Victoria University Clinical Psychology programme. Together, this informs her passion and ongoing explorations of the benefits of Yoga in supporting mental wellness, rehabilitation and personal development.
CLASSES
Helen offers classes based on the Shadow Yoga Preludes. These promote joint mobility, bone-strengthening, healthy digestion, and the release of muscle tension which incrementally prepares the participant's body, breath, and energetic systems for seated asana. Each class includes a joint warm-up sequence, preparatory activity, Prelude facilitation and Yoga asana.
CLASS TIMETABLE PAUSED
Private sessions*:
Helen also works privately with individuals and groups and is available to collaborate with other health practitioners to incorporate Yoga into client well-being and rehabilitation plans (theloftstudio.co.nz/pathways-to-embodied-healing-whangarei).
* Student and Community Services Card discounts are available and enquiries for upcoming free community events are always welcome.
OUR ROOTS
Yoga
Hatha Yoga is a sacred and ancient practice that originated in India thousands of years ago. While some yogis shared their transformative knowledge and methods widely, it’s also important to acknowledge how the extractive nature of Western Yoga mirrors colonisation.
In some parts of India, England’s colonisation included the intentional eradication of these and other traditional practices, to the point that lineages were broken and thousand-year-old traditions lost. Yoga in the West is now a multi-billion dollar industry.
As a pākehā female operating within the Hatha tradition, I acknowledge my contribution to the ongoing harm caused by colonisation and the cultural appropriation of Yoga in the West.
Rōhi is a Māori transliteration of the English Rose. Similarly, my Hatha Yoga practice exists in translation and has been transplanted. I’m committed to respectfully navigating this cross-cultural transmission and continuing to learn from traditional Hatha Yoga teachers and scholars.
Yoga is complex in its philosophy, science and practice. Equally complex, is its history and present. Fundamentally, however, it requires - starting where you are with compassion and authenticity. This is the hope and guiding orientation of my practice.
Whenua
Like the Rōhi I also live and grow in Aotearoa as an uninvited guest. In doing so I have directly and indirectly benefitted from the displacement and dispossession of Indigenous peoples and profited from the environmental impact of the health and well-being industry.
As an uninvited guest of these lands, I pledge at least 1% of my income to help fund Indigenous organisations and those fighting for social and climate justice (onepercentcollective.org/charities). It is a privilege to call Aotearoa home and live amongst and walk alongside our tangata whenua. This is Māori land.
Kind is the new cool. One Percent Collective has partnered with trusted charities across Aotearoa. Members can give regularly to as many organisations as they like. There's no mandatory fee so the charities get 100% of the proceeds. Learn more at onepercentcollective.org