Hen weekends don’t have to be all about pink tutus and tiaras.
I was a little surprised to be asked to teach a yoga class to a hen party and had visions of jaded hens with ruffled feathers and learner plates askew.
Fully prepared to basically teach an hour long savasana (relaxation), it was nice to arrive at the gorgeous stone cottage near Bourton-on-Water to a friendly group of slightly tired, but not too hungover chicks.
The group’s experience ranged from complete beginners to regular yogis and so the class was pitched to be gently challenging, with options and variations for all abilities.
We began with a gentle warm up, focussing on slowing the breath and welcoming some stillness before setting our Downward Dogs. Although this is a frequent pose even to regular students, I always like to take a moment to check alignment and reconnect with the pose – just to quash any rogue habits that may creep in.
We then kicked off with our Sun Salutations – a flowing sequence to get the breath and energy flowing – a nice way to shake-off any lethargy from the night before.
The pace picked up as we moved into our flow sequences working on the hips, hamstrings, shoulders and back – great for releasing any tightness from bopping the night away in heels :)
We eased off the ab work in consideration of the indulgences of the weekend, before moving into a slower sequence, taking our time to even out our breath and getting ready to collapse on the mat for relaxation.
Once everyone had settled on their mat, with eyes closed and some cool tunes playing, the hens were treated to a dab of aromatherapy oil and a mini head massage to smooth away the last dregs of any tiredness.
When you think of it, a yoga class seems the perfect way to round of a hen weekend; bonding friendships new and old and sending everyone off with a revitalised spring in their step.
If you’d like to find out more about a yoga class for your hen weekend, get in touch at rosie@rosieglo.co.uk.
‘We absolutely loved our class with Rosie this weekend – there were 7 women, ranging from total novice to very experienced – it was the best round off to a hen weekend ever! She was really clear in her instruction, the class had just the right balance of relaxation vs more challenging routines. We were delighted she could come to us and we held the class in the comfort of our own home with great music. Would highly recommend to anyone! Thanks Rosie.’
Kendra Walsh, Hen party chick, July 2015.