About – Why “Women Only”?

Do you ever question why men and women have physical and emotional differences? Do you adapt your yoga and the way you lead your life accordingly to gender differences?It is important for us explore gender specific practices in separate spaces as science proves that the alchemical processes of a yoga practice affects our hormonal cycles differently.Did you know that mainstream yoga poses were developed by men for men in India and China? Do you know that ancient women had special practices that nurtured their bodies but because they interwove exercises that cultivated female sexual energy most were kept secret? When westerners started practicing yoga it was under the guidance of male teachers (guru) and only occasionally female specific exercises were  shared but they were presented in a way that was confronting for new comers and failed to attract a large following. Hence and although most yoga classes are now 80 percent women the female specific teachings remain secret and most women now practice yoga like men. My personal journey. For ten years I also practiced yoga like a man. I trained in many styles of yoga (Ashtanga, Yin, Restorative, Vinyasa, Kundalini etc) and I feel blessed to embody these teachings because they all have important techniques and messages to share. However, in these classes I felt uncomfortable to directly explore and appreciate my emotional, mental, and physical uniqueness as an individual and as a woman. I pushed and sweated on my plastic mat like the other women and men. I was accessing my masculine (yang) energy and I noticed how powerful it was for producing outcomes and learning how to stand on my head and hands. I experienced in my own body and observed in countless others that achieving a high level of `pose` (asana) proficiency was not enough to free me from pain and suppression and enough to allow me to feel my succulence and express my joy of life. Despite a disciplined daily practice I was still suffering from a range of negative things and feeling unfulfilled deep in my core. Menstrual pain, strange eating and sleeping habits, an abusive marriage, mother-daughter issues etc…the list could go a whole page. Once the poses no longer challenged me I felt my inner voice crave a practice that would touch my female soul more deeply. I sent out the call for guidance and traveled around Japan (where I was living from 2001-2010), to India and China to learn from wise women who were practicing female specific yoga and qigong. I learnt the secrets of tantra and tao yoga and learned to voice my emotions, feel my body, sing and dance into meditation and ask for advice and support from other women. Honoring my body and heart as a goddess felt amazing! Practicing yoga in this way harmonized my yin and yang energies and I tapped into my Venus Vibe of sensual, sexual and spiritual fulfillment. All aspects of my daily life transformed into something more positive and meaningful. Slowly I started to share these practices with my students and friends in Japan. I began to offer `women only` sessions and noticed that a deeper level of transformation in body, mind and spirit was occurring. With the feedback from my students and my evolving personal experiences I created Venus Yoga. Each session shares the most effective and feel good ways for you to experience your essence as a woman but it is also an interactive experience. I `hold the space` as facilitator to ensure a safe and sacred environment for you to explore and celebrate. I do not bark instructions and push and pull you into shapes. I gently guide you through sequences, give you silent time and space to explore yourself and I welcome dialogue as we move and breathe through the session. Together we unlock the power of the Venus Vibe and together we understand why women only sessions are important.