Align and Flow Yoga is a unique style of Yoga offered at Yogaflow studio in Funchal, Madeira. Curated to inspire experienced Yoga practitioners, discerning beginners, and anyone who feels to relax and release the stresses of modern day life. Align and Flow Yoga flowered like a lotus in mud, from 30 years of passionate Yoga practice, and all the tumbles and turns along the way.
This Yoga style is an eclectic blend of Iyengar, Ashtanga and Yin Yoga, a fusion of static alignment and dynamic vinyasa, with a meditative, interoceptive flavour. As a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher, with years of Ashtanga Yoga teaching experience, and a more recent immersion in Yin Yoga, I boldly decided to combine my love for all these Yoga styles.
Align and Flow is a somatically oriented, anatomical approach to Yoga, based on principles from the Krishnamacharya lineage and Daoist concepts. It is an exploration of how functional anatomy and applied philosophy unite to inspire a direct experience of body, mind, and breath integration. The intention is to break-through beyond the rigidity of any particular system, while still retaining the core essence of traditional teachings.
This Yoga studio is right for you if you are looking for a non-dogmatic, unpretentious approach to traditional Yoga, that is relevant and applicable to everyday modern life.
At Yogaflow studio the Yoga classes are taught in a private setting, one-on-one and small groups, to ensure personal attention, alignment and adjustment. Private Yoga classes are designed to suit the level of each individual. Group Yoga classes are labelled at a specific level (foundation, mixed or intermediate) to better facilitate a collective practice.
CLASS INFO! Click on the Black Button above to see the Yoga class prices and schedule. Scroll Down for detailed information about the private and group Yoga classes on offer.
Iyengar Yoga, like all forms of Yoga that are based on Asana (physical postures) and Pranayama (breathing exercises), is a form of Hatha Yoga. Ha means ‘sun’ and Tha means ‘moon’. In the practice of Hatha Yoga, we create differential pressures of High (heating / sun) and Low (cooling / moon) energy in the body to circulate our subtle essence called Prana (life-force) through every cell, from high to low pressure.
What makes Iyengar Yoga unique is its focus on accurate physical alignment to encourage the intelligent flow of life-force in all parts of the body equally, and to cultivate the sharp inner clarity that allows body, mind, and breath to unite with pure consciousness.
Iyengar Yoga is both, an aesthetic art, and an extensively researched science. Props are an integral part of Iyengar Yoga and used in various educational ways, to awaken greater alignment, to support the practice and make it more accessible, and also to amplify the challenge and build resilience. Postures are adapted to suit the ability of each practitioner. The practice is guided with clear verbal cues and hands on adjustments to inspire integration.
Iyengar Yoga is attributed to BKS Iyengar, one of the most influential Yoga teachers in the evolution of Yoga in the west. This style of Yoga is grounded on the teachings of Krishnamacharya, who is seen as the founder of modern Yoga. By adapting the original Ashtanga Yoga system to suit a diversity of individuals, BKS Iyengar revolutionised dynamic Yoga. His own journey through immense adversity and illness inspired him to devote his entire life to Yoga and led him to introduce greater emphasis on the therapeutic application of Yoga, to make it accessible to every type of body.
Iyengar Yoga is a compliment to other dynamic Yoga practices, as it offers a slower pace with postures held for longer periods of time. Holding postures for longer allows the practitioner space to sense how muscles, bones, fascia, skin, and organs move and how the mind responds. This intimate awareness greatly enhances the health benefits of Yoga.
LoisSteinberg.com is an excellent resource for more information.
Ashtanga Yoga originates from the same lineage as Iyengar Yoga, so there are many similarities. The difference is that Ashtanga Yoga is a flow style of Hatha Yoga, with great emphasis on the combination of movement with breath. The practice is grounded in the technology of Tristana, the use of breath, bandha and dristi as tools for movement meditation.
The breathing technique used in Ashtanga Yoga is Ujjayi, which means victorious. By gently closing the back of throat as one would when misting a mirror, an audible sound is made while inhaling and exhaling deeply. Ujjayi breath is very energising.
Bandha is an energy lock created by co-activating muscles around a joint. The three main bandhas are located along the spine in the region of the pelvic floor, lower abdomen and throat. These locks serve to protect the spine and also build greater reservoirs of subtle life-force.
Dristi is a looking point. In Ashtanga Yoga each posture has a specific point to focus one´s eyes while practicing. This technique is designed to withdraw the mind from external stimuli to become inwardly focused.
Ashtanga Yoga is physically demanding, but immensely transformative. Popularised by Sri K Pattabhi Jois, this system consists of several set sequences, called series, that are still taught all over the world in exactly the same way as originally designed. Most practitioners do not make it much further that the 1st (primary) series called Yoga Chikitsa, which means Yoga therapy, revered for its profound detoxifying benefits.
FreemanTaylorYoga.com is a wonderful resource for more information.
Yin Yoga is a slow-paced, passive style of yoga that focuses on stretching and lengthening deep connective tissues around the joints, like ligaments, tendons, and fascia. As the opposite, compliment to Yang Yoga styles, like Iyengar and Ashtanga which are more active, dynamic, repetitive, and targets the strengthening of muscles, which are considered to be a superficial tissue.
Yin Yoga involves holding poses for longer durations (typically 3-8 minutes) and encourages interoception, our inner awareness of sensations, emotions and breath. allowing gravity to gently traction and stress these deeper tissues. It uses seated and lying postures, allowing gravity to gently traction and stress these deeper tissues. Different to Yang Yoga, in Yin there is no muscular effort, poses are relaxed into passively.
The key to the practice of Yin Yoga is to find your own intelligent edge. Not too much, not too little. In this zone, the long-held mild stress stimulates the joints and makes them more mobile and strong.
Another equally important aspect of Yin Yoga is the stillness and surrender of each long pose, notes Yin Yoga teacher Bernie Clark. This allows the development of mindfulness and helps you settle into a more meditative state.
“Yin Yoga offers us a path to cultivating presence and the art of feeling, not just doing. In Yin Yoga, we are exploring and not pushing towards goals. The right amount of stress leads to letting go. Each pose becomes a gateway to meditation”.
YinYoga.com is an amazing resource for more information.
Join our Align and Flow Yoga classes in Madeira! Yogaflow studio is located in Ajuda, a spacious suburb of Funchal. Here you can choose the Yoga set up that fits your lifestyle. I offer private and group Yoga classes, in person and live online via Zoom. See detailed information below.
My niche is to teach private Yoga. Over the past 16 years of running my own Yoga business, I have worked with a huge variety of bodies and personalities, and gained an extensive amount of experience in the field.
With excellent Yoga therapy and anatomical knowledge, plus a background in Western psychology and Eastern philosophy, private Yoga has become one of my greatest skills.
These individual classes are taught as traditionally intended, one on one, with your goals at heart. Every class is designed to suit your specific needs and the postures are adapted to your exact level of expertise. The focus is on personal attention and precise adjustment to align each posture for optimal benefit to your unique body and mind.
Suitable for busy professionals, goal-oriented Yoga practitioners, complete beginners, anyone with mild physical or emotional ailments, or any discerning individuals looking to reduce stress levels or simply build a regular routine of self care and self knowledge.
You can choose to do your private Yoga class at Yogaflow studio in Funchal, or in the comfort of your home, hotel, or office anywhere in Madeira, or practice with me live online via Zoom from any location in the world.
See ONLINE page for more about Yoga live on Zoom.
You can also opt to create an event for a private group. Please enquire about pricing for private group events.
Book a convenient time that suits your personal schedule. Yoga mats and props are provided. Kindly note that pre-booking is required, no drop-ins.
€55 – Online €60 – In Person
Travel costs apply.
At Yogaflow studio the group Yoga classes are taught in an intimate setting, with only up to 8 people per class. In such a small group there is optimal potential for individual attention and adjustment.
To ensure the best collective practice experience, group Yoga classes are labelled at a specific level (foundation, mixed or intermediate).
All group Yoga classes are taught at Yogaflow studio in Funchal. The studio is fully equipped with Yoga mats and props.
Kindly note that pre-booking is required, no drop-ins.
Monday at 18:00pm to 19:30pm – Foundation Level. All welcome, no previous Yoga experience needed. Wednesday at 18:00pm to 19:30pm – Mixed Level. A little previous exposure to Yoga needed. Foundation and intermediate options will be offered. Friday at 10am to 11:30am – Intermediate Level. At least two years Yoga experience of any style needed.
€13 – Drop In €115 – 10 Class Pass
Please read the YOGAFLOW GUIDELINES before attending a Yogaflow class. By showing up in a Yogaflow class you acknowledge that you agree with the Yogaflow disclaimer.
“Melanie is one of the most intuitive Yoga instructors (although instructor is not how I see her she has been my partner, my confidant and soulmate on my Yoga journey). She will extend you at times and when you are in need of restorative she will sense it. Her passion for yoga is contagious. She shares her incredible knowledge freely and provides enormous insight into the impact, the benefits and the deeper soul journey that many miss. She will make you a lifelong convert with a thirst to discover more.” – Lynette Finlay
More ABOUT me here.
