Elena Byers is a senior yoga teacher & sound practitioner who has taught in various global, community & therapeutic settings for over a decade. Known for her warmth and humour, she teaches from a place of profound respect for the body's ability to bring us into a place of presence and connection. She is the founder of Collective Presence - a community exploring the intersection between arts and wellbeing, and an online practice space called The Library, home to an archive of yoga, somatic movement, philosophy and sound. 

With her supportive and warm style, Elena guides yoga in a very 3D way - blending the feeling and sensing benefits of traditional postures, with the wonderful modern understandings we now have of it's affects on the nervous system, psychological state & overall wellbeing.

In her classes you'll explore easeful movements, breath awareness, and restorative postures to encourage a sense of calmness, safety, and balance. (Standing/lying down/use of chair all offered!) Each practice is offered as an exploration, with numerous degrees of ease and challenge - there are options to practice shapes which help build muscle tone and strength as well as restore deeply. Rather than a “one-size-fits-all” approach, these classes offer an individual, somatic experience—meeting you exactly where you're at in your journey - supporting ease, resilience, and a sense of being gently held; she always aims to offer tools you can use beyond the class to support you in your everyday. 

Elena suggests that attendees have their cameras on so everyone can see each other and gain a sense of community but if you feel more comfortable with the camera off to help relax that's absolutely fine too.

• Thursday 25 September 12-1pm

• Thursday 9 October 12-1pm

Please set yourself up in a clear, comfortable space at home wearing whatever feels loose/comfortable and allows you to move with ease. If you have any props you like to use such as a yoga mat, blocks or strap that's great - but you don't need these to take part. We will be ending with a relaxation, so having a blanket and some cushions can be really useful to have nearby. Elena recommends dimming the lights a little or putting on some chilled music, which can be wonderful ways to set a relaxing atmosphere! And if you'd like the support of a chair, or prefer to take the class in a seated position, a dining type chair without arms can be best. 

Here is some information about how to use Zoom on different devices:

On your computer

On your smartphone or tablet (iPad)

If you have any questions, get in touch on 0800 008 7054 or at support@ovacome.org.uk .

If you require support to attend one of our online sessions, please let us know when you sign up. Some examples of support we can give include:

• Enabling translated captioning
• Closed captioning is available on all our Zoom sessions
• Sending out transcripts of workshop sessions (where appropriate)
• Translators including BSL.  We usually require around three weeks advanced notice to allow for booking.
• Tech assistance – we have a user guide to help with our online Zoom events and we are here to help people get connected. We can set up a practice Zoom meeting with a member of the Ovacome team. We can also talk through any questions you may have about this technology.
• Financial assistance - we want to ensure that every Ovacome member can access the workshops they want to without worrying about the associated costs. For example, we can cover the internet costs for people who would like to join our online workshops.