What is Dru Yoga?
Dru Yoga is a graceful and powerful form of yoga, based on soft flowing movements, controlled breathing and visualisation designed to relieve stress, and calm the mind.
Designed to be practised by people of all abilities, all fitness levels and age groups, it is a style of yoga that can be quickly dipped into or learnt in more depth.
UK research published in Occupational Medicine and the British Journal of Sports Medicine show that Dru Yoga can be effective for reducing stress, back pain and muscle injuries and improving wellbeing.
‘Dru’ translates as ‘still point’. It is the North Star, the point around which the universe revolves, the calm in the eye of the storm, the refuge we all seek where we can be free from the stresses and strains of our modern world.
How is Dru different?
There are seven principles of Dru Yoga, outlined below:
1. Flow
A continuous flow of movement and breath helps to release latent energy.
2. The breath
Breathe in with upward movements and breathe out as you lower your body. Use your breath to direct your awareness to specific parts of your body to release tension.
3. Soft joints
Joints remain ‘soft’ and strong but not locked, which allows energy blocks to release and reduced tension in the joints and muscles.
4. Core stability
The major core muscles which stabilise and strengthen the spine are activated with a gentle contraction of the lower abdomen. This helps to improve posture and spine health.
5. Spinal wave
Vitality and flexibility are brought to the spine by natural wave-like movements starting from the base to the top of the spine when we move and breathe correctly.
6. Spinal twist
Twisting movements always start from the base of the spine, flowing upwards to the neck.
7. Dru points
Within the flow of movement there are points of stillness where the energy can become powerful for you. These are known as ‘Dru points’. Visualisations and affirmations given with the postures help you to develop a deeper awareness of the stillness within you, or “Stillness in Motion”.
A typical class
A Dru Yoga class usually includes the following:
ACTIVATION
Warming-up movements.
ENERGY BLOCK RELEASE
A sequence of movements to move the spine in all its directions – twisting, forwards, backwards, side stretching and stretches which move systematically through the body to release tension from muscles and release energy blocks from the joints and the organs.
POSTURES AND SEQUENCES
Each posture or sequence has specific therapeutic benefits for body and mind. ‘Body preps’ – warm-up stretches for specific muscle groups, are included to reduce injury before some postures. Affirmations and visualisations help you take the process to a deeper level.
RELAXATION
The natural conclusion to your practice, allowing the energy activated during movement to settle, enabling your body to balance and heal itself.
MEDITATION
Some classes include a short meditation practice to help you experience a deep state of rest and refresh the entire brain.
Kath's Dru Yoga 