Drop-in

Price is £17.50 If you would like to just show up, space permitting you are welcome to.

Book Online

Price £16.50 If you know which class you want to come to, you are welcome to book online. To book online you will need to sign into the website or create an account.

6 Class Package

Price £82.50 6 classes for the price of 5 Once you have bought a Class Package you can book an individual class selecting the class through the website and selecting Class Package as the payment option. (If you do not have a class package, you will be given the option of buying one) CLASS PACKAGE TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. Valid at Wednesday 6.30pm and Thursday 7pm classes.
2. Class Packages are valid for 4 months from date of purchase.
3. Class Packages non refundable.
4. You are allowed to re-arrange one Class Package class at short notice.
   Otherwise once a class is booked you will need to provide at least 24 hours notice of cancellation.

Monthly Unlimited subscription

Price £70 You will still need to book into classes, and you can use your Monthly Unlimited as your payment method. If the class fills up and you have not pre-booked you will not be able to attend. As a Monthly Unlimited regular, I recommend that you let me know what elements you wish to focus on to develop your practice. MONTHLY UNLIMITED TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. Valid at Wednesday 6.30pm and Thursday 7pm classes.
2. Valid for 4 weeks from date of purchase.
3. Non-transferrable and non refundable.
4. Monthly Unlimited subscriptions Auto-Renew.
5. To cancel your monthly unlimited subscription, send written confirmation to saunders.jwa@gmail.com 2 weeks before the billing period. I will cancel the renewal, but you will still be able to use it for the duration of the current term.

MoveGB

If you are a member of MoveGB, you can book into both my Wednesday class at The Place and my Thursday class at The Arc Centre. Book in through your MoveGB Membership

Fitu

If you are a member of Fitu, you can book into both my Wednesday class at The Place and my Thursday class at The Arc Centre. https://www.fituapp.com/

12 Class Package

Price £145 12 classes for the price of 9 Once you have bought a Class Package you can book an individual class selecting the class through the website and selecting Class Package as the payment option. (If you do not have a class package, you will be given the option of buying one) CLASS PACKAGE TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. Valid at Wednesday 6.30pm and Thursday 7pm classes.
2. Class Packages are valid for 4 months from date of purchase.
3. Class Packages non refundable.
4. You are allowed to re-arrange one Class Package class at short notice.
   Otherwise once a class is booked you will need to provide at least 24 hours notice of cancellation.

It is not a deal unless...

My dad always said "It is not a deal unless you can take it or leave it" It is really important that everyone plays on their own terms and no-one is forced into doing anything they do not want to do.

• You do not have to do anything you are uncomfortable with.
• It is very important to voice your concerns. If you do not, someone may get hurt.
• It is always fine ask for additional support whether you are a Base, Flyer, Spotter or Passer-by

Glasses & Jewelry

GLASSES I am short sighted and wear glasses. I have had many pairs broken by being knocked off my face. Luckily I have managed to avoid serious injuries where someone has fallen and pushed glasses into my face. Contact lenses are better, and sometimes I "go blind"... For my level of shortsightedness, I can focus and see my partner, and distractions of what else is going on in the room is reduced. JEWELRY Hard objects are unlikely to help your acro practice, and may cut or bruise yourself or the people you are working with, so if this is easily removed it is better to do so. Dangly objects can be caught and may get broken; or they may cause a distraction while you are in a tricky and confusing scenario, so again better to take it off if possible.

Safety in Acro

Accidents can always happen, even to experienced professionals. There is risk in what we do, and working out how to deal with that risk and keep it manageable is a lot of fun so long as we do not go too far. I have written a fairly in depth blog post on Safety in Acro, but the subject goes much further than that. If you have any questions about this do not hesitate to get in touch.

Smaller people go on top!

If you are new to AcroYoga, this is a good rule to abide by. A bigger person does not have to work as hard to lift a small person, and this extra power can be useful while learning. It is useful to think of it like partner dancing. The traditional roles would be for the man to lead and the woman to follow, here for the bigger person(s) to Base & Spot, and the smaller person(s) to fly. Once you know the tricks and what is involved, it can be fun to turn it upside down and make it more challenging. Be mindful, as this increases everyone involved's risk of getting injured.

Down - The Magic Word

If a trick is going wrong, it is important to communicate this very quickly. Say 'Down' clearly so that your team hear it. Everyone should help the flyer(s) to the floor safely and efficiently. Once back on the ground we can work out what went wrong, and try again. Beware: If you are working with German speakers, that they may say 'Ab' which can sound like 'Up' and means Off, Over, Out of play, or something similar.

Spotting

When you 'Spot' a trick or a sequence, you are committing to:

1. Be present and focused on the group & movements you are working with.
2. Bring the flyer down to the floor safely, if the trick goes wrong
3. Help communication between Base & Flyer
4. Help refine movements

Flying

When you 'Fly' a trick or a sequence, you are committing to:

1. Put your trust in the Base & the Spotter
2. Hold your shape or make your movements to the best of your ability
   1. In spite of fear
   2. An unstable surface

Basing

Basing has many challenges and lots of responsibility. L-Basing requires a certain level of flexibility, and while it is also a great way to open the body, this can be hard work and frustrating until we get there. Standing Bases need to find the strength and stability through their spines. You need to reach down into the floor, as well as upwards to support the flyer. If the trick is failing, you must learn when to fight to keep supporting the flyer and when to let go so that the flyer can save themselves. In the process of learning you must still keep the Flyer safe from harm. When you 'Base' a trick or a sequence, your Flyer is committing their safety to you:

1. Safety is more important than getting a trick
   1. It is easier to base someone who is smaller than you.
      If you push yourself to your limit you are likely to get hurt.
2. Its a good idea to practice balencing objects on your feet.
   1. they don't get hurt when you drop them!
   2. They don't react unpredictably and 'try to help'
   3. If you can base an object, it is all your skill/technique.
3. Building the strength by lifting weights can also benefit your basing practice. Flexibility too.

Teamwork

It never ceases to amaze me in Acro how often I come across comments like 'I did this' or 'I did that' or 'what did I do wrong?'. Certainly the more body wisdom you have, the more you can bring to the party, and the greater ther possibilities of what your Team might achieve. However, it is very important to remember that it is 'We did this' or 'We did that' or 'what did We do wrong?' We need remember that there is more than one mind feeding into the trick. This is the beauty of Acro. Often times the error comes from one of the following:

• Our timing was out of sync
• One team member is trying to do everything, or some of the other team members job

Are your classes beginner friendly?

Come along and try!

• Some people come along having never done AcroYoga before and take to it like a duck to water. Others have done some elements of the practice for many years and really struggle.
• It is always good to have more people to play, train and learn with, specifically in a partner discipline such as AcroYoga.
• I do aim to keep classes interesting and challenging for the students who come week in week out for months and even years, but they are a friendly lot, and you will get to learn also from their experience.

I feel like I am holding the group up... Is it OK to come along to this class or should I find an easier one?

AcroYoga is a partner practice. No two people have the same experience and we learn through sharing.

• If you can say yes to the following we would love to have you with us:

Do I need to bring a partner, or can I come on my own?

Unless specifically stated, you are welcome to come alone to classes and workshops. We partner up in the class, and often change around who we are working with. If you want to bring a partner and work exclusively with them, we can normally accommodate that too.

What should I wear?

• Leggings, leotards and other stretchy tight clothing that you can move freely in are ideal. The most important thing is that you are comfortable and can move.
  
• Avoid clothing that is flimsy, very baggy, pockets, zips, and other hard things can get in the way. (Running tights with the sacrum pocket are unpleasant to base in)

How should I prepare for my first class?

1. It is important that you complete my registration form before you attend your first class with me (even if you have done some acro before). This ensures that I know you have a basic minimum understanding.
2. Book your class
3. Turn up, have fun, make friends, get strong and flexible!