What type of yoga do you teach?

I get asked this question a lot… What type of yoga do you teach? Hatha flow? Vinyasa flow?⁣ ⁣ My answer: both and neither.⁣ ⁣

You WILL leave the class with a calm mind and feeling more connected to your body, AND you WILL move, sweat, and increase your heart rate.⁣ ⁣ However, in my classes, we won’t repeat a series of poses, so each class can look quite different.

Variety is the spice of life, right!

Yoga Netherlands classes are based on anatomy, mechanics, and functional movement, and are safe and effective for all ages and skill levels. All offerings are given in English and available online, so we can work together from anywhere in the world: The Netherlands, Europe, the USA. 

If you’re experiencing tension or discomfort in the body or simply want to gain strength and mobility, join one of our classes!

Classes are focused on:

• Improving balance⁣

• Building strength in the legs and arms⁣

• Increasing flexibility and mobility of joints through full range of motion⁣

• Showing our hands and feet some love⁣

• Releasing tension in the shoulders and neck⁣

• Relaxation⁣ ⁣

Introducing your teacher: Brittney Ferguson

Howdy! Brittney here. I am a native Texan, living in The Netherlands (Breda to be exact)!

Having spent over 7 years in the corporate world, I know how easy it is to get caught up in the day-to-day, work yourself into the ground, and put off taking care of your body and mind.  After years of “mistreatment,” the aches and pains begin to surface. Do not fear, there is hope…

If you start working at it now, you can dramatically improve your quality of life… at any age!

I was first introduced to yoga when I was experiencing extreme back and shoulder discomfort caused by long hours of sitting at a desk. After a few years of bouncing between different styles of yoga, I finally found a style that left me feeling strong, mobile, and pain-free!

I teach a style inspired by Yoga Better; a style that is safe and effective for ALL ages and skill levels. Yoga Better teachers have dramatically improved the quality of life of our students, especially seniors in our Texas community, and I can’t wait to share this style with my students in The Netherlands. The style is based on anatomy, mechanics, and functional movement, and classes are a mix of balance, strengthening, stretching, and relaxation.

My love for movement started at 14 months when I was caught boogie-ing down on the bar at Señor Frogs in Mazatlan, Mexico. During my early years, I dabbled in swimming, soccer, and motocross, but ultimately, it was dancing that stole my heart. I continued dancing throughout high school: jazz, ballet, modern, drill team, and hip hop. While I am no longer on an organized dance team, I am never not moving. On the weekends, you can find me practicing yoga, riding my bike, or grooving on the dance floor.

Movement is my favorite form of meditation.

Fun facts about me:

• I worked in the oil and gas industry for nearly 10 years as a petroleum engineer

• I met my Dutch partner while backpacking through Europe during my sabbatical

• I already had ties to The Netherlands through my Houston-based yoga teacher, Robert Boustany

• I also work at Momoyoga, the Dutch software company I use to run my business

My yoga journey

I took my first yoga class in 2014 when I was experiencing extreme back and shoulder discomfort caused by long hours of sitting at a desk. Having danced my whole life, I loved how yoga incorporated strength, mobility, fluidity, and cardio. Over the next three years, I would bounce around between various yoga studios in Houston, Texas. 

Up to this point, I was doing yoga purely for the physical aspect… until June 2017.

I was lying in a restorative yoga workshop led by Dana Trixie Flynn, and as we laid in meditation, she read a poem by the Persian poet, Hafiz. 

“I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.” 

Boom! Immediately I was flooded with emotions. Where did this come from? My life was FINE. Over the course of the weekend, I began to see that yoga was so much more than a physical practice, and so began my journey to get better connected to my mind and body. 

Later that year, a friend introduced me to Robert Boustany (Founder of Pralaya Yoga) and Andrew Royal Dugas (Founder of Yoga Better.) This was a game-changer for me! I had finally found a style that left me feeling strong, flexible, and pain-free. Their classes challenged me both mentally and physically. I watched my body change before my eyes and for the first time ever realized how strong I truly am. 

Three months later, I signed up for the Yoga Better Teacher Training with Andrew, and the rest is history!

After each class, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to be more connected to my mind and body. Yoga has given me a new lust for life! 

Why I teach

First day of Yoga Better Teacher Training. Credit: Andrew Royal Dugas

I signed up for Yoga Better Teacher Training to “deepen my practice”.

On the first day, we were asked: “Why are you here?”

The first words out of my mouth were “… because I have free time, and I want to improve my strength, flexibility, and balance.” Then, after a few seconds of silence, I nervously I glossed over a story about losing a friend to suicide.

Andrew says:

“If someone is saying something – listen, because it means something to them.”

Immediately, I burst into tears, on camera, on the “infamous” spot. After many attempts, Andrew finally got me to stay quiet and notice all the thoughts that were coming up.

In that moment of silence, I got really present to my WHY… 

I teach because I want others to experience total freedom (both physically and mentally) and live life with an overwhelming sense of gratitude!

It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day, work ourselves into the ground, and put off taking care of our body and mind. (I know from personal experience!) 

We spend so much time worrying about the future that we forget to live in the present moment. 

You are only given this one body!

I want to give my students the tools they need to live a more active and mindful life, to move freely, without pain, to lean into discomfort so they can live life to the fullest and not be held back by physical pain or weakness. 

Yoga has left me feeling empowered both on and off the mat, and I hope to share this with my students!

The Yoga Better Style

The Yoga Better style was founded by Andrew Royal Dugas in Houston, Texas.

Nearly 20 years and 20,000 teaching hours have gone into the development of the Yoga Better style. You can learn more about Andrew’s background here.

My favorite part about this style is that it has the ability to transform ANYONE: those new to yoga, the advanced practitioners, athletes, and our friends and loved ones who are 65+ years old. We have dramatically improved the quality of life in our students, especially the seniors in our community. Most importantly, you don't have to already "be flexible" to begin.

The style is based on anatomy, mechanics, and functional movement. As teachers, we are trained to guide our students into postures that will keep them safe.

The promise is that you'll Move Better, Feel Better, Breathe Better, Yoga Better a year from now!

What is Yoga Better? Check out this excerpt from the Yoga Better blog...

“If you’ve been coming to our classes for a long time, you know our style of yoga is different than all the other yoga you have experienced before! So, how do we describe it? What is Yoga Better? Yoga Better was born of a simple inquiry:
When we do yoga and feel amazing, what is really happening? The inherited tradition would explain it in terms of cosmic energy and the spirit, all wrapped in a mystical burrito. What if we attempted to explain yoga’s beautiful phenomena using only what we can test? Using only anatomy, mechanics, with little sojourns into psychology and cognition, we’ve arrived at a style, unlike anything you’ve tried before.

Clear language, compassionate, and uncommonly knowledgeable teachers, and an emphasis on growth while having fun: That's Yoga Better."
- Andrew Dugas, Founder http://yogabetter.com/

Are private lessons for me?

If you are looking for a “quick fix”, this isn’t it.

Spoiler alert: There is no quick fix. In order to achieve long-lasting results, you will have to work at this regularly. Just think of all the hours you’ve spent slouching over the course of your life — one yoga class or chiropractor visit won’t fix that permanently. It can be a slow and sensational process, but I promise it is worth it!

There are few guarantees in life, but I can guarantee that if you keep ignoring your body, that back, knee, wrist, shoulder - whatever pain you are experiencing - will continue to get worse over time, and I want to make sure that does not happen!

Take a moment and imagine: that today, in the body you are in right now, was as “bad as it gets”... even 10, 20, 30 years from now.

How great would that be?

Now imagine, you spend a few hours a week devoting time and energy to feeling your body, strengthening your muscles, increasing your mobility, and improving your balance.

How would that impact your quality of life?
What if you continued doing the work for 10, 20, 30 years from now…?

Helpful tips for a great online yoga class

This ideal camera set up as a yogi.

Camera Staging: 

The “ideal" set up >>>

• One device (phone or laptop) logged into Zoom *camera on/microphone on*, set across the room so I can see you while you are sitting or standing.  (See photo above.)
  This will allow me to see all of you so I can share additional alignment cues as we move through the postures.

• Another device (laptop plugged into tv with HDMI, or phone connected to tv through airplay) logged into Zoom *camera off/sound not connected*.
  This will project Zoom on to your tv so you can see your team members and me on a larger screen.

• If this 2-device set up is not possible for you, no worries… set up in your standard e-meeting way. These are just tips I’ve picked up teaching online these last few months.

Zoom:

We will be using Zoom.us for the video classes. For your first class, please try to log in a few minutes early to make sure there are no delays. You will be able to access the classes from your smartphone or your computer. When you join the meeting, please mute yourself, so there is no feedback.

What yoga props do I need for class?

Yoga props

In order to get the most out of your private and group yoga sessions, I recommend you purchase:

• Yoga mat

• 2 Yoga blocks (per person)

• Yoga strap (for private clients only)

Live in Breda? I have blocks for sale for €10 per set. Email me if you would like to purchase some.

Other tips

To make the classes extra fun, I’d love to incorporate a wall into some of the classes. You don’t need a lot of space… just a YOU-sized spot on the wall (or door) and the mat in front of it.