Welcome to Sahasta: Jacqui Sedgwick - Yoga Tuition and Sports Massage

Sa'has'ta, adj: "With the hands - skilful and dextrous use of ...."

Sahasta encompasses the principle objectives of what I aim to offer both on the yoga mat and massage couch.

I can provide one to one yoga tuition, massage appointments or bespoke one to one yoga tuition with post class massage to truly maximise the benefits of both.

What is Vinyasa Flow Yoga?

This is a dynamic form of yoga where the first part of the class gives the student a thorough work out, focussing on strengthening and stabilising (especially the core, through awareness of bandha), energising, heating and mobilising the whole body to gain the maximum benefits from the second part of the class. Here, the focus shifts to deeper poses held for longer duration to increase flexibility, to release tension and to work to correct imbalances due to excessive training, asymmetrical sports with l/r dominance, postural issues such as lordosis and scoliosis, past or present injuries and stress/anxiety/life style factors. Regular yoga practise will undoubtedly serve to improve your sense of overall well being, whatever your background or motivation for stepping on to the mat.

The aim of the practise is to experience integration of breath, body and mind….. and hopefully take this with you off of the mat, long after the class has finished…..into your training, your sport and your work and family life.

About my teaching

I seek to blend all the aspects that reflect the authenticity of the lineage of Vinyasa Flow – incorporating the energy, creativity and fluidity of a Vinyasa Flow practise within the framework of focus on precision and alignment drawn from Iyengar, the Ashtanga principles from Pattabhi Jois, the compassionate, adaptable and bespoke approach to yoga tuition from Krishnamacharya, along with the deeply powerful and restorative benefits of aspects of Yin yoga. My primary emphasis is on safety - the objective is for a full and thorough practice to promote health and well being, with the focus on longevity of participation in yoga and all other sports and activities that you may engage in.

Tuition includes meditation and visualisation, pranayama (breathing techniques for cleansing, heating, balancing, calming or energising - all aid focus and concentration), application of bandha (energy “locks” – essentially the use of deep core muscles for stabilising either part or the full length of the spine within asanas and especially the transitions between to enhance energy flow and improve overall postural integrity) and asana (the physical sequence of poses) with hands on assists (corrections of alignment, myofascial release techniques and massage to maximise the benefits of the practise).

Everybody can practise yoga. Whatever your level, everyone can participate in yoga. Although many come to the mat for a physical work out, that does not mean that only the super fit, strong and flexible can do it.

Whatever your background or motivation - sporting, rehabilitative, those looking for an elusive “missing piece” from their physical endeavours, stress relief, calming and restorative, or those who just seek to step off the hamster wheel between their ears by stepping on to their yoga mat, yoga may be precisely what you are looking for.

ONE TO ONES – this form of bespoke tuition is beneficial to beginners through to advanced, or if you have a particular requirement/injury or condition, as the class will be tailored to YOUR needs alone and the focus of tuition and assists being 100% on YOU. Many people use this form of personalised tuition as a way of deepening and advancing their practice, as each lesson plan is devised for their own requirements and progression. It is a hugely beneficial alternative to an open class scenario, whatever your current level of practice.

If you are new to yoga and you are unsure about any aspect of it, please do contact me for further information as I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

Prices start at £50 for 60 minutes and £75 for 90 minutes.

Why Sports Massage?

Manipulation of the superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue for a whole host of beneficial, restorative and balancing effects….

You don't need to have a sports injury to benefit from a sports massage. Your treatment can be to treat a specific problem, acute/chronic injury or dysfunction, or for general maintenance work to assist with the recovery phase in between training sessions, or for relaxation and stress relief. I am trained in many different forms of massage and will adapt the techniques I use for your specific requirements. Deep tissue work is highly effective in dealing with chronic (long term) conditions that can be the result of repeated patterns of movement (such as running) as well as postural patterns from inactivity (such as sitting at a desk for long periods). The assessment techniques I use are a combination of palpation, range of motion and alignment tests (eg: such as assessment of sacral torsion) combined with your observations of your own pain or movement impairment experience. Each treatment is utterly bespoke, based solely upon the needs of you, the client - hence why all initial consultations require a booking of at least a 90 minute session so that I can carry out a full assessment prior to your treatment.

A fully comprehensive massage can break down inter and intramuscular adhesions, myofascial “snags”, aid the healing process and the elimination of toxins and metabolic waste and generally boost a sense of well being, “balance” and overall alignment.

Sports and Remedial massage is often characterised by being a more intense and thorough experience than a standard Swedish effleurage based massage, principally because some of the techniques used such as deep friction cross fibre work, NMT and STR require the client to fully engage in the treatment, using the breath to facilitate more effective results. Myofascial release (MFR) techniques also help to restore postural alignment and improve the functional integration of the body as a whole, as well as assisting in improving range of motion and power output of individual areas. These Myofascial techniques afford a level of specificity in assessment and treatment that is highly effective and therefore the bedrock of most of the remedial massage work I do. Where appropriate, I will also advise clients on any specific exercises or stability work you may need to do to help with maintenance or dysfunction prevention. If you seek a more "passive" experience to enhance your training, to "flush" through a specific area post competition/training or to assist with stress management and general day to day living, I will tailor the treatment to your requirements.

It is a highly beneficial method of injury management, treatment and prevention, training volume boost or maintenance, an aid in postural realignment and an effective antidote to stress or anxiety.

If you wish to discuss any aspect of treatment, your requirements and your aims from a regular treatment programme, please do not hesitate to contact me

I only use organic base and essential oils in my treatments – all sourced from MateriaAromatica.com.

Prices start at £40 for 60 minutes and £60 for 90 minutes

My training

I completed a BSc (Hons) in Sports Studies at Roehampton and became interested in Sports Massage, as it proved to be the most effective treatment for a selection of chronic injuries that I had developed from high mileage road running whilst at University. I wrote my dissertation on the physiological and psychological benefits of sports massage and after graduating went on to do a variety of massage courses, including the critically acclaimed diploma in Sports and Remedial Massage at the LSSM under Mel Cash. This is the highest level of Sports Massage diploma currently available and was the first of it's kind in the UK when I originally qualified. I have also completed a Myofascial Release CPD Course at the LSSM (ISRM) under Alex Fugallo and I continue to study a range of CPD courses to further deepen my knowledge and advance my practice.

I am a fully qualified, registered and insured LSSM/ISRM practitioner.

I have been extremely lucky to have encountered some hugely talented and inspiring yoga teachers on my own journey and my own sadhana will forever be evolving. Most recently this culminated in me studying under Claire Missingham on her thoroughly intensive and fully comprehensive teacher training course in London. I continue to study and practise with a variety of highly esteemed Yogis and Yoginis, to deepen my own personal practise and enhance my teaching. There is much overlap with my yoga and massage practise and I aim for each to further enhance and consolidate the other.

I am RYT200 qualified and a YOGA ALLIANCE UK registered/insured teacher.