The studio
Our Yoga journey
Hi, and welcome to our website! We have been running Yoga at the Mill, our centre for Yoga, Mindfulness and Relaxation, for the last seven years. We moved to Chelmsford after 16 years living in London, holding down ‘proper jobs’ (Lucia in journalism, Darren in software).
Amongst the trials and frayed nerves involved in long-term commuting, the opportunity to practice a lot of Yoga was both a much-needed sanctuary and great fun.
At first we were concerned that we ‘couldn’t do it’; Lucia at least had a long-term aversion to exercise and was pretty unfit and unbendy! However, niggling aches and intermittent sore backs drew us onto the yoga mat in the hope that this would be a non-competitive, more holistic way to improve wellbeing.
It certainly was! Over the years, and under a range of different teachers, we dabbled in Iyengar, Ashtanga, Hatha, Yin, Vinyasa Flow and Scaravelli. Interest in mindfulness meditation came later, and coincided with attending inspirational - ultimately life-changing - workshops and classes by London teacher Norman Blair and US teacher Sarah Powers.
Roll on some years, and Lucia took an initial 200 hour teacher training at an ashram in California with the Sivananda school of yoga, eventually followed by teacher training intensives in Scaravelli, Yin/Yang, Yin and Yoga Nidra, and a two-year postgraduate course with Bangor University to teach Mindfulness. Darren gained his 200 hour teacher training at the highly rated Yoga Campus in London.
This experience in various approaches to Yoga and Meditation was, in hindsight, instrumental in really knowing what we personally liked about how to practice and teach these disciplines (with depth, inclusivity and sensitivity) - and equally important - what we felt did not work so well (huge, impersonal groups, an over-fast pace, occasions of being pushed into postures).
Yoga is always personal, but we hope these myriad of different Yoga and Meditation experiences have helped made our business and community what it is today.
Yoga and Mindfulness delivered by an expert team, as self-care
Now in our eighth year at Moulsham Mill, we have grown largely by word-of-mouth, from an initial handful of classes, to 25 a week, plus workshops and retreats ranging from half a day in length; led by a talented, loyal team of a dozen yoga and mindfulness teachers.
We are proud to be known for our personal, relaxed, friendly approach, and for the consistently high standard of teaching, delivered with sensitivity, integrity, depth and sensitivity, as well as knowledge.
Even in a strong flow class, we take time to teach fundamentals of safe alignment, so the postures are as integral as possible, and the yoga can be experienced as it was originally intended: as an awareness practice, rather than as a set of exercise moves, performed mechanically. Our approach to teaching meditation is similarly undogmatic and nourishing - and always secular.
We are sticklers for all-important detail: our specialist classes and workshops are always led by teachers who have invested in relevant training. These areas include Yoga Nidra (a particular form of deep guided relaxation), Restorative Yoga and Mindfulness.
Underlying all this is a simple, heartfelt ethos of Yoga and Mindfulness as self-care.
“At Yoga at the Mill, I can park all stresses and tensions at the door and leave feeling centred, relaxed and happy. YATM classes are small and very friendly with all levels working to their own ability or needs for the day. The combination of meditation, mindfulness and yoga in classes I attend is an elixir for daily life. Teachers are professional, approachable and fun and The Mill environment is very special and intimate whilst being in the centre of Chelmsford.” - Amy Bernado, 2019 (attending our classes for the past three years)
YATM Retreats (formally known as Satvada Retreats)
As from late 2019, our highly regarded retreats business, Satvada Retreats, will fold into the studio and be re-branded as YATM Retreats. We have been organising retreats for over 12 years, collecting a string of press recommendations (independently reviewed editorial, not paid-for advertising) and currently comprising the following formats:
Mindfulness for Wellbeing: Guardian-recommended luxury long weekends in Norfolk
Deep Rest Retreats: Non-residential Weekend retreats in Little Baddow, near Chelmsford
Walking & Yoga Holidays in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco, over New Year
Marrakech Wellbeing Weekends in spring and/or autumn
All Chelmsford Yoga at the Mill students currently taking a weekly (or more) class at the studio are entitled to 10% off any of Satvada's retreats running over more than a two days. Members gain 12% off.
Shared values
Our retreats share the same value as the studio, including a gentle, inclusive approach, small groups (average 10 students) and the inclusion of Mindfulness and Yoga Nidra in the led sessions. Many people joining our retreats are first time retreatants and are travelling alone.
See our retreat schedule for our full list of retreats.
“I found the Mindfulness for Wellbeing Norfolk retreat to be a truly supported, warm and nurturing experience. The timetable was ideal in offering lots of structured and formal practice and time to slow down and do what was right for us. I especially valued the use of physically focused mindfulness and the mindful movement. I've been trying to keep this live at home. The venue and set up, with yummy food, lent itself perfectly to the process of self-reflection, attuning with ourselves and finding balance. I have, and would certainly, recommend the retreat to anyone. Thank you again for a great, much-needed, weekend.” Amy, Nov 2019