Pub yoga instructor looking forward to 2022 campsite retreats

A Thorpe St Andrew yoga instructor who has run pub and paddleboarding sessions is looking forward to expanding the business in her second year. 

Tori Daughtrey, of Waveney Flow Yoga, launched 'Pose and Pint' sessions at the Rivergarden in Yarmouth Road in the spring with people of all abilities taking part in yoga sessions in the pub garden. 

The sessions have moved to an upstairs room inside the pub during the winter months, and Ms Daughtrey has plans to offer more yoga retreat weekends at a rural campsite in mid-Norfolk this year. 

The yoga instructor has teamed up with Gill Pout, who built the Old Kings Arms Campsite in Garveston from repurposed and recycled materials, initially as a small family campsite during the summer of 2020.

Mrs Pout explained: "It was initially somewhere for us to go as a family. We never had any idea to turn it into anything then we suddenly thought other people might like it and opened it as a campsite.

"Tori is a niece of one of my friends and she came to have a look and really liked it. We started with three yoga retreats last year." 

The campsite comprises a bell tent, two vintage caravans which the family refurbished, and a restored pantechnicon van, which was originally a furniture removal van drawn by horses.

And the yoga retreats run from Friday to Sunday at the campsite with a mixture of morning and evening yoga sessions, as well as home cooked food.

Ms Daughtrey, who launched Waveney Flow Yoga in May last year, is also considering starting paddleboarding yoga retreats in 2022 rather than weekly classes. 

The instructor said: "Yoga is the most accessible sport in the world. You do not actually need a yoga mat or leggings. All you need is a body and a floor space such as a carpet or beach towel.

"You do not even need trainers. There does not need to be a barrier to practicing. I have taught people who are missing arms or who do not have ability with their legs." 

Visit www.waveneyflowyoga.com/ for more information. 

Advice for those starting yoga in 2022

Some city folk may be opting for yoga as their New Year's resolution. 

Ms Daughtrey said yoga is all about "building a range of motions, flexibility and strength".

She added: "Everyone thinks you have to be flexible to do yoga but you are better off coming if you can't touch your toes.

"It can be very intimidating going to classes where everyone is an expert. It's best to take the pressure off, find a good environment and give yourself time. 

"People should strive to make a routine. Once a week is fine, you do not have to do yoga every day. 

"Motivation to lose weight is never sustainable. It is sustainable to feel good and enjoy life so find out what your trigger points are and having a strategy. 

"If you are are feeling lethargic, rather than falling on the sofa, reach for the yoga mats."