Sunday 15 November, 13:30 to 15:00 | The Yoga Nest, Kirkegata 32, Stavanger
Imagine lifting into Bakasana and feeling your feet float off the mat as if gravity had loosened its grip. Imagine holding Bhujapidasana with a steady gaze, then lowering your chin with control and rising up again. Picture that quiet moment of balance where your whole body is awake and your mind is completely still.
Arm balances are where strength, flexibility and focus meet. They teach you to trust your hands, find your centre and stay present when things wobble. And while they can look impossible from the outside, they’re built from simple pieces you can learn one at a time. In this arm balance workshop in Stavanger, following on from Saturday’s jump back and jump through workshop, you discover those pieces and start putting them together.
What you’ll explore
Your foundation: Discover how to spread your hands, root through your fingers and engage your shoulders, so your wrists feel supported and your base feels solid.
Finding your balance point: Learn how a small forward shift of weight, combined with active bandhas, turns effort into lightness.
Ashtanga arm balances: Explore Bhujapidasana from the Primary Series and Bakasana A and B from the Intermediate Series, with clear stages and options for each.
Playful extras: If you’re curious, try variations such as Eka Pada Koundinyasana and Astavakrasana, discovering how the same principles carry you into new shapes.
What to expect
Step by step progressions, from preparation drills to full expressions.
Wrist care and warm ups that keep your joints happy.
Simple tricks for falling safely, so fear fades and confidence grows.
A short home practice to keep building strength and balance after the workshop.
Who it’s for
Whether you’ve never lifted your feet off the floor or already enjoy flying in a few postures, you’re welcome here. Each pose comes with gentler options and props, so you can explore at your own pace. Join Saturday’s session too if you’d like the full weekend, or come for Sunday alone.
Your invitation
Your wings are already there. Come and discover them, laugh at the wobbles and leave with the trust to keep flying on your own mat.
Time: Sunday 15 November, 13:30 to 15:00
Place: The Yoga Nest, Kirkegata 32, Stavanger
Price: 600 NOK, or 400 NOK with a monthly or annual subscription
Saturday 21 November, 13:30 to 15:00 | The Yoga Nest, Kirkegata 32, Stavanger
Imagine reaching back into Kapotasana and feeling space instead of strain. Imagine dropping back from standing with your breath calm and your legs strong, then rising up again with a smile. Picture a backbend that feels less like a struggle and more like an opening.
Backbends are more than postures. They can be gateways to courage, flexibility and emotional release. Many practitioners notice that as their spine opens, something shifts inside too: a little more energy, a little more confidence, a little more lightness in the chest. This afternoon you explore both sides of backbending, the physical and the energetic, with the Ashtanga Intermediate Series as your guide. This Ashtanga backbend workshop in Stavanger pairs well with Sunday’s strength and inversions workshop, as the strength you build there supports every backbend you explore here.
What you’ll explore
The anatomy of a healthy backbend: Discover how your feet, legs, pelvis, spine and shoulders work together, so the bend spreads evenly through your whole body rather than landing in your lower back.
The Intermediate Series backbends: Move step by step through Shalabhasana, Bhekasana, Dhanurasana, Parsva Dhanurasana, Ushtrasana, Laghu Vajrasana and Kapotasana, with clear stages for each.
Strength that supports you: Build the leg, glute and core strength that lets you go deeper with stability and ease.
Urdhva Dhanurasana and drop backs: Explore preparations, drills and partner work that bring you closer to standing up and dropping back with confidence.
What to expect
Guided drills and variations that meet you exactly where you are today.
Clear alignment insights to protect your lower back, knees and shoulders.
Breath and bandha cues that keep you steady as you open.
Simple strategies to weave into your daily practice, plus a calming close to balance the energy of backbending.
Who it’s for
Whether you’re already practising the Intermediate Series or still working with the backbends of the Primary Series, you’re warmly welcome. Every posture comes with options, so you can explore at your own pace and choose the depth that feels right for your body today.
Your invitation
Your heart is ready to open when you are. Come and discover a backbend practice that feels safe, strong and joyful, and leave with tools that keep your spine healthy for years to come.
Time: Saturday 21 November, 13:30 to 15:00
Place: The Yoga Nest, Kirkegata 32, Stavanger
Price: 600 NOK, or 400 NOK with a monthly or annual subscription
Sunday 22 November, 13:30 to 15:00 | The Yoga Nest, Kirkegata 32, Stavanger
Picture yourself balancing on your forearms in Pincha Mayurasana, legs light above you, breath slow and even. Imagine lowering into Karandavasana with control, or holding Mayurasana and feeling your whole body switch on. These are the moments where strength stops feeling like effort and starts feeling like freedom.
The Intermediate Series holds some of the most empowering postures in Ashtanga. They ask for strength, and they give strength back. This afternoon you put your strength to a playful test and discover how to build it intelligently, so inversions feel safe, stable and within reach. No experience with the Intermediate Series is expected. Everything you learn fits right into the practice you have today. This strength and inversion workshop in Stavanger rounds off the weekend after Saturday’s backbend workshop, and every drill fits naturally into your Ashtanga yoga practice.
What you’ll explore
The roots of strength: Discover how your hands, shoulders, core and bandhas connect into one supportive chain, so you lift from your centre rather than muscling through your arms.
Pincha Mayurasana: Build your forearm balance step by step, from shoulder alignment and wall drills to finding your balance point in the middle of the room.
Karandavasana and Mayurasana: Explore the drills and progressions that turn these challenging postures into achievable goals.
Inversion confidence: Play with entries, exits and safe ways to come down, so fear softens and curiosity takes over.
What to expect
Practical drills you can repeat at home to build strength week by week.
Clear guidance on shoulder and wrist care, so your body stays happy as you grow stronger.
Partner work and wall support, giving you a safe place to experiment.
A light, encouraging atmosphere where trying matters more than succeeding.
Who it’s for
This workshop is open to everyone with a regular asana practice. If you’re curious about inversions, want to feel stronger in your vinyasas, or are already working with the Intermediate Series, you’ll find something here for you. Each drill comes with options, so you choose the level that feels right today.
Your invitation
You’re stronger than you think. Come and discover what your body can do when strength, breath and focus work together, and leave with a clear path toward your next inversion.
Time: Sunday 22 November, 13:30 to 15:00
Place: The Yoga Nest, Kirkegata 32, Stavanger
Price: 600 NOK, or 400 NOK with a monthly or annual subscription
Saturday 28 November, 13:30 to 15:00 | The Yoga Nest, Kirkegata 32, Stavanger
Imagine standing at the front of your mat, hands together, and chanting the opening mantra with confidence. You know every word, you know what it means, and you feel its vibration settle your mind before the first sun salutation. Picture closing your practice with the same steadiness, carrying a quiet sense of gratitude into the rest of your day.
Chanting is one of the oldest parts of the yoga tradition. Long before postures were written down, teachings were passed on through sound. In Ashtanga, the opening and closing mantras frame every practice, connecting you to the lineage of teachers who came before. When you understand and feel them, they become more than a ritual. They become a doorway into presence. This Ashtanga chanting workshop in Stavanger pairs beautifully with Sunday’s philosophy and meditation workshop, where the meaning behind the words opens up even further.
What you’ll explore
The Ashtanga opening mantra: Learn the words, rhythm and pronunciation, and discover the meaning behind each line, so you can chant it with understanding.
The closing mantra: Explore the blessing that ends your practice and how it shifts your attention from yourself to the wider world.
Sanskrit sounds made simple: Get comfortable with the basics of Sanskrit pronunciation, so unfamiliar words start to feel natural in your mouth.
Om and the power of vibration: Feel how sound moves through your body, steadies your breath and calms your nervous system.
What to expect
A warm, relaxed group setting where every voice is welcome, whatever it sounds like.
Call and response chanting, so you learn by listening and repeating.
Printed texts with transliteration and translation to take home.
Short moments of silence to feel the effect of each chant.
Who it’s for
This workshop is for anyone curious about the sound side of yoga, whether you’ve chanted for years or have quietly mouthed along at the start of class. There’s no singing talent involved, only your breath and your willingness to try. It also pairs beautifully with Sunday’s philosophy and meditation.
Your invitation
Your voice belongs in your practice. Come and discover how a few ancient words can ground you, open your heart and turn the start of every practice into a moment that feels truly yours.
Time: Saturday 28 November, 13:30 to 15:00
Place: The Yoga Nest, Kirkegata 32, Stavanger
Price: 600 NOK, or 400 NOK with a monthly or annual subscription
Sunday 29 November, 13:30 to 15:00 | The Yoga Nest, Kirkegata 32, Stavanger
Imagine stepping off your mat after practice and carrying its calm into a difficult conversation, a busy workday or a quiet evening at home. Imagine understanding why you practise, not only how. Picture a few minutes of stillness each day that feel like coming home to yourself.
You’ve likely felt that yoga is more than movement. This afternoon you get to explore what that “more” is. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali aren’t something to master. They’re something to meet. Written nearly two thousand years ago, they speak with surprising clarity to modern life: how the mind moves, why it gets stuck, and how practice can bring clarity and freedom. Here, ancient wisdom meets your everyday life, and philosophy becomes personal. This yoga philosophy and meditation workshop in Stavanger follows Saturday’s chanting workshop and leads into the evening’s potluck julebord for members.
What you’ll explore
The path of yoga: Why yoga? What is it really for? Discover the purpose behind the practice you already love.
The mind and its fluctuations: Explore how thoughts move, what stillness really is, and the space you can find behind the noise.
The eight limbs of yoga: Meet Patanjali’s roadmap, from the yamas and niyamas through asana and pranayama to meditation, not as rules but as invitations toward clarity.
Guided meditation: Anchor what you’ve explored in a calm, accessible meditation you can return to anytime.
What to expect
Thoughtful conversation around key sutras and the themes they open.
Practical ways to bring these teachings into your practice and your daily choices.
A blend of dialogue, reflection and quiet, with plenty of room for your questions.
A gentle, welcoming space where philosophy meets presence, not performance.
Who it’s for
This afternoon welcomes every level of curiosity and experience. Perhaps you’re on a teaching path and want to speak from lived understanding. Perhaps you’re curious about the inner life of yoga. Or perhaps you simply want a peaceful space to reflect. No previous study of philosophy or meditation is expected.
Your invitation
Your practice has been preparing you for this all autumn. Come and close the season by turning inward, and leave with a deeper sense of why you step onto your mat. Members, you’re warmly invited to stay for the potluck julebord later that day, free of charge.
Time: Sunday 29 November, 13:30 to 15:00
Place: The Yoga Nest, Kirkegata 32, Stavanger
Price: 600 NOK, or 400 NOK with a monthly or annual subscription
Sunday 29 November, from 18:00 | The Yoga Nest, Kirkegata 32, Stavanger
Picture the studio glowing with candlelight, the table filling up with dishes from every corner of the world, and the same faces you’ve shared your mat with all autumn gathered around it. No practice to finish, no posture to work on. Just good food, good company and a moment to celebrate how far you’ve come.
All season you’ve explored your breath, your strength, your backbends and the quieter side of yoga. This evening is your chance to pause, look back and enjoy the community that has grown around your practice. Join the philosophy and meditation workshop in the afternoon, and let the julebord be the warm close to your day at the studio in Stavanger.
What to bring
A dish you love to share, whether it’s a family recipe, a festive classic or something from your home country.
Your own drink, if you’d like something special.
Your appetite and a good story or two.
Who it’s for
The julebord is a gift for you as a member with a monthly or annual subscription, and it’s free of charge. If you’d like to bring a partner or friend, mention it when you sign up.
Your invitation
You’ve given so much to your practice this year. Come and let the community give a little back. Sign up through the Conscious Flow App, so you’re counted in for the table.
Turquoise water and white sand on Thoddoo, seen from above
Take a breath for a moment.
Maybe you’re reading this at your desk, or on the sofa with a cup of something warm, or on your phone between one thing and the next. And as your eyes move across these words, you might begin to notice how easily your mind drifts toward somewhere warmer… somewhere quieter… somewhere the light moves slowly across the water.
Let it drift. I’ll take you there.
The first breath of the island
The water is so clear I can see my own shadow gliding over the coral. A turtle rises beside me, takes a slow breath at the surface and sinks back down, unhurried, as if I’m simply part of the reef. Somewhere close by, Claire laughs into her snorkel. We’re only a few metres from the beach.
That’s the moment I understood what Thoddoo is about.
The reef is only a few strokes from the shore
We came here for two nights with a simple purpose: to feel the island before bringing our retreat here in December. What is life like beyond the mat? What is the guesthouse really like? And what happens to you when you finally slow down?
The journey begins just outside the arrivals hall in Malé, where the speedboat is already waiting. For 75 minutes, the ocean unfolds in every shade of blue, and small islands rise and fade on the horizon. When the engine quiets and the jetty comes into view, Katie is waiting with a smile, and a buggy carries us along sandy lanes to the guesthouse. The owner and the team greet us like friends they’ve been expecting for a while.
And then, almost without noticing, the calm arrives.
A calm that walks beside you
I’ve travelled a lot, and I’ve never felt anything quite like it. The calm doesn’t stay in one place. It’s there in the lobby, in the room, on the paths between the buildings, and on beaches so quiet the loudest sound is the water settling against the sand. You may not notice the exact moment your shoulders soften… only that, at some point, they already have.
The people here carry that same calm. They move through the streets and along the beach at an easy pace, almost moving with you rather than around you. No one makes a show of it. You simply see the friendliness in their faces, a quiet welcome that makes you feel you belong.
Food made with care
The food at Kingsway is wonderful, made fresh by the chef every day. We learned that locals here rarely go out for a proper meal. The best food is home cooked, and that’s exactly what you get at the guesthouse. Still, it’s lovely to step out now and then: dinner on the beach one evening, the relaxed vibe at a restaurant called Breeze, or lunch at Mango House right next door.
Mornings on the reef
The next morning starts with that snorkel. You swim a few strokes from the shore, and the reef is suddenly right beneath you, alive with fish in every colour and turtles, small and large, drifting past. When we come out of the water, Claire says what we’re both feeling: “This is the most wonderful place to snorkel.”
After breakfast and a few hours of work, Katie takes us around the island and shows us the beaches where she holds yoga and meditation sessions. Phones in hand, we check out spots and take photos as we go. Standing on the sand, I can already see December: mats in a row, the sun climbing over the water, breath and ocean moving together.
Golden hours
Acro yoga on our boards as the sun goes down
As the sun goes down, the island turns gold. The team from the water sports club on the beach brings out their drone, and we paddle out on the still water. We flow through acro yoga on our boards while the drone circles above, catching the sky as it fills with colour.
The next morning, at sunrise, we head out with Jumanji, Katie’s photographer, who leads us to quiet corners and hidden viewpoints we would never have found alone. It’s one of the best ways I know to get to know a place, and its people, wherever you travel. By the end, it feels less like a shoot and more like time spent with a new friend.
Sunrise with Jumanji, Katie’s photographer
Five kilometres of island life
A quiet ring road circles Thoddoo, about five kilometres in all, perfect for a run, a slow walk or a bike ride. You can rent a bike for 5 to 10 USD a day and wander at your own pace. Ride through the farmlands, where fruit grows in the sun, and you might find time itself begins to stretch. The island is safe and peaceful, and the only decision waiting for you is which beach to visit next.
Just before sunset on our last day, we slip into the water at another spot. This time, blacktip reef sharks glide calmly beside us, shy and graceful. It’s a memory I’ll carry for a long time.
Come back for a moment
Now, just for a moment, notice where you are. The chair beneath you. The sounds around you. Your breath, perhaps a little slower than when you started reading.
Isn’t it interesting how a few words can carry you so far? And now that you know the way, you can step back onto the island whenever you choose. Let’s go back.
Everything within reach
What makes Thoddoo special is how close everything is. The reef is right off the beach. There are sunrise beaches and sunset beaches, all a short walk apart. No long drives, no boat needed for the everyday magic. And there are no resorts here, only small, welcoming guesthouses. This isn’t the luxury Maldives you may have seen in brochures. It’s something richer: the real island, its people and its rhythm, just as they are.
What we’re saving for December
With only two nights, we couldn’t do everything, so here’s what’s waiting:
Whale shark safari. A half or full day at sea, since no one knows exactly when or where the whale sharks will appear. You might meet manta rays too, and you snorkel in the water with them. This was the one I wanted most, so I’m saving it for December.
Turtle safari. A snorkel trip with turtles in focus.
Sandbank tour. A short boat ride to a strip of white sand with nothing but ocean around it. It’s one we’d love to share as a group.
SUP above the reef. Gliding on a paddleboard over turquoise water, with turtles and reef life just below.
Private dinner on the beach. A pavilion set up on the sand, just for you.
Dining on the ocean. A table on a floating raft, with water all around.
Diving. Several dive operators on the island, and some of the best diving in the region.
Fishing trips. While we were there, a group from Malé had come for a weekend of fishing and fun.
A floating cinema. Still in the works, and a sign of how creative this island is.
A day on retreat
I don’t know which part of the day you’ll love most. It might be the early morning, when pranayama and meditation lead you gently into your asana or Mysore practice. It might be the snorkel before breakfast, or the hours of workshops when your practice opens up in new ways. Or it might be the afternoon, when time is yours again.
Then evening arrives. Perhaps it’s meditation or yin on the beach as the sun goes down. Perhaps it’s a sunset SUP, ending with yoga nidra as the light fades. And on some nights, a ceremony on the sand, a bonfire, or a night swim under the stars.
Leaving, slowly
We leave Thoddoo just before seven in the morning, as the island is waking up. Claire’s flight takes her home to Vietnam that morning, while my journey continues later in the day.
While Claire checks in and boards, I take the short ferry across to Malé, just five to ten minutes over the water, looking for a quiet place to sit. I find a local restaurant serving both Western and Maldivian food, and settle in with breakfast and coffee, watching the ocean and the planes come and go.
Afterwards, I walk to a city beach, a park with a calm lagoon, though a city here looks quite different from what we know in Europe. Locals gather in the shade with cold drinks. Some cool off in the water, others feed the pigeons, and children build castles in the sand. It’s a beautiful way to spend your last hours in the Maldives, gently easing back toward the world.
Respecting island life
The Maldives is a Muslim country, and faith shapes the gentle rhythm of island life. Thoddoo is alcohol free, which only adds to the clarity of your days. The locals are open and relaxed, so in the streets, light and comfortable clothes that cover shoulders and knees feel just right. Simply keep swimwear off the streets, and dress in a way that honours the local culture and religion. Two beaches on the island welcome bikinis. On the public beaches, a swimsuit or a light cover up is a simple way to show respect for your hosts.
A few practical tips
Boats to Thoddoo: the boat runs twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. If your flights don’t line up, consider a night in Malé before heading over.
Stay a little longer: there’s easily more than a week of experiences on Thoddoo, so give yourself extra days if you can.
Set your expectations: this isn’t a resort holiday. It’s an island to experience, with real people and real moments.
Come and feel it for yourself
And now, as you come back to the room around you, you may notice that a part of you is still on that beach, still listening to the water. You might find yourself wondering what it would feel like to stand there in December… to breathe that air… to let that calm settle into you.
From December 19th to 26th, you can find out with us. Christmas on Thoddoo, a small group, two teachers, and an island that slows you down in the best possible way.
Why does the same instruction work for one person and leave the next one lost?
A free 5-day challenge for yoga teachers, personal trainers, online coaches and wellness professionals. Every morning you get one NLP tool in a 3-minute read, and one small mission to try in your next class, training session or coaching call. By Friday your cues are clearer, your clients follow more easily, and you feel more at ease leading.
You have trained in anatomy, programming, sequencing or nutrition. Yet much of what decides whether people change happens somewhere else:
You say “find your grounding” or “brace your core” and half the room looks around, unsure what to do.
One client lights up while another quietly shuts down, and you cannot tell why.
Online clients start strong, then go quiet in week two.
On a tired day it is hard to bring the presence you want people to feel.
People say “I can’t” or “I always fall off”, and you want to help them past it without pushing.
None of this is about your skill. It is about how people take in information, how they decide whether they feel safe, and how language shapes experience. That is what NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) studies, and it is surprisingly practical on the mat, the gym floor and the coaching call.
What you get, day by day
Each email takes 3 minutes to read. Each mission fits into work you already do. Your clients won’t notice the technique, only the result.
Day 1. The map is not the territory. Why every person experiences your session differently, and the one question that changes how you see a “difficult” client.
Day 2. Cues for eyes, ears and bodies. The see, hear and feel words that make one instruction reach everyone. Includes the free VAK Cueing Cheat Sheet.
Day 3. Rapport before instruction. How the nervous system decides “safe or not” in under a second, and the simple matching skill that builds trust, in person or on a video call.
Day 4. One clean cue. Turn vague instructions into ones people can act on, with the Meta Model: from “engage your core” or “be more consistent” to something a body and a week can actually hold.
Day 5. Anchor your state. A 2-minute technique to access calm, confident presence before any class or client, even on the days you do not feel it.
This challenge is for you if
You are a yoga or Pilates teacher, personal trainer, online or health coach, breathwork or meditation guide, or you work with clients’ bodies and wellbeing
You want people to feel seen, follow through, and keep coming back
You are curious about the psychology behind teaching and coaching, and want tools you can use tomorrow, not theory
Your guide: Asbjorn Bjaanes
I am trained in NLP and have practised it for 15 years, and I teach yoga as a Yoga Alliance E-RYT 500 teacher at The Yoga Nest. I am an ICF PCC accredited coach, trained in executive coaching, hypnotherapy and brain-based coaching, and I use these same tools with leaders in tech and business. I built this challenge because the teachers and coaches I trained kept asking the same question: why do some instructions land and others do not? The answer turned out to be learnable.
Join The Language That Moves People, free
Sign up now and Day 1 arrives tomorrow at 07:00. One short email each morning for five days.
Free. No spam. Unsubscribe with one click.
Questions
How much time does it take? About 3 minutes to read each email. The mission happens inside a class, session or conversation you already have.
Do I need to know anything about NLP? No. Everything is explained in plain language, with examples from real classes and coaching sessions.
I’m a PT or online coach, not a yoga teacher. Is it for me? Yes. The tools work wherever you guide people: a gym floor, a Pilates studio, a clinic, a Zoom call or a WhatsApp check-in.
Is NLP manipulation? These are communication and awareness skills, taught with ethics at the centre. The aim is that the people you work with feel more understood and more free to choose, never less.
What happens after day 5? You will hear about the 12-week online course NLP for Yoga, Fitness and Wellness Professionals and when the next cohort starts. No obligation, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
