Frequently asked questions

Gentle Practices is a small community membership program, curated & customised for my members.

I take requests for short, gentle practices that help cultivate calm and I design and record them for my community.

For example, over the past year, members have asked for practices for better sleep, or for anxiety relief, short practices they can do as work breaks, standing-only practices, knee-friendly practices and more.

What are the practices like?

Available practices include mindful movement, meditation, breath practices and guided relaxations, video and audio recordings.

All practices are available online, ad/or via an app on your smartphone.

All practices are short (around 20 minutes or under), gentle & slow paced so they’re easy to fit into your life.

How does the (optional) individual mentoring work?

Once you've enrolled, you can schedule a 30 minute Zoom chat with me and we can discuss which practices from the program would suit you best. I take notes, so that if you need, I can create and record a short practice specifically for you.

Some members prefer to just ask advice by email whenever they have a question, and that’s fine too.

How do the weekly Zoom classes work?

30 minute Zoom sessions are available for those who would like to join. They’re designed & scheduled to suit the members who love to Zoom, varying the time to give everyone a chance to join.

Currently we usually have one session a week, which can be a Tuesday or Thursday lunchtime or evening. If you can’t make it, you can catch up with the recording.

You’re welcome to join the optional text reminder list, where I text you on the day so that you never forget a session!

Members are always welcome to leave their cameras off and not interact, or equally welcome to stay and chat or ask questions after the session.

I’m the only one who ever appears on the video recording.

Do I have to Zoom if I don’t like it?

Not at all!

All Zoom sessions are recorded and posted in the app, so you can always still enjoy the zoom practice at your own convenience if you wish.

Some people prefer to enjoy their video or audio program and not bother with the Zoom sessions at all. Others much prefer the Zoom sessions to practising on their own.

I will always encourage you to do whatever works best for you.

How does a 20 minute practice work as effectively as a full class?

The short practices work brilliantly because:

The most effective practice is the one you’ll actually do. A 20 minute practice is a lot more practical to do at home than a 60 minute one, especially for busy women who have loads of other things they need or want to do!

I’ve spent a lot of time learning the art of distilling long practices down into the essentials. By combining breath-work, meditative focus and mindful gentle movement in precise and targeted ways, a 20 minute practice becomes highly effective.

I’ve designed the practices according to the Ayurvedic doshas (mind-body constitutions). When you enjoy a practice that is specifically designed for your dosha, AND suitable for the season and time of day you’re practising, it’s a thousand times more effective than a generic class.

There's actually a long tradition of “householder” practice in yoga, and threading practice through daily life, while 60 to 90 minute group classes are only a recent phenomenon in the long history of yoga.

What else is available in Gentle Practices?

Every Friday you receive my Gentle Practices Weekend Letter via email, with practice tips and recommendations for the week. There are practices specifically designed for the season, or the lunar cycle for you to enjoy if you would like to. (Many of our practices are inspired by nature and natural cycles).

And this year there are 3 complementary programs included with Gentle Practices for Natural Calm:

Gentle Yoga for a Healthy Back - an online resource of very short, easy videos to keep your back healthy & strong

Gentle Yoga for Your Pelvic Floor - a self-paced program of easy, gentle practices to support your pelvic floor suppleness.

Yoga class library - an online video library of full 60 to 90 minute classes. While Gentle Practices is all about short practices that are easy to fit into life, some members asked if there was a way they could enjoy long luxurious classes for when they have extra time. There are more than 30 hours of classes in the library so far, and I’ll continue to add to it!

When will enrolments next be open again after this intake?

Because I provide direct mentoring, I have to keep the group small so from now on there will only be one intake each year, depending on available space.

This year’s intake is Oct 3rd (next week!), but as you're on the waiting list, you'll be offered a space this weekend.

Am I possibly too old/too unfit/too stiff?

I hear these questions all the time and my answer is always: No, never!

Your practice is meant to meet you where you are, right now.

Yoga is about recovering your peace of mind, and there’s a practice for everyone.

Your practice doesn’t even have to be a physical one at all unless you want it to be! There are many meditative practices you can do in stillness and I'm happy to add more for you.

If you do choose to practise physically, then all my practices are within a natural range of easeful, healthy movement.

I can also tailor a practice in whatever way you need, on request.

How do the subscription membership fees work?

I’ve designed the membership to be the same investment as an ordinary weekly yoga class: $20 per week (AU dollars). Payments are monthly, so $80 per month via credit card, or you’re welcome to set up a regular bank transfer.

You can cancel your membership anytime (this has only ever happened twice in over a year! - and due to life circumstances, not the quality of the program).

Some members prefer the annual payment of $800, to save 2 month’s fees.

Finally, here’s some spontaneous feedback I’ve received (always the most authentic kind!) from a few of our members to give you an idea of what they like about the program:

“I am so encouraged and surprised at what a difference the short, gentle sessions make. Short and effective adds up to improved motivation to actually do yoga :)

Thank you for all the expertise and finesse that you put into the practices.”

— Emma

“Thanks for all your work Alison! Your kindness, thoughtfulness and compassion shines through each lesson and newsletter. I can’t remember if I mentioned that I use the anxiety toolkit hints regularly?! I’m finding each of them really helpful depending on my needs at the time.”

— Alex

“I really like the moving meditations, and especially the balancing ones. I think because it forces me to concentrate on the here and now and I always feel much better after them! Much more centred and able to focus…it’s a great program!”

— Gilli

“I feel deeply touched by your continual offerings to this course. It’s like a generous banquet feast for the body, mind, heart and soul.

With love and appreciation, Rachel"

As you can see, Gentle Practice for Natural Calm is unique in that it’s a small community, with direct assistance and support from an experienced teacher, unlike the larger subscription programs which are online video libraries with no teacher support.

I look forward to having you along!

Select your preferred membership option below to join

The annual saver includes a PayPal option. If you would like to subscribe monthly via PayPal, please click the separate PayPal subscribe option here. Please note that with monthly PayPal subscriptions it may take us up to 24 hours to process & start your enrollment, but you should receive a receipt straightaway confirming your payment.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any additional questions.