A Yoga Workshop for Thoracic Mobility, Free Breathing & Chanting
Modern life often draws us forward — rounding the shoulders, narrowing the chest and compressing the upper back. Over time, this can limit the natural movement of the ribs and diaphragm, subtly affecting posture, breathing and overall ease in the body.
This yoga workshop in Cornwall with one of our senior teachers Amy Hughes, offers a gentle yet intelligent antidote to those patterns. Through a carefully structured afternoon of movement, breath and sound, we will explore thoracic mobility, rib expansion and the relationship between posture and respiration — restoring space to the upper body and cultivating a fuller, more three-dimensional breath.
Amy will begin with a simple, movement-based exploration of the anatomy of the rib cage, intercostals and diaphragm, building awareness before gradually layering more dynamic and recuperative work.
The practice will include:
Side extensions, twists and shoulder openers to encourage rib mobility Exploration of hip flexors and upper abdominal release to support diaphragmatic freedom Accessible backbends including Locust, Bow and Bridge, with thoughtful variations to minimise compression Optional progressions toward Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow/Wheel) for those who feel comfortable — with manageable alternatives and clear guidance to avoid strain Throughout, we will move slowly and intentionally, offering options to suit different bodies and levels of experience.
We will close with extended pranayama to expand the ribs in all directions, followed by 30 minutes of simple, accessible chanting. With the respiratory muscles primed and the breath flowing more freely, you are invited to chant, sit in meditation or lie down and rest in the resonance of the sound.
If backbends feel uncomfortable or intimidating, this workshop is designed to support you. By returning to foundational movement of the shoulders and upper spine, we reduce excess workload in the lower back and build strength progressively.
As Zen Master Dōgen writes, “Cook with the ingredients you have.” You are invited to work with the body you arrive with — patiently and intelligently.
Students do not need to be practising full Urdhva Dhanurasana to attend.
Chanting can feel vulnerable for some. We will use simple call-and-response patterns with written guidance provided. There is absolutely no obligation to chant — listening, meditating or resting are equally valid ways to participate. Like a sound bath, the resonance of collective sound can be deeply nourishing whether you join in or simply receive.
This afternoon offers a space to reconnect with the heart of the practice — freeing the upper body, deepening the breath and exploring the subtle relationship between posture, respiration and voice.
Amy co-leads the Mysore programme at Lime House Yoga, offering individualised guidance within the traditional Ashtanga self-practice format.
Her teaching blends structural clarity with subtle internal enquiry, supporting practitioners at every stage of their journey.
If you’re drawn to the breathwork and thoracic exploration in From the Heart, you may also enjoy experiencing these principles woven into her regular Mysore and Ashtanga classes.
Deepen Your Study: Amy also co-leads our annual Ashtanga Immersion, a focused week of workshops and practice designed to refine technique, explore key principles of the system and cultivate long-term sustainability.
Her ongoing enquiry into breath, mobility and intelligent backbending — themes present in From the Heart — forms an integral part of this deeper study.
‘The first half of life is devoted to forming a healthy ego, the second half is going inward and letting go of it.’ – Carl Jung
‘A lovely student managed to bind in Marichyasana D recently, after 7 years of practice. Of course, it is not important in the scheme of things, but when we have met a pose daily for many years and then suddenly there is a shift it can feel gratifying. He was celebrating leaving the class and then scolded himself for his ego.
Recently, ego has come up a lot in my yoga world, often in this usage – students telling themselves off for their ego. This time I questioned it, sharing that once in a Q&A Manju Jois gently mocked us by announcing that guilt and shame are very western and less common in India. Whether this is true, I don’t know, but the student opened up sharing that he had mulled buying all the other students a coffee to celebrate his moment. Then he mused on how folks might think he had been arrogant, when (undoubtedly) he wouldn’t bind next Monday. I suggested that he might be wrong in his initial assessment that his ego was inflated and we laughed together.
Colloquially in the west the word ego often refers to big headedness or narcissism. However, the word ego is Latin for I. This portion of human personality, in which we experience our self, our I-am-ness, is considered essential to our sense of identity and continuity in western psychology. It is an organising principle; a construct which developmentally forms from early childhood and gives us our sense of being the same person over a period of time in spite of change.’
Read the rest of this post from Amy here
Yoga for Thoracic Mobility, Free Breathing & Chanting Modern life often draws us forward — rounding the shoulders, narrowing the chest and compressing the upper back. Over time, this can limit the natural movement of the ribs and diaphragm, subtly affecting posture, breathing and overall ease in the body. This yoga workshop with Amy Hughes offers a gentle yet intelligent antidote to those patterns. Through a carefully structured afternoon of movement, breath and sound, we will explore thoracic mobility, rib expansion and the relationship between posture and respiration — restoring space to the upper body and cultivating a fuller, more three-dimensional breath.
For cancellations made more than 14 days for before the start date of any workshop, a refund (minus a 10% + VAT admin fee) will be made.
For cancellations less than 14 days before the workshop, there will be no refunds or transfers unless:
– the workshop is full and your place can be filled from a waiting list, or
– you are sick/injured/pregnant and can provide a doctor’s note
In the above cases we will refund the fee, minus a 20% + VAT admin fee. All clients are asked to agree to Lime House Yoga Ltd terms and conditions upon booking a workshop.
If a workshop is cancelled by Lime House Yoga Ltd you will be offered either a refund, the option of being transferred to an alternative event, or monetary credit on your account to be redeemed against any other Lime House Yoga class or event.
Click here for full Terms & Conditions.
We are situated on the north Cornish coast between Perranporth and Cubert. 10 minutes from Newquay (20 mins to Newquay airport) , 15 minutes from Truro train station and 5 minutes drive or 30 minutes walk to the beach (What Three Words: ///dimension.brighter.enchanted )
Lime House Yoga StudioMount, RoseTruroCornwallTR4 9PP
Tel: 07774 311227
Email: info@limehouseyoga.com
Contact us
We have studio mats for you to use, however we advise you to eventually buy your own mat. We sell a small select range of yoga mats that we recommend/use ourselves. Cheap yoga mats are ok to start with but you will feel the difference in a high quality yoga mat as it will make your practice far more enjoyable. Cheap thin mats don’t offer the support and comfort that a higher quality mat provides.
Wear comfortable clothing with layers that are easily removed or added to allow for changes in body temperature during class. Be ready to practice in bare feet. This is the traditional (and safest) way to practice. One thing that we would recommend is to wear a top that you can keep on until you warm up and that you can put on at the end of a class, especially for Shavasana (relaxation).
Amy began yoga with her mum in 1997. It’s been her refuge for grounding, healing and awakening ever since. Amy’s practice since 2008 has been Ashtanga and this remains the heart of her morning ritual. She teacher trained in the Ashtanga Self Practice method with John Scott and apprenticed for three years with Sarah Durney Hatcher. She completed Ashtanga’s fourth series under their generous guidance.
Amy’s practice is rounded out with pranayama, chanting and meditation and she loves to share these where she can. As an Ashtanga teacher Amy specialises in helping people to build an Ashtanga self practice suited to their constitution and life. She believes in keeping it accessible, maintainable and joyful. In this way the practice nourishes and supports the student’s growth rather than the student attempting to conform to an idealised image of each pose.
This individualising of self practices in Ashtanga draws not only on gems from her Ashtanga teachers, but also on her own self practice, her Trauma-Informed Training and outreach work and on her first training in Anusara Yoga with Bridget Woods-Kramer in 2005, which had a strong emphasis on bio-mechanical alignment.
Amy’s current Vinyasa Yoga classes are also deeply informed by this method; offering meditative flow sequences cued with an emphasis on alignment, energetics and breath. Amy also loves rest and recuperation practices and shares Restorative Yoga alongside her dynamic teachings at Lime House when opportunity presents itself.
Amy teaches:
Mysore (Self-Practice): Mondays | 7-9am
Gentle Vinyasa: Mondays | 10-11:30am
Mysore (Self-Practice): Fridays | 7-9am
We have three distinct Ashtanga classes on our schedule, Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings 7-9am Self practice (Mysore), Tuesday Evening Ashtanga Inspired and a Saturday Led half primary class
If you have ever wanted to try Ashtanga yoga Mysore (Self Practice) but felt like you needed to know the Ashtanga sequence before coming to a class, then these workshops taught by our resident Ashtanga teachers will de-mystify the Ashtanga yoga method.
Join us this Autumn for our 5 day Ashtanga Immersion led by two senior teachers
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