Overcoming Fear, Expansion of the Heart:
A Yoga Backbending Workshop

In every human being lives both a longing for freedom and a hesitation toward it. We dream of living with open hearts, moving through life with confidence, trust, and ease — yet fear often stands in the way. Fear contracts us; it tightens the body, narrows the breath, and isolates the mind.

The yoga workshop “Overcoming Fear, Expansion of the Heart” is an invitation to transform contraction into openness — to replace the armour of fear with the spaciousness of love.

The Philosophy Behind the Workshop

In yogic philosophy, fear is understood as a veil that obscures our true nature. The ancient sciptures remind us that fear arises only when we forget our unity with all that is — when we perceive separation. The heart, or anahata chakra, represents that bridge between the physical and spiritual realms, where love dissolves boundaries. When we practice from the heart, we remember connection. This workshop draws on ancient teachings to explore how yoga offers a direct path from fear to freedom, from contraction to expansion.

Fear shows up in many forms — fear of failure, rejection, loss, or even of our own greatness. Rather than resisting it, we will learn to meet fear with compassion and awareness. Through asana, breathwork, mantra, and meditation, participants will explore how to transmute the energy of fear into courage and presence. The practice becomes not a battle with fear, but a conversation with it — one that allows the heart to become vast enough to hold both the trembling and the triumph.

The Science of Fear and the Power of Yoga

Modern research supports what yogic wisdom has long known: fear lives not only in the mind but in the body. The amygdala — the brain’s alarm system — triggers the stress response, flooding the body with adrenaline and cortisol. Chronic fear keeps this system on overdrive, leading to tension, anxiety, and emotional fatigue. Yoga, through breath and mindful movement, directly activates the parasympathetic nervous system, restoring balance and calm. As the breath slows, heart rate decreases, and the body learns to trust again.

Heart-opening poses have been shown to elevate mood and increase circulation, while meditative focus enhances emotional regulation. Beyond the physical benefits, yoga reprograms our relationship with fear itself. It teaches that courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to stay present within it. Each time we breathe through a challenging posture, we train the nervous system to respond to life with grace rather than reactivity.

Join senior yoga teacher and Lime House Yoga Founder Jock Orton for this yoga workshop:

Overcoming Fear, Expansion of the Heart: A Yoga Workshop

 

Workshop Details

Date, time and cost

Sunday 30th November 2025 | 9:30am-12:30pm

Cost:

  • Drop-in: £45
  • 5 or 10 credit pack: 4.5 credits
  • Monthly unlimited members receive 10% off (£40.50)
  • Annual unlimited members receive 20% off (£36)

The Deeper Journey — Beyond the Mat

While the workshop unfolds through physical practice, its essence reaches far beyond the mat. “Overcoming Fear, Expansion of the Heart” invites you to bring this awareness into daily life — into relationships, work, creativity, and self-expression. The heart’s expansion transforms the way we meet the world: instead of reacting with defensiveness or avoidance, we respond with curiosity and compassion.

What to expect

Jock’s  workshop is designed to be a fun and accessible session, suitable for all students apart from complete beginners. It will be a three hour workshop with some anatomy theory that will enhance your understanding of the mechanics of back bending.

You will leave with a deeper understanding of how your body moves in and of back bending patterns with  practical skills to incorporate into your practice.

Who This Workshop Is For:

Suitable to for all other than complete beginners

 

Please note:  If you are recovering from a recent injury, please contact us beforehand to discuss.

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Frequently Asked Questions

About Your Teacher

Jock Orton

It is said that we all come to healing in our own time and this was true for me when in 2000, I fell down a mountain snowboarding, breaking my back in four places and shattering my collarbone. After numerous unsuccessful operations, I decided to take matters into my own hands so that I might stand a chance of being mobile by the time I hit forty.

I began a regular yoga practice and as the ancient saying goes, ‘When the student is ready the teacher will appear.’ I moved back to Cornwall at the same time as Bridget Woods-Kramer, a world renowned Anusara teacher.  I did my first two teacher trainings with no intention of ever teaching yoga, I just wanted to further my knowledge for my own practice. It was Bridget who dropped the bombshell on me that she needed cover for a Saturday class that forced me into teaching my first class. I was completely terrified………but I loved it!

I spent six years studying and teaching with Bridget and have developed a style that is physically challenging with attention to posture and alignment and above all, playful. My experience has taught me to cherish the physical practice of yoga, but it is the connection between mind, body and soul that inspires my practice.  Over the last decade, my personal practice has moved towards Ashtanga and I have undertaken Ashtanga teacher trainings with David Swenson, Manju Jois and John Scott.

I have been teaching for 20 years and over this time I feel deeply privileged to have been taught by some of the worlds best teachers from a range of different schools of yoga, including Richard Freeman, David Williams, Sianna Shermann, Rod Stryker, Doug Keller, Bruce Bowditch, John Friend, Nancy Gilgoff, and Doug Swenson. In my classes I call upon the teachings of all of my teachers to best serve my own students, with a blend of the styles, techniques and adjustments I’ve learnt along my yoga journey. I am also co-founder and director of Lime House Yoga with my partner Emma and a dad to two wonderful children who constantly inspire and challenge me to be more present in the world and on my mat.

Jock teaches:

Mysore (Self-Practice) – Wednesdays | 7-9am

Dynamic Vinyasa – Wednesdays | 6:30-8pm

Rope & Flow – All Levels – Thursdays | 9:30-11am

Ashtanga Vinyasa – Saturdays | 8-9:30am

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