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Welcome to ‘Bookish’, the Yogi Sanctuary monthly book club where literature and mindful living converge. In addition to practising the yogic philosophy of Svadyaya, which is centred around growth and transformation through reading and reflection, Bookish will host regular, literary-inspired experiences to enrich mind, body and soul, from film screenings and literary trips to opportunities to respond to books in holistic ways. Our meetings will be facilitated by ‘writing for wellbeing’ practitioner Sian Hughes, a local writer recently shortlisted for ‘Wales Book of the Year’. Each month we will vote on our chosen book for the coming month from a selection proposed by Sian. Sian takes into account all the types of books we like to read, though sometimes these may take us outside our comfort zone. There will even be a sprinkling of classics amongst the choices. We get the chance to propose books too. This club is about sharing our love of all things book. We have kept the price of this regular event low at just £5 and it includes lovely mugs of tea or coffee. But bring some pennies on the day as for just £2.50 you can also enjoy a slab of delicious cake made fresh for us by Grey Rabbit Cakes, our wonderful cake maker here in Pentyrch. Numbers are limited to 12 so do book early to avoid disappointment. **** Sian Hughes is a writer and creative practitioner who regularly works in schools and community settings, designing and delivering holistic writing and reading programmes that improve the wellbeing of participants. Sian is currently working on her second collection of short stories, ‘Doll Skin’, after her debut short story collection ‘Pain Sluts’ was shortlisted for 2022 ‘Wales Book of the Year’. Sian lives in Creigiau with her family and other animals!

There is something deeply grounding about working with clay. Hands shaping earth. Attention settling into the present moment. A quiet invitation to slow down, create and connect. Join us for a nourishing afternoon of mindful making as part of Made - our monthly craft and art club designed to bring people together through creativity, community and the simple wellbeing found in making something with your own hands. In this special workshop you will create your own handcrafted ceremonial cacao mug, shaping and designing a piece that is entirely your own - something to hold future rituals, quiet mornings, comforting drinks and moments of pause. This is not wheel throwing pottery. Instead, you will work directly with clay using approachable hand-building techniques, allowing creativity to guide the process as your mug slowly takes shape beneath your hands. Whether simple and rustic, beautifully imperfect or carefully detailed, your finished mug will become something both practical and meaningful - a handmade object connected to moments of stillness, nourishment and ritual. Throughout the afternoon there will be space to slow down, enjoy the process and reconnect with creativity without pressure or perfection. Tea, homemade cake and refreshments will be available to keep you nourished as you create. No experience is needed - only curiosity, openness and a willingness to try something new. Working with clay can be deeply calming, inviting focus, presence and a quiet sense of flow. Creating alongside others adds another layer entirely - community, conversation and shared creativity that has a beautiful way of lifting mood and gently raising our vibration. Spend a peaceful afternoon shaping something beautiful with your own hands and leave with a piece that may become part of your own rituals for years to come. Saturday 12th September 2-4pm Made - creativity for wellbeing, one project at a time.

Creativity has a beautiful way of quietening the mind. When we stop trying to make things perfect and simply allow ourselves to create, something shifts. Attention softens. Thoughts become quieter. We become more present. Join Ellie of Painted Palms for a peaceful afternoon in a creative and mindful art workshop as part of Made - our monthly craft and art club designed to bring people together through creativity, community and the simple wellbeing found in making something with your own hands. In this special workshop we will explore the expressive beauty of Indian inks, using flowing colour, brushes and stencils to create your own unique piece of artwork. Indian inks invite both structure and freedom. Delicate details can sit alongside unexpected movement and flowing marks, allowing creativity to unfold naturally. Whether you are drawn to gentle layering, bold shapes or intuitive expression, this workshop creates space to experiment, play and discover your own creative style. Guidance, inspiration and ideas will be available throughout as Ellie guides you layer by layer while also allowing room for your own imagination to lead the way. No artistic experience is needed, only curiosity, openness and a willingness to create. Tea, homemade cake and refreshments will be available throughout the afternoon to keep you nourished as you create. Creating art can help calm the nervous system, improve focus and gently guide us into a state of flow - that feeling of becoming fully absorbed in the present moment. Combined with creativity, community and a peaceful afternoon shared together, these moments have a quiet way of lifting mood, reducing stress and gently raising our vibration. Spend a peaceful afternoon creating something beautiful and perhaps discover that creativity was waiting there all along. Saturday 10th October 2-5pm Made - creativity for wellbeing, one project at a time.

Creativity has a quiet way of changing how we feel. When our hands are busy making, our minds soften, our attention settles into the present moment, and we create space for joy, play and connection. Join Richard for a beautiful guided creative workshop designed to reconnect you with your creativity and the simple wellbeing found in making something with your own hands. Over this special three-hour session, we will explore two beautiful forms of book art. Learn how to create delicate Kusadama flowers, folding pages from sepia-toned novels, aged papers, maps or coloured paper into sculptural blooms that become truly unique keepsakes. Alongside this, discover the calming craft of Folded Book Art, carefully shaping the pages of old hardback books to create hidden three-dimensional words, patterns and designs within the pages themselves. Richard will guide you gently step by step, helping you build fold by fold, exploring different techniques, sizes and creative finishing touches. Whether you have never crafted before or simply want to reconnect with your creativity, this is an invitation to slow down, explore and let imagination lead the way. All materials are provided, including papers, books, glue guns and decorative finishing touches. If you would like to create folded book art from a book that holds sentimental meaning, you are warmly invited to bring your own hardback book along. Tea, fruit and homemade cake will be available throughout the afternoon to keep you nourished as you create. No experience is needed only curiosity, openness and a willingness to try something new. Creating with our hands can improve mindfulness, reduce stress and invite us into a state of calm focus. Combined with good company and shared creativity, these simple moments have the power to lift our mood, spark joy and gently raise our vibration. Spend a peaceful Sunday afternoon making something beautiful and perhaps discovering a little more space to breathe, create and simply be. Saturday 21st November 2-5pm £35 per person Made - creativity for wellbeing, one project at a time.

There is something deeply calming about working with our hands in repetition. Knot by knot, strand by strand, attention settles into the present moment and the nervous system begins to soften. Join us for a peaceful afternoon of creativity and mindful making as part of Made - our monthly craft and art club designed to bring people together through creativity, community and the simple wellbeing found in making something with your own hands. In this special workshop you will create your own beautiful macramé floating shelf - a handcrafted piece combining natural cotton cord, decorative knots and wooden shelving to create something both functional and artistic for your home. Guided by our expert crafter, Gunita, you will learn a variety of attractive macramé knotting techniques, slowly building your piece strand by strand while adding decorative details including beads and finishing touches to make your design uniquely your own. Whether styled with plants, candles, crystals, books or treasured objects, your finished shelf will become a beautiful handmade feature for your space carrying not only creativity, but also the quiet satisfaction of having made it yourself. All materials are provided, alongside expert guidance and gentle step-by-step tuition throughout the workshop. Tea, homemade cake and refreshments will be available throughout the afternoon to keep you nourished as you create. No experience is needed, only curiosity, openness and a willingness to try something new. Macramé has a naturally meditative quality. The rhythm of knotting can calm the mind, improve focus and gently guide us into a slower, more mindful state. Combined with creativity, community and a peaceful afternoon shared together, these simple moments have a beautiful way of lifting mood, reducing stress and gently raising our vibration. Spend a peaceful Saturday afternoon creating something beautiful, practical and entirely handmade and leave with a piece for your home infused with creativity, patience and care. Saturday 22nd August 2–5pm £45 per person Made - creativity for wellbeing, one project at a time.

Learning side by side. Sharing small moments of focus and laughter. Encouraging one another through something new. Creativity has a beautiful way of bringing people together — inviting patience, connection and simple moments that often become lasting memories. Join us for a relaxed and welcoming afternoon of creativity and mindful making as part of Made — our monthly craft and art club designed to bring people together through creativity, community and the simple wellbeing found in making something with your own hands. This special family workshop invites a parent, grandparent or caring adult to come along with a child aged 7 years and above to discover the calming and rewarding craft of crochet together. Guided step by step, you will learn foundational crochet techniques using hooks and soft yarn, beginning to build your confidence stitch by stitch whilst creating beautiful handmade pieces together. Crochet offers more than simply learning a craft. The gentle rhythm of repeated movement can calm busy minds, improve focus and create a naturally mindful experience — whilst sharing the process together creates space for connection, conversation and quality time away from screens and busy schedules. No experience is needed — only curiosity, openness and a willingness to learn together. All materials will be provided, alongside expert guidance and plenty of encouragement throughout. Tea, homemade cake and refreshments will be available to keep grown-ups nourished, alongside drinks and treats for younger makers too. Come and enjoy a peaceful afternoon of creativity, learning and connection — creating memories as well as stitches. PLEASE ENSURE YOU BOOK FOR TWO PEOPLE Sunday 20th September 2-4pm £20 per person Made — creativity for wellbeing, one project at a time.

Spirit is a gentle and flowing mandala practice where your movement circles the mat, creating a rhythmic and meditative journey through the elements of nature while finding a deeper connection to the chakra system. Inspired by the elements - earth, water, fire and air, this class invites you to move in a calm, circular flow while exploring the subtle energy of the body. Through mindful transitions and gentle postures you’ll gradually awaken and balance your energy centres, connecting more deeply with your chakra system. The pace is unhurried and spacious, allowing time to feel each movement and tune into the relationship between breath, body and energy. Pranayama and guided meditation are woven through the practice to calm the nervous system, centre the mind and deepen your inner awareness. This class offers a nurturing balance of movement and stillness — leaving you feeling grounded, open and quietly energised. Perfect for those seeking a slower, more mindful flow that connects body, breath and spirit without feeling depleted. This class carries the beauty and creativity of Connect, our strong Elemental Mandala class, but working at a level which opens it up to those who want a gentler practice.

The perfect combination of balanced, mindful flow and gentle easeful yin to create a full body and mind reset. A little grounding and pranayama will bring you into the space of yoga, calming your mind, slowing your heart rate and soothing your nervous system. After some gentle stretches, you will move into a flowing sequence of poses - moving with breath to shake off the stress and create a little detoxifying heat in your bodies, focusing on the muscles to build strength, and dynamic stretches for flexibility creating support for your joints and improving your mobility whilst increasing your cardio vascular endurance and bone density. Moving onto the Yin - the perfect complement to the first part of class. You will slow things down, becoming more meditative with longer held floor-based yoga poses. Working on both your muscles and connective tissue you will work to increase your flexibility, whilst also improving the flow of energy in our bodies, our mental wellbeing and joint health. This powerful 60 minute class replaces Yin Yang and Sound when Stef is unable to teach and there is no one availbale to cover the Sound Healing.

Carve out time for yourself with a mood lifting class that will help you decompress, uplift your energy, nourish your body and dissolve the physical, mental and emotional manifestations of stress.  Release tension from the start with a little cleansing breathwork and a little grounding guided meditation. Then move through some slow stretches to warm up your muscles and loosen your joints before you refresh your body and soul with a gentle flow at an easy pace, giving time for lots of guidance and support, exploration of modifications and the time to settle into each posture. Closing the practice with some deeper more expansive stretches designed to create space in your body and improve flexibility helping you to let go of old energy and to feel more centered. This class will still build a little strength and improve flexibility but this nourishing sequence of yoga postures is perfect for those wanting a gentler flow or those who maybe haven't practiced yoga in a while.

A down tempo, well-rounded flow of classic yoga poses linked with the breath but at a slow and steady pace giving time for you to explore each posture and find your alignment. Through a slow mindful flow, you will be encouraged to find a heightened awareness of how your body connects and is alignment with your breath. Poses designed to gently build strength and tone your whole body will be supported by options and modifications to enable you to tailor the class to your own bodies needs Slow does not necessarily mean easy - slow requires a strength and stamina in both mind and body as you discover new depths within and savor every moment of your practice. You’ll finish with some longer satisfying stretches that will target your deep connective tissue, help release tension, and improve flexibility. A class perfect for those wanting to gently challenge their body and mind through a mindful and body conscious practice without feeling depleted and to leave feeling a wonderful sense of calm and peace.

Chair Yoga is a gentle, inclusive practice where all poses are performed seated on, or supported by, a chair. This accessible class is designed to help you find ease where there is stiffness, gently stretch areas that feel tight, and build functional strength to support balance, posture and everyday mobility. Movements are slow, mindful and adaptable, allowing you to work safely and comfortably within your own range. Alongside gentle chair-supported postures, we include simple pranayama (yogic breathing), moments of relaxation and a short meditation to calm the nervous system and support overall wellbeing. Chair Yoga is ideal if prolonged standing feels challenging, getting up and down from the floor isn’t possible, or if you’re looking for a softer, supportive way to enjoy the physical and mental benefits of yoga. No experience is needed — just a willingness to move, breathe and reconnect with your body in a kind and encouraging space.

Transform your mornings with a sacred ritual of positivity, intention and self-care that will set the rhythm for your day ahead. From the sanctuary of your mat, give yourself the gift of your own presence in a moment of serene silence, taking time for a little mindful meditation and breathwork to bring balance and clarity to your mind and body. Gentle stretches will then awaken your body and invite each muscle to unfurl before synchronizing movement with breath for a flow of ground based and standing poses that will energise and strengthen ensuring you move into your day with a foundation of ease and vitality. As we conclude you will be invited to set an intention, planting a seed of positivity that will infuse the rest of your day. After you’ve rolled up your mat, the effects of your morning ritual will ripple throughout your day so you can step forward with a sense of positivity, resilience and grace.