Many people discover Dru Yoga because they are looking for a gentler way to move, manage stress or reconnect with themselves. What often surprises them is that while Dru Yoga feels distinctly different from many other styles of yoga, it is deeply rooted in one of yoga’s oldest traditions—Hatha Yoga. Dru Yoga isn’t a departure from Hatha Yoga; rather, it is a contemporary expression of it. It honours the ancient teachings while presenting them in a way that is accessible, heart-centred and relevant to modern life.

The Hatha Yoga Foundation

The word Hatha combines Ha (sun) and Tha (moon), representing the balancing of complementary energies within us. While Hatha Yoga is often associated with physical postures, its true purpose extends much further. It seeks to harmonise body, breath, mind and consciousness, creating the conditions for inner stillness and self-realisation.

Like traditional Hatha Yoga, Dru Yoga includes:

• Asana (physical postures)
• Pranayama (breath practices)
• Relaxation
• Meditation
• Ethical living through the yamas and niyamas
• Awareness of prana, our vital life-force energy

These ancient practices remain at the heart of every Dru Yoga class.

More Than Physical Exercise

One of the guiding principles of Dru Yoga is that we are far more than our physical bodies. Every movement is an opportunity to influence not only our muscles and joints, but also our energy, emotions and state of mind. Rather than asking, “How far can I stretch?”, Dru encourages us to ask, “How do I feel?” This shift from performance to awareness reflects one of the central aims of yoga itself.

The Hallmarks of Dru Yoga

While Dru honours the classical Hatha tradition, several characteristics give it its own distinctive identity.

Energy Block Release Sequences

Perhaps the most recognisable feature of Dru Yoga is its Energy Block Release (EBR) sequences. These flowing movements gently mobilise the spine and major joints while releasing accumulated physical tension and encouraging prana to circulate more freely. Many students notice they feel calmer, lighter and more energised after just a few minutes of practice. EBRs beautifully demonstrate the Dru principle that movement can become meditation when practised with awareness.

Soft, Flowing Movement

Dru is often described as yoga “in motion.” Rather than moving abruptly from one posture to another, movements flow with the rhythm of the breath. This creates an effortless quality that is kind to the joints and calming for the nervous system. The emphasis is not on achieving the perfect posture, but on moving with ease, grace and awareness.

Working from the Heart

One of Dru Yoga’s defining qualities is its emphasis on the heart. Participants are encouraged to soften unnecessary effort, cultivate compassion and approach their practice with openness rather than judgement. This isn’t simply a philosophical idea—it influences how we move, breathe, relate to ourselves and interact with others. Practising from the heart allows yoga to become something we live, not simply something we do.

The Five Koshas

Dru Yoga frequently draws upon the yogic model of the five koshas, or layers of human experience. Rather than seeing ourselves as only physical beings, the koshas remind us that health and wellbeing arise from harmony across all aspects of our being:

• Physical body (Annamaya Kosha)
• Energy body (Pranamaya Kosha)
• Mental and emotional body (Manomaya Kosha)
• Wisdom body (Vijnanamaya Kosha)
• Bliss body (Anandamaya Kosha)

Many Dru practices are designed to nourish all five layers simultaneously.

Chakras and Subtle Energy

Dru Yoga also places particular emphasis on the chakra system and the flow of subtle energy through the nadis. Rather than treating these as abstract concepts, Dru teachers often use movement, visualisation, breath and focused awareness to help students experience greater balance, vitality and emotional resilience.

Positive Thought Creates Positive Energy

One of the distinctive teachings within Dru Yoga is the understanding that our thoughts influence our energy. Positive affirmations, visualisation and intention are often woven naturally into practice—not as wishful thinking, but as practical tools for directing awareness and supporting positive change. This reflects the yogic understanding that where attention goes, energy follows.

Modern Science

While grounded in ancient yogic philosophy, Dru Yoga also embraces contemporary research into anatomy, fascia, neuroscience, breath science and stress physiology. This integration allows classes to be both spiritually authentic and evidence-informed.

Similarities Between Hatha Yoga and Dru Yoga

Both traditions:

• View yoga as a pathway to greater self-awareness.
• Integrate posture, breath, relaxation and meditation.
• Work with prana as the foundation of health and vitality.
• Encourage ethical living through the yamas and niyamas.
• Recognise yoga as a holistic practice affecting body, mind and spirit.
• Honour stillness as an essential part of practice.

What Makes Dru Yoga Distinctive

Dru Yoga particularly emphasises:

• Flowing Energy Block Release sequences.
• Graceful, effortless movement.
• Movements starting as the base of the spine and from the heart.
• Working consciously with the chakras and the five koshas.
• Positive intention and directed awareness.
• Accessibility for every body and every stage of life

Yoga as a Way of Living

At its heart, Dru Yoga reminds us that yoga is far more than stretching or exercise. It is a practice of cultivating awareness, conserving energy and responding to life with greater calm, compassion and equanimity. Every movement becomes an opportunity to choose ease over effort, connection over separation and presence over distraction. That is perhaps the greatest gift of Dru Yoga. While its roots lie firmly in the ancient Hatha Yoga tradition, its branches continue to grow in ways that help people meet the challenges of modern life with steadiness, resilience and an open heart.

Want to experience the Dru difference? Come along to my new Monday 9.30am class commencing 6 July. If you are new participant to my classes your first class is FREE, please still register and book here.

Want to learn more about Dru Yoga? Visit there website here and the Dru Studio here to search FREE videos.

---

I’ve spent this long weekend diving into some online professional development, reflecting on why I’m so passionate about learning and sharing the practice of yoga. I admit, I sometimes get a bit frustrated when class numbers rise and fall, but I know in my heart it’s never been about the money. This is simply my reflection on where I’m at, and a little introduction for anyone who’s just getting to know me.

Yoga has been my anchor through life’s storms, and sharing it with others is one of my greatest joys. I didn’t start yoga for fitness or flexibility—I came to it from a place of deep need. After losing my father to suicide, stepping into the whirlwind of new parenthood, and navigating a manipulative divorce, I was searching for self-care and a way to calm my nervous system. A diagnosis of Coeliac disease also reminded me how closely the mind and gut are connected. Yoga became less about toned abs and more about finding strength, balance, and spaciousness in the mind.

When I first unrolled my mat, I never imagined I’d become a Yoga teacher. I was uncoordinated, uninterested in sport, and had terrible memories of high school physical education. If only yoga had been on the curriculum! My journey into teaching Dru Yoga began simply as a path of personal growth, but I soon discovered how powerfully these practices could transform lives. With my background in community services and mental health, I saw that yoga could reach people who might never step into a typical class.

Eight years later, my teaching journey has been full of evolution, challenges, and joy. I’ve taught in community centres, pivoted to Zoom during the pandemic, and finally found a home at The Yoga Collab studio. I’ve shared classes through the Women’s Health Centre and the Cancer Council of WA, always with the hope of helping others find calm, resilience, and connection.

Running my small yoga business isn’t about making a fortune—the income mostly covers venue hire, insurance, and ongoing training. What keeps me motivated is witnessing the quiet transformations in students: the softening of tension, the deepening of breath, the gentle return to balance. That’s the real reward.

Even when classes are small, I remind myself that every person who steps onto the mat can carry these ripples of peace into the world. In times that often feel divided and chaotic, these practices offer a sanctuary of compassion and grounding.

If you know someone who might benefit from Dru Yoga, I’d love for you to share this journey with them. Together we can create a community that supports and uplifts—one gentle practice at a time.

I realised that what draws me so deeply to Dru Yoga is its connection with nature. In my classes, I often invite students to pause—arms lifted, palms open to the sun—reaching towards the boundless sky, connecting with something greater than ourselves: with nature, with the divine. I’m not religious, nor do I believe in supernatural beings, yet with age I’ve discovered a sense of spirituality—perhaps best described as a spirituality without spirits.

Spiritual Naturalism is a worldview that combines a commitment to science and naturalism with a sense of wonder, awe, and reverence for the natural world. It finds deep meaning and “spiritual” experience within the physical universe, rejecting supernatural entities in favor of appreciating the interconnectedness and beauty of nature itself. It focuses on human emotions like gratitude, joy, and awe in response to the cosmos, rather than supernatural forces. It treats nature as a sacred whole, finding wisdom in the natural world and focusing on compassion, reducing suffering, and fostering connection with the environment.

One of my favourite books is “Phosphorescence: On Awe, Wonder and Things That Sustain You When The World Goes Dark.” by Julia Baird. Note to self, this might be a good time to revisit this book! There is a quote in the book from Rachel Carson that says;

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”

The divine is right here on Earth, the universe, the earth, nature are the divine. Perhaps the first step towards saving the environment is simply loving the earth and enjoying nature in all its beauty and splendour.

Nature embodies the sacred in its most tangible form, offering a profound sense of the divine without requiring belief in the supernatural. From a spiritual naturalist perspective, the divine is not something distant or otherworldly, but present in every leaf, river, and gust of wind. When we step into the bush, walk along the coast, or sit under a gum tree, we encounter a living tapestry of interconnected life that evokes awe and reverence.

The divine quality of nature arises from its beauty, complexity, and ceaseless creativity. Ecosystems form intricate patterns where every plant, insect, and bird plays a role in sustaining life. Observing these relationships reminds us that we, too, are part of this vast network, not separate from it. In moments of mindful attention—feeling the sun’s warmth, hearing magpies call, or smelling rain on dry earth—we can experience a quiet transcendence.

Spiritual naturalism teaches that meaning and wonder emerge from direct engagement with the natural world. The cycles of birth, growth, decay, and renewal mirror our own journeys, offering lessons in humility and acceptance. Nature’s divinity lies in its ability to awaken gratitude, stillness, and a sense of belonging, guiding us to live more harmoniously with the Earth and each other.

Dru Yoga offers a gentle, flowing practice that harmonises body, mind, and spirit, making it a powerful way to deepen our connection with nature. Its sequences often mirror natural rhythms—like waves, trees, and the rising sun—inviting practitioners to embody the elements around them. Practising Dru Yoga outdoors, whether on the grass, a sandy beach or a forest clearing, enhances this experience, as the breath synchronises with the breeze and the senses open to birdsong and earthy scents. By cultivating inner stillness and mindful movement, Dru Yoga allows us to feel part of the living landscape, fostering a sense of unity with the natural world and an appreciation for the quiet divinity present in every moment.

Interested to experience the Dru difference? Come along and try a yoga and meditation class. Want a deeper dive into nature? Register your interest for the 2027 nature-based yoga and meditation retreat.