Are you a yogi diagnosed as hypermobile? Do you suspect that you may be hypermobile? Have you suffered dislocations, repeated injuries or unexplained pain? Are you a yoga teacher interested in knowing how to work with hypermobile students more effectively? This workshop is an exploration of the neglected area of yoga and hypermobility. Hypermobile people are generally over-represented in the yoga world, yet they can often go unrecognised and receive little guidance about how to practise in ways that are beneficial to a hypermobile body and nervous system. Many of those who teach hypermobile people are equally in the dark.

This workshop will be looking at what hypermobility is and how it can affect much more than just our joints. There will be a little yoga practice, plenty of time for sharing experiences and pooling ideas, some facts, a few broad principles, and lots of enquiry into particular adaptations we might make to enable individuals in the room to access postures in a more stable and functional way to feel safer, more grounded and more present in practice.

Who is the workshop for?
Yoga practitioners who are, or think they may be, hypermobile and hypermobile/non-hypermobile yoga teachers. Hypermobile people who are also neurodivergent are welcome to this workshop.

Jess and hypermobility
I have been practising yoga in a hypermobile body since 1981 (I have Ehlers Danlos Hypermobility Type) and teaching hypermobile people since around 2003. I am neither a medical professional nor an expert on hypermobility; I teach out of my own practical experience of making yoga friendly, accessible and beneficial to hypermobile people ranging from elite professional dancers to those who are very incapacitated by Hypermobility Syndrome. I work with the whole person rather than just the body, and approach HMS as a multi-systemic phenomenon.

Writing on hypermobility
You can find Jess’s writing on teaching yoga to people with hypermobility and on yin yoga and hypermobility.  

What people say about the Hypermobility on the Mat workshop:
“Jess’s teaching on hypermobility is eye-opening, fascinating. I recommend it very highly for anyone who is hypermobile, suspects they might be, or who teaches labelled or unlabelled hypermobile students.” – Sally Lander (yoga teacher)

“I can’t recommend this workshop enough. It’s fantastic!” – Paul Thomson (yoga teacher)

“An excellent workshop. Jess is clearly very knowledgeable in this area. I really gained a lot and have already put some of the teachings in practice – my students are very grateful!.” – Nicola Harpin (yoga teacher)