If you are looking for gentle Hatha yoga for beginners in Barnet, you do not need to be flexible, fit or young. You need a class that teaches the basics slowly enough to follow, and a time you can actually keep. A fast gym flow with the lights down is a poor first room.

This guide is about the Gentle Hatha beginners course at Yoga Sadharm Anandana: who it is for, what a 60-minute session includes, and where the weekly classes are held. If you want the teacher’s background rather than the class, read what a Hatha yoga teacher in Barnet teaches. If you want the feeling of walking in for the first time, read what a first class is like.

What gentle Hatha means in this room

Hatha yoga is posture, breath and rest taught as one method, not a race through shapes. “Gentle” here means the pace is set for people who are new or returning. Poses are explained. Alternatives are offered. You are not asked to match the person on the next mat.

Anandana Nadhavajhala teaches this in a Satyananda-informed way. That means a beginners class is not only stretching. A little breathing, awareness and rest belong in the same hour. You leave having learned something you can repeat, not a sequence you will forget on the bus.

Weekly beginners times in Barnet

The standing Gentle Hatha beginners classes are:

• Monday, 5:45pm — St. John’s Church, EN5 1RH
• Wednesday, 6:30pm — St. John’s Church, EN5 1RH
• Saturday, 7:30am — St. Mark’s Church, EN5 5HY

Each session is about 60 minutes. These are the live weekly times. Older course cards can show different days. Use the class timetable before you travel. Private lessons and studio enquiries use 15 Kings Rd, Barnet EN5 4EF. The church classes are the public beginners timetable.

Monday and Wednesday suit people who can come after work. Saturday morning suits people who are finished by the evening. The Saturday class has its own note: Saturday morning yoga in Barnet. Evenings are covered in evening yoga classes in Barnet.

Who this class is for

Gentle Hatha for beginners suits you if you:

• Have never done yoga, or stopped years ago
• Sit at a desk and feel stiff rather than athletic
• Want instruction in plain language
• Live or work in Barnet, Finchley, Whetstone, Totteridge, East Barnet or New Barnet
• Can keep one weekly slot for a few weeks

You do not need your own advanced practice, special clothing or a quiet mind before you arrive. Tell Anandana it is your first class, and mention any injury or advice you have been given. Yoga does not replace a GP, physiotherapist or consultant.

What a 60-minute beginners session includes

Arrive a few minutes early. Wear clothes you can bend and sit in. Ask when you book whether to bring a mat. A typical hour may include:

• Simple joint movements so the body is warm before stronger shapes
• A few standing or floor postures, taught with alternatives
• Breathing you can follow without strain
• A short rest at the end, not an optional extra if time remains

You will not be pushed into headstands, long holds you cannot leave, or a pace set by the fittest person in the room. If a pose does not suit you that day, you skip it or take the easier version. That is the class working, not you failing it.

Gentle Hatha, intermediate, or a single drop-in

Start here if sun salutations, a steady standing pose and a simple forward fold still feel new. When those foundations are familiar and you want more precision, the intermediate yoga session is the next step. Moving up too early usually means copying someone else. There is a separate guide on when a beginner class is no longer enough.

If you cannot commit to the same weekly slot, a drop-in yoga class in Barnet may fit better than a course. Book it. Do not assume you can walk into a church hall unannounced.

Pregnancy, teenagers and children with special needs are not mixed into this adult beginners hour. They have their own courses so the teaching stays appropriate.

A local class you can reach

Students come from across North London because the journey is short enough to repeat. St. John’s and St. Mark’s are in Barnet. Anandana Nadhavajhala has more than 400 hours of yoga training. You can read how she teaches on her North London teacher page, and how the area fits together on the North London yoga classes page.

Frequently asked questions

Is gentle Hatha yoga in Barnet suitable if I have never practised?

Yes. The beginners classes are for people with little or no experience. Tell the teacher it is your first session so the pace can match you.

Which day should I choose?

Monday 5:45pm or Wednesday 6:30pm at St. John’s if evenings work. Saturday 7:30am at St. Mark’s if you prefer the morning. One regular slot is more useful than trying all three.

Do I need to be flexible?

No. Flexibility can change with practice. It is not an entry requirement.

How is this different from intermediate yoga?

Gentle Hatha teaches the foundations. Intermediate assumes you already know common postures and want a fuller 45-minute session. Start with beginners if you are unsure.

How do I book?

Open the Gentle Hatha beginners course, check the timetable, or WhatsApp +44 7405 952772 / contact the studio.

Take the next step

Pick one of the three weekly times and keep it for a few weeks. Book gentle Hatha yoga for beginners in Barnet if a small, steady class is what you have been looking for. The aim is not a perfect pose. It is a practice you can understand and return to.