Jessica Olie x Active in Style

If you've been following me on Instagram (hannahfuller21, incase not!) you may have seen my pics from last weekends amazing Active In Style Event. Now read my full review!! ...

Steph and I preparing for our flow....

What they say

If you are anything like us, you have gawked at Jessica's Instagram for a while now. We have been major fans of Jess well before she founded the #letsstartyoga movement. Proving that anyone really can start yoga, we can't think of a better reason to fly her out from Dubai for a Sunday morning event in line with our new Alo Yoga collection launch.

This is Jess' first official London yoga event in a while, so a perfect opportunity for all you yogi, fit babes to meet her as well as connect with other likeminded girls. 

A welcome note on our mats....

What I say

Having finally discovered a love of yoga following my trip to Ocean Soul Retreat in Bali, I was super excited to be attending this event - especially as it was to launch one of new found favorite brands Alo Yoga (which I also discovered on the retreat, where the beautiful Sjana Earp would make us all incredibly jealous when she'd appear in a different Alo combination each day!). 

With a fantastic workout, delicious food and an amazing group of females, needless to say  I was certainly not disappointed with the event ... well, apart from the fact that the Alo Yoga leggings I was after completely sold out on the day!! I can tell this brand is gonna be a hit....

Active In Style and Alo Yoga table

What we did - 10/10

We began the event with an hour long yoga class, with Jessica taking us throw different warm up stretches to prepare our muscles for going into some of her favorite poses. 

Down Dog

What I loved about Jessica’s class was it’s natural flow. Although we did a very thorough warm up, it didn’t feel separate to the rest of class, as it  naturally fell into the rest of the movements we went into.

Head stands

I also loved the more advanced poses that Jess intertwined with relaxation poses, meaning the transition into the more challenging parts of the classes was so smooth and seamless that I found myself easily slipping into new positions I’d never thought myself capable of. Take king pigeon below – a brand new one for me, and one I’m super proud to have managed,  thanks to the help of Jess!

King Pigeon - first time!

Closing the class, Jess sat down and gave us a few brief, but incredibly powerful, comments on her journey to where she is now. Her words were inspiring, particularly for a perfectionist like me, who likes to get everything right first time. What she re-affirmed, however, is that perfection doesn't exist. Particularly in yoga, when experimenting with new poses, all trying to 'perfect' can do is hold you back. You may fall, but you'll get back up, and you'll try again. And again. Until one day, it just clicks. The beauty of yoga is there truly is an endless amount of stretches, poses and positions to advance towards, allowing you to deepen your practice no matter where you are in your journey.

What we ate - 10/10

After our workout, it was time to refuel with a deliciously healthy brunch...

Bircher muesli served with Coyo Coconut yogurt,  Super food Smoothies from one of my absolute FAV's Borrow My Blender (seriously, anyone holding a fitness event needs to get in touch with these guys), Raw Maca and Coconut Bliss Balls from Pollen and Grace, topping it all off with a latte and doughnut by So Matcha. These were the icing on the cake (excuse the pun!) -  even my Matcha Doughnut from London's infamous CrossTown wasn't able to compete with these guys. Pure bliss!

Delicious Muesli

Borrow My Blender Choice of Smoothies

Pollen and Grace

Close up of our Bliss Balls!

So Matcha doughnut and latte - YUM!

Intensity - 6/10

As a yoga class, I hadn't expected the session to be 'intense' and, whilst it naturally didn't get our hearts racing, we were certainly were pushed - in the most natural and beneficial way possible.

What was so great is that Jessica offered different levels for everyone. Her philosophy is not to push your body to extremes, but just to go that little bit further each time, as and when you feel you ready. 

So, whether you wanted to go into a nice back bend or a full on wheel, the option was yours....

Steph in a bridge

Up into Wheel

Amenities - 7/10

The event was held at The Yard in Shoreditch,  the same venue as the recent Sweaty Betty event, however MUCH less crowded!! In fact, rather than having to squeeze and bump my way through people, I arrived to a lovely serene set, complete with yoga mats, candles, flowers, and lots of white space. The perfect way to begin my Sunday! 

Our mats upon arrival

Mid-flow

And although the venue didn't have showers, the toilets were stocked with all the essentials -from dry shampoo, to deodorant, to face wipes - the Active in Style crew thought of it all!

Price - 9/10

At £45 for a ticket, admittedly the event wasn't cheap, but it was SOOO worth it! And with the goody bag value being at £50, plus the FREE yoga mat, you were almost up on money (or at least that's how I like to think of it). However, regardless of the price or  value of the additional goodies, as an experience I will remember for a long, long time, it was 100% worth it.

Greeted with a goody bag on our mats

Full of goodies!!!

Instructor - 10/10

This event could literally not have happened without the amazing, inspiring, genuine and down to earth Jessica Olie - it's no wonder Active in Style flew her in from Dubai especially to be the face of their event.

Having come from an active background - Jessica was a national level swimmer, waking up at 5am to train before school every day - it was after retiring from competitive swimming in her first year of University that Jessica began to crave that additional endorphin rush that regular exercise just wasn't giving her. 

"I guess you could say that yoga came into my life at a time when I needed it the most, it gave me something that physically helped me shape my body but at the same time, shape my mind and my attitude."

And I guess this is why I found Jessica so easy to relate to. Being a bit of a fitness junkie myself, always into the latest high intensity high impact classes, with a busy mind that refuses to accept calm, I too have come to realise that I need something else – something that gives me the strength and relaxation my mind and body have been calling out for over the past few years. 

Partly thanks to events like this by Active in Style, I have to say, through yoga, I'm certainly beginning to find the inner piece I've been longing for. 

So lovely, Jessica hung around to take photos with every one of us

Would I go back?

I only wish I could! Unfortunately Jessica was in London for a short time only, flying back to Dubai a couple of days later, where she teaches regular classes. Great excuse for a trip to Dubai maybe?! 

In the meantime, I was lucky enough to also receive a copy of Jessica's e-book, Let's Start Yoga. With a step by step guide on how to do all my favorite poses (including the splits and headstands, which I have my heart set on mastering!), her book gives you the tools, knowledge and confidence to kickstart your yoga journey in your own time and space. Take a look at her website and the e-book here - be sure to tag me in any of your newly learned poses. 

I look forward to seeing you on your journey......

Thank you to Jess, Active In Style and Alo Yoga for an amazing event, and encouraging me in my yoga journey!