45-60 MINUTE PRACTICES
45-60 MINUTE PRACTICES
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Our core begins in our feet: A practice exploring the idea of ‘whole body core’ using our feet as a gateway to explore integrated movement dynamics. We look at how our belly can stay soft and responsive in its strength, with a particular focus on a facial organ called the mesentery: a key part of our gut brain that gives a sense of how we feel about what we are digesting (food, information, experience etc). Waking up our feet really does change everything about the way we move. Enjoy!
Front & Back body integration for inversions: In this practice we explore the integration of the front and the back body from the perspective of two pairs of bones. The sternum and xyphoid at the front, and the sacrum and tail bone at the back. We explore the tail bone/xyphoid rhythm, and how attuning to their relationship we can find a sense of spacious support, which we then explore through inversions (dolphin/forearm balance). There aren’t that many inversions in the practice, but this enquiry really supports finding balance in inversions which you can take into your own explorations.
Soft Power: A practice exploring the gentle undulation of the central spine as a barometer through which we can measure accessing our power and strength whilst maintaining spaciousness at the centre. A flow that begins slowly with a long supported bridge and builds into a strong flow with options for balancing (on one foot/in an arm balances) and attuning to the ongoing fluid movement at the centre to support us in our understanding of stillness.
Hip Flow: A practice exploring the relationship between the pelvis and thigh bones, how they can move in a differentiated way, and also as more of a unit, all woven into a flow that builds from the ground into a powerful sequence including standing balances and an arm balance if you wanna.
Vibrational Tune Up: A practice attuning to the foundational movement pattern that lies underneath all others - vibration. Through a series of practices we find our way into sensing into vibrational resonance within our bodies, with a particular focus on waking up sensitivity through our skin. Starts slow and moves into a flow sequence that builds a bit of heat and then comes back down to the ground for some yummy floor work before resting.
Space to Breathe: Exploring the world of our ribs, and how attuning to this beautiful architecture can support our understanding of rythms: both beneath the surface (lungs, heart, diaphragms) and beyond in the world around us. Starts slow finding somatic ways into knowing our ribs and builds into a strong flow weaving twists, backbends, balances before closing with a supported bridge.
Sense into fullness: A short movement practice to attune to the sensation of fullness through a variety of pathways: Breath, movement, awareness. Moves around the mat playing with texture of movement, the substance of space, and an all rounder flow with a fun little rolling bridge type situation towards the end.
Moving from the Middle: This practice explores the navel radiation movement pattern that provides support for our limbs to connect through our centre as we move. Move through a balance focused class as we explore different ways of moving from the middle, differentiating and then integrating our six limbs to our core.
Integrating through the centre: Short and sweet movement exploration focusing on the skull and pelvis and how they meet through the axis. We start with a short somatic meditation finding our sense of centre and then play with a challenging balancing flow, with options for hand balancing and a lovely rest at the end.
Skin Intelligence: A practice exploring the intelligence of our outermost boundary, our skin. The resilient and sensitive fabric that provides containment for our form and is in direct relationship sensing the world around us. Move with a sense of continuity and flow, and explore what it’s like to initiate movement from the outermost, and how this reflects and relates to the innermost.
Grounded & Strong: This practice is slow, grounding, strong and quiet. With minimal instruction, we move through a balanced sequence with slightly longer holds to cultivate steadiness, slow down, find our strength and gather ourselves energetically. There are options to take inversions throughout which you can modify as you please, and key philosophical concepts are explored in a felt-sense way. You might want two blocks to hand.
Human Sponge: This practice explores the fluid, internal movement patterns that precede movement of our body through space. We focus on the pattern of sponging; the movement of fluid through cell membranes. We begin slowly with floor work and movement gradually emerges into a dynamic sequence weaving in twists, leg work, hops and opportunities for handstands to get our circulation moving.
Modes of Perception: This practice plays with a few different techniques to enliven awareness of what is always already there anyway. We play with sound, breath, and awareness, imposing patterns (practices/techniques) to see what might be revealed when we create contexts that welcome a naturally arising, body wide presence. This practice offers a few different ways in, and each practice can also be used on its own as a micro practice when you have less time.
Power & Grace: A strong and subtle practice exploring backbends in a variety of contexts and cultivating power to move with strength and grace. Begins on the ground with micro movements and opens into a flowing sequence exploring the relationship between the axial and appendicular skeleton in motion. Strong, steady and playful with a variety of options for arm balances and inversions along the way if fancy.
Quiet, Steady, Strong: This practice weaves strong and steady movement into a slow flow that offers quiet time and space with less of me talking. Though there are lots of options for balancing (arm balances, standing balances, inversions) we cultivate an anchored groundedness and close with a meditation.
Sneak into Backbends: This practice explores spinal extension in a variety of contexts. On the ground, standing, and balancing. We use the practice to bring our awareness into the back of the brain, and inquire into how that affects how movement emerges. Builds into a stronger flow, with less demonstrating and more verbal cues. Options for inversion play and/or forward folding depending on todays needs.
Spacious & Connected: A steady and calming practice inspired by my dear teacher Jean Hall. A sequence that invites a sense of returning to centre as we move slowly and steadily from the ground into some standing work with a focus on spaciousness in the hips. Builds into a strong flow of side planks, prone backbends, balancing postures and twists.
Moved from Within: The potential for movement arises in response to containment. As we push up into boundary, tone builds in our body. This inner motion precedes outer movement. In this practice we explore what it feels like to be moved from within, venturing into a varied asana practice that flows from the ground into lunges, half moon, tree variations, and offers the opportunity for inversions if you like. Closes with a deep rest and chanting.
Embodied Voice: A variety of movement explorations to support free expression of our voice. A great practice to ground and settle agitated energy, and often helpful in processing stagnation/frustration. We move and sound and then rest into quiet, before closing with some chanting together.
Slowly open into movement: This practice starts with a grounding awareness practice and stillness, slowly opens into micro movements and then sneaks into a flow that will get you warm, strengthen your legs, and challenge your balance, with a yummy dose of backbends, twists and stretchy lunges in between.
Rest & Digest: A practice gently supporting digestion. We move in a way that supports down regulation of the nervous system and brings about gentle movement to the gut tube. Could be helpful in the digestion of food, experience, emotions… we move and flow slowly, rest in our breath, and have a little meditation to close.
Restorative somatic flow: A restorative practice that includes gentle somatic movement explorations and meditative awareness practice. 45 minutes of floor based slow flow starting with supported childs pose before moving into a variety of movements through the whole body and closing with rest for as long as you like. Props: You will need a bolster or firm pillow, ideally two blocks and a blanket or two.
Upper Body - Activate and Release: An hour dedicated to activating, releasing and re-sensitising through our hands, wrists, arms and shoulders. A nourishing practice that offers the fascia of the upper body a variety of movement flavours - tractioning, loading, playing with weight bearing and springiness and will get your heart rate up in moments to refresh and invigorate. Finishes with a delicious half plough exploration to find space through the upper back and side body.
Strong & Springy: A varied, whole body movement practice with a focus on cultivating springy strength. We start with a brief breath awareness practice, tune up through the hands and wrists and then get to a strong flow that incorporates side plank variations, twisted arm balances, hand stand hops and other movement patterns that will get your heart rate up, challenge your balance and build strength. We close with plough variations, bridge, and seated forward folds. A good one for when you need to move in a steady yet dynamic way.
While baby naps: A well rounded post natal practice that starts to bring in some gentle strength work in a variety of contexts to cultivate steadiness from the inside out. Moves through a whole body feel good flow with a lovely rest at the end to nourish and restore. Enjoy mama.
Twisty Spiral Flow: A fun and creative spirally flow that works with twists in a playful way. Woven into the spiral flow we explore backbends and find spacious strength through the side body in preparation for half moon and side plank variations. Specific breath awareness explorations to find fluidity internally that translates into smooth movement articulation. Closes with a relaxation that you are invited to stay in as long as you like.
Attune to Inner Rythms: This practice invites a tuning into the multiplicity of inner rhythms that oscillate and bubble beneath the surface. We work with movement and stillness with a particular focus on opening strength and steadiness through the feet in balancing postures. Find a sense of containment and space through the ribs in a variety of contexts and explore crow pose, half moon, side bends and forward folds, with seated hip releases to settle into stillness before we rest and chant. Less instructions and more quiet time here. Enjoy!
Core Explore: A movement practice exploring the feeling of whole body core, the integration of our limbs to our centre and the movement principle of navel radiation. Starts with a brief seated breath awareness practice and moves into a flowing and playful sequence to find strength, buoyancy, coherence and integration through the whole body.
Continuity Flow: Continuing to explore the continuity between our feet and our core as we re-animate our peripheral intelligence. We explore how when the periphery is wakeful and participating, the ‘core’ at the centre doesn’t have to overwork. We play with different movement qualities and balance. Waking up our feet changes everything about the way we move. Enjoy exploring how!