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MONTH 1
Innate Knowing: A practice exploring the sensation of innate knowing. What does it mean to connect with a visceral intelligence that is simple and profound? How can attuning to this felt knowing invite contexts for presence and connection? A practice that begins slowly and plays with harnessing energy and then getting out of the way as we explore clarity of direction and freedom through movement. Builds into a strong flow and closes with supported backbends. Props: 1 block / rolled up towel
Clearing flow and stillness: A practice to find clarity and stillness. We begin slowly, shake things out, and then work into a powerful flow cultivating strength and steadiness in the legs to find a sense of clarity in our connection to ground and cultivate apana vayu (the energetic downward flow). Closes with a long rest and one of my favourite mantras.
Gentle shake up & release: A short and gentle practice to shake things up and shift stuck energy. Helpful for moving things through, processing, and releasing pent up stagnation or agitation, so that you can soften and release. Shake it out and rest in pockets of stillness for an energetic refresh in a short amount of time.
Mini power flow: A 15 minute movement snack that gets going straight away building into a mini power flow with opportunities to balance, shake things up, ground with standing postures and build strength through your legs, and if you like, opportunities to practice handstand. Find a sense of strength at your centre, and to drop into a continuous flow.
Om mani padme hum: This beautiful buddhist chant is said to cultivate compassion. It references the jewel (mani) that sits in the lotus (padme) which some say is referring to the soul sitting in the body. The lotus famously grows through mud before it can flower, and so this idea that as we grow through there mud may we slowly recognise the spark of divinity that we hold within our body - and in recognising that in ourselves, we are much more able to recognise it within each other, at which point compassion naturally arises.
Om mani padme hum: This beautiful buddhist chant is said to cultivate compassion. It references the jewel (mani) that sits in the lotus (padme) which some say is referring to the soul sitting in the body. The lotus famously grows through mud before it can flower, and so this idea that as we grow through there mud may we slowly recognise the spark of divinity that we hold within our body - and in recognising that in ourselves, we are much more able to recognise it within each other, at which point compassion naturally arises.
Hare Om Namah Shivaya: This beautiful chant is for Shiva, amongst other things calling to shiva we call to the aspect of ourselves that knows how to remove our own ignorance (the misunderstanding that we are somehow separate from the whole of existence itself). Melody: I learned it from Lina & Joaquim here in Portugal but not sure on authorship.
Cultivate Compassion: A practice focusing on finding diagonals and fine tuning our contralateral movement, in order to support a return to a sense of centre. We start slowly finding diagonals in a variety of movement contexts and then move towards backbends across diagonals, with balancing postures and side body openers to find a sense space and length dotted throughout. We close with a mantra for compassion.
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.
Body of Water: A slow exploration of the fluid body and the internal patterns of motion that precede our movement through space; cellular breathing, sponging and pulsation. Explore how attuning to this micro flow of motion beneath the surface initiates fluid, strong and soft movement of our whole body. We work with a focus on side seams, outer legs, spirality and figures of eight and close with a lovely rest.
Follow your Gut - Backbend Flow: A practice attuning to our gut intelligence and bringing awareness to the soft support along the front of the spine. We move from the ground into a strong flow working with backbends in a variety of contexts, whilst finding a sweet sense of support, containment and freedom. A good one when you could do with a reminder to follow your gut and trust your instinct.
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.
Heart Attunement: A practice supporting attuning and connecting to the rhythms of presence through embodiment of the lungs and heart. Starts with a supine backbend over blocks which slowly mobilises and frees up space in the arms and upper back before unfolding into a strong practice playing with balance and arm- over -head backbends. Closes with a long rest and one of my favourite poems. This class closes while you are in savasana so you can stay as long as you like. Props: Two Blocks
