When we get stuck in our head: What happens when the centre of our awareness is located in our head? A comparative study of descriptions on what happens when we over identify with our ‘head intelligence’, looking at the Sutras on the Heart of Recognition by Ksemaraja, written about 1000 years ago, and Philip Shepherd’s book, Radical Wholeness, written in 2017. The translation I refer to for Ksemaraja’s book is the Recognition Sutras by Chris Wallis.
Innermost & Outermost: A creative flow moving around the mat, exploring the relationship between the outermost layer of our body and the innermost workings of our nervous system. The skin and nervous system arise from the same source within the embryo. Feel into that relationship in this practice as you start with supported supine postures, challenge your balance, find your strength and power, and close with supported backbends and a yummy long rest. Props: A strap/tie and a block or rolled up towel.
Clarity & Direction: A balanced and fluid flow exploring clarity & direction as we move, in particular though the lower limbs. Starts with a floor based sequence to create space in our legs and moves into a continuous fluid practice with options to make practice stronger if you like, and play with side plank variations and balances as we find clarity, strength and reach through our legs.
Strong & Playful: A challenging class that plays with weight shift, balance, handstands and momentum. A variety of movement textures with asymmetrical movement woven through out to challenge our proprioception and forge new pathways. Options to play with press handstand variations (that are also easy to ignore and skip if that’s not fun for you). Less talking & instruction and more of a guided creative movement flow. Enjoy!
Sweaty Mood Booster: This practice is designed to get you feeling strong, get your circulation going, your heart beating, and invigorate and boost your mood with the magic of dynamic motion. For days when you need to shake things up and get a little sweaty and out of breath! Dynamic strength work, handstand hops, some stretchy goodness and rest interwoven for a feel good booster in a short amount of time. Take what you need, leave what you don’t, and have fun.
Flow & Restore: Start slowly, enjoy rolling movements on the ground, sneak into a little flow and settle into some restorative postures to close. A go to fave when I need to move, rest and replenish in equal measure. Props: 2 Blankets and a bolster or two sleeping pillows/ large cushion.
Creative Rib Flow: A practice focused on freeing up space and exploring the relationship between the ribs and spine. Through some dynamic movements, some very specific movements and some free flow, we open to a spacious spine-rib relationship. Play with a creative sequence including progressive ways into camel pose, leg strengtheners, crow pose play and a subtle but powerful floor based movement segment before we rest and chant.
Winter Solstice - a personal retreat for your nervous system: A 2 hour deep reset for your nervous system. This is a solstice practice but you can use it any time of year when you need support in slowing down and receiving the nourishment of stillness. We use a wide variety of practices to ease into stillness, beginning with sound, a little bit of movement to shake things up in order to settle into a floor based somatic flow focused on finding space around the ribs and spine, and finally dropping into longer held restorative postures, a mini sound bath and chanting to close. Treat Yourself! Props: Bolster or two pillows, yoga block if you have, 3 blankets, chair or wall.
Fill your cup: A meditation to truly replenish and receive. Bathe in source itself and allow all of the normally outpouring energy turn in and fill your cup to the brim. Close by purposefully bridging the awareness you have cultivated in your practice into your day. Includes a short chat on meditation at the end. My go to meditation for rest and nourishment.
Suspended Spine: Some of the questions we explore in this practice as we move through a varied, playful flow: What keeps my spine suspended and full of life? What early patterns of movement support freedom in back bending as an adult? How does the pattern of condensing and expanding manifest as our capacity to turn in and gather energy in order to find clarity in outward action? What are the role of our feet in extending our spine? Options to play with varied paces of motion, inversions and backbend variations with a long rest and some sound to finish.
When you’re not sure if you need to move or chill: A stretchy relaxing flow that starts with a floor sequence and sneaks you into some standing movement to invigorate and get the blood moving before settling into a brief meditation at the end to anchor into the dynamic and alive nature of stillness.
Front body support in backbends: How does the front of our body support spinal extension? Explore the relationship between the spine and the soft central axis of the gut tube, and the fascinating role that the hyoid bone plays in cultivating a subtle but powerful support from the front of the body during extension. Also explore how lungs and heart are moved and move you as you practice, starting slowly and unfolding into a fluid sequence of various scenarios for active extension, revolved half moon, and options for forearm balance variations.
Front body support in backbends: How does the front of our body support spinal extension? Explore the relationship between the spine and the soft central axis of the gut tube, and the fascinating role that the hyoid bone plays in cultivating a subtle but powerful support from the front of the body during extension. Also explore how lungs and heart are moved and move you as you practice, starting slowly and unfolding into a fluid sequence of various scenarios for active extension, revolved half moon, and options for forearm balance variations.
Short, sweet, mellow flow: Practice 25 minutes of self nurturance in this mainly floor based flow with a focus on hip and side body release, spinal twist explorations, and a little meditation at the end.
Lung Exploration: A mellow practice to find and move from our lungs. Starts with some sound and breath work and continues into a yummy flow finding the support of these billowy structures in backbends. Opportunities to play with forearm balance variations (or not!) and an invitation to go off piste and continue into your own explorations and self practice near the end should you want to.
Lung Exploration: A mellow practice to find and move from our lungs. Starts with some sound and breath work and continues into a yummy flow finding the support of these billowy structures in backbends. Opportunities to play with forearm balance variations (or not!) and an invitation to go off piste and continue into your own explorations and self practice near the end should you want to.
Time to rest: Rest into the medicine of stillness as we move through postures that support relaxation into quiet, and gently revitalise from the inside out. We will work with awareness cultivation as a way to navigate the sometimes challenging mental aspect of stillness practices. We will use two blankets, a bolster (or a couple of pillows) and a chair.
