Postures to Prayers: Exploring Yoga, Movement & Emotion

Come to understand emotion as energy that we can both know and shift using our physical body, to create greater connection to self and wellbeing

The ways in which we “embody” emotions literally shapes our bodies and movement patterns, affecting our energies and experiences in life. As the ancient yogis taught, and modern science continues to confirm, our body is a physical reflection of our mind, and if we change our mind, we can change our body. When we change our body, we have an opportunity to change our mind.

This series of three workshops explores how moving, breathing and creating an intention, whilst focusing attention on specific areas of the body can shift our emotions to a state of better balance. Through simple, accessible but powerful alignment-based asana, somatic movement, myofascial release, guided breathwork, prop placement, mindfulness techniques, and meditation we will deepen our understanding and ultimately our connection with the miraculous temple that holds the self.

The structure for these three workshops was originally inspired by the Anatomy Trains Structural Integration (ATSI) bodywork series I offer, and are built around three areas: lower body, upper body and spine. As such, time will be given to the exploration of the world of fascia, the web that holds us together and tells our story. Anatomy Trains myofascial meridians can help us understand common postural habits, symptoms of misuse, and how our “issues” are carried in our tissues and become postural patterns over time. From a yogic perspective, prana, the life-force energy, is imbedded in the fascia, so working with the fascial wrapping puts us into deeper relationship with prana. There also exists a fascinating overlap between the myofascial meridians and the acupressure meridians, opening doors to further explorations of interconnectedness.

Feet, Legs & Pelvis

2023 Dates TBA

The first workshop will focus on balancing and exploring the feet, legs, hips and pelvis, to build your arches, open your feet, strengthen your legs and rebalance the pelvis, helping you to ground the stimulation of everyday life and find personal strength and support from your root system. Having a strong and open foundation can help you transform frenetic energy and feelings of overwhelm and fear into nourishment. The increasing sources of stimulation in our daily lives can also make us feel empty, lacking and forever wanting more. Working with the physical structures and practices that support our foundations can help us find the re-source of power within and a lasting experience of our truly abundant nature.

Arms, Ribs & Shoulders

Jun 19, 2022

The second workshop explores the structures of ribcage and shoulders/arms and how they balance over the pelvis, inevitably asking us to look at our belly and our breath. As a physical container for our heart, lungs, our gut, diaphragm and the adrenal glands, this is a rich ground to delve into. We can explore how we tend to respond to stress or grips of worry, how we self-regulate, and how we physically hold on to patterns rooted in grief, sadness and heartbreak. By freeing up the breath, improving circulation in the areas of the upper chest, opening the pathways of your arms and bringing awareness to the tissues around our belly, lungs and heart, we can find improved vitality, feelings of wholeness, devotion and tenderness.

Head, Neck & Spine

July 17, 2022

The third and final workshop looks at the spine, neck and head – the physiological and energetic centers that bridge the connection between the body and the mind. In this practice, we will look at the Central Nervous System and its effects on the endocrine system, and how we can literally rewire our brain with movement, mindfulness and meditation. Tensions held in the neck and jaw are often a residue of “mind-pain” and mental overload on day-to-day basis. Releasing tensions in these areas can have a profound effect of calm on the entire mind-body complex and give sense of clarity and wholeness.

Each workshop can be booked separately. We invite you to attend all workshops to experience them as an evolutionary practice for wellbeing.

Open to all with previous yoga experience

Location

Exeter Yoga Workshop
King St Business Centre, 7-9 King St, Exeter, EX1 1BQ