Dec
21
10:00 AM10:00
Yoga Workshop, Meditation

Compassionate Yoga Winter Workshop

This workshop offers a chance to take a break and give yourself some time to be at this auspicious time of year. Winter offers us an opportunity to rest and reflect, to sow seeds of intention for the coming year as the days get longer and, ultimately, warmer.

Compassionate Yoga is all about listening to your needs and working with skill and harmony. Finding the best use of our practises in the moment to develop and nurture. Whether that is to work strongly and physically or restfully and restoratively; and anywhere in between.

We will be exploring Pranayama - conscious awareness and strengthening of breath; Asana - physical movements and poses linked to breath; and meditation - a space to explore the more subtle aspects of life. There will be space and time to journal anything that arises in the session, reflecting on the year past and future endeavours.

No prior experience of yoga is required, this session is open to beginners and experienced yogis alike.

What to bring:

Some comfortable clothes which enable free movement
A notebook or journal, pen

(optionally)
Any yoga equipment, mats/blankets/meditation cushions etc. you would like to use. The Tree Room is well stocked so this is completely optional.

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Jul
10
to Jul 17

Establishing Your Home Practise

The intention of this workshop is to enable students to feel confident in committing to a home practise.

The session will be at my home studio, the size will be 3-5

-What are the elements of a good yoga practise?
-What does my yoga practise mean to me?
-How to practise when life gets busy
-Aspects of self-care
-Suggested pracitse plan options

Expected workshop time will be 2 1/2hours, £20

I haven't fully settled on a date yet, possibilities are:

Wednesday 10th July 18:30-21:00
Friday 12th July 18:30 - 21:00
Sunday 14th July 10:00-12:30
Wednesday 17th July 18:30-21:00

If you would like to attend comment below with your preference below or send me a message at jonathan@risingspiralyoga.com.

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Tea Meditation at Jacqueline's Tea Room
Sep
22
10:00 AM10:00
Meditation

Tea Meditation at Jacqueline's Tea Room

For this session we will be gently observing our senses and experiences with our humble cuppa.  With the full Jacqueline's experience; from the anticipation of the egg timer telling us the perfect time to pour; the sound of the cup filling, the tinkle of crockery; the sights and smells of the tea itself.  And that's before we even have a taste!

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Yoga in Support of Trauma
Jul
29
1:00 PM13:00
Yoga Workshop

Yoga in Support of Trauma

The intention of this workshop is to offer an experience of how yoga can support the process of healing trauma. Yoga offers us ways to work with presence and we will discover how to manage and support distressing bodily and psychological sensations. In this workshop we will focus on steady, grounding breath flowing movement through the body.  Easing stiffness and chronic tension; to  remember again the joyfulness of ease through the body. 

Trauma, especially in cases of PTSD, can cause dysfunction in the perception of time, which is why I believe personally developing and returning to a safe sense of presence can be transformative in supporting and healing trauma in concert with other therapies.

Every person experiences trauma at some time in their lives. I would like to emphasise it is not necessary to ‘grade’ or compare your experience with trauma, if you feel this workshop might be helpful, you are welcome.

I also welcome friends, family and partners who are supporting someone through healing trauma. It is so easy and necessary at times, when supporting someone, to put their needs first. The effects of a loved one’s or friend’s experience with trauma can also be deeply challenging for those who support them.

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Yoga in Support of Anxiety
Jul
22
1:00 PM13:00
Yoga Workshop

Yoga in Support of Anxiety

Yoga in Support of Anxiety (2 hours, £16) 

This workshop is offered for anyone who experiences any level of difficulty with anxiety. Yoga and meditation are both tremendous resources to draw on when experiencing the challenging and powerful sensations that might be experienced at times of high anxiety and stress. We will be working with grounding poses to assist in establishing a safe harbour for the mind. Learning techniques for managing intense sensations and moving of awareness to experience other sensations in and outside of the body. We will also, inherently be working building trust between body and mind, healing the body-mind relationship; where the body and mind become allies each supporting the role of the other. This workshop is a perfect compliment to any other treatment and requires no prior experience with yoga or meditation.

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Yoga in Support of Chronic Illness
Jul
21
2:00 PM14:00

Yoga in Support of Chronic Illness

(2 hours, £16)

 

In this session we will be supporting mind and body with the intention of focusing on aspects of chronic illness.  While many people might imagine a yoga practise to be especially athletic, this is not the full picture.  I am passionate in sharing a message of yoga for every-body.  Sometimes constraints and limitations present an opportunity to work closely and sensitively with what is really important.  Truly the only requirement for a yoga practise is curiosity.

We will be taking gentle movements linking body and breath, listening to where there is support and where there may be strain.  Listening when there needs to be rest and embracing rest deeply and consciously.   With compassionate awareness holding what is true right now with acceptance, forgiveness and trust.

This session is open to anyone experiencing chronic illness directly and also indirectly though supporting loved ones and friends.  In short if you feel this would be of benefit then you are most welcome.

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Free Mindfulness Meditation at the Victoria Inn
Nov
14
6:30 PM18:30

Free Mindfulness Meditation at the Victoria Inn

This is an opportunity to try mindfulness meditation as a complete beginner or to have a different experience with an established practise.  We will be meeting at the Victoria Inn, Colchester to experience in a mindfulness social setting paying attention to the sensations of taste (and many more besides) with your favourite beverage.  We will be paying attention to sensations in the body, the sights and sounds of the environment, the flavour sensations and other experiences of what we choose to drink. 

We will meet at 6.30 in the main bar, and while no purchase is necessary, this will be an opportunity to acquire a drink for the meditation.  We will then proceed to the function room where we will practise mindful awareness for approximately thirty minutes.

What better way to enter the festive season than with a relaxed mindful awareness?

NB. Spaces are limited so, while this is a free event, please book your place here

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May
21
10:00 AM10:00
Yoga Workshop

Two Hour Yoga Workshop

  • Eldred Avenue Colchester, England, CO2 9AS United Kingdom (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

This is an opportunity to take time exploring yoga in a relaxed small group setting.  Just as with my Open Class it is open to complete beginners and experienced yogis alike.  We will spend two hours warming up, practising asana and concluding by slowly settling into a period of restful, alert stillness.  Students are encouraged to listen, respect and follow their own needs.  And in this manner, this is a way to learn how to support oneself uniting body and mind in a two-way flow of respect and trust.

Spaces at this venue are limited, please get in touch if you would like to attend and the places are taken as I will be running more of these workshops in the future.

 
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Mar
24
7:30 PM19:30

Candlelit Meditation

A special mindfulness meditation class in the garden studio lit gently by candlelight.  We will practise some gentle movement exercise to help prepare mind and body for stillness; and then sitting or lying down observing the natural light and dancing patterns created by this soft light source.

 

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Dec
10
1:00 PM13:00

Partner Yoga Workshop

*Event Posponed*

 

Once again Dawn Lucht and I will be running another Partner Yoga workshop.  This is an opportunity for two people to work together to enjoy a different style of yoga practise. Fiends, partners or maybe making new friends! If you don't know anyone who is available for the workshop but would like to come along, let us know and we can bring people together.  Everyone involved with the last workshop had so much fun and lots of laughter.

Here's what we said before:

'A wonderful, light hearted fun and creative afternoon practising partner yoga. Finding new deeply relaxing ways to relate to each other through asana.'

Working jointly with a friend or partner, experience the mutually beneficial aspects of supporting each other in deep yoga asanas. Encouraging flexibility and strength through gentle kind awareness. Moving in partnership can allow for a wider range of movement than is available when practising alone.

We will be working with gentle movements to warm the body, practising bringing awareness into the body and maintaining it throughout. The partner yoga will be fun and playful, there's no need to take this too seriously! Finally we will wind down with some still, deep rest - practising gentle, soft awareness while the body rests deeply assimilating the benefits of the day's activities.
 

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May
28
2:00 PM14:00
Yoga Workshop

Partner Yoga Workshop

'A wonderful, light hearted fun and creative afternoon practising partner yoga.  Finding new deeply relaxing ways to relate to each other through asana.'

Working jointly with a friend or partner, experience the mutually beneficial aspects of supporting each other in deep yoga asanas.  Encouraging flexibility and strength through gentle kind awareness.  Moving in partnership can allow for a wider range of movement than is available when practising alone.

We will be working with gentle movements to warm the body, practising bringing awareness into the body and maintaining it throughout.  The partner yoga will be fun and playful, there's no need to take this too seriously!  Finally we will wind down with some still, deep rest - practising gentle, soft awareness while the body rests deeply assimilating the benefits of the day's activities. 

The session will be hosted jointly by Dawn and myself.  

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