Dates: Sundays 6th April; 18th May; 29th June 2025
Time: 3.30pm – 5.30pm
Venue: The Canvas, 27 Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green, E2 9PJ
Cost: £25.00
Pre-booking required via St Margaret’s House
In the society in which we live, which emphasises productivity over everything, rest isn’t given proper credit and self-care is often deemed indulgent and selfish rather than essential. The truth is, when you make time to rest and care for yourself, you’re actually more productive. In carving out time to gently move your body and to really rest, you will feel more energetic and show up better for those around you as well as for yourself.
So why not join me for these monthly Sunday afternoon workshops that are all about taking care of yourself? They will be an opportunity to really slow down, turn inwards, take care of yourself and explore practices that soothe and rejuvenate the mind, body and whole nervous system.
Dedicating some extra time away from the busyness of daily life, screens and to do lists can be so beneficial. Our mind can begin to quieten, our body can release deeply held tension and tightness and find more ease and our nervous system can begin to calm down and help us to feel soothed, rested and relaxed.
You’ll begin the afternoon with a series of gentle, grounding, mindful and somatic movements to release stress and tension, allowing energy to flow freely but calmly through the body again. You will also explore a number of soothing and calming practices, including breath work, mudras and self-massage, before eventually settling into some longer-held restorative poses (supported by props) to soak up some deep rest and connect to a place of inner calm and stillness.
The afternoon will finish with a grounding and calming yoga nidra (deep yoga sleep) practice. Yoga nidra has been described as “an effortless state of restfulness in the form of a horizontal meditation that takes place just on the threshold of sleep.” (Uma Dinsmore Tuli). Thirty minutes of yoga nidra is said to be the equivalent of three hours of sleep, and this practice is deeply nourishing and restorative. By the end of the afternoon, you will feel deeply rested, refreshed, recharged and ready to step into the new week ahead.
No previous experience of yoga is necessary. If you are new to yoga, you are most welcome.
“Stillness is like water
moving deep inside the earth
seeping slowly between rocks
trickling down
in the dark
a tide moving inwards.
Stillness is the space
between breaths
inside heartbeats
the silence of the gathering wave
that never breaks.”Judith Prest
Sogyal Rinpoche, Tibetan Lama
Please contact me if you have any questions.
