YOGA FOR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

9am – 4pm Sunday 20 January 2019

LEARN TO MANAGE STRESS AND OPEN TO LIFE

Yoga has some powerful techniques for affecting the nervous system in a direct way. Through Yoga Asana, Pranayama and Meditation, you can learn to re-wire your anxiety through activation of the relaxation response and re-framing the stress response. Other practices will allow you to awaken your heart, so you can follow your deepest purpose in life with a system that is energised and vital.

During this one day workshop you will learn and practice

• Asana and Pranayama for calming the nervous system and activating the relaxation response deep in the body at a cellular level.
• Asana and Pranayama for energising the nervous and vital systems of the body.
• Meditation approaches to set intentions and connect to your purpose
• Cultivate calm, alert states of mind which energise and vitalise the body and nervous system.

WOMEN AWAKENING

9am – 4pm Sunday 14 April 2019

WOMEN! LET’S GET OUT OF OUR HEADS AND INTO OUR BODIES!

Whilst we have more in common as a human species, our gender and biology define some differences about our lives as men and women. Feminine energy is different from masculine. How we as women approach our spiritual practice, personal growth and development, relationships, working and business life is different to men. Yet we find ourselves operating in a man’s world in many of these arenas. It’s easy to think we make a lousy man, and should just try harder (and ‘man-up’) to fit into the communities we inhabit. This workshop will explore practices that are particular to us as women. As women, we naturally come together to create a safe, nurturing container. Come and feel the sisterhood that supports you.

You will learn practice keys to

• get out of your head and into your body.
• feel more alive and sensual.
• open and active your heart and womb space.
• feel into your intuition.
• move with confidence in the world.
• connect in beauty.

SEEDS OF JOY – FOUNDATIONS OF MINDFULNESS

9am – 4pm Saturday 8 June 2019

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION PRACTICE INTENSIVE

Mindfulness is being fully aware of the present moment, and adopting an attitude of openness and acceptance of whatever is happening. It is an amazing tool to help us handle the stresses of our busy lives with calmness, kindness and clarity. Scientific studies show that mindfulness is effective in the treatment of pain, anxiety, and depression and can boost productivity, creativity, and personal happiness. Astoundingly, the list of incredible benefits continues to grow!

The practice of mindfulness is straightforward and practical. It is simple, but not necessarily easy! To learn more about it, join this one day intensive course.

This course covers detailed explanations of the techniques and micro-skills of mindfulness. It gives the opportunity to spend a day practicing in silence, and ask questions and seek guidance about practice road blocks. We will explore how to use mindfulness to relate to our everyday experiences in the most effective and intelligent ways.

This is a secular course equally appropriate for people with little or no spiritual tradition.

EARTH MY BODY – RECONNECTION YATRA

9am – 4pm Sunday 14 July 2019

RECONNECT TO YOUR BODY; RECONNECT TO THE NATURAL WORLD

“Yatra”, a Sanskrit word meaning ‘path of life’ or ‘pilgrimage’ or ‘journey’

Imagine a day spent in the stunning surrounds of Chenrezig Institute, walking in silence, reconnecting to self and Nature, weaving together mind, body and spirit.

We will take some gentle strolls through the Chenrezig property. This is hilly territory; you will require a basic / moderate level of fitness. As well as walking in silence through the beautiful nature of Chenrezig, this Yatra will offer a number of other activities. To help our revitalisation, renewal and reconnection process, we will pause on our journey for:

• mindfulness meditation practice (guided and silent)
• basic yoga and mindful movement instructions and practice
• kindred-ing practice – a core practice of TreeSisters that seeks to call forth the highest expression of a person in service to life

This is an all weather event, so please be prepared!

DANCE YOURSELF AWAKE

9am – 4pm Sunday 13 October 2019

“NO SHOES, NO BOOZE, NO SET MOVES, FIND YOUR OWN GROOVES” 

A day of Conscious Dance that has no structured steps or choreography.

Conscious Dance is a practice using music and movement to find our essence as expressed through the body. If we tune in to how our body wants to move; in harmony with the dance, we encounter connection and meaning; love in all its guises. This is possible when we show up, let go, move and breathe; when we embrace the moment we are in without agenda or judgement. Music and guidance will carry us through this journey. Dancing consciously gives us the opportunity to feel what is going on right now in our body and to express what is. Gabrielle Roth, founder of the Conscious Dance practice, 5 Rhythms, said, “the quickest was to still the mind is to move the body.”

This Dance practice leads us into meditative awareness, planting seeds of intention, exploring breath, structured and fluid movements of Yoga Asana that journey beneath the surface of the mind. This is more about how it viscerally feels, less about the form of postures. Music helps us transition into free movement, moving from the inside out, expressing our essential selves. A shared journey into rhythmically induced meditation.

The first time I taught Conscious Dance, one of the dancers told me that he had never felt so much joy and freedom in his life. He used to wonder at people dancing wildly at festivals, assuming they were all high on some substance. Now he knows he can be his own source of embodied freedom; it’s through movement in time to rhythm; it’s called dance 😉

During this day NeLi will share the essence of the practice. You will have the opportunity to reflect, ask questions and set your own intentions for two practice sessions of Conscious Dance. A basic / moderate level of fitness is desirable, however “dancing” may be expressed by a simple tap of toes; everyone uses their body at a pace and style that suits them.