Summertime Yin Yoga and Sound Bath - an elemental journey

Finally Summer is dawning and just as the lead up season had its false starts, Summer in the northern hemisphere is almost always a now you see me, now you don't affair.  Nature gradually bursts forth displaying flamboyantly her colourful bounty, she is glistening dancing towards the full performance; awake, bright and vivid.  Now blessed by the warmth of the life giving sun, a flaming mass of distant heat reaching its zenith extending a prescence to the very edges of the day.   This is a time for embracing the sheer goodness of life, for finding joy and sustaining pleasures and for exploring the heart's contentedness and cherishing warmth.

A waning crescent moon waits patiently for night to come as  the low light of dusk kindles imaginational dreams on which we may enter more fully into awareness of what lights us up.  Diving into areas where the exuberant energy of Summer fill us with delight and the realms of dreaming ourselves into the fruitfulness of our own unique being.

In the 5 elements system of traditional chinese medicine Summer is associated with the fire element and connected to 2 pairs of meridian rivers:  the heart and small intestine and the Pericardium and Triple Burner.  The emotion is joy and expressions of love in all it's many forms.   The wood element of the preceeding season provides fuel for the fire, engendering a mother/child style relationship.  The mother ensures the child has growm strong and resilient enough to flourish and enjoy this season of captivating joy.   The disciplining action of the water element keeps the flames in check providing enough dousing or gentle quelling of heat to avoid burnout.  

Our yin practice will focus on the physical, energetic and mental/emotional qualities and attributes offered by the elements of fire and wood.  We will target the meridian channels, subtle rivers within the body through which energy flows, and the corresponding organ systems relating to these yin/yang streams, through the use of specific poses which apply gentle acupressure to the related tissues.  

Yin yoga is a slow, yielding form of yoga arising from the Daoist (or Taoist) practice.  Yin yoga targets the deeper yin tissues of the body: ligaments, tendons, bones and fascia and offers adaptable poses to suit individual skeletal differences.  Mostly floor based, the aim is to find an appropriate edge in which sensations are felt but do not become sensational and there we remain in stillness whilst the magic ingredient time does its alchemising work. The body is supported by props to facilatate muscular release and allow access to the deeper tissues making it possible to stay quietly in a pose for a few minutes, ever present to the shifts of subtle energy happening inside.  

This slow, quiet practice encourages the steeping essence of a meditational repose.   During the time spent commiting to stillness the curious awareness of the mind's fluctuations and altering sensations can be observed without judgement and a tuning in to the conversations of body, mind and heart.  

Certain sounds have the potential to heal.  Think of the soothing sounds found in nature:  ocean waves rolling onto golden sand; the bubbling flow of a stream swishing through a rock riven valley; a warm summer breeze whispering through a forest; bird song echoing in the sky above or the hollowing call of an owl permeating the stilled silence of night.   

Every sound heard is received by the brain as a wave vibrating the ear drum.  The tiny bones of the ear carry these vibrations via the auditory nerve as signals which the brain cortex then deciphers.  Specific sounds can slow down the brain waves and enable the body to enter a very relaxed almost dreamlike state.  Scientific studies have shown that sound healing can reduce tension, anxiety, fatigue and help reduce stress. Sound encourages subtle channels and spaces in the body to open and stimulates energy to move, increasing flow, ease and realignment. The sound bath element of this event will entice you into deep rest using a range of relaxing sounds.

Who is this for?

The practice is suitable for everyone aged 18 or over.  When booking, please remember to inform the organiser of ANY injuries or issues, that may affect your practice.  (Please note the sound bath element may not be suitable for those with a history of trauma such as PTSD, if you are unsure as to the suitability of this practice for you please contact the organiser before booking).  Tickets once purchased are strictly non-refundable and require the participant to be healthy enough to attend and not have a contagious illnesses including coughs, colds etc.  (Please note It is ultimately the organiser's final decision as to whether you are healthy enough to attend without impacting on other participants or the organiser.)   In the event of your being unable to attend no refunds will be issued but you may transfer your place to another attendee provided they too comply with the conditions above. In the event of the organiser needing to cancel, ticket monies only will be refunded within 24 hours.

What you will need:

Comfortable loose clothing you can move in, yoga wear is not required.  Extra layers, socks etc and a couple of warm blankets are required.  All other props:  mats, bricks, blocks, bolsters and straps are provided. Please remove all jewellry before coming and note that there are no changing facilities but there is a safe place to leave your belongings.  Do not bring valuables to the studio.  We ask that you remove LED style watches (smart watches) and ensure phones are left in the designated safe space and they MUST be switched to silent for the duration.