Weekly Classes
Why bodywork?
We experience life through our bodies; our sensations and perceptions are located in the various physical systems our body contains. The body is the medium through which we act in the world; even for meditation practise we need the body to be set up in a specific way.
In the weekly sessions we aim to rebalance the body in accordance and in relation to the body of nature, the particular time of the year we are in, the seasons and the environment.
What we do in the sessions
Our common aim is to deepen the participant’s experience of their bodies, to get back in touch with the true nature and inherent intelligence of the body. The sessions vary from week to week, as if you would make use of a variety of cooking books, all combined making a wholesome dish.
Portia’s background is rooted in Tai Chi and Shiatsu, Bea’s in Yoga (Ashtanga and Scaravelli) and a previous life in circus. Bea’s teacher training is with the British Wheel of Yoga.
Usually the sessions include a structured part, which looks like a Yoga /Pilates or Tai Chi class, a more experimental part where we move into partner exercises, dynamic movement or dance and conclude with a relaxation. This could be a Yoga Nidra session, a talk through relaxation or a massage.
Retreats
Throughout the year, Portia and Bea are teaching retreats as well as weekend workshops, where we take a specific environment and theme to emphasise and deepen this practise away from the normal rhythm of our lives so we can engage in the bodywork in a much deeper way. Often those retreats and workshops resonate in our lives for quite some time after, and it serves as a point of reference even when back in the hustle and bustle.
On commitment
Some people think that only if one gets up at 5.30 am every day of the year to do my set physical practice do I act in a disciplined manner. The reality is so different as life is not a rod but a constantly evolving set of circumstances, we are made of water, remember not iron! (only Terminators and then even they melt…) So discipline is much more a re-engaging of a commitment. To accept changes and flow with it, but to keep going i.e. don’t stop just because your idea of discipline doesn’t match your current reality. In this way we can see discipline as a positive force in our lives as it works with us, not against us.
Practicalities
Please wear comfortable clothes; mats and blocks are supplied unless you prefer to use your own. If you have a medical condition please inform the teacher prior to the session so adequate modifications can be planned and given.
“Bea & Portia’s sessions are a lovely opportunity for grounding at the end of a busy week… Moving through the bodywork helps to get back in touch with ourselves, and to acknowledge our body’s presence in relationship to the shifting seasons.” Participant
“After a working week my mind comes to dominate my being in the world and I’m usually floating helplessly in a world of reactivity. Friday Night Bodywork reconnects my feet to the Earth.” Participant