Mindful Movement & Play
Not necessarily Yoga, Pilates or Somatics but inspired by and including some or all. In these videos you will find new and inspiring ways to move and stretch your body, find and test your boundaries and connect more deeply with yourself.
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05:49Wrist Relief Class
Typing, texting, sewing, hairdressing or guitar playing? Any and all small repetitive movements build tension in the wrists and forearms. Sometimes even yoga can make these areas feel a bit sore. In this quick, targeting class, we'll release both sides of the forearms and deep into the wrists and hands for instant relief. Can be added onto the beginning or end of a yoga class too!
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36:57Yoga for Beginners: Explore Playfulness
This beginners yoga class focuses on balances and experimenting with our yoga practice with a sense of playfulness. In this balancing sequence, it's OK to wobble and fall! The point of yoga is not to be perfect, but to embark upon a journey of exploration and curiosity. After moving through classic sun salutations with balance play, expect to experiment with eagle pose and half moon pose. You may wobble and fall, but have fun with it any enjoy the process. You will need a wall and two yoga bricks (or books!).
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11:20Awaken Energy 2: Balls, Blocks and Massage
A second class to move chi (or energy) in the body using tennis ball massage. This class is perfect in the morning to gently stimulate energy or as a prelude to yin class; ideal if you’re feeling tired and want to gently lift your energy with minimal movement. You will need 2 tennis balls or spiky massage balls and a block.
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12:11Awaken Energy 1: Blocks, Rollers and Massage
Learn techniques to move energy in the body. You will need 1-2 tennis balls or spiky massage ball, a block and a foam roller. You'll learn how to move energy (or chi, in Chinese medicine) along meridian lines. This class is entirely floor based so is ideal for when you have limited space, and the class is great for those who are feeling fatigued or low in energy. You could even practice this prior to a yin yoga class.
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06:53Shake It Out
Shaking is a wonderful way of liberating stuck energy, stress or tension. This all levels shaking class is great if you just want to bring in a bit of a state change. It’s a quick tool to get into your body, and it’s easy, super accessible and very efficient. Shaking is perfect if you've limited space; you don't need a yoga mat, and can be done in exactly the way your body is able to move, so perfect for limited mobility or seniors, or if you just want to free up and 'stuck' energy. So go ahead, have a good shake!
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30:20Lymphatic Yoga: Move and Glow
The lymphatic system is responsible for removing toxins, boosting the immune system and reducing inflammation in the body. This gentle yoga class takes us on a tour of the lymphatic system and teaches you practices to support your lymph and keep it moving through your body with gentle massage, stretching and yoga poses. You will need two cork bricks and a blanket.
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31:08Gentle Movement for Better Balance
The sense of play, curiosity and wonder is such an important part of being human, and this sense of playfulness can continue to inform the way we interact with the world way into our midlife and into our senior years. This is a gentle movement class which invites you to play with sensory awareness of your body in space (proprioception), gentle movement and yoga postures to improve balance and stability for your yoga practice and everyday life. You will need a foam block, an eye pillow and a blanket (or alternatives).
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20:58Wake Up Shake Up: Tap and Stretch
Wake up, shake up, tap and stretch. This short and gentle movement class doesn't need a yoga mat or any equipment: perfect for when you're on the move or even in the office. Awaken, enliven and invigorate through shaking movements before tapping along the meridians, and moving through gentle stretches which are as invigorating as they are soothing and quietening. The focus is less on postural extremism and more on awareness of embodiment. A practice of interoception and inner attention. A great class for seniors or those with more limited mobility, recovering from surgery or times of illness. Inspired by disco and qigong.
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10:31Awake and Alert: Tapping and Breathing
Unlock vitality! Perfect for the morning or when you need a pick me up of energy. No need for a yoga mat, the class includes simple energising techniques of tapping, breath work and twists which could be done standing or seated. Class is perfect for all mobility levels, all bodies, all ages.
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16:15Rise and Shine
This class that can be done at work, in a hotel or when you're on the go - there’s no need for a mat. A perfect morning class, mid-day refresher or pre-yoga class warmup; there’s just ten movements to kick off your day, mobilise, find balance, strength and to feel alive! Working from top to toe, you will leave this class feeling grounded, awakened, and energised. When you haven’t got much time but want to fit a quick practise in to kick off your day this is the one for you.
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34:32Playful Flow: Somatic Movement
Have fun and play with rolling and spiralling movements. This mat-less somatic movement class takes place entirely on the floor and is a gentle way to play with movements and cultivate a healthy nervous system. Explore organic and fluid ways to stretch every body part and build efficiency and deep inner connection as we move through a sequence of movements from seated and supine poses. This is the ideal practice if you wish to learn how to move more effortlessly and gracefully while soothing your nervous system with a delicious slow flow. No need for a yoga mat, but you may wish to pad your knees.
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12:15Mindful Movement to Unwind & De-Stress
This is a short, calming mindful movement and breath work class to help you find a settled, but grounded posture and a focused mind. The emphasis is on breathing and using a gentle moving meditation to really be in the moment. This class is perfect if you're low on energy and need a quick energy re-set, perhaps to calm you after a full-on day at work, if you are struggling with anxiety or you are recovering from illness or injury and you want to be gently reminded what it’s like to be back in the body.
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34:34Somatic Movement: Feel the Heat
An invigorating, energising and heating somatics and yoga class which experiments with different movements and tempos. Enjoy feeling your own feelings and your own body. Move in a way which warms the body: the perfect way to wake up!
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45:00Groove Is In Your Heart Flow
Get ready to open up your heart chakra! Introducing an energising yoga, movement and dance flow. Enjoy awakening, enlivening movements - just dance and let the wings of your heart fly! Have fun with this all-levels movement class to invigorate and soften your edges. Just get your body moving in all directions, twisting, flowing and grooving - put on some music and have fun!
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56:22Breathe: Energise, Inspire & Change
This energising yoga and somatics class focuses on the breath and the element of air. It can be practiced to bring about new vision and clear away fatigue or boredom. The playful sequences encourages us to notice how we feel inside our body, rather than how the shapes look from the outside, and makes us think about how we respond to life's inevitable changes. Expect some faster paced movement, vinyasa and breath work.
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01:00:20Open Up To Feel Good With Yoga & Somatics
A yoga and somatics class to help you learn more about the way you like to move. Many of us have a tricky relationship with feeling good; do we really take time to find out what feels good within ourselves? Pleasure is an embodied experience and a basic human need, but many of us don’t treat ourselves as we would treat a loved one. This class is an invitation to explore and to learn about yourself. Part improvisational, part guided movements, it is slow paced and sensitive, with plenty of psoas release poses and stretches, to move underlying tension in the body. Move from standing poses and somatic exploration to seated, then laying with legs up the wall and into final relaxation. You will need a block (or books), a strap and access to a wall space.
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48:54Yoga Flow: How To be Here Now
This yoga class is beautifully sequenced and mindfully paced, with a focus on how to tune into being here now and bringing extra presence to our yoga practice. If we feel anxious in our lives, it's because we're not connected to the present moment. This is the perfect class to slow down an overthinking mind and tune into how your body feels when you move. Learn quick tools you can use to be in the moment, and have some fun. This yoga class is a well rounded, accessible yoga sequence for the whole body, perfect to start each day. One to save!
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02:33Introduction to Somatics
Somatic means “of the body”. Enjoy Ava's introduction into this way of being and moving that might help you to tune into the series more fully. Practise the classes in any order you like, depending on what you need at the time. What does my body need? How do I tune into a connected practice?