What is a "PROGRESSIVE RETREAT"?

Progressive means the mat classes and content moves from considerations of breath to body head to toe, integrating the entire time with mind, spirit, community, and expressive potential.  Common complaints like knee pain, shoulder restriction, lack of ease in movement, will be addressed.

Once we have settled into the body more, addressed areas of tension and frustration, we begin to add in more expressive, practical, and creative material so that we can incorporate the work. Using a mixture of the  Feldenkrais Method mat sequences directed at bringing awareness through movement and opening to the way we use (or don't use) our shoulders, neck, hips, feet, etc., plus a variety of relaxing and invigorating breathing modalities.

Approaching the last third of the retreat, we'll begin to incorporate this new freedom in our body with use of the voice and total body movements. For voice, we'll practice Chakra Toning, kirtan, and experiment with speaking in front of one another in a group. For the body, we'll have the opportunity to move or dance in improvisatory fashion to world music for a few hours. Certain evenings we'll have circle conversations on topics such as:
Authenticity in expression
Nurturing compassion from within
The meanings and beauty of pain and illness
The "dark nights of the soul"
The Way of an Artist
What is "Detox"

This is a safe, relaxed, non-judgmental, creative environment for anyone who:

• wants to move with more ease, elegance, and awareness
• wants to get in touch with their potential for powerful speech, singing, and stage presence
• does yoga or any sport and finds themselves with injuries, repetitive injuries, locking, or general discomfort. Needs to stabilize rather than stretch
• feels blocked in their throats, having difficulty communicating with authenticity
• wants to take a body approach to their psychological development and the release of trauma
• is dealing with chronic pain or chronic illness (the mat sequences are gentle and can be dialed- down)
• for people who are "highly sensitive" or "neuro-atypicals"
• for those wishing to recognise and incorporate trauma and other difficult life experience into healthy, inspired living.

Many people fit into multiple categories. The more we do this mindful and reflective movement, the more we become aware of our own "irregularities" which are usually directly tied to our greatest talents.