Embracing Summer Workshop – held on 15th June
Seasonal Celebration for Summer Solstice
*See our Instagram for details on the next workshop*
Yoga, Qigong, Breathwork & Acupressure to welcome in the energy of Summer, the element of Fire and the grounding nature of Earth.
Embracing Summer, was held on Thursday 15th June 10am -1pm, at a beautiful private studio on the edge of rural Bath.
Summer Solstice has been celebrated for thousands of years, as a time to revel in the abundance of energy and life, as we enjoy the longest day and shortest night of the year. Solstice comes from the Latin ‘To Stand Still’, encouraging us to take a moment to check in, to reflect on how far we’ve come this year and where we see ourselves going in the second half of the year. It’s a time to get ready to embrace all that summer has to offer, longer days, warmer weather, fun and holidays.
In Chinese medicine we have five seasons, summer is synonymous with the fire element and late summer is the element of earth. This workshop will enable us to explore the playful, yang, expansive energy of fire whilst recognising that the seed of yin is always present. This duality helps to keep our fire energy in balance and we aim to integrate it into our everyday lives, in harmony with the grounded nature of the earth.
Jan, Sarah and Mel, are three like-minded spirits, with a wealth of experience and a passion for wellbeing, for an insightful blend of yoga, qigong, breathwork and acupressure.
Qigong with Sarah
Qigong (pronounced Chee-gong) originated in China thousands of years ago as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Focused movements help to optimise energy flow in and around the body with the aim of improving and maintaining health, vitality and wellbeing. We work gently but powerfully, connecting the body, mind and breath, leaving a sense of being relaxed yet energised. Qigong is all about balance. During our Embracing Summer Workshop, we will explore moves relating to the fire element to support its strong, outward expansive energy whilst incorporating grounding and gorgeous flowing movements to find balance between yin and yang, a harmony in mind and body both physically and emotionally.
Yoga with Jan
The yoga element of our summer workshop will celebrate the abundant energy of summer through a playful practice of Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutations; a sequence of forward & backward bends designed to generate heat, whilst blissfully lengthening and strengthening the entire body. As we gently build warmth in our bodies, we will become more aware of our ‘Agni’ or inner fire, located at Manipura Chakra, our naval energy centre, honouring the fire element of summer. As we close our practice, we will balance our Agni with breathwork and grounding poses to ensure we connect with late summer’s earth element.
Acupressure and Breathwork with Mel
Acupressure is the gentle stimulation of acupuncture points with touch. This part of the workshop will allow us to connect with our Qi or Prana, to activate the paired acupuncture meridians of the Heart and Small intestine (fire), Pericardium and Triple Burner (fire), Spleen and Stomach (earth). According to Chinese Medicine, fire is the supreme ruler of our spirit and mind, this is called the Shen. It is said that the spirit of our Shen can be seen as the sparkle in our eyes and vitality of our bodies! The emotional aspect of fire is joy and love. Fire is passionate and fun, it evokes a sense of community, bringing people together and co-creating. Whilst fire is full summer, earth comes in when the light starts to mellow, as late summer, the time for harvest and gathering in the expansive energy.
Meet your facilitators:
Sarah was completely hooked the moment she first started practicing qigong! It was experiencing the benefits it had on her own body, mind and spirit that led her to undertake extensive training with Long White Cloud Qigong. She is interested in helping reduce internal stresses and anxiety and finding ways to tap into the body’s natural healing abilities, using movement, sound and moments of stillness. Sarah will be introducing elements of sound to some of our seasonal workshops.
Jan trained in Hatha Yoga with Yoga Alliance 10 years ago & runs weekly classes, workshops and retreats from her rural Wiltshire studio. She is passionate about creating transformative experiences for people, helping students to pause, to listen to and understand their bodies, to find space both for body and mind and to live more in the present moment, weaving yoga into every aspect of their lives. Jan incorporates flow, alignment principles, philosophy, breath and stillness into her practices, always with an element of light heartedness and fun!
Mel has been practicing yoga, massage and qigong for many years and runs two thriving acupuncture clinics in Bath and Bristol. She has over 12 years of clinical practice as an acupuncturist and teaches students on the degree course at the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine, Reading. She is passionate about living with the seasons and the natural world; supporting people to find optimum health and happiness.