TAKE A BREATH

Introduction to meditation through mindful movement and pranayama with Vera Duse

In this workshop we will dedicate two hours to the slowing down, through the synergistic practices of yoga and meditation.

Through breathing practices and moving our bodies in conscious ways, we prepare our mind for meditation, which we will attempt, without any expectation, at the end of the class.

Sometimes meditation is a practice that is scary to start for many reasons - maybe we believe we can't sit still or concentrate for long enough. That is why starting with mindful breathing and movement - in the form of a gentle hatha yoga flow, is the best introduction to it.

Being stressed is the natural state of this "always on-the-go" life. We are often bombarded by stimuli and never at rest, resulting in a chronic overactivation of the fight or flight response system.

Yoga and meditation activate the opposite system to the fight or flight one, the parasympathetic system, also called the rest and digest system. Did you ever ask yourself why it is called rest and digest? Because the benefits of activating it are exactly that: better sleep, better digestion, lower blood pressure, balance in all the systems and better moods and mental clarity.

The time seems never enough to carve out some slowing down, relaxing space.

That's why I am passionate about holding the space for you to create this particular kind of relaxing practice.

Think of this workshop as a 2 hour well-being retreat to nurture yourself and relax in a way that you never allow yourself to. Take time out to balance all the activity in your life with the adequate rest you need to maintain a sense of, not only physical, but also mental, emotional and energetic relaxation, restoring and revitalising your entire being.