Space & Flow

⁣Movement-based, indeed… but we still can appreciate the value and the gifts of a few postures here and there! 😉⠀
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With thanks to the lovely people of Valencia, Spain and to such a lovely host and studio
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Music: “On Call” by Jones Meadow⠀
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⁣Teaching, sharing and demonstrating one’s research is very much at the core of what and how I teach. ⠀
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It is NOT about offering a finished product, it is about sharing your ideas, your growing strategies, your findings and your doubts. All of which without pretending that what may look easy now doesn’t require any effort, mind-f*cks or challenges. ⠀
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Here we have the lovely SPACE & FLOW yoga teacher demo’ing one of her sequences a couple of weeks ago. ⠀
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Helen is based near Reading, UK and besides being a solicitor is a dedicated movement, yoga (including Acro) and martial arts teacher. Check her out if you’re near her! ⠀
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⁣Let’s call this organised chaos “Swan Lake in Panam”!⠀
I like to say that SPACE & FLOW aims to empower the individual whilst strengthening the collective!⠀
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This means finding ways to purposely make the practice much more than just physical and appreciating that the challenge is really in the integration of whatever skills we learn, whatever awareness we gain, and of whatever wisdom we feel we have received. ⠀
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The ‘What’ is significant… but the “How” is much more important! ⠀
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So how can we move through space and flow amongst others?⠀
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I’d say with the appreciation that we are responsible for both our individual self within the space occupied and the collective synergy, equally…⠀
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We are free to move but we can not move much faster or slower than everyone around, likewise we can not stop, as everyone around depends on our pace, our sense of flow and timing… and even on our individuality and sensuality to shine through so that they too are empowered to be themselves whilst moving with and amongst others.⠀
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Simple, but not easy… yet always interesting! 😉⠀
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With massive thanks to the Paris crew for Space & Flow-ing with me this weekend. 😊🙏🏽⠀
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Music: “Conditional Love” by Ruiqui Zhao⠀
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⁣A little bit of floor-work S&F stylee... We play-worked with this sequence in Paris this weekend and with the usual suspects: timing, coordination, sensuality, softness, tension, release, spinal mechanics, biomechanics, improvisation, refinement, non-attachement, laughter, serious play, individuality vs collectivity, and a few other bits.⠀
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Yeah, we did quite a lot in 3 hours! 😊⠀
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With thanks to for demo-ing the sequence with me. 🙌🏽
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Next workshops:⠀
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Barcelona 13 August⠀
Paris 03 September⠀
Amsterdam 24 September ⠀
Links in bio⠀
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Sequence: ‘Le Regard du Cygne’ or ‘ Swan Lake in Panam’⠀
Music: ‘Abel Canela’ by Cumbia Connection⠀
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⁣S&F sequences, both “Flows” and sequences of “pauses”, aim to offer an artistic and somatic-oriented experience that can guide students towards embodied and creative learning and moving strategies. ⠀
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Here is SPACE & FLOW Yoga teacher: teaching a sequence of pauses (20/30sec each) on our graduation retreat 2 weeks ago in Mallorca.⠀
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Ghalia is based in Saudi Arabia, happens to be an in-demand coach and lecturer and is amazingly dedicated to a path of growth both as a person and as a teacher. I am proud to have this lady representing the S&F school in the Middle East. 🙌🏽⠀
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⁣I now find working with the limitations of a mat a beautiful thing… but it hasn’t always been that way!⠀
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I remember, 8/9 years ago, regularly telling people in my yoga classes to roll up their mats and to do their best to forget about them. ⠀
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Truth be told yoga mats are just not as needed as we make them out to be, but another truth to be acknowledged is that they offer a few many good things including certain “limitations” to our movement practice which can be very useful. ⠀
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Here is SPACE & FLOW Yoga teacher: Heidi ⠀
making use of a single mat beautifully!⠀
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Heidi is based in Switzerland, offers a few classes in Swiss-German and is more than capable of teaching even more complex sequences in English too. 💪🏽🙌🏽⠀
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Check her out if you’re in or near St Gallen (an hour north of Zurich).⠀
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⁣A beautiful soul, an amazing mover, a great coach, a loving mother and a strong business owner… ⠀
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I am so proud to have this lady representing the school 🙌🏽⠀
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Here is SPACE & FLOW Yoga teacher: Rowena
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One the advices I constantly give yoga practitioners/teachers is to invest in a few resistance training sessions with a good coach and Rowena happens to have her own gym in Stoke Newington! 💪🏽👌🏽
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Seek her out if you’re in need or simply want to step up your strength and movement game. ⠀
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⁣Paris, la semaine prochaine (le 30 juillet pour être exact!) on va bouger doucement, intelligemment et en restant près du sol! ⠀
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Voyager d’une manière athlétique, poétique mais aussi yogique est possible…⠀
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Oui, avec le rythme de la respiration mais plus précisément avec les envies, les besoins et les adaptations physiques qui font qu’on pourra certainement laisser notre corps respirer comme il le veut, quand il le veut et aussi profondément (ou pas) qu’il le veuille! ⠀
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Pas besoin de tapis ou de ceintures, amenez juste des petites genouillères si vous en avez, un grand sourire, une bouteille d’eau (ou 2), et un esprit sensuel ouvert à la confusion et à ne pas savoir exactement quel va être le prochain mouvement… c’est tout! ;-)⠀
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Atelier SPACE & FLOW Yoga “Floorwork” ⠀
de 10:00 à 13:00 ⠀
au ‘Le Regard du Cygne’ ds le 20e arrondissement.⠀
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Lien d’inscription ds ma bio…⠀
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⁣S&F Yoga is a movement practice but don’t get me wrong we also know how to pause!⠀
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In SPACE & FLOW we call asanas ‘Pauses’ (not poses), because we allow ourselves to simply pause in between transitions.⠀
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These pauses are there to serve us and we work with the understanding that our practice isn’t to serve any dogma that demands rigidity, linear patterns nor straight lines as a path towards A LIFE IN FLOW. ⠀
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We pause, we lean back, jiggle, contract, release, shake, smile, sometimes even swear… we pause because the magic is created in between places, in transit and when we let our guard down!⠀
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We pause and reflect, we adjust, deepen and ponder… sometimes we ponder on the meaning of life, sometimes we ponder on what we’ll have for dinner and whether or not we need to stop by the shop on our way home after class.⠀
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We pause to take better steps, to make better moves… because we refuse to give up on who we can be for who we are… so we pause and drop into that wisdom… and then we move like our life depends on it!⠀
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Raphan⠀
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Check out the August retreat in Mallorca, Spain and the workshops coming up (LINKS IN BIO) if you’d like to work with these guiding principles..⠀
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DM me your interest and if you have any questions ⠀
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Sequence: ‘Amaru uno’ sped up x8 / each pause 30sec⠀
Music: ‘Little Light’ by Wanderer’s Trove⠀
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