Accommodating the chops and changes of living during a pandemic has many of us “pivoting” so often it may feel like we’re pirouetting out of control.  Our pivot here in the home livestream studio has been to find inventive ways of making online learning a more enjoyable experience.  While our film space, lighting and sound are excellent for this medium, we weren’t happy with the fixed view that makes discerning the finer nuances of movement practices challenging at best, frustrating at worst.  Online director, Nick Lyttle has been doing his fair share of technical razzle-dazzle to incorporate the technology of an overhead camera as well as the capacity to enlarge a movement without Zoom having a hissy fit.  The good news is that we managed to do this successfully for the first livestream of the year, Unwinding (you can still access the recording if you’d like to attend the class.)

While we can only offer this for in-house livestreams with Donna, it’s a step in the right direction which we hope you’ll appreciate. 

Livestream Ground Check: Just a reminder to check your emails (and spam folders!) for your pre-livestream check-in information.  If you are new to online learning, log on early so that if you do need technical support our team can help you with time to spare before the start of the class. 

Time Zone Conversions: We also strongly recommend that you check the time zone conversion every time you register for a class.  Daylight savings in either time zone can affect the conversion.  In some instances, we will be a day ahead or a day behind your time zone.  Time conversions can easily be checked through following the links provided below the livestream descriptions on our website. 

Coming Up:

Wednesday, February 16^th, 10:00-11:30 AM (New Zealand Time)

Livestream Class #3 The Lateral Line with Donna (now available as a recording)

When we activate and release the deep intervertebral muscles of the spine, we restore the capacity of the back to move fluidly. Rediscovering the side-to-side wave-like motions of the spine comes through playful exploration as these are movements that may have become extinct in our everyday activities. 

In this class we will also investigate how one-sided discomfort and pain in the lower back can often be ameliorated through gentle movements that target and retrain lateral asymmetries.  This can be especially valuable for those with spinal scoliosis. 

As we open up lateral movement potential, we also expand the patterning of consciousness from having blinders on to seeing and experiencing the world around us through an expanded orientation.

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Thursday, February 24, 8:00-9:30 AM (New Zealand Time) 

Livestream Class #4 The Breathing, Moving Body with Neal Ghoshal  (now available as a recording) 

Many traditions around the world, including Yoga of course, mention the important role breathing has in our life.  In this class, the invitation is to prioritize the breath. When we breath, we move. We may move as we breath. And we may mindfully observe and attend to each breath, anchoring our attention to what is happening now.

The breath may also be an exquisite messenger of how we are at any given time. Are we practicing in a way which allows for easeful breathing? Or is our Yoga inhibiting, or stressing our breath, unnecessarily?

At other times, too, we may experience ourselves being simply, profoundly breathed.

These are some of the themes in this class on the breathing, moving body. It is not a class on how to breath correctly, or to learn advanced pranayama techniques. Rather, it is an encouragement to listen to, attend to, and learn from one of the most regular rhythms of our life.

We look forward to seeing you in an upcoming class.