Ten years ago, I formed a commitment with a tiny group of yoga teachers to meet for a collegial retreat with the view to creating a safe space where we could practice together and also share our challenges and triumphs. As the date neared, several people dropped out for various reasons until there were only three of us. I went anyway.

What transpired over that brief weekend was, for want of a better word, transformational. Yet at the same time the conditions for this transformation were simple. We agreed to sit for a period each day and without interruption to listen to each other with an open heart. No fixing, no mending, just open, non-judgmental listening. In that space I could share things that were not appropriate to share with my students and were also matters that seemed outside the purview of a therapist.

I left that weekend feeling that I could finally embrace what my heart had been telling me. Up until that precious weekend, what my heart wanted seemed nigh on impossible. Yet a little over a year later, what had seemed outside the realm of possibility, manifested with ease and joy.

This is one of the reasons I've been working together with Lucy Karnani who is adept at Holding Space, to create Teachers Listening Circles where a small group of like-minded yoga teachers can gather to listen and to be heard. Often putting your experiences into words can help you gain insight and learning that may not happen when you just ruminate on them in your own mind. Additionally, by deeply listening to other teachers, there will be opportunities for learning from other’s experiences. There's no reading requirements and no homework; just the willingness to be fully present for your peers.

These circles have also been especially curated for students and teachers who have worked with me who are interested in embodiment, shared-inquiry learning, and a pedagogic model for learning and teaching that remains, largely on the perimeter of the yoga industry.

The first Teachers Listening Circles begin in July and spaces are limited. See here for more information.

Also, closer to home, I’ll be leading a Restorative Reset Class at Flow Wellbeing Centre in Christchurch on Saturday, July 2^nd, 1:00-3:30 pm (in physical space).  In this class I’ll be sharing some of the remarkable physiological changes that occur when we invert the body and how by understanding these processes we can finesse our practice to get the most out of our time in Restorative Postures.  

This class will be especially valuable for yoga teachers wanting to both understand and more effective adjust Restorative Postures. 

To find out more and to register go to https://flowhotyoga.co.nz/workshops

Looking forward to seeing my friends in the South Island.

Warmly,

Donna

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