3 Mindful movement workshops

 

“Movement is my medicine, my meditation, my metaphor and my method, a living language we can rely upon to tell us the truth about who we are, who we are with, and where we are going. There is no dogma in the dance”. – G.Roth.”

 

 A theme

An Invitation to Explore the 5Rhythms' Conscious Movement Practice in three Sessions.

An opportunity to dance through the rhythms in good company, beginning with the basics, diving deeper into the beat and on the way, finding your own dance; expressive and unique.

27th Oct 19: All about you; your body, your dance.
We will cover the basics of the 5Rhythms: the wave that provides the foundation and grounds a dance, the different beats and how if we let go of goals, expectations and self judgement we can begin a conscious expressive dance of relationship with our physical self.

1 Dec 19: You and Me
Diving Deeper into the practice.
Working with the space between us; how do we move from self to connection with another.

9 Feb 20: All of Us
A Celebration of "me, you and us"
Exploring how a group affects our dance and how connections are made in in company; Working with the space we find for ourselves in this situation.

We will explore these ideas whilst being conscious of our body's needs. A chance understand more of the connection between body movement and mood as well as thought. We will do this through movement, words, witnessing and dance.  The 5Rhythms of flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness will be our guide and muse for this class.  Bring your hopes, ideas along with a bag of worn out ways, that you might encourage yourself to leave behind you!

As usual

• All are welcome young, old, fit or unfit.
• No partner or previous experience of dance needed
• Are you recovering from illness or injury and want to go at your own pace?
• No steps to learn and nothing to get right or wrong and no judgement from the teacher.
• Would you like to be more at peace with yourself?
• Do you want to be able to navigate the chaos of life more easily?
• You like to dance, have fun but can’t follow a class or have 2 left feet?

Could this be for you?…find out and complete the booking form to join us on the dance floor

More about Mindful Movement modalities

The 5 Rhythms’ movement work, is a clear and beautiful way to begin the practice of conscious dance.

It's fun, interesting and students can become accustomed to the idea of dancing from your feet. They can discover how they are able to let go of the need to do anything, other than listen to their body and dance from that instinctive point.
In this world of ours, we tend to be taught from very early age about right and wrong. Once students truly and deeply take on board letting their body express what it needs to, it is joyful and liberating. When they know instinctively that the body knows what is right for it, in any moment, the practice becomes deeper and the movements reflect the reality of the person moving.
It would be wrong not to say at this point that once a student dances their true reality, then change and transformation will begin.

Open Floor takes conscious dance a step further

A rapid description is pretty impossible, but one can say that this practice starts off with being inclusive of the whole person. I have a physical body, I have a thinking mind. I am an emotional creature, which are all part of me.  We are also a people who seek another dimension in my life, some would call it spiritual, others a yearning for “something more”.  All this the teacher brings every time she goes to a class or a workshop.
The whole of us is always with us, whether we are conscious of it or not.
Another way of putting this ‘inclusivness’ is that every human has a hunger – a physical hunger, a hunger to connect with another, hunger for belonging and this hunger for something else. We work with these hungers and invite and encourage all or any of them to walk in the door. The name OPEN FLOOR is also about “all are welcome whoever you are and whoever you feel yourself to be” when you walk on to the floor.
If you want to experience that, then dare to be brave and join us.

The music

The music is different each time and is a mix of: electronica, jazz, classical, pop, rock and roll, alternative, some fast some slow.

Booking:

Book Your Event Here

Date: 27th Oct, 1st Dec 2019, 9th Feb 2020    Time: 2pm to 5pm

Venue: Liddington Village hall, Swindon SN4 0HB with plenty of free parking. http://liddington4.org/wp/hall2/

Booking: places are limited to 16 so book now as to avoid disappointment. Fill out the form. You will then receive payment details.  For more details call Julie on 01793 495551

Can’t make the date and want to be kept informed of the next event subscribe here

 

Investment:

• £20 early bird by 7th October: £18
• Book 2 places (either 2 workshops or 2 people) : £2 off
• Book all 3 workshops: £3 off the total
• On the day £22 cash per person

Book Your Event Here

Teacher Gay Murphy says:

Teacher Gay Murphy

I am a 76 year old grandmother who first found 5Rhythms® twenty five years ago.  It was as if my three year old self was reborn and with her ability to move and dance from within without restraint or self consciousness.  I immediately fell in love with this practice.  Long years of being physically tied up in knots, awkward and shy fell away as I gradually let go of the inhibitions and literally ‘loosened up’ in all manner of ways.

I was taught by a group of people gathered together by Gabrielle Roth, the founder and the strength behind the 5 Rhythms as we know them today.

After 16 years of teaching the 5Rs I became a student again and joined a movement practice called Open Floor International. Most of the founders of this practice were taught by Gabrielle Roth to whom we owe a profound gratitude.

I am passionate about teaching conscious dance practice; to encourage others to find the ground under their feet and let their wings fly! 

When I stand in a hall, I aim to look for simplicity as in;

•  Not too much teaching,
• Respect for each student who shows up and allows themselves be moved,
• Courage for myself to let go and adapt my planned teaching at any time to what is going on in the room;
• The confidence to listen to my instincts and to act on them.
• Encouragement and inspiration to the people who have turned out on a cold night!

Surrounding and supporting my teaching is my enthusiasm for these practices. How it touches my heart every time I teach and witness what happens on the dance floor. http://www.joyfuldance.co.uk

On the day:

• Wear loose comfortable clothes; layers to remove as you warm up and put back on as you cool down.
• Dance in comfortable shoes or bare foot as socks are too slippery on the wood floor.
• Bring some water.

For more about what it can do for you:

Read:

• Dancing out of depression with 5 Rhythms classes article from the daily echo.
• What it did for me and why I stared running sessions in Swindon in the evening advertiser article; dance your way to freedom and on my blog about 5 Rhythms events 
• Shall We Dance? Science Says ‘Go on, It’s Good for You’
  Studies have started to emerge on the positive impacts community dance activity can have on different populations, across a range of issues. Huffington Post

Join: Mindful Movement Space Facebook group to keep up with other dates and similar events.

 

Celebrations, a year of mindful movement meditation

“Movement is my medicine, my meditation, my metaphor and my method, a living language we can rely upon to tell us the truth about who we are, who we are with, and where we are going. There is no dogma in the dance”. – G.Roth. Creator of 5Rhythms


What can you do if you want to exercise but can’t follow a class, have no partner or 2 left feet?
You like the idea of yoga or Tai’chi and be more at peace with yourself, but it seems difficult to learn the moves or postures and feel it might take you years to get the benefits!
Do you like to dance, have fun and don’t like to be judged?
Would you like to be able to navigate the chaos of life more easily?
If so, 5 Rhythms is for you…join us …




Our theme for the 18th Nov 2018 is celebration.

Through the medium of free dance, celebrate yourself, your close connections, your friends, your celebration of life and your spirit.

We will use 5 Rhythms to help us on this journey and to hold us as we may discover the way to celebrate is also full of emotional one way streets and dark moments.

To read more and to book: https://body-mind-coaching.co.uk/5-rhythms-18-november-2018/

This video is about something we explored a few months back.

Dancing Your Way To Freedom

5Rhythms - Evening Advertiser 3rd Jan 2018

Need to exercise but are put off by classes? SARAH SINGLETON looks at
a form of ‘dancing’ which is easy to participate in and requires no specialist
clothing.

Mindful dancing, a style which requires no lycra clothing or complicated routines, is helping people
free their bodies and so free their minds, according to Julie Nicholls.

Called 5Rhythms, this variety of dance dates back to the 1970s and was created by American
Gabrielle Roth as a type of meditation. Now Julie, who has been a Body Mind Coach for
25 years, has brought the classes to Wiltshire.

She invited instructor Gay Murphy to run a free taster session in October 2017, and has now
organised another class on 21st January 2018 from 2pm to 5pm at Liddington village hall.
A further session will run on 18th March 2018.

"5Rhythms is perfect for people who want or need to exercise but are put off by classes,
perhaps because they can't follow the instructor, or they worry what they look like, or even
because they struggle getting off the floor,"  Julie said.

"With 5Rhythms, people can wear that they like - loose clothing is ideal - and they dance
how they wish, with guidance from the instructor. It suits people of any age and ability.
The beauty of it is that you dance your own dance, within your comfort zone, so there is
no need to do anything that strains your body. There are no steps to learn and you can
never get it wrong. This brings so much freedom to the body that it frees the mind."

She described how 5Rhythms moves through five different types of music or
rhythm - flow, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness.The aim is to use movement as
meditation, which helps people explore their feelings - she said it can be therapeutic
for the  mind as well as the body. "It is a little like a dance based version of how
I help my clients, by helping heal their mind and their bodies," she said.

Julie, 49, from Swindon, has dedicated her professional life to promoting mental and
physical well being andexploring the connection between them. She was born in Belgium,
of British parents, and after leaving school, trained to be a nurse. But after gaining her
nursing degree in 1989, she was disillusioned by conventional medicine and
disappointed to discover the stresses and strains of her training had negatively
impacted her own well being.

She moved to Britain and studied at the Brockwood Park School as a mature student,
and in 1993 qualified in Remedial Massage from the Northern Institute of Massage.
Julie wanted to take her understanding further, however, and to find ways to deal with
chronic illness and pain, which she believed was not being fully resolved in hospitals.

She studied the Trager technique and qualified as a Trager Practitioner in 1997, which
she says enabled her to do more than relieve pain and discomfort, but to help people
avoid it in the first place.

Her Natural Therapy Centre was a Wiltshire Business of the Year finalist in 1994.

"You have to educate your clients to stop doing stuff that is getting in the way of them
being well," she said. "It is a state of being. You have to take away all the things you
are doing that are creating the pain, tension and disease of the body. Working extra
long hours, lack of sleep and bad food all get in the Way of being Well."

She said her therapy involved psycho-physical integration - becoming aware of exactly
what is going on in your body, and what was creating the pain. "That's the whole package
- helping people to connect with themselves so they can feel free of guilt and shame.
That is what I help people with," she said.

To find out more about the 5Rhythms mindful dancing, or about Julie's work, visit her website,
body-mind-coaching.co.uk or call 01793 495551.

5Rhythms, a Mindful Moving Meditation

"Movement Meditation a “5Rhythms Taster Day” in Swindon

I started dancing 5 Rhythms, developed by Gabrielle Roth, about 6 years ago.  Even though I knew it could be transformational, having seen first hand how it helped a school friend, at first I just did it for fun and the exercise.  It is easy because there are no steps to learn ( I had enough going on in my head, without having to learn something else) and no partners needed (ideal as my husband hates dancing).

It took a while for me to feel the benefits, other than getting out and having my own space, which anyone who has or can remember having a 2 year old around will understand is of great value in itself.  I was getting space by going to my pilates and yoga classes but 5 Rhythms was different, it was about being me, not following someone else.

The beauty of it is that you dance your own dance, within your own comfort zone so there is no need to do anything that strains your body. There are no steps to learn and you can never get it wrong. This brings so much freedom to the body that it frees the mind and the mind is so free to explore that it frees the body.


The classes and workshops have helped me be more in tune with what is going on in my life. I am more aware and respect the different rhythms that go on all around and inside me. Now it brings back the freedom and fun in my body that gets lost with the every day demands of bringing up a child and running my own business from home. It allows me to receive in the way I give to my clients.

 Can this really help me?  
Dancing benefits in the press!

Dancing out of depression with 5 Rhythm classes  

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/11066789.display/?fb_action_ids=528323917284107&fb_action_types=og.likes

 

Shall We Dance? Science Says ‘Go on, It’s Good for You’  
Studies have started to emerge on the positive impacts community dance activity can have on different populations, across a range of issues.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/imogen-aujla/strictly-come-dancing_b_8581938.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

You can come and find out for yourself during our taster session on the 29th October 

DISCOVER HOW CONSCIOUS MOVEMENT CAN HELP YOU TO BE MORE AT PEACE AND COMFORTABLE WITH THE RHYTHMS THAT RULE YOUR LIFE…

Dancing the 5rhythms’ is a beautiful exploration of our ability to be conscious of how we are in any one moment and to express this through movement.  

“For me the healing occurs when someone finds their own dance, whatever it feels like, and goes with it, finding something new for themselves; and giving themselves permission to be just as they are.”

PROGRAMME

During the morning session we will go through the rhythms so that you can begin to feel them in your own way; I will encourage you to "FLOW"  for yourself then to allow the beat to take you into "STACCATO",  to then move into "CHAOS" with curiosity; to drop into "LYRICAL" and find that part of yourself that wishes to sing and embrace everything and then lastly to find peace and quiet in "STILLNESS". 

In the afternoon session, we will go through the 5 Rhythms again but with more focus on being conscious of what is present for us in the moment and how our movement is affected by our thoughts and our feelings.   At the same time I will explore with you how each rhythm has its' own flavour and each session is an exploration into being mindful and in the present.

We will look for the "sweet spot", the place where we feel wholly together in body, feelings and mind; together with another, the group and the setting.  Searching for this combination of the whole self, and repeating the dance as we feel it, can lead into that energetic space where there is only the beat, your breath, your heartbeat and the space to be you

The music is varied: electronica, jazz, classical, pop, rock and roll, alternative, some fast some slow.  

Gay Murphy 5 Rhythms teacher

No previous experience of dance needed, and all are welcome.   There are no steps to learn and no judgement from the teacher during a session.

Really look forward to meeting you on the dance floor

Venue: Liddington Village hall, near Swindon, SN4 0HB Free parking
When: 29th Oct 2017
Teacher: Gay Murphy
Investment: For the morning 10.30 to 12.30 donations to help us cover the cost of the hall and the teacher's travel from London. 
For the afternoon 2pm to 5pm £15 -  Book by 1st Oct: £2 off  - Bring a friend: get £2 off

Booking for the morning can be done on Eventbrite and is essential to avoid disappointment as places are limited.

Suitable for everyone! Whatever your level of fitness or unfitness, wellness or illness. No experience of any form of exercise required.Wear warm, loose, comfortable clothing. Bring some water and lunch if you stay for the afternoon.

Feel the joy of a less stressed life.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/movement-meditation-a-5rhythms-taster-day-tickets-37101285945

For more information contact:

Julie Nicholls  01793 495551
julie@body-mind-coaching.co.uk
www.body-mind-coaching.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/BMChealth

No Need To Suffer

Evening Advertiser 1st August 2006

Do you put up with pain because you think it’s just part of life? There is an alternative, reports Graham Carter.

Have you heard the one about the 90 year old woman who went to the doctor’s complaining of a sore knee.

The doctor told her that it was only expected that such an old lady should have aches and pains. “Well, that can’t be right,” said the old lady. “because I’ve had my other knee 90 years as well - and that’s perfectly all right.”

Julie Nicholls doesn’t tell her clients this story to get a laugh. She tells them to make a point about the alternative treatments she offers which go under the umbrella of ‘Natural Therapy.’  And the message is that you don’t have to suffer.

Julie says that many of the problems people have are a result of stress, or something that has occurred in their past - what you call a hang-up. And this can manifest itself in may different ways, from seemingly unconnected niggly ailments to major emotional and psychological problems.

But Natural Therapy is all about treating causes, not symptoms. Take neck and shoulders. “People think it’s only natural that the stress they have ends up in their neck and shoulders,” said Julie. “If you look at people, you can often see them walking about, all hunched up as if they are carrying burden of their problems on their shoulders.

 “But if you relax your shoulders and raise your head, it’s possible to make the stress slip away and disappear. “It’s wrong to think that it has to end up somewhere in your body.”  Julie’s therapy is based on the technique she trained in originally, called Trager, although she has now added various other strings to her bow by applying what she has learned from treating people with more complex problems, such as post traumatic stress disorder.

 Listening skills, a common sense approach and a gift for ‘reading’ her clients’ situations are just as important. Other techniques she can use include Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), in which clients follow the movement of her fingers with their eyes. This is believed to help by alternatively engaging the left and right sides of the brain.

All these approaches are straightforward and stress-free but the main thing they have in common is they turn the idea of ‘no pain, no gain’ completely on its head. They tackle problems not by meeting them head-on in an unpleasant way but by extracting positives and building on them.

 Expect an ultimately enjoyable experience. Whether you are trying to address a physical or emotional problem, the treatment often involves gentle manipulation of joints and muscles.

 Julie holds a limb, tells the patient to let her take the weight, and encourages them to relax. This seems easy. but Julie is extremely adept at ’reading’ your level of  relaxation-and just when you think you’ve “let go” she shows you that you haven’t. Eventually, by making you more and more relaxed, you reach a feeling of much greater calm.

After this the trick is to “capture” this feeling Julie trains her clients to reproduce it at will, although it may take some practice and might require a few sessions. The technique can even be used for people who are faced with specific problems, such as job interviews or having to make a speech.

In the end, Julie’s approach succeeds because it addresses situations, sympathetically, practically and logically. without requiring that leap of faith that is necessary in other ‘alternative’ therapies. Natural Therapy can take the weight off your shoulders - and in more ways than one.

To find out more phone Julie Nicholls on 01793 495551 or visit body-mind-coaching.co.uk

Shape Up Without The Strain

 

Evening Advertiser August 2002

While many of us risk strains or even pulled muscles with punishing sessions in the gym, there is a therapy in Swindon that offers increased physical and mental well-being without the burn.

Trager and Mentastics are innovative therapies, originally from America, which combine gentle relaxing manipulation of the body-Trager, with self-care mental gymnastics-Mentastics.

Key benefits of Trager and Mentastics include reduced stress and anxiety, increased suppleness, deep relaxation, increased energy levels and recovery from injury.

Students of the therapies and people just wishing to find out more about them gathered at Lainsmead Primary School in Eastern Avenue for a day-long workshop, organised by local Swindon therapist Julie Nicholls, 34.

The workshop was led by the Austrian Trager and Mentastics instructor Hadi Stieg-Breuss, who helped the students explore movements of their arms, hands, back and heads. Ms. Nicholls, who practises as a therapist in the Bentley Centre in Stratton Road, said the workshop was a success.

“I’ve run several of these workshops since 1997. They’re a lot of fun, very relaxing and people who have not done Trager or Mentatics before, say that the day really puts them in contact with their bodies.

“Trager and Mentastics look at the individual’s body,” she continues, “If the person is suffering any pain, it seeks to help them change the ways in which their bodies work for them. It’s about moving so you feel effortless.

“The principles of Trager study weight, space, breathing, pauses and movement. It’s about how to get into positions without having to force them. If a person has pain, they hold on to that muscle, tense it, stress about it, even get depressed and that pain can rule their lives.

“We help them to look at what’s happening in their bodies and ways in which moving differently may help - if you move more freely, life can feel wonderful.

Julie plans to hold another workshop in November and would like to hear from anyone who would like to take part. The session will be open to everyone, children included, although they must be old enough to follow movement directions.

To find out more phone Julie Nicholls on 01793 495551 or visit body-mind-coaching.co.uk

Gentle Legacy Of A Boxing Doctor

   Evening Advertiser 28th July 1998

In 1925 a young boxer began developing a more gentle massage system.

SHIRLEY MATHIAS meets one of the UK’s 14 practitioners: -  It’s called “psychophysical integration” and it was devised by a Chicago boxer who later became a doctor.

Former nurse Julie Nicholls, of the Natural Therapy Centre in Shrivenham Road, Swindon, is one of only 14 people in Britain who are qualified to do it professionally. Actually it’s muscle movement and hands-on therapy named after Dr Milton Trager, who discovered it by accident and intuition when he was an 18-year-old fighter in training to be a professional in the ring.

Dr. Trager, who spent most of his life developing and teaching his touch therapy alongside this medical practice, died a year ago at the age of 90.

His system uses light, rhythmical hand contact and gentle manipulation instead of the heavy pressure of other massage systems.

The aim is to influence and interrupt deep-seated psychological and emotional patterns which can cause bad posture, distortion of muscles and joints and eventually physical pain. The therapy also improves posture.

 Julie, 30, is planning a series of introductory and training courses to introduce the unique therapy to Swindon people. She has helped to sort out everything from bad backs and bad temper. She hopes other people will be interested in becoming Trager practitioners.  Julie is the only one in Wiltshire,  “And there’s more work in this area than I can do,” she said. Julie, who was born in Belgium and has worked in Switzerland, came to Swindon five years ago to be with her boyfriend Chris Brown, who is now her husband. Treatment sessions last for at least 90 minutes. Her first introduction to Trager course is on Saturday, from 9.30am until 5pm.

More information from Julie Nicholls, Natural Therapy Centre, Swindon (01793 495551) or visit body-mind-coaching.co.uk

HOW THE TRAGER SYSTEM WORKS

The Trager system aims to release tight muscles, locked joints and even taut emotions
by manipulating the body within a pain-free range of movement.

No massage oils are used and the client doesn’t even need to undress completely. Besides the gentle massage, clients are taught Mentastics – Trager’s word for mental gymnastics, a system of effortless movement sequences designed to maintain and enhance the improvements which are produced on the massage table. 

“It’s more of a lesson than a treatment,” said Julie. “Pain is the last symptom which appears and the first to disappear. You might well be left with injured muscles, even though you aren’t feeling any more pain, so it is important to know how to maintain the benefits of the treatment.”

Gentle Manipulation Is The Key

Evening Advertiser 1996

Trager Approach techniques used today were created and developed over a period of 65 years by Milton Trager, who himself continued practising until he was 89.

They combine gentle, relaxing manipulation called tablework, with self-care exercises called Mentastics.

In tablework the person receiving the treatment lies comfortably on a special padded table wearing loose clothes.

Each person brings with them an individual history. Their body is unique.

The qualified Trager practitioner is aware of this and will treat a person according to what they find.

Using graceful and gentle manipulation of limbs and joints the practitioner works through natural paths of movement.

No attempt is made to put strain or fore on the receiver's body and the movements induce deep relaxation, increased physical mobility and mental clarity.

The aim of the tablework session is to promote a state of mental and physical well-being in the person receiving the treatment by releasing built up patterns of tension in the joints and muscles of the body.

To find out more phone Julie Nicholls on 01793 495551 or visit body-mind-coaching.co.uk