FRIDAY 20^TH JUNE 2008

SATURDAY 21^ST JUNE 2008

SUNDAY 22^ND JUNE 2008 

Alex Boyd

Alex, now forty years of age (you'd never believe it!), has been learning 'Lishi' since he was 16.  This will be his third invitation to teach at the Festival, which reflects the response to his workshops. Although living near Leeds he regularly teaches in London, various European countries and the United States. Lishi is a Chinese Daoist practise that aims to improve people's lives through focusing on energy or 'Qi'.  Alex has visited China five times now with his teacher Desmond Murray and worked with the top Daoist Abbots and practitioners of 'Daojiao' (Daoist Whole-Body Teaching). He is married to Wendy who is Dutch and has a one and a half year old son called Xander. Alex is Deputy Principal? of The College of Chinese Physical Culture.

The 'Lishi' Flying Hand Dance – practical session – Saturday morning

A beautiful, flowing dance that helps you 'let go' and brings you in harmony with the celestial and earth's energy. Keep your energy (Qi) moving constantly, breathe with each movement and dance with intricate and delicate skill. You will learn the first 10 movements of this special dance. No mats required.

Connect through 'Lishi' – practical session – Saturday afternoon

In Lishi we learn not only to make contact with others but to 'connect' with their energy. Learn that for every strength there is an inherent weakness, to fall over is to learn to stand up. Using practical 'Yin/Yang' exercises you will learn the benefit of partner-work and develop your use of breath and energy (Qi).

The 'Lishi' Silk Form – practical session – Sunday morning

?Extending energy (Qi) into a length of silk, enabling it to ripple through the air whilst you perform the Silk Form.  The silk becomes an extension of your hand, of your energy. It will only flow if you do so. You will learn the first 12 movements of this wonderful dance. Silks will be provided. No mats required.

'The Softest is the Strongest' – practical session – Sunday afternoon

Complete relaxation throughout the whole organism is essential for the internal (Qi) energies of the body to flow unimpeded. This workshop will help us to be to be soft like water, to be rooted like a mountain and to move with the wind. Contact improvisation using Yoga postures, breath and energy might just take us to some unexpected places.

Ian Burgess

Mantra Yoga – Sunday morning

Mantra yoga is the Yoga of sound vibration, which is used to stimulate, tune and retune the body. Most of today's mantras are in Sanskrit, which is an ancient language the sounds of which are said to possess special qualities.  All too often mantra is treated as something very serious, which it very likely is, but to be most effective it should be pleasurable, even fun. We aim to enjoy ourselves at this session.             

Gary Carter

Gary has an extensive history of over 30 years experience in movement, physical training, anatomical study and bodywork practices.  His background incorporates athletics, competitive cycling, bodybuilding, martial arts and yoga along with the manual therapies of cranio-sacral therapies, shiatsu and structural integration.  From this diverse background Gary has created his own unique way of working with the body, that he incorporates into both his practical and theoretical lectures.  In 1990, Gary set up the Natural Bodies Centre in Brighton to provide a range of related movement and manual disciplines where he could teach, train and encourage others to develop kinesthetic awareness, ease of movement and efficient body use in exercise and sport.  He continues to develop and evolve his understanding of balance, integration and functional movement by working with other anatomists in the USA and Europe.  Gary also works with movement teaches from the fields of dance, contact improvisation, Tai Chi, Pilates, Gyrotonics and martial arts.  

Gary was introduced to the Yoga of Vanda Scaravelli in 1998 and subsequently explored the work through various teachers, until he eventually met Vanda.  He continued the works under the influence of Diane Long and does so to this day.

Tensegrity – Spring Loaded and Light – finding lightness and space within asana – Sunday morning.  

In this workshop, we will explore the anatomical relationships throughout the joint network and how we find a sense of ‘lift’ and space in the joints.  Here we will look at the soft tissue relationships that create slings and springs, so we can find a continued quality of buoyancy in our movements.


Exploring the breath’s ability to free the spine and joints – Sunday afternoon

Once the movement of the breath is freed and spacious, the interactions of breath and spine can become clearly felt.  This then can become a place to move from, rather than often a place to attain.

Anthony Deavin

Anthony has a Bsc and PhD in Chemistry and research experience in the biological sciences.  In the 70s he ran courses for the Soil Association on organic gardening and farming.  At this time he also taught ‘O’ and ‘A’ level chemistry and biology.  Anthony then studied Ayurveda (Indian medical science) and qualified in Medical Herbalism.  Subsequently he qualified in Polarity and Cranio-sacral Therapies and Journey Therapy (trauma resolution).  Anthony has established Training in Polarity Therapy and has also conducted self-development groups which involve chanting, healing, conversation and quiet.

Causal Healing – Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning

With Causal Healing, our aim is to bring disturbing life-experiences to rest, so that the body’s energy may come into harmony and illnesses resolve.  We shall describe and demonstrate the variety of approaches that together constitute Causal Healing.  We shall explore:-

    Tissue (cellular) memory as the store of all our experiences.

    Pain and illness as expressions of unresolved trauma.

    The different ways in which we may access tissue memory.

    The experience of Source (essence) and the healing which arises from this     awareness.

During the workshop, most of the time will be spent in demonstration, so that participants can appreciate how they can become free of burdens and discover their direction in life.

Polarity Therapy – Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon

Polarity Therapy is a wonderfully simple hands-on therapy which relieves energy congestion and harmonises energy flow.  The simplicity of Polarity Therapy lies in how we work; we place the hands on two places on the body and simply wait for energy to flow.  At the same time, we feel the tissues relax and observe profound changes in the client.  The nature of the touch used varies according to what will best facilitate the flow of energy; rocking the body opens up the tissues, holding sore reflex points will clear energy congestion and light touch on or off the body will balance and integrate energy flow. 

The workshop will have a practical emphasis, with most of the time spent in demonstration and working in pairs.

Anthony will also be giving a talk on Yoga and Health on Friday evening.

Billy Doyle

Billy Doyle qualified with the BWY in 1980.  He has also studied 
Alexander Technique, Feldenkais, Eutony and Cranio-Sacral Therapy.  
He teaches yoga in the Kashmir Tradition, which was brought to the 
West by Jean Klein, whom he first met in 1982 and studied with him 
for 15 years.  Billy teaches in North London and Kew and runs 
retreats in the UK and abroad.

Yoga in the Kashmir Tradition – Saturday morning

We will be working with the energy body.  Trough a letting go and listening without anticipation, we allow the body sensation to unfold.  We discover in the process, our real body to be light, transparent and expanded in space.  In our practice we avoid all mechanical moving and end-gaining, but live moment to moment in the sensation.  Practising yoga in this way has a completely different quality.  Old patterns melt away and we are open to deeper dimensions of ourselves.  

From Posture to Breath and Silence – Saturday afternoon

We will be focusing on the body and the breath to bring us to silence and discussing the essence of the philosophy behind yoga.

Giovanni Felicioni

Giovanni is a certified Rolfer, Rolf Movement Practitioner and a Yoga teacher.  He has been practicing as a bodyworker in London and abroad for the past 18 years.  Giovanni teaches on the European Rolfing Faculty, trains yoga teachers and runs a practice in London.  He also teaches workshops and retreats internationally.  He is a founding member of The World Community for Christian Mediation and its publishing arm Medio Media Ltd.

As a bodyworker, Giovanni’s interests lie in the field of human function and mature behaviour.  Where the process of structural and movement integration, brought about through appropriate use of touch, language, meets the persons own process of coming to a deeper and broader awareness of self and others.

Finding the Ground; Finding the Sky; No Body – Saturday morning

In this session we will use perception to explore how we orient between the ground and sky in the yoga asanas. With this in mind we will ask what we mean by "grounding" and "lengthening." -- where is the ground and sky in frontbends and backbends?

Can I Be Stable and Adaptable? – Saturday morning

When we are well oriented the body becomes stable and remains adaptable.
-- the balancing and inverted poses. Enjoying being still and flowing with micro-movements.

The Spiral Dynamic – Saturday afternoon

The inner bridges of the body communicate through spirals.
-- Why does my spine have curves? Why does my body love twists?

Although the three sessions follow a progressional "narrative" each session can be enjoyed independently and the themes of all three sessions appear in the others.

 
Roni Gould

Roni has been teaching yoga since 1993 and has taken on various BWY committee posts over the past 10 years.  Roni is also a qualified reflexologist, studies acupressure and Traditional Oriental medicine.

Practical Yoga and Self Awareness – Saturday afternoon

The intention is to increase self-awareness through the senses and systems of the body.  We will stretch the body in the correct order, look at imbalance contributors, such as ‘the path of least resistance’, ‘Neuro muscular patterning’ and ‘Regular repetitive movement’.

 
Chris Harrison

Chris has practiced yoga for over 25 years and 1990, gaining her BWY Diploma in 1990.  Chris is currently teaching her third BWY Diploma Course, which she co-teaches with Monica Burton. Many different teachers and styles of yoga have influenced her style, which is based on Body Awareness, Body Integrity and Body Well-being.

Belts & Blocks – Saturday morning & Yoga with Props – Sunday morning

Everyone is an individual and thus to gain maximum benefit aids can be of a great assistance to fulfil our true potential. The sessions will be designed to explore the advantages of props in the yoga session, to improve alignment, balance and stability. Props are resources that assist us to stretch in a correct manner that perhaps we could not be able to do otherwise.  Whilst remembering props are in used for therapeutic and restorative manner.

 
Pat Jenkins

Pat has enjoyed a long and varied career in the Fitness Industry. As a child she was diagnosed with Scoliosis and following corrective surgery embarked upon a strict fitness regime to ensure that she returned to full health and would continue to be fit and flexible. The elements she was taught at that young age was in fact Pilates and this she only realised much later in her life. Pat has continued to embraced the Pilates way of life.  After having four children Pat gained formal qualifications in the industry she loved.  In 2002 Pat opened her own Studio in Milton Keynes, Pats Pilates Studio.  The success of the Studio attracted many newly qualified teachers and Fitness Instructors demanding classical Pilates with instruction from Pat in both Matwork and Studio Equipment. These requests for training from fellow professionals convinced Pat that her expertise and Studio could also be utilised for quality training. Pat offers a Nationally vocational Level 3 Pilates course.

Fundamental Pilates – Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon
This session involves the practise and understanding of the Pilates method

Pilates Small Grey Ball – Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning
Watch out for how versatile and fun one little ball can be!
The use of the small grey ball can assist, support, challenge your balance.
Enjoy the Pilates workout which combine strength, stabiliy and mobility with the support of the ball.

Richard Kravetz

RK has been practising yoga since the 1970s and teaching
for the last 16 years, having qualified as a BWY teacher with Velta Wilson.
He has more recently specialised in teaching yoga to special needs adults
and children in schools and day centres.  He has qualified as a licensed
practitioner of the "yoga for the special child" program with the Integral
Hatha Yoga school.  The chair yoga program has evolved from working with the
less abled, including Deaf-Blind and wheelchair users and the range of
movements has been adapted accordingly, to offer yoga to everyone
irrespective of age, condition and ability."

Chair Yoga – Saturday afternoon

"A practical session incorporating warm-ups, stretches, postures and sequences focusing on body awareness, breath and alignment.  The class seeks to demonstrate the versatility of chair based yoga as a valuable teaching aid in the accessability of yoga to everyone and will include some standing and also pranayama and meditation."

  
Miriam Lewis

Rupert Linton

“The current flow of my enquiries into Hatha yoga has lead me to an interest in how breathing patterns underlie subsequent movement patterns and how they can encourage our asana practice to grow. During the last few years I’ve begun exploring somatic movement systems such as Body Mind Centering and Authentic Movement and allowing those experiences to percolate through into my yoga teaching. 

I began practicing yoga as a student at the Sivananda Yoga Centre in Madrid and later at the Sivananda Ashram in Neyyar Dam in Kerala. The deep love and respect I learnt for the traditional Indian approach to yoga has supported a journey through Astanga and the BWY teaching diploma to an exploration of a yoga practice grounded in an experience and knowledge of the human body.  The current flow of my enquiries into Hatha yoga has lead me to an interest in how breathing patterns underlie subsequent movement patterns and how they can encourage our asana practice to grow. During the last few years I've begun exploring somatic movement systems such as Body Mind Centering and Authentic Movement and allowing those experiences to percolate through into my yoga teaching. I'm currently training with Linda Hartley in Integrative Bodywork and Movement Therapy and have trained in teaching yoga with Donna Farhi”. Rupert is currently BWY County Rep for South London and teaches in Balham and Herne Hill.

'Starfish - Expanding from the navel centre' - Friday afternoon
The expansion and contraction of the cellular breath supports a clear sense
of alignment in asana practice. By bringing the focus of the breath to the
area of the navel we will explore how this awareness helps us to experience
asana as comfortable and steady.

Yoga & Meditation - 'Earth, Breath and Inner Stillness' - Saturday early
Morning.  This session will focus on grounding the body through movement with awareness, grounding the breath by bringing attention to the diaphragms and establishing a sense of physical and emotional stillness which will lead us
into a comfortable seated meditation.

Mary Mackie

Gill Mitchell

Allan Oakman

Allan has been teaching yoga since 1967, during which year he was a guest speaker at the Midlands Yoga Association run by Wilfred Clark, later to become BWY.  He has spent 9 years as BWY County Rep for Wiltshire and 3 years as a Regional Officer.  In 1976 he qualified as a hypnotherapist and in 1981 became a Touch for Health instructor.  In 1982 he sold his printing business to realise his dream and work with yoga and complementary medicine full-time. Allan conducts seminars locally and nationally and is a frequent tutor at Lendrick Lodge in Scotland.  He runs yoga holidays in Wales with his wife Jan.  Allan teaches spontaneously from the heart and uses his own wide life experience to illustrate aspects of yoga, bringing clarity and understanding.  He has taught at BWY Congress on many occasions and is probably best know for his uplifting chanting sessions.

Allan will be teaching four sessions on Yoga – The Living Experience over the weekend.
 

  
Darryl O’Keefe

Darryl O'Keeffe is a much travelled and practically minded teacher and with a down to earth approach and ready sense of humour. He originally trained as a teacher at the Central School of Speech and Drama, more recently teaching spiritual healing with the National Federation of Spiritual Healers for 15 years and has also trained facilitators for the School of Insight and Intuition in London. He has facilitated a number of Sacred Tours to various countries, is a published author and has made several instructional and meditative recordings. Darryl has taught Kundalini Yoga for 18 years and is a Lead Trainer with The Kundalini Research Institute's Aquarian Academy delivering 500 hour Kundalini Yoga courses around the world. He is Registrar of SKY the School of Kundalini Yoga in the UK and co-author (with Guru Dharam Singh) of The Kundalini Yoga Experience aka Kundalini the Essence of Yoga.

Darryl will be teaching three sessions on Kundalini – Yoga and Meditation over the weekend.

  
John Parry

Cathryn Turner

Ann Weston

Ann started to practice Yoga at 16 and found it to be a life long passion.  Ann has worked extensively in Adult Education and privately, teaching a variety of Yoga and complimentary therapies.  She has directed many weekend courses and Training Sessions. Currently Ann continues to teach Yoga and is employed by The Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre where she helps patients and their families to cope with any stress arising from cancer, through relaxation, life and living skills.
 
Heaven lies within Us - asana practice through the chakras - Through work