The pace of modern life is becoming more stressful – more projects to do in less time, more people to keep in touch with via more communication mediums, more choices to consider, more activities to do… and less rest.

Having lots of things on the go can make our minds very busy – constantly solving problems, evaluating options, trying to predict the future. This results in stress, which in turn causes the body to tense up and enter the physiological state of “fight or flight”. Being in this state for too long can cause irritability, exhaustion, low moods and negative outlook on life.

Meditation has long been recognized for its benefits of stress reduction, creating a calmer mental state, contributing to better sleep and supporting mental clarity. Meditative movement techniques take this to the next level by involving the physical body in the process of meditation, creating a physical sense of ease and relaxation in addition to the mental.

This is a 5-hour guided meditation workshop with theoretical, practical and integrative components offered at a relaxed pace to match the theme.

Theoretical: participants will gain an understanding of what creates and undermines relaxation on mental and physical levels, how the mental and physical levels interact, and how this plays out in everyday life.

Practical: participants will be guided through exercises that put these insights into practice and learn how to actually do deeper relaxation.

Integrative: we will engage in reflection exercises to understand how all of this fits into one’s own everyday life as well as what positive lifestyle changes one can make to cultivate relaxation and reduce stress.

This workshop is suitable for anyone – we usually have a good mixture of complete beginners and people who have been doing meditation for a while. The movement component can be adjusted to anyone’s level of comfort – if you can walk then you can do this workshop. Much in line with the theme there will be plenty of breaks to either reflect, have a lie down on a bean bag or chat with other friendly participants. A cup of tea will be served at the end.

You can read participant feedback from the previous workshop here.

Time: 1pm to 6pm on Saturday 27th of Ocrober.

Suggested koha: $40 standard / $20 low income / $10 financially struggling. Koha is a Maori custom of making a voluntary gift to the hosts of the gathering in accordance with the guest’s means. Koha is not a fee and therefore not a requirement, nobody is excluded for financial reasons.

What to bring: just yourself and an open mind. Wear layered clothing comfortable for sitting and movement. Pen and paper is ok if you feel like writing during the breaks. No electronic devices, cellphones and smartwatches must be left in your car. There will be filtered water and cups + some healthy vegan snacks will be provided during the breaks to keep your energy up.

Advance registration is required and the workshop is limited to 15 participants. Please read through the venue information and house rules of Laingholm 11 and then fill out the form below to book your place in the workshop.

Workshop Photo