The Still Space Within…

“at the still point of the turning world.

..at the still point there the dance is”

T.S Eliot

I practised Yoga for many years and as a cellist became increasingly interested in the role of breath, body and mind during performance. In 2001 I took the British Wheel of Yoga Teacher training under Peter Blackaby; a teacher that brought the miracle of living in ones body to life. It changed everything. The desire for the perfect headstand and more flexible backbend was replaced by a still place inside, a sense of connection. This experience changed my relationship to life, the cello and performance.

I’ve since taught yoga as an aid to performance as part of the secondary school curriculum and to string players on the European String Teachers’ Association summer course 2019. I also teach yoga on retreats and workshops with Ruth Phillips “The breathing bow”.

Yoga in Sanskrit translates as concentration, union, connection, and joining together. Its objective being to quieten the mind.

TO EXPERIENCE STILLNESS IN THE DANCE OF LIFE

When in the presence of a great artist, one senses simplicity and ease alongside an expression that seems to arise from deep within. As we are drawn into that space we experience a stillness beneath the tension and release that is alive in the music, resonating with what lies within; breathe in all expressions of life. Connecting to and being mindful of the breath has something powerful to show us, something we can really benefit from, something we can turn to, that supports us in practice, performance and in life itself.

WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW IS THE PERFECT PLACE TO START

Inviting the breath in and softening to its guidance creates a sense of space, untethering unconscious patterns held in both body and mind. With curiosity and patience we gently unfold into the freedom we were born with and still retain deep within.

”You are a blessing on the planet when you are in touch with the spacious, formless dimension within yourself”

Eckhart Tolle
My intention is that you deepen the relationship with your own body, connecting you to that still place inside, where you can surrender and trust your own process.