All in-person classes are paused for the end of August, returning September 7.
See timetable
Summer dates
A vibrational new treatment
I am delighted to introduce you to a new vibrational treatment that I’m offering as part of my traditional therapeutic Thai massage practice: Tok Sên (hammer energy lines). Gently tapping a tamarind mallet on differently shaped wooden hammers onto the body releases muscle tension and relieves pain. It also improves circulation, promotes healing and energetic balance as well as being deeply relaxing and meditative.
Tok Sên also stimulates the ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) which releases dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins, as well as improving function in parts of the brain involved in social cognition, self awareness and satisfaction.
Get in touch to book your appointment
Book Massageor read more…
30 Days of FREE meditations
Do you meditate? Or do you struggle to find time/settle/or even engage with the idea?
In conversation with a dear friend the other day I recognised a familiar pattern: her neurodiversity makes it difficult for her to start and maintain practices, but because she knows it would be beneficial, she then gets stuck in loops of ‘failing’ to start/continue/focus and then feelings of self blame.
Sound familiar?
How about rather than ‘failing’ to start/maintain a formal meditation practice, bringing meditative awareness to little moments in your day. Start with something simple; like getting dressed.
* As you stand in front of your clothes to choose, tune in to how your body feels right now? What do you need: warmth, coolness, comfort, ease, practicality, joy…? This is tuning in to your body in the present moment.
* As you get dressed, notice how it is to move into your clothes. How the fabrics feel against your skin. More opportunities for embodied awareness and connection.
* You might even extend this to feelings of Metta (lovingkindness) and gratitude to the folk who made your clothes. Even deeper, this may inspire more awareness and compassion, could you practice ahimsa, non-harm, in the way you buy clothes; not supporting companies that abuse people or planet, buying less/more ethically? There’s a little moment of enlightenment for you right there.
The possibilities to connect to the present moment, yourself and others are right there in that daily activity. Meditation tick ??
If you’d like a little inspiration to get you into formal or informal meditation practices, Charlotte, Leah and myself have recorded 30 15-minute daily meditations for you over at charlottewattshealth which are FREE throughout August uaing code WH100 at checkout. That’s one a day, exploring what mindfulness might look like for you, how to connect to your breath, developing curiosity, beginner’s mind, not over identifying with our thoughts, being patient, experiencing without interpretation and fostering trust.
I would love to hear the ways you find to be more meditative in the everyday? Perfect for the school holidays!
Access 30 days of FREE daily meditations here and use CODE WH100 at checkout.
Scar tissue therapy
I’m delighted to now be offering specialist scar tissue therapy. Whether you have c-section, mastectomy, top-surgery or other scars that you would like to work with, this is deeply healing work. We all know from experience that the visible scar is just the tip of the iceberg, both physically and emotionally.
You might have: corded or knotted, toughened and desensitised tissue that causes pulling and referred pain in your back, hips, shoulders etc because the whole body is connected, and post-surgery reconstruction gathers and pulls on surrounding areas. It may effect more deeply on the mobility of your organs. And emotionally, there may be trauma around the surgery itself that creates patterns of holding, leading to pain or dissociation.
Scar tissue therapy is gentle, slow and respectful, working at a pace that allows you to feel agency. It is deeply effective at sensitively shifting the scar tissue, to improve texture and sensation as well as profoundly healing.
I can work appropriately with you on your scar directly post-surgery to help healing from 3 weeks post-surgery to very old scars that hold stories.
Get in touch to book via email.
Book MassagePride + Joy
I’m super-excited to be co-hosting a special afternoon retreat as part of Pride month this year, with Lou Thomas. Pride + Joy will be a restive opportunity for the LGBTQIA+ community and their friends and family, to slow down, connect, and rest with yoga and massage.
Venue: Hanover Community Centre
Date: 2-6pm Saturday 9th June 2024
We’re also being supported by the wonderful Bird & Blend teas, who are kindly providing us with delicious Chocolate Digestive tea for the afternoon.
Scar tissue massage therapy
I’m really delighted to now be offering therapeutic massage for scar tissue. Whether you have c-section, mastectomy, top-surgery or other scars that you would like to work with, this is deeply healing work. We all know from experience that the visible scar is just the tip of the iceberg, both physically and emotionally.
You might have: corded or knotted, toughened and desensitised tissue that causes pulling and refered pain in your back, hips, shoulders etc because the whole body is connected, and post-surgery reconstruction gathers and pulls on surrounding areas. It may effect more deeply on the mobility of your organs. And emotionally, there may be trauma around the surgery itself that creates patterns of holding, leading to pain or dissociation.
Scar tissue therapy is gentle, slow and respectful, working at a pace that allows you to feel agency. It is deeply effective at sensitively shifting the scar tissue, to improve texture and sensation as well as profoundly healing.
I can work appropriately with you on your scar directly post-surgery to help healing from 3 weeks post-surgery to very old scars that hold stories.
Book MassageYoga Teacher in a Box
Yoga Teacher in a Box: a little deck of cards and philosophy book with big ambitions. Full of ‘real’ bodies: different sizes and shapes, genders, ethnicities, abilities, embodying the philosophy of yoga as a path to liberation for all.
Order Yoga Teacher in a Box
Read more…
Please do leave a review too!
April day retreat
Gentle, nourishing yoga, walking countryside meditation, Thai massage and delicious vegan lunch in tune with the seasons.
When: April 28 (spring moving into summer), 10-4pm
Where: Barcombe Village Hall
Cost: £85 per person (£160 for 2 people booking together).
Spend a luxurious morning exploring quietening, somatic, meditative movement, expanding breath awareness and creating space for deep rest and reset of the nervous system in tune with nature and the shift of seasons (within ourselves and in nature).
We will be served an incredible vegan lunch (gluten free, please let us know when booking if you have any allergies) cooked by creative chef Lynne Mason @theveganexperienceuk. Importantly, there will also be pudding! All veg will be provided by local organic farm, Barcombe Nurseries. Please state when booking if you have any further dietary requirements.
We will then take a silent, meditative walk (weather allowing), followed by an afternoon of simple shared Thai massage techniques to ground ease out tension.
Not to be missed, this will be a day of soothing the senses and feeding the soul.
Email to bookFeedback from previous day retreat:
“Just to say how thoughtful the day was in every way, a recognition of the human being and all our individual needs – you noticed and noted all of them. From our needs to drink, to be alone, to be silent or chatty, to listen to ourselves. Everybody and every body was welcome to just be.” Anya
“I just wanted to say thank you so much for such a wonderful day on Sunday. I don’t ever remember feeling so calm and so regulated. I arrived home feeling very serene and realised just how far from that state I live! Also, for showing us how powerful it is to be given permission to be ourselves. I never realised just how much my nervous system would love that too. I could feel my whole body giving such a sigh of relief. I could just be me.” Pippa
“I slept so well Sunday night! Thank you so much for providing such a restorative day.” Nola
“On Sunday night I slept for 9 hours straight, it was the best sleep I’ve had in a long long time, thank you!” Kim
heart + bones RESTival
Rest, breathe, move, and laugh.
Enjoy a day devoted to all things rest and restoration for your nervous system. You’ll unwind stress and tension with gentle movement, self-massage, guided relaxation, and somatic practices to feel more grounded and connected within yourself.
Your day retreat will be supported and guided by four of Heart + Bones online studio teachers: Leo Taylor, Atifa Ismailmiya- Balding, Lou Thomas, and Brea Johnson.
We expect this event to sell out so make sure you book your spot as soon as you can!
A delicious lunch and snacks will be provided.
when:
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10
time:
10:00AM – 5:00PM
where:
THE STUDIO, BRIGHTON
cost:
£115, VEGAN LUNCH AND SNACKS INCLUDED
Contact brea@heartandbonesyoga.com to register. This workshop will fill up fast, please book as soon as possible.
Restive season starts here
As I’m writing this, I’m recovering from some lurgy-induced rest, but don’t wait for your body to say ‘no’. Why not reframe what can be an unnaturally stressful and over-energised time of year (not least for women, who still statistically carry most of the mental load and much of the labour burden of giving everyone the ‘perfect Christmas’).
At this time of year, nature is resting, quiet.
You are part of nature.
REST!
Here are some supportive ideas to help you get into the restive spirit:
1. 12 Days of Recovery & Restoration Why not join me and Charlotte for 12 Days of Recovery & Restoration. Use code WH100 at checkout to receive a whole month of FREE online classes, meditation and supportive whole health webinars that are perfect for inspiring more restful tones for your nervous system.
2. Be gifted and gift consciously Save everyone the arduous task of Christmas shopping for more stuff, and book a voucher for a massage, yoga classes or a mini-retreat for early next year.
3. Challenge samskaras Samskaras are habits – personal or social too – that couse suffering. Ask of everything you feel you ‘should’ do to make everything ‘perfect’ for everyone:
Does it bring joy equivalent to the labour involved?
What have been your mnost ‘perfect’ moments; could you have constructed them to be so?
Is it a social construct you need to subscribe to or could you be free of it?
4. Practise gratitude. Regularly recognising and ‘logging’ (you could keep a list/journal/jar) of even the smallest things that you feel grateful for (especially those that cost nothing) soon adds up to noticing how many little moments of joy and connection we have.
5. Verbalise appreciation. When you see someone who looks great, tell them. When somebody does something kind, thank them. When you notice someone making an effort, remark on it (rather than the outcome). Appreciation is infectious and spreads joy.
On that note, thank you all for your support and kindness, for being part of my yoga and massage community, you are all so appreciated. Happy restive season everyone, I’ll look forward to seeing you all in 2024, classes resume on January 6 2024.
Much love,
Leo xxx