The Moving Body is a dynamic and restorative embodiment practice that blends together the resources of Open Floor movement along with free form & ecstatic dance meditation, mindfulness practice and teachings from the chakra system.

All of these practices explore effective and enjoyable ways to ground & centre ourselves, release stress, increase vitality and develop a more relaxed and spacious approach to life.

We offer classes, retreats & workshops that cultivate new ways to meet life's ups & downs and create wellbeing in our lives. 

We also offer individual therapy and group healing sessions in person and online.

Carol

I have always been fascinated by what is happening under the surface of our lives and what it is that gives us a sense of freedom, joy and belonging.

Throughout my life movement, music and dancing have always been good medicine for me. Whatever is happening I always feel better, clearer and more in tune with myself and my environment after moving freely with music, or in silence or outdoors in nature.

My passion is authenticity. It brings me joy to facilitate people to access their innate wisdom and essential self through reclaiming connection with the body. My understanding is that listening to and following the movement of the life force as it is expressed through the body can awaken our gifts and liberate us from unhelpful experiences, cultural conditioning and ways of being that have bound us.

My studies began in the 1990’s with holistic body work, massage and energy medicine but it was the discovery of free form dance as a healing meditation practice that opened doorways in my heart, mind and soul that I had not been able to consider previously. It was a huge relief to find a practice where all of who I am is welcome and where the movement and expression that comes through me is recognised as the teacher, healer and guide to my authentic self. I have journeyed with many different forms of embodied & conscious dance practices over the last 20+ years, and trained in some of them, returning again and again to the simple joy of moving to build presence and to encourage truthful, visible and creative expression in the moment.

 Since 2009 I have facilitated movement classes, embodiment dance workshops and healing retreats that offer practical resources for daily living in a fast changing and often chaotic world. My teaching draws from the understanding that as human beings we are part of the living earth and by attuning to its natural cycles and rhythms we can align with our own, and with the cosmic intelligence that creates and supports all of life.

 My main focus is on cultivating a sense of curiosity and kindness towards ourselves as we travel into the territory of the body/mind in a supportive environment.  I love to work at depth with the emotional body as I see that this is where many of us usually get stuck. Movement offers a powerful container for our emotional expression and gives us a place to safely express and to develop skills to surf the waves of our more intense feelings.

Dance as meditation has the potential to bring us into such joy, to feel our way through suffering and disappointment into a reality that can open to the full human experience, with all its dualities and paradoxes. It teaches us to embrace the beauty and the darkness of humanity within ourselves in a nonjudgmental way, so that we can embody freedom and maintain the courage to be present in this world.

 My body of work ‘The Moving Body’ has arisen from many years of study and training in embodiment, mindful movement, ecstatic dance practices and teachings from the chakra system. Working as an accredited counsellor, movement therapist and Open Floor teacher I draw on my early training in body work and energy healing to support us to embody our physical reality along with those of our heart, mind and soul.

MINDFULNESS

is the practice of awareness of our state in the present moment. It teaches us to become more accepting of how we are thinking, feeling and experiencing ourselves and life in the here and now. Mindfulness draws on the breath and body to focus attention and settle ourselves, and some of the benefits include increased happiness and concentration, the ability to stay centered in ourselves when challenged, improved relationships and enhanced creativity. 

The Moving Body

Is a practice that draws on the movement of the body, heart, and mind as gateways into the present moment. 

Movement as meditation opens the doorway to all levels of the human experience, physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual. It shows us where we are showing up and where we are absent, where we are comfortable and where we cringe and shy away from parts of our essential nature. It provides us with a key to the instrument we have been given for this lifetime, inviting us to access to the wisdom & sensitivity of the body, the intelligence of our emotions, our ability to be mindful and to build presence in our lives.

This practice draws upon the intelligence of subtle energy centers and systems in the body (chakras) that are awakened as we move with awareness and intention. The wisdom and teachings of the chakra system came to the west through the practice of yoga, and offers us solid and spacious movement map from which to explore who and how we are,  and to create change from within.

Open Floor

Open Floor International is a collective of seasoned movement teachers and trainers who offer teaching and training in Open Floor movement practice. This embodiment and dance meditation practice invites all of who, and how we are, into the room and invites us to be present and bring it into motion. Through the use of movement resources common to all breath and body in motion practices, it offers us the possibility of shifting from fixed or stuck positions physically, mentally, emotionally, into a more fluid way of being and relating to others and the world around us.

For more information on this powerful and healing movement practice have a look at these two short videos here or go to www.openfloor.org

  Counselling & MOVEMENT THERAPY

Movement Therapy focuses on sensitively including the body, as well as thoughts and feelings in a safe therapeutic space. We have a mind and we live in a body, so we can access a fuller picture when we listen to what both have to say. At certain stages in therapy following the flow of the body’s natural physical expression, along with the use of breath and simple movement structures can increase awareness, strengthen the mind/body connection, reduce stress and support a healthy sense of balance and well-being.

The language of the body is movement. It is our first language, our most honest expression and the closest to the truth of who we are and how we relate to ourselves and the world around us. The body speaks through sensations, the physical energy of our feelings and the way we move. Movement therapy uses the body's language to connect with our internal worlds and focuses on supporting the client to stay grounded and present in the body during the process. The insight received during a movement therapy session is deeply rooted in the body, which leads to increased understanding and self-awareness. Movement therapy is used successfully in medical and educational settings, in nursing homes and rehabilitation centres, and can be applied to a wide range of emotional, physical, cognitive and spiritual difficulties. 

More information on therapeutic sessions can be found on our Therapy & Healing page.