Integrative Embodiment & Living Yoga Unlock deep body wisdom+disrupt linear paradigms Align body+mind+soul with Nature Teacher Trainings & Mentorship
☆ Blessed Rest ☆
Hi Reader,
This weekend marked the finale session for the 2023 Embodied Resilience Atelier, which has left my mind & heart blown open.
The infinite awe, wonder & humility of the power of our embodiment continues to unfold with every deepening training & every cohort with unique inquiries. In the face of world events & global change, the research & conversations about the impact of embodied practices & living yoga bear within them deep & much needed wisdom for our times.
A few soundbites from our finale discussion to share our wonder with you...
- movement training should set up readiness & increase possibilities
- the diaphragm is the divider of: conscious/unconscious; voluntary/involuntary; skeletal/visceral
- oscillation (jiggle, wiggle, wave, vibration) confuses the nervous system to help dissolve habits
- oscillation feels good to the nervous system through the feedback loop of sensing ourselves
- oscillation is like sonar for the body to find parts of itself it has lost (via proprioception)
- our architecture itself is a base state of intelligence
- overly mental ideas of movement are part of supremacist mentality
- a healthful embodied practice is descriptive rather than prescriptive
- we're not looking for shape, we're looking for connection
- when our joint surfaces are aligned, the surrounding tissue tone pulls the surfaces away, thus unloading the joint
- parallel is an imposition on a polyvectoral structure
- looking deeply reveals complexity beyond imagination, simplification moves us away from reality
- all models are wrong, some are useful, all are context dependent, usefulness depends on context
- learning is truly never-ending, curiosity for new possibilities is a form of playfulness
- embodied practice impacts every part of our lives
Through decades of observing experiences of students & peers, corroborated by the latest research as well as my own life, it's becoming more clear that prioritizing our relationship to our own embodiment is a (maybe THE) key factor in living as relaxed, focused & fulfilled as possible, no matter what is happening in our personal lives or on the world stage.
Mind-body practices of movement, breath & mindfulness/meditation help us feel better physically, mentally & emotionally, every time. When we know which qualities of practices to apply to our unique needs, we build resilience physically, mentally & emotionally. The physical body is the easiest access point to affect our more-than-physical lived experience.
When you find YOUR unique recipe to regularly tune in with your mind, body & soul, you'll be equipped to navigate life's challenges with balance, resilience, and a deep sense of well-being.
Further reading & inspiration HERE (The Five Inner Senses of Embodiment) & HERE (Mental Illness is All in Your Body).
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In Rhythm with Nature - Join us for Solstice Within
'Tis the season to slow down, heed the inward pull & rest.
Is this your reality? Likely not - whether it's the bustle of family gatherings, travel, holiday parties or planning for what's ahead, it's way too easy to speed through this time when our nature longs for deep rest. It's important to make the time to digest the past year & honor what's coming to a close in your life, so that we'll step forward into the next year with space for life.
That's why I've offered the annual Solstice Within practice for the past 3 years. This year by donation (no one turned away), join me for a luscious blend of floor-based somatic yoga practice + self massage + restorative yoga nidra to unwind patterns of tension in your body+mind+heart. All levels invited and encouraged. Enjoy the recording through the end of 2023.
Dec 21 | 6-715pm PT | online + by donation
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Embodied Resilience™ live weekly practice sessions start January 4th!
I'm really looking forward to sharing my favorite practices with you!
Experience out-of-the-box embodied yoga practices of meditation, pranayama & modern movement medicine for physical, emotional & mental resilience. Registration opens the last week of December.
- Weekly practices meet on Zoom, Thursdays 9am PT
- Begins January 4, 2024
- Come live for the best experience
- Stay after to ask questions & chat
- Recordings available indefinitely via private YouTube links
- Monthly subscription is $30, for practices & perspective you won't find anywhere else
- (Please reach out if you're in need of financial assistance, I want this information to help as many people as possible.)
- The last week of the month will be free & open to all, live on YouTube (subscribe & turn on alerts to get reminded!)
To Your Blessed Rest,
Michelle
PS. I'm excited to share that Christopher Tompkins will be a special guest teacher (sharing translations from source Tantrik texts) for the Elements of Ayurveda, Subtle Body & Tantrik Mantra Practice January 20-21, 9am-1pm PT. Not all trainings are open to the public, so I hope you'll consider joining me for this one.
Did you know that the modern understandings and meaning of the chakras are not truly reflective of their original context? The root teachings and practices associated with the chakras, as understood in the traditional yogic sense, remain rare to encounter in popular Western yoga. In case you missed it, click through to read my blog on the Tantrik Origins of the Chakras on Medium.
This training opens The Yoga Reconnection, a journey of living Yoga, Ayurveda & Shakta Tantra for modern life. The Yoga Reconnection + the Embodied Resilience Atelier are the core modules of the Kutilaa School of Embodied Resilience 300hr Yoga Teacher Training! 🥰
PPS. We've confirmed dates for Embodied Resilience™ Immersion into Spiral Alignment! I can't wait to return to a home of my heart, Encinitas, February 2-4 to share as much as I can fit into this 3-day immersion about the evolutions in embodied yoga practice, sustainable movement & the application of spiral alignment & biotensegrity for everyone who loves movement!
☆ Weekly Classes ☆
- Prana Vinyasa Flow | Wednesdays 630pm | Folk SF + streaming live
- Somatic Flow + Restore | Mondays 645pm | Cloudbreak Yoga Sausilito | begins in March
- Embodied Resilience | Thursdays 9am PT | online | movement + breath + meditation for physical, emotional & mental resilience
☆ 2024 Trainings & Events ☆
- Elements of Ayurveda, Subtle Body & Tantrik Mantra Practice | Jan 20-21 | online
- Embodied Anatomy: Fascia, Biotensegrity & Beyond | Jan 27-28 | Folk SF
- Embodied Resilience™ Immersion into Spiral Alignment | Feb 2-4 | Aum Dome, Encinitas
- Agni: Ayurveda, Digesting Experience & Tantrik Philosophy | Feb 10-11 | online
- Evolutions in Embodied Practice | Feb 19-23 | online details announced in January!
- Advanced Anatomy: Preventing & Working with Common Injuries | Feb 24-25 | Folk SF
- Envision Festival | March 4-11 | Costa Rica
- Nervous System Wisdom of Ayurveda + Tantra + Modern Science | March 23-24 | online
- Subtle Body 30hr Immersion | March 27-29 | Folk SF
- Building Resilience | April 20-21 | online (start of Embodied Resilience™ Atelier 2024, open to public)
- Heart & History of Namaskar | April 27 | Folk SF + online
- Lightning in a Bottle Festival | May 22-27 | Buena Vista Lake, CA
- Embodied Anatomy: Fascia, Biotensegrity & Beyond | June 1-2 | online (part of Embodied Resilience™ Atelier 2024, open to public)
- Embodied Resilience™ Anatomy of Spiral Design & the Axis Syllabus | June-Sept | online (part of Embodied Resilience™ Atelier 2024)
- Fall modules announced soon.
*If you're tech-savvy and interested in the potential of work-trade, please reach out!*
🌹
The Kutilaa School of Embodied Resilience is dedicated to offering accessible opportunities for helpful & relevant education on Living Yoga, Ayurvedic wisdom & evidence-based embodiment practices for physical, mental & emotional wellbeing specifically for modern life in a changing world.
If you've read this far, thank you!! Birthing an online school takes alot of heart & hard work. 🌹
If you know anyone who could benefit from embodied resilience or living yoga practices, the greatest gift of support is sharing these offerings with friends.
Thank you in advance!
Michelle Nayeli Bouvier
Integrative Embodiment & Living Yoga Unlock deep body wisdom+disrupt linear paradigms Align body+mind+soul with Nature Teacher Trainings & Mentorship
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