The anti-rheumatic group with joints and sensing

Gentle movements through the joints, exploring mobility, connection and how movement in one part of the body can be felt elsewhere. The work is particularly based on the limb joints at the feet and ankles, gradually moving through the knees, hips, fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders and neck.

The emphasis is on joint mobility, circulation and movement awareness, rather than on stretching or effort. It works particularly well as a slow somatic preparation for a broader yoga practice.

About the series

For years I've been interested in mixing and matching different ways of being in practice, in movement, or in breath.

Somatic yoga and classical yoga stem from different roots and ways of thinking. Traced to their source, they converge on the same place in the body, sensorially and mentally.

This brand-new somatic yoga masterclass three-part series returns to one of the first classical yoga sequences I ever learned: the Pawanmuktasana series, a practice from the hatha tradition.

Its structure has stayed with me for thirty-five years, and I like using it as a strong, fundamental warm-up and a means of connection at the start of many sessions.

This yogic model moves through the body in three clear stages: joints and sensing, then abdomen, pelvis and breath, energy and integration through the whole body.

What strikes me, looking at it now, is how closely this mirrors the way modern somatic approaches work with the body. The yogis were already there and understood how the body transforms when we pay attention and move gently.

Revisiting this classic work with a somatic attitude means the work will be considerably slowed, with no intention of alignment or stretching, but rather focused on sensing relationships through the whole body.

Benefits and what you leave with

My first intention here is curiosity, playfulness, and exploration.

Using an already established strong practice and slightly tweaking it with a new philosophy to make it perhaps more relevant and useful in modern daily life.

By the end of the three sessions, you'll have worked through the body in the same order the ancient yogis did: major joints, centre, whole body.

You'll leave with a clearer sense of where you hold tension or restriction, and with simple, repeatable movements you can return to on your own, whether that's a few minutes of joint work in the morning or a full sequence when you need to reconnect with your energetic or physical body.

Of course, you will gain the inevitable benefits of practising somatic yoga, including embodiment, de-stressing, feeling grounded, releasing tension, recovering, sleeping better, and digestive health.

Who it's for

This series is for everyone, no prior knowledge of yoga or somatic yoga required, but also for yogis who want to revisit a sequence they may already know, and for anyone curious about where somatic movement and classical yoga meet.

It also suits people working with restricted mobility, chronic tension or pain, a need for embodiment and grounding and anyone carrying stress in the body who wants a slower, more attentive way back into movement.

This work is practical, down-to-earth and easy to experience.

Rooted in a traditional yoga sequence and approached through somatic enquiry, the series is an invitation to move slowly, notice more and discover different possibilities for movement.

Join me in this entirely new series with the intention of playing, trying and experiencing with an open mind. I look forward to seeing you.