Date: Saturday 6th January 2024 & Saturday 2nd March 2024

Time: 6pm-8:30pm

Location: BYC hot yoga

ABOUT:

The most purposeful way to affect the course of our lives is by tapping into the power of our Intent, Sankalpa. Sankalpa ~ from Sanskrit “kalpa” – “the rule to be observed above any other rule” and “san” – “an idea formed in the heart”. Sankalpa is our heartfelt desire, intention.

Formulating and incorporating your Sankalpa while drinking heart-opening ceremonial cacao, practising Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra with Tibetan Bowl Sound. We will explore how to frame and use Sankalpa purposefully with our Yoga Nidra practice and understand how spontaneously arising intuitive guidance can be communicated into our consciousness.

CACAO 
The Cacao Spirit creates a ceremonial centre, a sacred circle in and around which energy harmonises and flows.

In its natural form, Cacao is an amazingly powerful Plant Medicine that helps us to release emotional blockages, and find forgiveness for ourselves and others. Cacao is a medicine for the heart, but its physiological benefits are for the whole body and mind. Cacao is the number one natural mood enhancer due to the abundance of uplifting phytonutrients it contains.

YOGA NIDRA 
Yoga Nidra is a sacred yogic process of deep relaxation mixed with contemporary, evidence-based mind-body techniques from the fields of neuroscience; it is an awakened sleep state of consciousness. It is a technique that is scientifically proven to recharge your brain. When quieting the mind and withdrawing from sensory sensations, a blissful experience of timeless spaciousness occurs. This state of restful awareness accelerates healing and improves energy levels and vitality.

Yoga Nidra is a highly therapeutic and very transformational practice, inherently adapting itself to the needs of the individual.

YIN YOGA 
Yin Yoga is a style of yoga that incorporates the Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy of working with the chi (energy) flow in the body along the meridians (paths through which the energy flows). Yin Yoga is a practice of finding stillness; it also invites you to gently explore the edges of your resistance in each of the poses. The Yin Yogic edge is the limit of your conscious tolerance, discomfort and pain are to be avoided as they block energy flow. However, reaching and nudging the edges with sufficient tension will stimulate the meridians and the energy flows. Once you find your edges you become still and muscularly soft, and in this stillness you allow the energy to flow deeper into the connective tissues.

TIBETAN SINGING BOWL
Tibetan singing bowls are used for deep relaxation, harmonising both sides of the brain.; they also may help with muscle regeneration, releasing tensions or blockages, opening the energy flow, and eliminating toxins from the body.

IREN MERDINYAN
Iren Merdinyan, the founder of Cacao Connexion and Raw Bonbon, is a raw chocolatier, Cacaoista and a certified Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra teacher.

Iren’s passion for delicious and high-quality raw chocolate and desserts has taken her deeper into the exploration of the medicinal and spiritual benefits of Ceremonial Cacao. Iren offers Cacao & Yoga Heart Centred Workshops and Ceremonies and Women Circles.

She combines her knowledge of yoga practice and the abundant properties of Cacao to bring you a unique experience that she hopes will leave you feeling uplifted, open and at peace within yourself.

KATRINA COOKE
Katrina discovered yoga at BYC, so it has always been her yoga home.

In Kat’s own words: “BYC with Helen at the helm, was and continues to be a place of wellbeing, friendship and discovery.” and as most of you already know Kat is an integral part of this. She is part of the live-blood of what makes BYC BYC!

After working the desk at BYC for a few years she started her teaching journey with Bikram training in 2011, since then she has gone on to add Yin and Yoga Nidra to her repertoire.

For more about Kat, her trainings etc check out her BYC bio.

Who can attend this workshop: 
Everyone.

Please advise if you are pregnant or if you are allergic to Cacao. 

What you will need: 

• a mat
• a towel to put on the mat
• water
• a journal and a pen

Disclaimer: 

Sometimes, yoga can trigger strong emotions and reactions. If this happens and you feel you need additional support, please seek advice from your counsellor, therapist or medical professional. Nothing offered is a replacement for medical care.

Yoga Nidra is not suitable for people with schizophrenia or other mental health conditions where there may be disassociation.

Please get in touch if you have any existing health conditions, are sensitive to imagery suggestions or are not sure if Yoga Nidra is suitable for you.

Please avoid consuming Cacao if: 

• you are taking anti-depressants (as the natural chemicals interact with the active component in anti-depressants)
• you have a heart condition or are on high blood pressure medications
• you are pregnant
• you are caffeine sensitive (if you are well drinking coffee, you should feel well drinking Cacao)
• you are allergic to Cacao.