Namaste! I started my personal practice of yoga 5 years ago now, originally just for the physical benefits, but once I realised the powerfully transformative potential of yoga my life path was changed. Yoga encouraged me to travel to India, where I completed my 200 hour teacher training in the Himalayas, and was catapulted into the realm of spirituality and self discovery. I am infinitely grateful for the calm and equanimity yoga has helped bring into my life, and I hope to be able share this peace and balance with others. Love and light, Willow

Simone Chester is an Artist, Arts facilitator and Furniture maker. Simone runs ‘Chester Drawers’, a furniture shop in Birmingham from which she also facilitates and holds space in the  ‘Creative Goddess’ Art studio. The workshops help people connect with there creative flow and joy in a safe and inspirational environment. Using tools such as paint, collage, journaling, keeping sketchbooks and mark making to record life, tell stories, meditate, making sense by celebrating the creative flow in all of us. This creative flow makes us feel well, motivated and inspired. Using a shamanic perspective she helps participants unlock their creative flow and connect with their creative and visual language, helping them on their artistic journeys with an open heart making and drawing in a safe held space. Participants are free to make ‘their’ art, a basic energetic need in all of us by grounding and connecting with Great Spirit. Simone uses a ‘Free Flow’ method of working, through which participants will be inspired and guided to explore, mediate with colour, observation, simple art skills, mindfully flowing with art and working totally in the moment.

Session 1:  Connecting with natural objects: Flowers and Foliage / Nature.

Introduction: First we will look at the space, stimulus and materials by setting intentions, a poem and shamanically grounding ourselves. Next is to explore and ‘Do’ the paintings, connect with natural objects and do a free flow of 5 minutes, building up layers and then longer timed pieces with demos at each stage to show options and possibilities.

Session 2: Draw your Space: large free drawing 

Reacting to a quote from Barbra Hepworth about abstract drawing, a simple introduction to why we make marks and draw, we will start with a Crawl of the Site to find inspiration to simulate our work which is abundant on the Sundara site!, this can be sound , objects or feelings. 

After a brief introduction to large pieces of paper and out space and different mediums we will let go and flow, with free reign to explore the space, enjoy and flow on a big scale to let our six year old.

Namaste! I started my personal practice of yoga 5 years ago now, originally just for the physical benefits, but once I realised the powerfully transformative potential of yoga my life path was changed. Yoga encouraged me to travel to India, where I completed my 200 hour teacher training in the Himalayas, and was catapulted into the realm of spirituality and self discovery. I am infinitely grateful for the calm and equanimity yoga has helped bring into my life, and I hope to be able share this peace and balance with others. Love and light, Willow

Simone Chester is an Artist, Arts facilitator and Furniture maker. Simone runs ‘Chester Drawers’, a furniture shop in Birmingham from which she also facilitates and holds space in the  ‘Creative Goddess’ Art studio. The workshops help people connect with there creative flow and joy in a safe and inspirational environment. Using tools such as paint, collage, journaling, keeping sketchbooks and mark making to record life, tell stories, meditate, making sense by celebrating the creative flow in all of us. This creative flow makes us feel well, motivated and inspired. Using a shamanic perspective she helps participants unlock their creative flow and connect with their creative and visual language, helping them on their artistic journeys with an open heart making and drawing in a safe held space. Participants are free to make ‘their’ art, a basic energetic need in all of us by grounding and connecting with Great Spirit. Simone uses a ‘Free Flow’ method of working, through which participants will be inspired and guided to explore, mediate with colour, observation, simple art skills, mindfully flowing with art and working totally in the moment.

Session 1:  Connecting with natural objects: Flowers and Foliage / Nature.

Introduction: First we will look at the space, stimulus and materials by setting intentions, a poem and shamanically grounding ourselves. Next is to explore and ‘Do’ the paintings, connect with natural objects and do a free flow of 5 minutes, building up layers and then longer timed pieces with demos at each stage to show options and possibilities.

Session 2: Draw your Space: large free drawing 

Reacting to a quote from Barbra Hepworth about abstract drawing, a simple introduction to why we make marks and draw, we will start with a Crawl of the Site to find inspiration to simulate our work which is abundant on the Sundara site!, this can be sound , objects or feelings. 

After a brief introduction to large pieces of paper and out space and different mediums we will let go and flow, with free reign to explore the space, enjoy and flow on a big scale to let our six year old.

About Shaura

The Lakota people and their traditions birthed Shaura back into a life she nearly lost and onto her spiritual path in Oregon in 2004. Since that time she has maintained a strong connection to ‘The People’ and undergone prayer ceremonies that have connected her deeply to the Earth and beyond. As a veteran sundancer her life and work reflects her prayer for creation. Her commitment to this prayer has taken her on learning journeys that have allowed her to make sense of how our physiological and energetic systems behave in this modern world.  In these explorations, she has learnt how to be a Reiki master; kundalini, yin and yoga nidra teacher; yoga therapist; therapeutic supervisor; therapeutic plant medicine facilitator; and has an ongoing BSc (hons) STEM.  She is parenting a boy of 15 and a body of works that use various methodologies to support the Human Awakening process.  

Pilamaya means “thank you” in the language of the Lakota, one of the tribes of First People of the North American Great Plains. Pilamaya yoga is an advanced teaching system that embodies gratitude for all aspects of life through diverse mind and body practices. Pilamaya is adaptogenic in that it is designed to attune to each particular group and direct the facilitator to what the consciousness of the group is calling for. 

In this workshop we will share a yoga practice that brings together components from hatha, kundalini, and yin yoga; yoga nidra; mediation; and working with sound. We will hear the voice of a drum as we learn to sing a Lakota gratitude song. We will connect to the frequency of our hearts—where gratitude lives. We will discuss the Seven Sacred Virtues that were given to the Lakota people by White Buffalo Calf Woman.  All of these practices will lead us to making a group prayer for the generations that are on this Earth, those that are yet to come, and for the Earth herself. 

Namaste! I started my personal practice of yoga 5 years ago now, originally just for the physical benefits, but once I realised the powerfully transformative potential of yoga my life path was changed. Yoga encouraged me to travel to India, where I completed my 200 hour teacher training in the Himalayas, and was catapulted into the realm of spirituality and self discovery. I am infinitely grateful for the calm and equanimity yoga has helped bring into my life, and I hope to be able share this peace and balance with others. Love and light, Willow

Simone Chester is an Artist, Arts facilitator and Furniture maker. Simone runs ‘Chester Drawers’, a furniture shop in Birmingham from which she also facilitates and holds space in the  ‘Creative Goddess’ Art studio. The workshops help people connect with there creative flow and joy in a safe and inspirational environment. Using tools such as paint, collage, journaling, keeping sketchbooks and mark making to record life, tell stories, meditate, making sense by celebrating the creative flow in all of us. This creative flow makes us feel well, motivated and inspired. Using a shamanic perspective she helps participants unlock their creative flow and connect with their creative and visual language, helping them on their artistic journeys with an open heart making and drawing in a safe held space. Participants are free to make ‘their’ art, a basic energetic need in all of us by grounding and connecting with Great Spirit. Simone uses a ‘Free Flow’ method of working, through which participants will be inspired and guided to explore, mediate with colour, observation, simple art skills, mindfully flowing with art and working totally in the moment.

Session 1:  Connecting with natural objects: Flowers and Foliage / Nature.

Introduction: First we will look at the space, stimulus and materials by setting intentions, a poem and shamanically grounding ourselves. Next is to explore and ‘Do’ the paintings, connect with natural objects and do a free flow of 5 minutes, building up layers and then longer timed pieces with demos at each stage to show options and possibilities.

Session 2: Draw your Space: large free drawing 

Reacting to a quote from Barbra Hepworth about abstract drawing, a simple introduction to why we make marks and draw, we will start with a Crawl of the Site to find inspiration to simulate our work which is abundant on the Sundara site!, this can be sound , objects or feelings. 

After a brief introduction to large pieces of paper and out space and different mediums we will let go and flow, with free reign to explore the space, enjoy and flow on a big scale to let our six year old.

About Shaura

The Lakota people and their traditions birthed Shaura back into a life she nearly lost and onto her spiritual path in Oregon in 2004. Since that time she has maintained a strong connection to ‘The People’ and undergone prayer ceremonies that have connected her deeply to the Earth and beyond. As a veteran sundancer her life and work reflects her prayer for creation. Her commitment to this prayer has taken her on learning journeys that have allowed her to make sense of how our physiological and energetic systems behave in this modern world.  In these explorations, she has learnt how to be a Reiki master; kundalini, yin and yoga nidra teacher; yoga therapist; therapeutic supervisor; therapeutic plant medicine facilitator; and has an ongoing BSc (hons) STEM.  She is parenting a boy of 15 and a body of works that use various methodologies to support the Human Awakening process.  

Pilamaya means “thank you” in the language of the Lakota, one of the tribes of First People of the North American Great Plains. Pilamaya yoga is an advanced teaching system that embodies gratitude for all aspects of life through diverse mind and body practices. Pilamaya is adaptogenic in that it is designed to attune to each particular group and direct the facilitator to what the consciousness of the group is calling for. 

In this workshop we will share a yoga practice that brings together components from hatha, kundalini, and yin yoga; yoga nidra; mediation; and working with sound. We will hear the voice of a drum as we learn to sing a Lakota gratitude song. We will connect to the frequency of our hearts—where gratitude lives. We will discuss the Seven Sacred Virtues that were given to the Lakota people by White Buffalo Calf Woman.  All of these practices will lead us to making a group prayer for the generations that are on this Earth, those that are yet to come, and for the Earth herself. 

Dancing in and out of Contact

I am a human animal. I like to squirm, wriggle and roll around with other human animals. It feels real and makes me feel alive and three-dimensional. My reflexes sharpen and my senses are brighter. I can express my playfulness, my madness, my non-rational being as well as being meditative and more conscious through my movement exploration. I need to be in contact with myself, the floor, and with others and to dance through these points of contact. It’s very intimate, and a way to share that nurtures and nourishes me. Whatever I am learning about in life, I bring to my dance and to my teaching.

I am a dancer, body worker, healer, maker and a mama.