Live classes and video recordings. Choose from strong dynamic practices to therapeutic practices. All meditative, all soulful.

Gillian Shippey

A selection of nidras and meditations, as well as some therapeutic stories.

Artwork: Beatriz Martin Vidal

MEDITATION, STORIES, NIDRA

This meditation focusses on the five progressively subtler bodies that compose the human, as described by the ancients in the Taittiriya Upanishad.

Ancient Wisdom Meditation

This meditation maps the body, focussing on specific energetic pathways (for example the vagus nerve).

Mapping Meditation

In this video you are guided into a couple of different restorative postures using 4 pillows and 2 bath towels. The therapeutic story is called 'The Tale of the Dwarfie' and is by Roi Gal-Or.

Therapeutic storytelling

In this video, I guide you into a couple of different restorative postures (using 4 pillows) and tell you an adapted version of the story, 'Miss Ophelia' by Michael Ende.

Therapeutic Storytelling

This nidra composes a neuroplastic body scan designed to knit the body back together with the intention of cultivating a sense of wholeness. The practice ends with a short mantra (Gayatri).

20 Minute Nidra

40 Minute Nidra

30 minute practices, some gentle and restorative, some strong and energising.

30 MINUTE PRACTICES

This class takes you through some fundamental principles to strengthen the core muscles which support the spine. Whilst the class focusses on

Stronger: Core Strength

These sun salutations include strengthening practices for the arms, legs and core.

Stronger: Sun Salutations

This practice begins with a meditation on mudras, which leads into the practice of Moon Salutations.

Gentle: Meditation, Mudra and Moon Salutations

This video takes you through some breathing practices and postures to support full deep breathing into all parts of the lungs.

Gentle: Pranayama and Postures for Lungs

15 minute practices, some gentle and restorative, some strong and energising.

15 MINUTE PRACTICES

This sequence takes you through some sun salutations and encourages you to reconnect to your centre.

This sequence of postures includes backbends, forward bends, core strength, balance .... and ends with a short, but exquisite, relaxation. We repeat the sequence three times.

Stronger: Floor Sequence

This practice takes you through part of an adapted ancient practice called Pawanmuktasana. It might be useful to think of the practice as a moving meditation, working with each of the joints in the body (this video takes you through the hands/arms/shoulders part of the practice), releasing stiffness and thereby supporting the flow of prana, which can be felt quite tangibly. 

The soulful and meaningful part of this practice is brought into a meditation at the end.

Gentle: Moving Meditation

This video takes you through three ways of breathing that 'speak' with the nervous system. We then take these ways of breathing into a movement practice.

Gentle: Soothe your Nervous System

These classes combine restorative postures and minimal gentle movement with nidras, stories, pranayama and meditation.

Artwork: Kinga Britschgi

RESTORE

These are the recordings from June's live Slow Flow sessions. Recordings up loaded here after each class has ended.

Artwork: Rafal Olbinkski

SLOW FLOW JUNE

This class is a movement based pranayama and meditation practice. Throughout the class we use breathing techniques and meditation to guide the asana/movement. Class ends with a seated breathing practice (sitali/sitkari with nadi shodhana) to cool and calm, followed by nidra.

8th June 2021

This is a bramhana practice, meaning it focusses on the inhalation with the intention of cultivating a sense of lightness and spaciousness.

1st June 2021

These are the recordings from June's live Dawn Yoga sessions. Recordings up loaded here after each class has ended.

Artist unknown

DAWN YOGA JUNE

This practice connects to the new moon through the breath, the movements and postures, through bhavana (calling into existence) and meditation.

We also practice some sun salutations and end with meditation.

11th June 2021

Class begins with practicing 3 different methods of full yogic breathing (western method, Indian method, solar plexus method). We then explore connection between feet and hips, strengthening and stretching both. Sun salutations focus on stillness in movement. Class ends with meditation on mind as it takes the same shape/form as body, and mantra for consciousness.

9th June 2021

Class begins with diaphragmatic breathing, then full yogic breath, focussing on breathing smoothly and coherently.

Movement begins with feet, which are focussed on throughout the sun salutations.

Class ends with short meditation on lower/higher mind (manomayakosha/vijnanamayakosha).

7th June 2021

Class begins with pranayama: diaphragmatic breathing, then full yogic breath. Sun salutations and standing postures focus on strengthening certain parts of the body, and a connection to inner strength is also explored. 

Other soulful meditations come into the class and the class ends with a brief meditation and Gayatri mantra.

4th June 2021

Class begins with diaphragmatic breathing, followed by full yogic breathing. 

We warm up with hip openers/strengtheners, spine mobilisers, lunges etc. Followed by sun salutations. Class ends with a short floor sequence and meditation.

2nd June 2021

Support for Emotional Strength comprises a set of 10 practice videos, all with the intention of providing support to help cultivate emotional strength.

Artwork by Duy Huynh

SUPPORT FOR EMOTIONAL STRENGTH

This short video introduces Support for Emotional Strength

Introduction to Support for Emotional Strength

This practice guides you through a couple of restorative postures, whilst I tell you a story. You will need 4 pillows, a blanket and a long scarf or yoga belt.

Restorative practice with storytelling

This meditation draws on various models, including the Panchamaya Kosha model and IFS (Internal Family Systems).

Meditation: Unbreakable

This video explores a technique that may help you to cultivate the potential to not allow stress to 'land' so strongly in the body, and instead be released from the body.

Bhavana: Become a Conduit to Stress

This video explores three mudras which support a meaningful connection to emotional strength.

Mudras for Strength

This video adapts a classical practice and combines it with an Ullola (movement) to explore somatic experiences of resilience, healthy boundaries and self control.

Pranayama Resilience/Healthy Boundaries/Self control

This video explores a variation of Virabhadrasana I (Warrior), using meditation, drushti (gaze) and mudra (gesture) to help develop a tangible sense of inner strength.

Soulful Warrior: Movement, Mudra and Meditation

This video explores structural alignment of Virabhadrasana II (Warrior), and how an inner and outer alignment of the posture can bring a soulful sense of powerfulness.

Soulful Warrior: Structural Alignment

This video guides you through some very effective postures to strengthen your core. The deeper, soulful implications of this are explored at the end of the video in a meditation.

Structural Core Strength Practice

This video takes you through a general practice, incorporating several of the techniques explored in the shorter videos.

General Practice

This nidra hopes to support the cultivation of emotional strength.

Nidra

This series comprises a set of 6 practice videos, all with the intention of providing support to help with feelings of loneliness, and to cultivate a sense of belonging.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any queries about Support for Loneliness and Belonging.

With gratitude for your support,
Gillian

Artwork by Duy Huynh

SUPPORT FOR LONELINESS AND BELONGING

This video is a brief introduction to the whole series, ending with a short meditation.

Introduction

This meditation introduces and explores a resource called the 'Backspace'. This practice has the intention of  beginning to help cultivate a sense of support and connection. We then explore the backspace awareness with movement, eyes open, and coming in and out of the awareness.

Backspace Meditation and Movement

This practice includes postures, movement, mudras and meditations to help cultivate and develop an awareness of connection and belonging. It is recommended the video 'Backspace Meditation and Movement' is completed before this video.

General practice

In this practice you are guided into a couple of different restorative postures. You will require 4 pillows, 2 bath towels and a blanket. 

The story included in this practice is called Jumping Mouse. This is a very old story, of which there are many variations from many different cultures.

Whilst you are welcome to practice nidra in any position, including sitting, this is a short video with suggestions to help you feel supported in a lying down posture.

Nidra Preparation

This practice of nidra can be done in any position at all. Just be comfortable.

This meditation was recorded in a live class during lockdown. It explores the potential that we have to transcend space and time to connect, thanks to the goddess zoom and the magic of the internet!

Meditation: space and time bending for connection

Dawn Yoga classes begin with a 10 minute pranayama practice before moving into Sun Salutations and ending with meditation. 

Artist unknown

Dawn Yoga

Slow Flow classes involve moving the whole body in a gentle and meditative way. 

Artwork by Rafal Olbinski