Ancestral Connections: For the Future

Ancestral Connections recognises our capacity for change and growth through our ability to access the gifts and connections available to us from our lineages through the embodied experience of constellations, music and movement.  We are the ancestors of the future. We are connected to both the ones who came before and our descendants who live and breath within us.  In “For the Future” we engage our creativity, intuition and capacity to vision through the body, imagination and the senses so that we can uncover the blueprint for the times to come.

We will be offering an introduction to this workshop at both the German and South African Constellations Intensives in 2020. Watch this space for the full weekend retreat in late 2020/ early 2021.

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Through Your Eyes I See: Dancing with Intimacy

with Sian Palmer

8 – 9 June Jhb, 27 – 28 July CT

Through the art of movement and the guidance of the dancer we move with the theme of intimacy. Looking to the layers of relationship – with ourselves, one another, community and nature – we discover how to embrace and communicate our wounds, how to foster intimate connection and how to receive and live in the flow of life.

In this 2-day Expressive Movement immersion we encounter the Self, the lover, the companion, the playmate, the collaborator – fostering identity, connection and belonging. We see through the eyes of the dancer and remember what it is to be present to the wonder and mystery of being who we are; alive at this time, ready to create together.

Investment: R2300/ *R2000 earlybird special for Cape Town ends 28th June
To book contact us on info@expressivemovement.co.za

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Family Constellations Evenings

with Sian Palmer

29/01   26/02   26/03   28/05   25/06   30/07   27/08   17/09   29/10   26/11

We all have deep-rooted patterns we have inherited from our family of origin that inhibit us and can lead to stress, conflict and illness. In Family Constellations we work to uncover these hidden patterns and restore order to the system so we feel connected and love can flow.

When love can flow we have access to the strengths and resources available to us inherited from our parents and ancestors. Integrating these strengths can have a profound healing effect.

This work is intended for you to feel a greater sense of wellbeing and zest for life, for you to be able to make healthy choices and relate to yourself and your loved ones in a way that best supports who you are and how you want to live.

In a Family Constellations evening you may choose to bring your own issue or symptom or come as a representative. Both have immense value. There will be time for 2 constellations on this evening.

Sian Palmer trained in Family Constellations with the Founder of African Constellations, Tanja Meyburgh, in 2014. Sian currently co-facilitates nationally and internationally with Tanja in an integrated Expressive Movement and Systemic Constellations piece of work entitled “Ancestral Connections”.

Family Constellations was founded by Bert Hellinger in the 1990’s and has its roots in psychotherapy and indigenous healing traditions.
With a Master’s degree in Drama and Movement psychotherapy from the University of London, Sian Palmer’s area of expertize orientates towards an embodied approach, recognising that when we are able to listen beyond words we can tap into the essence of what is, bringing depth of connection and meaning. Sian is also the Founder of Expressive Movement South Africa.

Dates: 29/01   26/02   26/03   28/05   25/06   30/07   27/08   17/09   29/10   26/11

Time: 18h00 – 21h00

Location: Craighall Park

Investment: R1000 to constellate/ R350 for representatives
To book contact Maxine on info@expressivemovement.co.za

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Ancestral Connections II: Gateways

21 – 23/03 JHB

12 – 14/04 CPT

10 – 12/05 London

As modern people we have lost many traditions of rites of passage and have forgotten the importance of marking moments in time that present a threshold experience. Our Ancestors knew the ways of assisting us through these passages in time in a way that allowed us to deepen and grow into our psychological and spiritual journey through this lifetime.

The seasons of our lives lead us from birth to childhood to adulthood to death. Cycles, seasons and changes bringing times of cleansing, dancing, building, burying and new life.

In life change is constant. How do we consciously relate to change in a way that supports our growth and includes our creative agency? How do we step into the role of the initiate and initiate our own lives?

With these inevitable changes come death and birth: metaphoric and literal. How do we prepare ourselves to face loss and welcome the new?

Passing through the gateways as conscious participants with change we journey from past to future, before and after, and realize that through each door there is the other side; the unknown land or place that beckons. This journey enables us to discover what we have and need, to find the key, open the door and step into the next phase of life… perhaps even catch a glimpse of the gifts and treasures that await.

In Gateways through the use of ritual and rites of passage processes you will are supported in your transitioning; witnessed by those who have made these journeys before: our ancient and ancestral seekers.

Ancestral Connections I, II and III are required to attend the Ancestral Connections Facilitator Training Intensive which will be offered in Europe from 2020.

Who is this for:
• This workshop is for both the lay person and professional wanting to develop and further their relationship with their physical body, and finding embodied ways to resource themselves
• It appeals to those who are interested in exploring their interconnected relationship with themselves, their families and loved ones, humanity and the land.
• Constellations and conscious dance facilitators are invited to join us for further learning, and to inspire and deepen their work.

About Your Facilitators:

Tanja Meyburgh is a registered psychologist, and an internationally renowned systems constellations facilitator and trainer. As founder of African Constellations she has been immersed in family and systems constellations work since 2003 through her practice, training facilitators in South Africa and writing about her experiences. What excites her about constellations is the possibility to engage the head, heart and body in the healing process, as well as the bridge that it offers between ancient and indigenous ways of healing and modern concepts of psychology, epigenetics and neuroscience. Tanja is also an ongoing student of African cosmology.
www.africanconstellations.co.za

Sian Palmer is the Founder of Expressive Movement South Africa and is a registered Drama and Movement Therapist (MA University of London) as well as a trained Family Constellations Facilitator. Sian currently practices in South Africa with both individuals and groups in therapy and training spaces. With her area of expertise firmly established in embodied practice, Sian is passionate about dance as an accessible holistic healing and meditation practice.
www.expressivemovement.co.za

Attendance to all sessions is required. No previous experience is needed. All are welcome.

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Expressive Movement in Eagle Valley: Gifts of the Circle 

Friday, 30 November to Sunday, 2 December

Earthrise Mountain Lodge, Eagle Valley, Ficksburg

 “Soon all was ready for the celebration. People and creatures arrived. They feasted, they danced, they sang, and the Earth was a celebration all night long… And then they quietly slept the remainder of the night and dreamed the dream they most needed to follow.”—

excerpt from The Sacred Gift of Song, Dance and Festivity, an Inuit legend

Dance is communal celebration and communication, an ancient practice of bringing joy and rejuvenation to ourselves, each other and the natural world. As 2018 draws to a close, we look to the Expressive Movement form to guide us in coming together in ritual circle, allowing us the opportunity to integrate the gifts and let go of the residue of the year gone by. It is a time for restoring breath, laughter and wellbeing to our systems, and for opening up the circle so that gratitude and vitality can flow.

Join us in the foothills of the Maluti mountains, in a sacred valley in the eastern Free State, as we follow the rhythm of the dance into shamanic fire ritual, Temazcal sweat lodge, mindfulness mountain walks, fresh water swimming, rest in nature… and back again to dance. From Friday night through to Sunday afternoon, we will remain in ceremony to honour, praise and release the individual and collective learnings of 2018.

A special feature of the weekend is the Temazcal sweat, a spiritual ceremony where we reconnect with our essence through the four elements of nature—fire, water, wind, earth—as channeled by meditation, singing and prayer. This sacred medicine is administered under the guidance of the original wisdom holders, and strict protocols are followed. The physical benefits of the vapour as it rises from the stones include cleansing and stimulation of the lungs, the digestive system, and the circulatory system.

Facilitators:

Sian Palmer is the Founder of Expressive Movement South Africa, a registered Drama and Movement Therapist (MA University of London) and a trained Family Constellations Facilitator. Sian has been practicing for 9 years in organizations, communities and private settings with both groups and individuals. Sian’s background in embodied drama and movement psychotherapy, movement meditation and Family Constellations enables her to engage with a holistic approach to healing, integrating mindfulness, psychology and African indigenous knowledge systems. With her area of expertise firmly established in embodied practice, Sian is passionate about dance as an accessible holistic healing and meditation practice.
www.expressivemovement.co.za

Retreat Hosts:

The Vuka Institute is a workshop and retreat centre that marries the inspirations of Mind to the demands of Matter in an African context. Rooted in a sacred valley in the Maluti foothills, in a place that’s been revered by healers and seers for millennia, the institute looks beyond dogma to where indigenous wisdom and progressive science meet. Our purpose is to explore and understand what it means to be human, and to seek alternative solutions to our shared environmental, economic and social crises.

Kevin Bloom (Vuka Institute; programme director) is a writer and journalist. He is the co-author of Continental Shift: A Journey into Africa’s Changing Fortunes. His first book, Ways of Staying, won the 2010 South African Literary Award for literary journalism. Kevin’s writing has taken him to many of the world’s conflict zones, where he has witnessed the devastation caused by rent-seeking politicians, callous multinationals, desperate warlords and misguided NGOs. As co-founder of the Vuka Institute and a sangoma-in-training, he brings this experience to bear on the search for inward-focused responses to our most urgent collective crises.

Venue:

The institute is located at Eagle Valley Farm in the Eastern Free State, on the R26 between Ficksburg and Fouriesburg.

Visit www.earthrisemountainlodge.co.za for accommodation information.

Programme Outline:

Friday:

16h00-18h00: Arrival

18h30: Dinner

19h30: Opening of ceremony; sacred fire, drumming and dancing

Saturday:

07hoo: Mountain walk – drum & dance ceremony at Valley of the Ancestors

09h15: Light breakfast

11h00: Expressive Movement morning session

13h30: Lunch

14h00: Free time (swim or relax)

15h30: Temazcal sweat lodge & drum circle at the healing center

19h00: Dinner

Sunday:

07hoo:  Expressive Movement morning session

08h30: Light breakfast

10h00: Expressive Movement – integration sound journey

12h30: Lunch & closing ceremony

Disclaimer: This program may change to accommodate inner and outer weather.

Cost and Bookings

Cost includes two nights’ accommodation and vegatarian meals from Friday night dinner to Sunday lunch, as well as all activities for the weekend.

Cozy

4 standard rooms with double-beds

2 standard rooms with 2 single beds

En-suite shower

R5 000.00 per person single

R4 500.00 per person sharing

Mountainview and Velvet Comfort

6 x Spacious rooms with double beds

En-suite bathrooms

R6 000.00 per person single

R5 500.00 per person sharing

Tree House

This is ideal accommodation for a family or a group of friends who wish to share. It has two rooms with en suite bathrooms, two loft rooms, and another separate bathroom.

Sleeps 8

2 Double beds

4 Single beds

R4 500.00 per person sharing.

Twin Peaks – 2 units

Three rooms, a kitchenette, a dining area, a lounge and outstanding views of the valley. A perfect choice for a large family or a group.

Sleeps 6

2 Double Beds

2 Single Beds

1 Bathroom

R4 500.00 per person sharing

The Hive

8 beds per room with a shower and toilet. Depending on the number of bookings, please take this as a sharing basis.

R3 500.00 per person sharing.

Camping

R1750 per person, maximum 20 people

Contact Marj Murray to book: marjmurray.mm@gmail.com or 082 561 3637

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Saturday 29th September, 10am – 1pm

37 Young Ave, Houghton Estate

“The earth laughs in flowers.” – Ralph Emerson

With the Spring Equinox trumpeting the ascension of the light into longer day and shorter night, we dance in ceremony, in the presence and gratitude to that which is opening, awakening and already alive within in us and in the world around us.

Join us in the beauty of the Young Avenue Houghton Gardens and delight in outdoor spring dancing.

What to Bring:

As part of the dance there will be a flower ceremony so bring a flower that illuminates a facet of life’s beauty that calls you.

We enter the afternoon in picnic-style feasting so please bring a plate of something vegetarian or vegan to share and stay on after the dance to share in merriment together.

Bring sun protection and water

If you are a spring swimmer bring along a swimming costume and towel

Investment:

R200/ R150 students (cash only)

There is an option to book in advance. For bookings e-mail Maxine on info@expressivemovement.co.za

“The Code of the Flowers” as inspired by Ayla Nereo

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Saturday 23rd June, Jhb, 18h00 – 00h00

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London, 11th May 2017, 19h00 – 21h30, Redmond Community Centre

In this introductory evening session, we connect to the flow of life given to us by our ancestors through movement and constellations meditation. Using the Expressive Movement form together with the embodied knowing of the constellations field, we develop our relationship with our roots, welcoming in greater vitality and strength. Join us as we connect to the ancient rhythms that live through us all, dancing in celebration and gratitude for this life.

All are welcome. No previous experience needed.

Investment: £18 (cash only)
No bookings required – this is an open event.
For more information please contact info@expressivemovement.co.za

Sian Palmer is the founder of Expressive Movement South Africa.
Sian currently practices in South Africa as a registered Drama and
Movement Therapist and Family Constellations Facilitator. Since her return from her MA in 2009, Sian has worked nationally in both training and therapy spaces. With her area of expertise firmly established in embodied practice, Sian is passionate about dance as an accessible holistic healing and meditation practice.
www.expressivemovement.co.za

Tanja Meyburgh is a registered psychologist, and an internationally renowned systems constellations facilitator and trainer. She has been immersed in family and systems constellations work since 2003 through her practice, training facilitators in South Africa and writing about her experiences. What excites her about constellations is the possibility to engage the head, heart and body in the healing process, as well as the bridge that it offers between ancient and indigenous ways of healing and modern concepts of psychology, epigenetics
and neuroscience. www.africanconstellations.co.za

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