In and Out of (self) Love - Embodied Movement, Yoga, and Clowning Around

Join clown facilitator Iona May-zing and yoga teacher Elise SHINE for an afternoon of embodied movement and clowning around! In this light-hearted session, we will use creative movement, yoga asana, playful games, mindful improv and a choice of hats to explore how we relate to our magical bodies and how we make connections with others.

Self love? well, sometimes it comes easily.... and sometimes less so... Falling in and out of self love is a very human experience and Clowning Around is a practice in bringing playfulness to our human complexities. Through also bringing our attention to embodied creative movement, we will experiment with opening a space and time, together, to experience being with (and maybe even in awe of!) all the parts of our bodies that make us who we are! Uniquely Us, A valuable human being in all our complexities and beauties.

With a big emphasis on the importance of looking after yourself, we will support you in being guided by your physical and emotional experiences to join in as much or as little as you want to. Group size will be limited  to ten people to create a comfortable play space.

Who is this workshop for?

Anyone over the age of 18 who wants to give it a go! This could be because you are curious about connecting to your body through yoga, embodied movement and clowning around, you want a break from your day-to-day pressures, you are curious about bringing elements of movement and play into your professional or personal life, you want some time to feel silly, you want some time to feel serious! No previous experience of clowning or yoga required.

Some spaces may be available at a reduced rate. If cost is a barrier for you then please contact Iona via her website (www.clowningaroundworkshops.co.uk/contact-book).

About the facilitators

Elise SHINE (she/her)

Whenever I lose balance, I come back to the body...or at least I try..! And I love to open collective spaces to offer this opportunity to do it with others! Maybe this time with you?

I trained as a yoga teacher in 2018 and my practice has developed with the exploration of dance (contemporary, 5 rhythms, biodanza), somatic experiencing, and I keep adding tools in my box. I am trained in seasonal yoga and trauma informed movement and yoga, and I have been working with the most vulnerable for the last 15 years. I created SHINE - Seasonal, Holistic, Inclusive, Nurturing and Empowering - wellbeing and creative workshops in 2022 in the UK. Now, back in France, I currently work in an Arts Centre and offer regular workshops with SHINE's values.

I rooted my heart in Norfolk, planted solid roots in Norwich that allowed me to grow and now I am back in Amiens, France, where I was born. Iona and I have lived, healed and created together and I am so excited to work again with her for a special event during my summer visit to the UK! 

Iona May-zing (she/her)

I have been learning about clowning for over ten years and have been facilitating Clowning Around since 2023. I like to provide opportunities for participants to have a go at being themselves, in front of an audience, and without a plan. I am always delighted to see the stories that emerge from playfulness, as if by magic!

Clowning forms a big part of my writing practice too. My poetry collection, 'Breaking Down Loudly' (Verve Poetry Press), uses clowning to talk about grief, family, and friendship and I launched this collection by performing a one-woman show based on my poems.

In another part of my life, I have been a teacher in Primary and Secondary Schools. Here, I learnt a lot about playfulness, storytelling and providing a space where people are brave enough to 'give it a go' (and often enjoy themselves in the process!). I am currently building on these skills through completing my Clowning Facilitation Training with Nose-to-Nose.