Listening to our inner wisdom:
Who are the Listening to Our Inner Wisdom offerings for?
The online Listening to Our Inner Wisdom offerings are suitable for people with and without health conditions. They are for anyone who would like to be able to increase: self awareness, connection to their body & inner wisdom, compassion and overall wellbeing. All of the workshops in the Listening to Our Inner Wisdom series aim to empower people through connecting to their body & inner wisdom in a way that builds compassion, trust and safety, nervous system regulation, living in alignment with the true self/authentic self and supports overall health & wellbeing.
What are the workshops?
The Listening to Our Inner Wisdom workshops are a collection of a variety of workshops & classes, you can do each of the workshop series in the collection or choose which you would like to do, or simply attend the monthly Embodied Harmony classes. All offerings aim to help people compassionately connect to their body and inner wisdom & empower people through choices and exploration, discovering more of what is supportive for wellbeing & living authentically. We aim to connect to the body (this includes the mind) in a way that builds compassion, trust and safety and helps to befriend our body.
Each workshop is a combination of theory, discussion/reflections and experiential practices. Depending on the workshops they are a mix of theory & experiential practices, examples of the latter are: breath practices, meditations, mindfulness based practices, gentle yoga/gentle movement practices, embodiment/somatic practices, compassion, and reflections. For each of the 4 main parts there is a mini-workbook which supports learning & integration.
There are 4 main parts, each workshop in the four main parts (listed below) is 2.5 hours (with a short break) and the Embodied Rest two part workshops are each 2 hours (with a short break). It is preferential for people to do part one (nervous system regulation workshop series) before doing any of the other main workshop series as this gives an important foundation. If this isn’t an option for people this is ok and we can discuss this and if anything is needed to support regulation in the free 15 minute workshop call. The Listening to Our Inner Wisdom offerings include:
- Part 1: 4 Nervous System Regulation (this will run again in 2025, get in touch to register interest)
- Part 2: Embodied Compassion (8 week series, starting 26th April)
- Part 3: Setting Compassionate Boundaries & Values Aligned Living
- Part 4: Integration & New Growth
- Embodied Rest (2 week series, running again in Winter 2025)
- Embodied Harmony (monthly classes starting 15th March 2025)
Part one of the Listening to Our Inner Wisdom series is the 4 week Nervous System Regulation workshop series. As well as helping us to navigate challenges and thrive understanding nervous system regulation and our own nervous system can help in managing & changing things like persistent pain, fibromyalgia, long covid, ME/CFS, FND, anxiety & chronic stress, as well as improving overall health & wellbeing. This part of the Listening to Our Inner Wisdom Workshops aims to empower people through the understanding of nervous system regulation & their own nervous system, using some theory and a variety of somatic & embodiment practices, mindfulness based practices & reflective practices. In these workshops we aim to connect to the body in a way that builds compassion, trust & safety, supports nervous system regulation and helps to befriend our body.
Part two is an 8 week Embodied Compassion workshop series which will mainly include some theory, mindfulness based practices, self-compassion & compassionate mind training practices, somatics & embodiment. Self-compassion is beneficial & essential for all of us and can support our health & wellbeing in a variety of ways. Compassionate mind training is part of compassion focused therapy, research has shown there are a variety of ways this can support us. Compassion is especially needed when living with long-term health conditions, chronic stress and when there’s a history of trauma. Compassion has been shown to have many benefits for us including decreased self-criticism, anxiety and shame, and increased resilience and wellbeing. Compassion can also help with managing pain and fatigue and potentially changing it too.
The Embodied Harmony classes are one hour online classes that combine gentle embodied movement with breathwork, meditation (this will sometimes be a mini yoga nidra), restorative yoga & a little gentle hatha yoga. Each workshop is aligned with natures seasons, aiming to connect us to natures rhythms and our own. These classes aim to connect you to your body in a compassionate way and encourage: rest, restoration, harmony & healing. They could help in a number of ways including potentially supporting: nervous system regulation; increased self-awareness, self-compassion and trust in the body; decreasing tension, pain, fatigue & stress; and creating harmony within. Each class will start with a brief introduction of what to expect in the class and a poem, and will also end with a poem. There is a video linked below about these classes and information about cost and how to book in the would you like to attend section below.
The Embodied Rest workshops explore what rest is, the different types of rest, seasonal alignment/nature and rest, gentle yoga and yoga nidra to support rest.
All of the workshops & classes combine knowledge and skills from Ann’s extensive training, knowledge & skills, including from: compassion focused therapy training, trauma-informed yoga, embodiment/somatics, NLP, coaching, meditation, advanced trauma-sensitive mindfulness, breathwork, acceptance and commitment therapy and studying trauma. Ann is offering these workshops in her capacity as an integrative somatic practitioner rather than as a physiotherapist. Like all Ann offers these workshops rest on the firm foundation of compassion and they are trauma-informed
There are many potential benefits of attending, the different workshops have crossovers in their benefits and also different benefits. Some of the benefits are: increased self-awareness; increased understanding of nervous system regulation & own nervous system; stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest response), increased trust in the body; decreased pain, fatigue, anxiety; increased awareness & understanding of the body’s messages; increased self-compassion & more compassionate communication with the self & others; better stress management; being able to see more of the available choices & possibilities and take wise action; being able to set and hold compassionate boundaries; managing & changing symptoms of long-term health conditions; being able to live authentically (in alignment with our true selves); practices & strategies that support navigating the challenging times in life, savouring the wonderful times and being able to thrive too.
The people who attended the first run of the nervous system regulation workshops reported many benefits including: increased understanding of nervous system regulation & their own nervous system, increased self-awareness, better stress management, being more compassionate towards themselves, increased trust in the body, relaxing more easily, feeling more rested, better sleep, less nervous system dysregulation when it’s not helpful/needed, having more of a toolkit of practices & strategies to support nervous system regulation & their wellbeing. You can read some testimonials on the testimonials page linked below:
How do I know if they might be helpful for me?
There are some questions that can help guide if the workshops might be for you (if you answer yes to one or more the workshops may be helpful for you):
- Would you like to know what nervous system regulation means & how this can help you navigate challenges in life & thrive?
- Would you like to understand your own nervous system better?
- Would you like to befriend your body?
- Would you like to understand the messages of your body more?
- Would you like to improve pain or fatigue management?
- Do you relate to yourself with self-criticism, frustration, impatience, or anger?
- Would you like to increase self-compassion?
- Would you like to increase self-awareness?
- Would you like to increase trust in yourself?
- Would you like to sleep better?
- Would you like to decrease stress?
- Would you like to be able to see more choices & possibilities & know which are aligned with you?
- Would you like to set compassionate boundaries?
- Would you like to live more in alignment with your true self (living authentically)
- Would you like to move with more ease
- Would you like to balance effort & ease
- Would you like a tool box of practices that help you to navigate the challenges in life & thrive and that support healing
- Would you like to be part of a compassionate community?
- A free 15 minute call prior to booking (an opportunity for you to ask questions and find our more about the workshops, and for us to meet before the first workshop)
- An email summary each week to support your learning. This includes resources for you to practice between sessions (resources include video and audio recordings of practices used in each session and a mini workbook for each main workshop series - part 1, 2, 3 & 4)
- A small compassionate trauma-informed group environment
- A WhatsApp group for group sharing & support between workshop sessions
The workshops are taught by Ann Parkinson who is a fatigue & pain specialist physiotherapist, and integrative somatic practitioner, with many years of clinical experience. She also has lived experience of pain, fatigue & anxiety (the latter two due to ME/CFS & PoTS). Ann specialised in neurology and persistent pain within physiotherapy for many years and now specialises in fatigue & persistent pain. She also has many years of somatic, embodiment & coaching experience and has often worked with people with chronic stress, anxiety & trauma. As well as being a specialist physiotherapist Ann is a trained life coach, NLP Practitioner, trauma-informed yoga teacher, meditation teacher and trauma-informed mindfulness practitioner. She has done many trainings in compassion focused therapy, along with training in acceptance & commitment therapy, trauma-sensitive mindfulness, somatic/embodiment trainings, a variety of trainings and extensive study of trauma. Ann is also committed to her own personal practices & doing her own inner work. You can find out more about Ann, including some of the courses she has completed, by clicking the button below.
'Learn to Become Compassionately Present In Your Body'
Would you like to attend?
in The 4 week Nervous System Regulation workshop series (part 1 of the Listening to Our Inner Wisdom workshops) will be running again in 2025. Each workshop runs from 9.45-12.15 with a short break. The cost is £180 when booked at the early bird rate and £220 at the full rate. Get in touch to register your interest.
The 8 week Embodied Compassion workshop series (part 2 of the Listening to Our Inner wisdom workshops) will start on the 26th April 9.45-12.15. The other 7 workshop dates are: 10th May, 24th May, 21st June, 12th July, 13th September, 11th October, and 1st November. The first run is being offered at a pilot rate in exchange for testimonials and feedback, making it £300 instead of the usual £440 cost.
The Embodied Harmony classes are an hour on Saturday mornings 10-11am and will be running once a month (except over the summer holidays). The first class is the 15th March 10-11am, this first class is being offered at £10 instead of the usual £15. The next block of three classes is 12th April, 17th May, and 28th June. These can be booked individually or as a block, block booking of the April to June classes will give a £5 discount. There is a short health questionnaire to complete prior to booking a place and payment secures a place in the class.
The two week Embodied Rest workshop series will be £30 a workshop or £55 if both workshops in the series are booked together. Running again in autumn/winter 2025, get in touch to register your interest.
For each of the main parts of the Listening to Our Embodied Wisdom workshops there is a heath questionnaire to complete and a free 15 minute call prior to booking the workshops. With any of the workshops or classes it’s your responsibility to update Ann of any changes in your health and to look after yourself during the workshop/class, doing what is ok for you.
If finances restrict you from doing the workshops please get in touch to discuss this, there will payment plan options for people who need it (payments need to be completed before the workshops start) and there will be 1-2 reduced cost places per workshop series (please only ask for the reduced cost place if it is needed so that it is available for those who need it). There is also an option to make a payment that is more than the cost of your place to help fund places for those that can’t afford the full cost.
If you would like to attend please get in touch to ask any questions you may have and to book your free pre-booking call (there is no obligation to book after this): info@unityphysio.co.uk or call Ann on 07871240188.
Some of the other services offered
Physiotherapy for Persistent Pain
Physiotherapy for ME/CFS & Long Covid
Wellness Coaching
Wellness Workshops