RECAP: Yoga, Scoliosis and the Organic Body With Deborah Wolk 2018 - Salt Spring Island

During a beautiful hot week in late July, 17 twisty people gathered on Salt Spring Island, BC, from all over North America for TOPS’ third workshop with the one and only Deborah Wolk from New York. Participants arrived from every direction, via ferry and float plane, eventually meeting for our inaugural dinner at the Antler Ridge Studio, headquarters for the retreat. 

Over the course of the weekend, Deborah helped us find our organs and made us aware of how our spines are so closely connected to their health and function. Her endlessly innovative exercises encouraged decompression, lengthening and strengthening of the spine, allowing each participant to find new connections in their body. 

During off hours, everyone had fun exploring the the island - the market, the charming town of Ganges, the refreshing lakes, not to mention the glorious views from the rustic Celtic Mountain Chalet where some participants stayed, and the elegant luxury of the Old Llama Farm oceanside B&B where others stayed, and where we also gathered for our meals.

A particularly memorable moment... When everyone came along on a bumpy pilgrimage up Mount Maxwell to enjoy the the stunning sunset views, right before watching the full moon rise. Gorgeous!

TEMPTED? Consider joining our upcoming Yoga, Scoliosis and the Nervous System: Sympathetic and Parasympathetic with Deborah Wolk - July 2020!

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN. Register by our Registration Deadline April 17, 2020 and save $50. Input coupon code: WOLK2020 at Registration.

The scoliotic spine affects not only the bones and muscles, it also affects the nerves. The feedback from the right and left sides of the curves is not the same: one side is contracted and one side is overstretched. In the nervous system, this can create disorientation and a mix of inertia and tension in the scoliotic body, along with a building sense of anxiety, discomfort and an inability to rest.

In this workshop, you will learn techniques to practice building your energy with active poses which access numb unused areas, release overused overstretched muscles and allow your body to rest by finding release where muscles are over-contracted. Using prop setups and other stimuli which allow the nervous system to balance these extremes, the techniques in this workshop will help you to find a centre place where you can rest.

This retreat is for all levels, as well as for students with spinal fusions. Teachers who work with students who have scoliosis are also encouraged to attend.