Lovesbody
Where people discover they are
more than they ever imagined
Jane Okondo offers One 2 one programmes and workshops that support our living embodied presence.
Continuum Movement
Continuum Movement brings together a range of subtle intrinsic movements and a rich variety of breaths and sounds to support you in experiencing the unfolding beauty and mystery of the body.
If you know it's time to understand your body and master your mind, then find out more about Continuum .
Somatic Movement Education
Somatic Movement Education supports you in cultivating presence, and in finding new relationships to your body (your structure, form, fluidity, heart, breath).
If you want to find out what has you feel well, then find out more about Somatic Movement .
Craniosacral Therapy
Craniosacral therapy is a gentle and profound healing art that supports a deep relaxation and natural balance of your body and being. This practice is wonderful for adults and babies. Find out more about Craniosacral therapy .
"I feel you have a real deep trust and understanding of what it means to really receive information about how we perceive reality through our being embodied flesh and soul. Somehow I feel there is space for the flesh and there is space for the spirit - for the little contracted muscle, for mental random thinking, for meaning-making, for moving around, for silence, for containment, for explosions, for attention, for carelessness, for deep respect, for what is beyond all this and what all this is in its essence."
S.R., Dancer.
Jane Okondo is a registered ISMETA practitioner, an authorised Continuum teacher and Continuum Wellsprings practitioner, and a certified Craniosacral and Integrative Breath therapist. She has a private practice in South East London and runs workshops throughout the UK.
Continuum
Continuum is an innovative movement practice that encourages the intrinsic rhythms and wisdom of our bodies to emerge, including the experience of ourselves as a part of and deeply connected with nature. This movement practice reawakens our connection to our vital roots as we enter into the inner landscapes of our bodies and supports us in opening our awareness and capacity for wellbeing.
Flow of life
Our human body is a continuous flow of life and our transition from watery existence to life on land gifted us with layers of bio-intelligence that reside in our cellular structure, fluid bodies, layers of tissue. Our ability to live a rich, fulfilled life is directly linked to our ability to access this fluid intelligence; to innovate, create and explore through body, mind, and spirit.
Move beyond limits
Continuum invites us to move beyond our limited and habitual patterns of movement and to open into our fluid, flowing sensuous bodies. Through a rich variety of breath, sound and subtle movement explorations we discover our own ways to reduce physical limitations and experience our capacity for free, flowing, enjoyable movement.
Benefits:
• Increases vitality, health and healing.
• Provides a spacious sense of well-being.
• Develops core strength and flexible power.
• Revitalizes bones, joints, and skeletal health.
• Releases, relaxes and realigns.
• Heightens sensuality and increases receptivity.
• Awakens creativity, innovation and play.
• Facilitates trust in one’s inherent body wisdom.
• Deepens spiritual connection.
• Provides a safe environment for growth and renewal.
Continuum Workshops with Jane
Continuum Movement is a wonderful practice for learning in a group. The resonance created in the group through breath and subtle sound is very healing and enriching. Find out more about upcoming workshops and dates .
Emilie Conrad
Emilie Conrad is a Somatics Pioneer and Founder of Continuum in 1967, her unique protocols for neuro-muscular paralyses and insights on disease have revolutionized the concept of recovery.
"The primary characteristic of any fluid system is its ability to keep transforming itself. All of Continuum's teachings are designed to quicken and enrich the fluid system, invoking its genius to transform structure and foster the art of self-renewal."
Emilie Conrad.
Wellsprings
One 2 one Continuum Wellsprings
Jane is a authorised Continuum Wellsprings practitioner and offers one 2 one sessions. These sessions are for your own discovery and are wonderful for specific health, emotional, breath and movement issues.
Each individual session includes a space to share and then moves into working with a breath and movement protocol that supports your specific concerns: We look at breathing patterns, tissue tension/structure, and pre or post natal adaptive patterns. We then connect to your own inner fluid healing intelligence that allows a connection to a deeper resource of coherency in the body mind continuum. The length of the sessions vary, depending upon what we are working with. For more information use the Contact form or email Jane .
Continuum practice includes:
Breathing awareness and Sound...
Movement is related to the mobility of breath. Learning a variety of breaths and sounds stimulates new sensations which help to undo habitual patterns.
Waking up Sensation...
Awakened sensation gives more choice for movement pathways and as our 'felt sense' deepens we connect to silents states of knowing and the underlying intelligence of our fluid body.
Bringing in Micro Movements...
Micro movements are neural messengers felt as tiny pulsations, bringing electrical conductivity and complex stimulation to your tissue. Micro movements invigorate and nourish nerve fibers and contribute to the development of new neural pathways.
Allowing Wave Motion...
Wave motion curves, arc, spirals and undulates. When we engage the organic fluid systems, we tap the essence of flexibility, fluidity and wholeness. Fluid motions stimulate life processes in our organs, skeletal structure, which supports us in staying supple and vital.
Opening up to Love's Body
Through Continuum practice our awareness opens and is softened by the play of breath as we invoke rippling waves into our body landscape through our torso, pelvis, and limbs. As we connect to our inner fluid consciousness our rigid patterns begin to melt, softening, dissolving and revitalising us. We become more resonant, open, and capable of communion with all life. Book a session .
Movement
and Expressive Arts
"The body developed out of us, not we from it. We are bees, and our body is a honeycomb. We made the body, cell by cell we made it."
Rumi.
At the heart of Somatic Movement and Dance Education is the concept that our body is central to our lived experience. Somatic Movement sessions support us in developing an awareness where we can create new pathways, through and within our living body and connective tissue, to move through life with awareness, presence, and choice.
Upcoming workshops with Jane .
Benefits:
• Find a sense of belonging and awareness as opposed to feeling alone in taking care of yourself.
• Develop a heart centered and non judgmental approach to your body, and your health.
• Find a balance between personal experience and scientific knowledge in the area of wellbeing.
Somatic Workshops with Jane
Movement is not something that we do, it is who we are. We are continuously moving from the moment we are conceived - as children we literally "make Sense of the world" through movement, exploring the world and discovering what we sense and what we feel. Upcoming workshop dates and information .
"Our bodies, as our lives, are shaped by movement - from the changing pulse of our hearts, tides of our breath, to the movement of thoughts, feelings, sensations and dreams. In each moment of life we are touched and moved by a myriad of impulses and stimuli, which the body registers and responds to whether we notice or not."
©Miranda Tufnell, 2009.
Find out more about One 2 one programmes .
Programmes
One 2 Ones...
Jane is an approved ISMETA Educator and Therapist and offers One 2 ones in Somatic Movement - bespoke programmes for you. For more information email Jane , or book a session .
"The purpose of somatic movement education and therapy is to enhance human processes of psychophysical awareness and functioning through movement learning."
ISMETA
About sessions...
Each session begins with a space for talking about any movement or wellbeing concerns that you are wishing to address. We then begin a somatic practice, such as authentic movement, or a guided meditation into body awareness, or hands-on work for supporting awareness and movement patterns. This allows you to connect to your own inner experience and we end the session end with space for reflection and integration. The number and length of the sessions varies we chose this together.
Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Programmes draw from the following practices and theories:
Authentic Movement
• Connecting to our own inner landscape of movement, sensation, feelings and images.
• Cultivating presence and acceptance.
• Creating connections to the sacred through movement.
Awareness through Movement...
• Discovering new ways of moving that bring more ease and flow.
• Finding new relationships to our body; our muscular and skeletal system, our heart and fluid systems, our breathing.
"Awareness changes how we physically move. As we become more fluid and resilient so do the mental, emotional and spiritual movements of our lives."
Emilie Conrad.
Creating resources and self-care...
• Freeing ourselves from imposed ideas of health and wellbeing, and discovering what really supports us.
• Receiving deep rest and accessing our own potency.
Breath and Movement Patterns...
• Exploring breath and movement patterns to support embodiment and consciousness.
• Reconnecting to our sense of wholeness through breath and movement.
Craniosacral
Feel fully relaxed and well...
Jane is a qualified biodynamic craniosacral practitioner.
Cranio-sacral healing is a gentle and wonderfully effective treatment for stress and tension-related problems, such as neck and back pain, emotional difficulties, and chronic fatigue.
Be well. Be happy. Be vital.
'Cranium' are the bones of the head at the top of our spine and 'Sacral' refers to the sacrum, the bone at the base of the spine. Our spine is a central core of our body from which comes all of our limbs for locomotion.
Life expresses itself as movement, at the core of our physiological functioning all healthy, living tissues subtly 'breathes' with the motion of life felt through our spine - a phenomenon that produces rhythmic impulses, which can be palpated by sensitive hands.
By listening with a gentle touch to the movement and fluidity of your body, it is possible to recognise and locate where your body is holding or blocking energy. These constraints often show up as feelings of fatigue, stiffness and stress.
Benefits:
• Feeling calm and relaxed.
• Feeling at ease in your body.
• Being healthy and well.
• A new level of vitality.
• Feeling peaceful.
Craniosacral therapy and healing holds an awareness of the whole person and the inter-connections of mind, body and spirit are deeply acknowledged. It is a subtle and wonderfully effective form of treatment for a wide range of dis-eases and in enabling someone to connect deeply with their internal source and spring of wellbeing craniosacral healing creates really optimal conditions for health, encouraging vitality and facilitating a sense of well-being and joyful fluidity.
About the treatment
The initial session last for 1 hour and 20 mins and begins with time to share about what is happening and what you are needing support with. This is followed by a gentle hands-on craniosacral treatment where you lie fully clothed on a treatment couch. Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy is a non-mechanical, non-manipulative treatment that promotes the body's own natural capacity for self-regulation. Follow on sessions last one hour.
Book a session .
Babies
Craniaosacral therapy is very successful in resolving problems connected to birth and in calming and releasing any impacts of the birth experience for both mother and baby.
For some mothers and babies birth can be an overly stressful experience and afterwards if the baby has a residue of shock they may not be able to settle and may begin to show symptoms such as colic, distress, poor sleep, agitation and an inability to rest. If the birth was stressful for mother or baby, both can be left with muscular contractions, racing heart, breathing changes and digestive or back problems.
As a result of the contractions and passage through the pelvis and the birth canal, babies get very compressed during birth and this can leave them with discomfort in their bodies. The relatively soft bones of the head move during birth but don’t always return to an optimal position, leading to a variety of difficult conditions.
Caesarean births and those involving forceps or suction are more likely to lead to symptoms. These are often immediately obvious but sometimes don’t develop until later on.
How can it help?
As Craniosacral therapy is a gentle hands-on treatment it is particularly effective for treating babies. The main intention of the treatment for a baby is to settle and calm their nervous system. This can have a profound effect – many parents have commented that they have never seen their baby so calm and peaceful. Once a baby is relaxed, it can feed more easily, its digestive system is able to function more efficiently, and it can settle into sleep.
About the treatment
Usually only a few sessions are needed for the baby. The initial session begins with time to share about the birth and what is happening for the baby and family. The mother (and/or father if he chooses) holds the baby whilst I offer the gentle hands-on Craniosacral treatment. Sessions can also be very healing for the parents as well, and sometimes the parents benefit from having a session to help relax and calm their own bodies. Book a session .
About Jane
Jane Okondo is a somatic therapist and teacher based in England.
Jane's background
Having come to a deep understanding that healing happens so easily and naturally in the presence of love, Jane's work continues to lead her from one area of research to the next in a wonderfully unexpected and organic path. She established her Lovesbody Programmes in 1994, and her on-going research and practice has shown how we most definitely have the capacity to create a life that is beyond our survival patterning and the influence of past experiences.
"Having had the privilege of listening to the cranial tides of Emilie Conrad, the founder of Continuum, I forever gave up my notion that our being is at all limited. I was blown away by the realisation that my concept of how fluid moves within us was utterly limited. Listening through touch to her fluidity opened me up to a new dimension of what is possible as an expression of life."
Jane
Jane's focus of research has been on the connection between breath, somatic patterns, and fluid body dynamics. She trained in biodynamic craniosacral therapy at the Karuna Institute and further post-grad courses with Mike Boxhall and Sheila Kean, and her work is based on the Craniosacral principal of 'listening for the health' as the access for supporting wellbeing.
Jane studied Somatic Trauma with Babette Rothschild, and has an MA in Dance: Somatics and Wellbeing. More recently she has been augmenting these skills, training in Authentic Movement and Infant Movement Patterns (BMC work), with Linda Hartley. Jane was the first Authorised Continuum Movement teacher in the UK, having trained with Emilie Conrad and Robert Litman.
Partnerships
As an integrative breath therapist, Jane co-ran the integrative breath training 'InBreath' from June 1998 to Sept 2008. In 2007 she established 'Elements of Breath', a programme for health practitioners wishing to integrate awareness of breath into their practice. Lovesbreath .
Passionate about the inter-relationship between awareness, body mind, and our emergent self-expression and relationship with the world, she works together with her husband Mudimo running programmes that develop awareness through somatic practices, using breath, movement, rhythm, and somatic coaching and psychotherapy. Okondo Wellbeing .
Jane also co-organises an annual Somatic Movement Gathering in the UK that focuses on building the community, and developing the practice, of Somatic Movement Education. Somatic Gathering .
Testimonials
"Having Jane in my life has been a most wonderful and enriching gift. Her 'softness' creates the most wonderful healing and nurturing space, where my whole being is able to drop into a deep sense of calm and stillness. Jane has the ability to open up a whole new world of possibilities, where the infinite wisdom and subtle language of the human body can be explored. Thank you for being in my life!"
Tajinder Chana.
"Working with Jane is refreshing, inspiring and never dull. Her genuine and gentle approach to (the) work enables me to feel safe and accepted for who I am. With Jane's support, I have achieved real progress in my journey of self-discovery. Jane is extremely loving, kind, open-minded and intuitive. I think she's fab!"
Enrico Pinna.
"Jane creates such a wonderful safe and supportive space that it's impossible not to blossom and shine in her presence."
Jayne Veazey.
"I have had the privaledge of studying with Jane for two years now and she still continues to teach me new skills and knowledge. In particular I love the way she opens her heart to connect with me in a beautiful and compassionate way. She has taught me through example about unconditional love and I cannot thank her enough for that. No doubt I will have new teachers but Jane and her love for humanity will always have a special place in my heart."
Debbie Abrams.
"I learnt so much on the two days; for an actor so much of your Breathwork is fantastically useful, firstly in a purely practical sense for opening up the breathing spaces and the body, and secondly because opening to the Breath opens up the connection between the voice, mood, energy and intellect... all of which are vital in performance.
Plus your teaching is wonderful because it doesn't actually feel as if you are doing any teaching! It felt as if we were all investigating this thing called Breath together.... and, for me, that is such a good way to learn. I can't wait to do the next two days."
Serena Evans, Actors Voice Trainer.
"First of all I liked the relaxed atmosphere Jane created and she held the space very well. Breathing into the 3 centres and the relation of the 3 centres to the brain was very interesting. This reminded me of the chi kung breathing into the 3 dantiens. The practical aspects of the work were very clear and the manner in which the practicals were done helped bring such a huge awareness to one's own body, feel it, be it, embrace the stillness.
Finding yourself in uncomfortable situation - what to do with the breath/how to use the breath and your 'picking up a tissue and dropping it' was very helpful in remembering what to do. I have used it effectively since. A very inspiring couple of days."
Tricia Teahan, Chi Kung teacher, shiatsu and cranial practitioner.
Calendar
May
Awakening Fluid Consciousness
An advanced workshop in Continuum Movement for those with previous experience of Continuum. London: May 19, 2012 11am-5pm. Venue: Blackheath. Cost: £60.
Essentials of Continuum
An introductory 2-part programme to the practice of Continuum Movement, London. Dates: May 27, 1:30pm-4:30pm, and June 3, 1pm-5pm. Location: Blackheath. Cost: £80.
June
Fluid Health
A workshop for creating fluid connections with Continuum movement. London: June 2, 2012 11am-5pm. Venue: Blackheath. Cost: £60.
Essentials of Continuum Movement
Part 2 of an introductory programme to the practice of Continuum Movement, London. Date: (May 27, 1:30pm-4:30pm, and) June 3, 1pm-5pm. Location: Blackheath. Cost: £80. (reserve course in May).
Creating Wellness in Movement
An oportunity to connect to your own body and inner experience. Date: Classes 13 and 20 June, Wednesday mornings 10am-noon. Location: Blackheath. Cost: £20 / £15 conc.
July
Heart and Breath of Movement
A Somatic Movement workshop for those who are interested in exploring creating health and wellbeing through movement, London. Date: July 7, 11am-5pm. Location: Blackheath. Cost: £60.
September
Essentials of Continuum
This programme teaches the essential elements of Continuum Movement. We will explore the benefits of fluid movement, and how this supports us in calming our nervous system; we will experience how breath and specific sounds change the ability of our tissue to release deep holding patterns and tension, and allow us to connect at a profound level to our potential. We will look at micro-movement, fluid consciousness, discover new relationships to gravity and rest, spaciousness and ease.
This programme is an introduction to the practice of Continuum Movement and is open to everyone.
Heart and Breath of Movement
In this somatic movement and wellbeing workshop we will explore the idea that what we call a "body" is actually a creative, nonlinear, unfolding event. "Movement is something we are" and we will explore our diversity of breath, and how it is a source of movement within us, and experience the inherent fluidity of our biological organism. We will listen to our own rhythm and follow our unique heart connections to create a dynamic balance of stillness and expression.
Everyone welcome to join this London one day workshop.
Awakening Fluid Consciousness
In this workshop we will explore fluid consciousness and connect to our essential nature, our flexibility, fluidity, and wholeness, expanding our capacity to feel the sensations and perceive the intrinsic movements that support our internal sense of aliveness and connection to the intelligence of a larger planetary process.
We will use Continuum movements to encourage heart-full presence, listening, and responsiveness in our living body landscape, and support a deeper capacity to self regulate in a way that is pleasurable and nourishing. Previous experience of Continuum is required.
Our Fluid Breathing Body
Experience the profound practice of Continuum Movement; the practice integrates awareness, breath, sounding, and a range of specific and spontaneous movements. Continuum movement explorations support our potential for flexibility, health and discovery. As we enter into a spacious state we can allow old patterns to come to rest and instead open to new possibilities of movement.
A one day workshop, open to all levels of experience.
Creating Wellness in Movement
These classes begin with a space for checking in about any movement or wellbeing concerns that you are wishing to address, followed by a guided movement session, where you are supported to listen and connect to your own body and inner experience and discover new ways of moving that bring more ease and flow and wellbeing.
The class finishes with a space for reflection and relaxation. Each class is complete of itself and can also be taken regularly as a place for relaxation and wellbeing.
Fluid Health
In this workshop we will practice Continuum Movement to support our potential for flexibility, health and discovery. As we increase our body resonance through sound and breath, we naturally discover new expressions of movement and create new connections between and within our different body systems.
As we revitalise we enter into a spacious state where we can allow old patterns to dissolve and discover new pathways of movement and awareness.
Booking
Costs & Conditions:
• A non-refundable Programme deposit or full payment is required to reserve a place for programmes. The deposit is 50% of the cost for Programme's under £100 and 25% of the cost for Programme's over £100.
• The balance of payment for group Programmes is due 7 days before the event start date.
• Staged payment for longer and One 2 one programmes is negotiable, with each stage payable in full by the balance due date.
• Full payment is due for any cancellations made less than 48hrs from the event start date.
• Vouchers are redeemable in the amount stated, and solely against the indicated event.
• Concessions and waivers are discretionary.
• All deposits are non-refundable.
• Online payments using PayPal will incur a PayPal processing fee which is added to the total amount before submission. This is currently 3.4% + 20p per transaction.
Click on any Paypal icon to reserve a place. In the window that opens up, simply select a programme from the 'item' drop-down list, and type how many places you would like to reserve into the 'number' field.
We will hold any booking request placed online using our contact form for 48hrs. For Programme bookings in excess of £100.00, the minimum deposit must be paid during this period to confirm the reservation. Alternatively, you can submit the Programme deposit or full payment online with Paypal to reserve a place immediately.
Contacts and Links
eMail: Jane
eMail: Mudimo
snailMail: No. 11, London SE3 9UB, UK
Somatic Movement Gathering
The International Breathwork Foundation.
Continuum Movement.
Okondo Wellbeing Somatic Coaching Programmes.
Loves Breath.
All information, exercises, techniques, or tools described on this website are delivered in the context of coaching, and are not a substitute for consultation with your registered health practitioner.