The Artist Spike writes . . .

DSCF1282THANK YOU, thanks for being you, thank you for being real, thank you for you being yourself and breathing and thank you for accepting me and everyone whom you encounter with, as themselves, without ego and power grabbing, energy grabbing and self fulfilling grabbing the spotlight, THANK YOU ….

I have been on quite a journey and in-between the Rebirthing Breathing and the recent Enlightenment Intensives, the combination of both has saved my life. Both you, David and Dickie, bring a non commercial technique to people who just want to be themselves. It’s a gift to us the partakers, of letting ourselves let ourselves be ourselves, in a caring and supportive environment.

I feel the word Rebirth-ing does not do it justice but if I had to give it a word I would say a RE-AWAKENING, waking up to who you are, who you used to be and who, and where, you came from.

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http://theartistspike.weebly.com/kent-coast-cliffs.html

For me I have been freed in many aspects of my life and as you have seen , my artwork has changed dramatically, and now it keeps progressing, and I have to keep breathing and keep trusting the breath, you both opened a door and now I have to deal with walking through it and being awake to the life, rather than fighting life, or blaming others because I did not take responsibility.

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Blaming is part of our conditions and patterns, we can lie to ourselves, but our hearts and our breath reminds us of our basic human instinct to stay alive, and ego sometimes distracts us from that. Anyway thank you…..big hugs and heart-felt unconditional thanks…for helping me to shift from my shit xxxx

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Spike is from a second generation Irish family, though born in North-Hamptonshire and is one in nine children brought up and educated in Scotland from the age of one years old. In early 1980’s at the age of seventeen he worked as a residential volunteer in Yorkshire and by the age of eighteen Spike had moved to London to continue working as a volunteer until 1985. In early naughties after a series of a diverse range of employment, an opportunity rose to return to education, where in 2006 he did a foundation in the arts at Kingston University where he met his collaborator the artist, photographer, performer,poet,director and fishmonger Alex Chase White. Spike then got accepted to do a three year degree in Fine Art at Kingston University. While doing his fine art degree he became more interested in live art performance.

5647544_origIt was also during this time that he met his other collaborator the artist Yoshiko Shimida from Japan. In 2009 Spike had the opportunity to work with Yoshiko for two and a half months in Japan, where he also travelled to Taiwan and performed with Yoshiko in Beijing in China as part of the open festival. Spike also did a solo performance during an eight week live art festival in China that led him to being commissioned to perform as part of the Bone festival in Switzerland.

While studying, Spike continued to curate exhibitions, seeking out funding to support local artists and also combine the show with artist from Le-Pecq a suburb of Paris; Spike ran this for over six years, in July 2012 he co-curated an exhibition celebrating local women artist in his community in South West London.

http://theartistspike.weebly.com/i-am-white-rabbit.html          MORE Info on Spike here : http://theartistspike.weebly.com

When Oh WHEN will I be famous . .

article-1249012-082D014B000005DC-464_468x536The OBSESSION to devalue yourself and it’s relevant SOLUTIONS will be the core theme of our NEXT SUNDAY SEMINAR SUNDAY October 5th 2014 : 

CODEPENDENCY, OBSESSION, & BECOMING YOUR OWN CELEBRITY. 

Understanding CODEPENDENCY patterning * Releasing Addictive thinking * Writing a 70 word Biography of yourself  * Unravelling negativity that authority figures told you about yourself – and you are still believing * REBIRTHING BREATHWORK for Emotional Release * Tackling Jealousy and Envy * Pushing yourself FORWARD  * Dealing with criticism * Sibling Rivalry   * Improved Adult Communications

JOIN US on at the very sensible time of 12noon -8pm ( perfect for late risers, out-of-towners and party peeps ) at our NEW VENUE just a 5 min walk from VICTORIA STATION LONDON. http://www.lightcentrebelgravia.co.uk

1959962_10152339325120864_863624049_nLed by DAVID PARKER  https://urbanlifeclass.me/the-creative-collective/parker/

( Co -Founder Of URBAN LIFECLASS Dickie Beau will be busy prepping his NEW SHOW at the Barbican so is unavailable this month. ) GO SEE! http://www.barbican.org.uk/theatre/event-detail.asp?ID=16253

WELCOME if you are new to Personal Development, Groupwork or Breathwork. We don’t do special languages, New Age stuff or talking sticks. Other groups do those things so much better than us. We are just a bunch of peeps willing to change habits, addictions and depleting toxic relationships. If you are new, one of our team can contact you if you wish to answer questions. We don’t sell anything, or sign anyone up, we leave the choice up to you. You don’t need to be a Performer, Pop Singer or even Creative, just willing to check out your life and how you can change the impact of all your relationships.

£70 for the whole day including a GROUP REBIRTH SESSION ( Some concessions are available for £50 )10501688_302332539936610_6051405388470842940_n

Delayed/part payment will be individually considered.

BOOKING : Contact Robert Beck urbanlifeclass@gmail.com (+44) 7913862492

David Parker 020 7388 3109 / Paypal to codacoach@yahoo.co.uk

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Yes, there really is a site called http://www.iwannabefamous.com/ so I trawled through some of the comments to detect the hearts and minds of those who are unhappy with being sidelined by paps. The site mission statement stated : “Being famous is not so bad after all. Sometimes fame and brings fortune (sic), but other times it brings headaches. Once you are famous you will need an agent, a photographer, a bodyguard, an accountant, a therapist, a lawyer, and perhaps a good plastic surgeon”.

So there you have it, and you don’t even have to read HEAT magazine. All the info you need to be famous IS HERE. The site gives the opportunity for an un-famous ordinary person to spout why they have a need to reach CELEBRITY status. This will amuse or create rage at the society we have created. Here it is unedited.

xfactoruk” I wanna be famous because i wanna change the world. i want to be that role model to people of all ages. most celebrities these days are caught up so much in the money and divorces and lawsuits. i want to do the opposite with my fame, bring a positive approach to it. donate my richs to charities, i love signing autographs and taking pictures. i have an outgoing personality and God has aloud me to already meet so many people but im not satsfied yet i want to do something big with the crazy outgoing personality hes blessed me with. i’m unique, funny, caring, and outgoing. i dont want to be like all these celebrities who get caught up in the fame and money. i relate to all sorts of people..i’m just waiting for a break to hit big. id love to have my own tv show or talk show “.

Maybe I’m picky but having read this diatribe of ambition they may need to add grammar and a spelling coach to the list of lawyers and therapists required to survive the day. No wonder Blair famously blared out ” Education, Education, Education “. Not that anyone listened. Thinking that FAME will create happiness and freedom is foolhardy, but the likes of X Factor drivel only stoke the fire of illusion in the hearts of the young. One comment on the above story said ” I wanna be famous because, i want people to know who i am, and what i am good at. I love acting and modelling (sic) I don’t have much experience, but i’m passionate about acting, so i consider myself as a great actress! I would love to have the opportunity …

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A lot of writers, artists, performers and creative’s DO create work they love but HALT on putting the results out there. Fame hungry one day, hiding under the duvet the next. Valuing yourself and your work is such a yo-yo creation that understanding the structure of CODEPENDENCY is vital. It is no longer about being in a traditional version of an unhealthy relationship. YOUR RELATIONSHIP with CAREER, FAME, MONEY & SELF will contain aspects of fear, fixing, rescuing, procrastination and perfectionism in order to SHOW UP, and many think they aren’t quite ready to do that.

FAME is just reward for hard work and determination but this drive for fame for fame’s sake is as hollow as a chocolate egg. I don’t need fame to know who I am, or how I feel. I don’t seek the approval of others in order to feel good, worthy or sane all I need is an affirmation I created for myself in 1988 : I am my own fabulous Celebrity. Yes it’s true, even if it’s only me that thinks so. No paps please.

Coaching, Creativity and Commitment

Blog by David Parker – Co-founder of Urban LIFECLASS : 

Can you imagine going to the gym just twice and expecting to lose flab? Or thinking that running round a park, only when you have the enthusiasm, will get you started on a regular fitness regime – it doesn’t. As many will tell you, whether it’s gym, or running when it’s raining, enthusiasm is very low on the list when it comes to commitment. Commitment means keeping going when you don’t want to, in order to claim results. 

Nor does it mean, stopping, staring and looking good. Looking good is never the notion of Coaching.  

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Feeling better INSIDE is the real objective, but like jogging it takes a while to find pace, clarity and direction be it via short or long term commitment. This often means making it a priority in your diary and working your life around it. Not the other way round. Yes – it’s that simple. The only difficult bit is making the decision and sticking with it.

A session here and there – drop-in therapy – never works long term, be it 1-2-1 or group work, so focusing on the solution for creative blocks, or any addictive patterning, is to face it head on and remind yourself what the objective is, when you waver, losing interest. Losing interest is the norm, so just plough on to pick up the prize.

runners-burnout-exhaustedAny smoker who has tried to give up fags will give you 15 minutes on how many times they have tried without success, so you are not alone when it comes to perceived failure. Stumbling, stopping and starting, appears to be like failure but picking yourself up and continuing, whatever your head tells you, is the only component to focus on. Just like the committed jogger, weather holds no hostage, regularity is always the key. Recovering from active addiction and remaining clean for quite a few decades now, I can tell you that plain sailing was not always my experience, more like hurricane weather at times, but I still kept going. I put my personal development work, in all forms, be it 1-2-1, weekly group work, workshops or seminars, in my diary FIRST, and worked my schedule and finances around them.

The other issue is doing it ALONE rarely works. You need peeps to pick you up when you stumble, when you hit a wall of pain, and when you are about to give up. URBAN LIFECLASS has experimented this first year in seeing how best we can operate. We come from a not-for-profit perspective so we began fully supporting ourselves financially, on a healthy no-debt footing. Trainers and assistants are not paid, they serve. This way we can continue, knowing that financial insecurity is not a testing companion in serving ourselves and others toward wellness.

We are so pleased with progress that we plan MONTHLY gatherings for 2015.

When you work out how much commitment you have toward abusing yourself, retail rewards, chems, booze and food for starters, as well as dropping that creative idea too soon because you got knock-back, or listened to that voice that has always insisted ‘ you will never make it ‘, these patterns don’t serve, they just sever your talents at source and kill spirit. We know that urban living has it’s downsides, stress, noise pollution and time control ( and that’s just travelling on the tube ), but you either sink with it or float above the mire, and be grateful that London is STILL the most CREATIVE CITY on earth, always moving on.

CoiunsgettyIf you desire is to move on, then consider our future programme in 2015 of monthly seminars/workshops, to grow with others eager to breakthrough New Age waffle, Coaching Guru’s and therapy speak. Just work out what you spend £70 on per month now, to get out of it ( £50 if you are a low earner ) and join our mailing list to spend the same amount per month for self-observation, CHANGE, like-minded peeps and an emotional releasing GROUP REBIRTHING BREATHWORK session each month.

Less than £20 a week is not a lot for wellness is it? Cheaper than the cost of  stagnation.

As William Blake the 18th Century Artist and visionary said “Don’t say you are trapped in a cage, when someone has handed you the key”. Unlock your life in a safe space with experienced, honest, open, creative people. Your kind of people.

Our August 8 hour Sunday Seminar 12noon – 8pm £70 https://urbanlifeclass.me/2014/08/03/having-your-cake-and-eating-it-emotional-prosperity-money-and-self-satisfaction/

GET ON OUR MAILING  : mail urbanlifeclass@gmail.com or call Robert Beck (+44) 7913862492

BAG LADIES

LUCA MARCHETTO : “AT THE URBANLIFE CLASS *ALL ALONE AM I* SEMINAR I HAD ONE OF THE MOST STRONGEST EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE “. 

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” WRITING ON A WHITE PAPER BAG THE THINGS INSIDE YOU THAT MAKE YOU FEEL ASHAMED OF YOURSELF AND WEAR IT AS A MASK AND ONE BY ONE INTRODUCING YOURSELF AND YOUR SHAME TO ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE YOU NEVER MET WHILE THEY ARE WEARING THEIR SHAMES TOO.

AMAZING DETOX, AMAZING RELIEF. 

On the other side of the bag we were enticed to write the MOST POSITIVE THOUGHT about ourselves. Taking the bag home we could choose to focus on either side each day. It’s AMAZING how just changing a bag round can CHANGE YOUR DAY!

Then we had a GROUP BREATHWORK SESSION that pushed us into altered states of consciousness, like getting off your FACE but WITHOUT DRUGS!  AMAZING!

NEXT ONE IS NEXT MONTH, SUNDAY AUGUST 31 12noon-8pm in LONDON’S Victoria

( BUT WE MAY NOT DO THE BAG THING )

https://urbanlifeclass.me/the-creative-collective/luca-marchetto8dix/

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After that exercise we Danced OFF with SHAKIRA, it look pretty mental but no more crazy than walking around with all that GUILT of course. It was explained that we subconsciously project all this stuff onto others without knowing it. Often when we communicate, we only tell half the story, hoping others won’t detect our most negative thoughts about ourselves. Rebirthing is not just about the value of detoxing breath work, it’s also about detoxing negative thinking that no one sees, BUT we know is there, and these thoughts take hostage every day. This exercise was the funniest and most healing we have attempted thanks to Catherine Hoffmann one of our CREATIVE COLLECTIVE TEAM.

Catherine Hoffmann : https://urbanlifeclass.me/2014/07/11/breathe-it-in/

 

Magical Mystery Marrakech Spiritual Retreat : Tuesday 13th January 2015 – 7 nights

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DO JOIN US ON A  SPECIAL 7 DAY SPIRITUAL BREATHWORK RETREAT in MARRAKECH, MORROCO.

It’s only for 10 participants and costs just £300 for the 5 Day Course ( within a 7 Night break ) with 2 experienced Breathwork Coaches :

photo 1DAVID PARKER co-founder of urban LIFECLASS, trained as an LRT ( Loving Relationship Training ) Rebirthing Coach in 1988 and GUEST TRAINER : MELEESHKA from Glastonbury, one of the UK’s Rebirthing pioneers in the mid 80’s, who always ‘tells it like it is” and has been on a spiritual path since the early 70’s. CLARITY is her watchword. Mel - Chrissies B'day 1 (2)

So can you imagine yourself reclining on these chairs, catching winter sun in total peace and quiet, as well as working on yourself ready for 2015?

When you consider an individual 3 hour Coaching Session ( including a  I hour Rebirthing Session is £150 ) this course is very cost effective and perfect for those who need a WINTER BREAK to re-focus, re-fresh and REBIRTH themselves into CHANGE. £300 includes a small group Hamman in the Hotel SPA for Body Detox, plus a half day visit outside Marrakech to savour the countryside, and a group visit to Jardin Majorelle – Yves Sant Laurent’s Garden. You also have free time outside the course for SOUK SHOPPING, swimming in the heated pool or wandering around the Medinas.

Sept._07_Pierre_Restoul_-100__popPLUS the Hotel Spa   http://www.lesborjsdelakasbah.com/spa.html has a full range of treatments to relax over and paid separately by each guest.

This it how it works : I am putting out this provisional blog detailing HOW MUCH? . . when to PAY ? etc. to see what the response is.

* The 5 day Course costs £300 payable to David Parker. This can be saved up now ready for January. If this is tough on top of Airfare & Hotel Fees then delayed part payment can occur AFTER JANUARY 2015.

easyjet-logo1* The separate Airfare ( if booked months ahead ) can cost about £150 return to Marrakech, but last January I paid less than £100 return from Gatwick when I booked in the OCTOBER EASY JET SALE. Consider BOOKING midweek for cheaper fares!

 

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Maroc_logo_2* Each person will pay individually to the Hotel BUT NOT PAID IN ADVANCE. YOU PAY WHEN YOU LEAVE.  When you book a one night deposit is taken only http://www.lesborjsdelakasbah.com/bedrooms.html £64 per night ( half Board ) is for Single Room ( and there are only 3 ) if you choose a twin room, this will be cheaper. You may want to bring a partner or friend.

* It’s LOW SEASON so you can get a room Halfboard ( Breakfast & Evening Meal ) from £43 per day with our GROUP RATE : FINAL BARGAIN PRICES Coming SOON.

293434_10150496334764966_1834438619_nThe programme IS A MYSTERY, depending on weather, but it will certainly entail 5 days of Personal Development work, a Rebirthing GROUP BREATHE EVERY DAY, with time off for sightseeing, relaxing by the pool and a NIGHT VISIT to eat in Jemaa el-Fnaa, the magical main square in Marrakech, highly recommended to eat there by Jamie Oliver in his TV programme. Explore a little, trust the process of moving from one area of the food stalls for each course, and during the day enjoy coffee and pastries overlooking the vibrant activities.

Tuesday 13th ARRIVE in morning. FREE all day & Evening. Course Days : Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, MONDAY FREE to do as you wish. We leave Tuesday morning. You can extend your stay at extra cost of hotel accommodation and food or arrive a few days early. You can design your own stay this way. 

A course day starts @ 10am – 1pm / 2pm – 6pm. Within this course period sunbathe breaks will occur ad hoc and on 2 of the course days we will be operating somewhere OUTSIDE the Hotel. It is NOT a degree course, with information overload but simply a space to be coached and *breathed* every day, with additional Spa Massage treatments available. It’s an ideal Personal Growth Winter Break.

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It’s a real treat I can assure you, as I have spent the past four Januarys relaxing in the most perfect, 4 Star family run Hotel & Spa, with only 18 en-suite rooms in the traditional Kasbah Medina, inside the city walls, miles away from the European 4 Star hotels in clusters frequented by package tours, called Les Borjs de la Kasbah. http://www.lesborjsdelakasbah.com/about-our-hotel.html

IMG_0351Three years ago, in January, I led a Spiritual Breathwork Retreat 10 kilometres outside of Marrakech – you can see how sunny it was by this pic, even with snow on the Atlas Mountains. It can be about 22 degrees, a few overcast days, or rain at 18 degrees must be expected, but the RETREAT will accommodate this, hence the MYSTERY, teaching us to plan each day as it comes. We never work from a manual, so anything can happen.

It can get cold at night, down to 10 degrees, so its fleece jacket time. Some rooms have free wifi, but a computer with free wifi is available on the patio area for guests. All rooms have heating individually managed.

 

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The 5 Day Course includes a visit to Le Majorelle for contemplation. These oriental-inspired gardens are in the city centre, on Yves Saint Laurent Street – the famous designer’s ashes are scattered here. There are brightly-coloured flowers, cacti and a lily pond, plus the Love Gallery, where you can see handmade cards YSL sent to his friends. And inside the bright blue villa here, there’s a coffee shop and a little bookstore. http://jardinmajorelle.com/ang/

This is the Patio area, the central hub to the Hotel, where fresh rose petals are strewn every day. Our training room is just off it, while there are plenty of snug lounging areas, and table seating for exercise writing and listening to yourself and birdsong.

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If you are interested call me David Parker on 0207 388 3109, email me on codacoach@yahoo.co.uk, and I will arrange evening information sessions before the end of August.

What a FANTASTIC GOAL to work toward. LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Having Your Cake And Eating It : Emotional Prosperity, Money And Self-Satisfaction

JOIN US on SUNDAY AUGUST 31st ( the week AFTER Bank Holiday Weekend ) at the very sensible time of 12noon -8pm ( perfect for late risers, out-of-towners and party peeps ) at our NEW VENUE just a 5 min walk from VICTORIA STATION LONDON.  http://www.lightcentrebelgravia.co.uk

cupcakes” Next to lack of time, lack of money is the most commonly cited block to creativity. Yet lack of money is seldom the real issue. What is more often at issue is THE USE OF OUR MONEY. Very often we have MORE THAN ENOUGH MONEY, but we do not allocate spending in ways that are self-nuturing ” 

The Artist’s Way at Work / Julia Cameron

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This ONE DAY SUNDAY SEMINAR around CODEPENDENT PATTERNING & Evolutionary REBIRTHING BREATHWORK focuses on Learning how to take better care of YOURSELF, YOUR THOUGHTS AROUND MONEY, and releasing Guilt, Shame, Victimhood and Scarcity Consciousness. Think of the MONEY you spend abusing yourself with a temporary hit and HOW MUCH YOU SPEND on committed nurturing, healthier habits and avoiding credit card concussion. Investing in Personal Growth makes longterm sense.

                                                            Led and devised by Dickie Beau & David Parker ( Swarmite Ananda ) 

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“For a considerable number of psychotherapy clients today, money and things have become an almost constant focus, overshadowing other life goals such as the pursuit of creative interests, satisfying relationships, and peace of mind. – ‘When Money Is the Drug’ / Donna Boundy

* How to develop Trust, Emotional Prosperity & Financial Worth. * Investing in Self – however rich or poor you think you are * Surrendering Family beliefs around Money & Work. * Building Reserves & Support Structures  * Releasing Guilt, Shame, Victimhood and Scarcity Consciousness. * Making your life Luxurious in simple ways. * The Value of Commitment and the Cost of Maintenance. * REBIRTH your thinking, REBIRTH YOUR LIFE

https://urbanlifeclass.me/the-creative-collective/dickie-beau/    https://urbanlifeclass.me/the-creative-collective/parker/

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CONFIRM YOUR PLACE by contacting Robert Beck

WELCOME if you are new to Personal Development, Groupwork or Breathwork. We don’t do special languages, New Age stuff or talking sticks. Other groups do those things much better than us. We are just a bunch of peeps willing to change habits, addictions and depleting toxic relationships. If you are new, one of our team can contact you if you wish to answer questions. We don’t sell anything, or sign anyone up, we leave the choice up to you. Just ask Rob.

£70 for the whole day including a GROUP REBIRTH SESSION

Delayed/part payment will be individually considered.

BOOKING : Contact Robert Beck urbanlifeclass@gmail.com (+44) 7913862492  

David Parker 020 7388 3109   Paypal to codacoach@yahoo.co.uk

Breathe it IN

Catherine Hoffmann, a member of our CREATIVE COLLECTIVE who assist the Urban LIFECLASS Trainers, has written a deeply personal accolade to Breathwork, and her vibrant ability to seek awareness, living on lifes terms, dealing with family tribulations, and her recent manifestation of change and acceptance.

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Heading to the noodle bar in Kings Cross, I walk down the Euston road, its 9.30pm and it’s dark. I have just done an hour of Breath work with David Parker in his Camden flat and I don’t feel like going home straight away. I am glad to be out here walking past bars, restaurants, past the station, pulsing traffic. On my own observing everyone else. I feel light, in synch with it all. I feel part of it. Not drained by a London trawl, not hysterically rushing to something, just walking, and taking things in. Tonight I don’t feel alienated sitting and waiting for Ho Fun on my own. Tonight I am enjoying the endless sounds of cars and bump of people. After eating I feel a wave of tiredness coming. Yes now I need to sleep, beautiful sleep.

UnknownThis breath work allows me to reconnect with wonder all over again, radiating the miraculous parts of me. Yes every time I breathe I feel completely loved up, wanting to connect, with an opening of the heart. Lets face it to give and receive love is bloody hard for some of us no matter how much we try to be decent human beings. I can easily shut down the spectacular parts of me, hide who I really am. I am not a complete wallflower by any means, I am a performer for goodness sake but I have been known to go into times of exile, fall deep into dark caves and even now I am still learning to reach out to those I love more.

A paper-thin layer of despondency had settled over me in the last couple of years, shame from my past and present failings or so I saw them but something has changed… Last year I went through a time of fragmentation, a break up of a relationship that was becoming more and more painful. I had nowhere to live, a sense of isolation and distrust of certain dynamics set up with close friends. There were points when I really thought I shouldn’t be here, it was time to give up. I had to disconnect from all of it. Each day was a challenge to keep the love going towards myself and then hopefully out. There were times when I would lose, negativity spiralling out of control. I could be present for others but not myself.

I believe that doing an intensive weekend of breath work and sharing some of my experiences in the autumn of that year with Dickie Beau & David Parker @ Chelsea Theatre helped me through that difficult time. It was also necessary to let these things fall apart in order to draw in new vitality without having to prove anything to anyone. The breath work has allowed me to open up, to not be judged or defined. I have been breathing myself back into acceptance. That it is ok for me to be here, in fact more than ok…

I had always felt the outsider, growing up moving around from one ad hoc dwelling to another, sometimes not having a home, children popping out left, right and centre. Mental illness, violence and basically chaos with neglect all in my family history. All of this I hid for so many years and I guess this hiding has become a habit, not wanting to be found out. Hiding has been part of my family set up, my mother shutting herself in her bedroom for days on end, siblings cutting themselves off, not working, booze and drugs, the concealment of illegitimate children and even cultural identity…on it goes.

In my adult life I still carry around a sense of fraudulency, of not quite being proper, but hey this can also be celebrated. Why would I want to fit into a system that still doesn’t know how to distribute its wealth effectively, where the gap between the rich and the poor is ever growing? Everyone busily working towards buying more and more comfort for their families. The whole thing made my skin crawl even as a child despite the yearning for ‘normality’ and of course wanting all of that at the same time.

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Now here I am just me, breathing in a different way, having my own reactions and whoever I am has nothing to do with all of this history – that story and the people around me, their feelings and reactions are not me. This is me lying here having a great time. Breathing back into life, inspiring back into myself. Clearing the way out of shame. There is nothing to fix here this is my birthright and all of ours, we are not broken. No more hiding, moving from the inside to the outside like the first moments of unfurling the body from the womb – through and out, the terror and the delight of being able to move those limbs within space and air. Wanting comfort and familiarity and at the same time wanting to explore and reach for the new, this is the struggle of life in all its glory. Being able to kick and flex those wrists and ankles, moments of rigidity, stuck muscles and then release. I am alive. I am here. No tears this time, no grief, just me, here alive, abundant and full of pleasure. Is this what tantric sex is like? Amazing. Have I just had tantric sex with myself? All I know is I want to keep tapping into that feeling of my heart opening – whether that makes me feel sublime, sexy and full of love or if it makes me weep and blubber like a new born babe.

Read about Catherine here on our THE CREATIVE COLLECTIVE link : https://urbanlifeclass.me/the-creative-collective/catherine-hoffman/

All Alone Am I

10432993_301645620005302_7327150963895016647_nLONDON VICTORIA /  SUNDAY 27th JULY 2014  / 12noon – 8pm  ONE DAY SUNDAY SEMINAR

around CODEPENDENT PATTERNING & Evolutionary REBIRTHING BREATHWORK focuses on ALONENESS, LONELINESS, SEPARATION, MEDITATION & CONTEMPLATION.

 Learn how to take better care of YOURSELF.

0-DSC_10501-300x199-1upstairs-studio1Starting at a reasonable time of 12 noon, ending at 8pm to encourage out-of-towners, clubbers and those that love a Sunday lie-in our NEW ONE DAY VENUE is just a 5 minute walk from Victoria Station.

http://www.lightcentrebelgravia.co.uk/

Led by David Parker 

https://urbanlifeclass.me/the-creative-collective/rebirthing-coach/

& Dickie Beau

https://urbanlifeclass.me/the-creative-collective/dickie-beau/

This Seminar includes a I hour Group Rebirthing Session with Guest Rebirther Diana Roberts

https://urbanlifeclass.me/the-creative-collective/diana-roberts/

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Living in an URBAN CITY can be overwhelming, pacing yourself around the demands of work, living expenses, dependents, friends and finding time to do everything or nothing. No wonder we just want to run away, hide and create blame & procrastinations.

That project you keep talking about, just can’t find the clock to get it moving, or the inspiration to reach out for help. Teaching yourself to unravel the blocks that keep CREATIVITY, Healthy Relationships & SUCCESS at bay, is EASY.

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Consider the amount of time you spend alone, maybe in the workplace or via creative pursuits. Think of how many times you have felt isolated, perhaps depressed or even unsafe. Do you embrace the time you spend with yourself or loathe the space as time ticks by? Many can’t bear to be without a relationship, or create heavy social schedules, while others shy from intimacy. BINGE LIVING – All or nothing. In the end it’s about self-judgement and how we fill our time. Some clutch the arm of procrastination while many stay within dysfunctional patterns and relationships, for fear of change, risk and emotional turmoil. Where do you stand?

What needs attention to re-balance and find yourself amongst chaos thinking, living and *acting out* addictive habits?______________________________________________

This SUNDAY ONE DAY SEMINAR offers you the chance to sift through your needs, wants and maybe a lost *sense of proportion* within your mind set, held hostage by obsession, imbalance and expectations.

All that stuff we do to ourselves in order NOT TO COMPLETE.

 All Early Bird Concession places of £50 have been booked already, due to heavy interest, but Places still available at £70 for the day. Delayed payment may be considered.

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BOOKING : Contact Robert Beck urbanlifeclass@gmail.com

(+44) 7913862492

Time for a Spirit Jog?

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Robert “Bubble” Beck is a returning guest-blogger for urban LIFECLASS as well as being a member of our CREATIVE COLLECTIVE. When he’s not writing, he’s busy chasing his dream of becoming a theatre director on the West End. However, this seems to involve drinking a lot of wine and not doing much work… Follow him on Twitter @robertjamesbeck where he once in a while makes a profound(ish) comment. . .

Blog write-up by Robert Beck

The beauty of breath-work is that it allows me the chance to work on helping others, as well as myself. While I have only been on this path of personal development for a relatively short amount of time, the profound effect it has had on me is something I am keen to help others discover, especially within my age group.

I often say to people that those who are most sceptical have the greatest reactions to the breathes… and boy was I sceptical when I started. Yet look at me now, a few months on, and I am totally devoted. I breathe myself, I have done a load of reading around the science of breathing, and now I am beginning my training to become a fully-fledged facilitator. Pretty impressive for someone who used to believe that meditation and self-help seminars were for hippies and people who didn’t take showers.

Our workshop on the 27th of April was a special one for me because it was the first time I was allowed to assist on a breathe this size. The previous assisting work I had done had been small and intimate and I had been safe in the knowledge that David was always looking over my shoulder and there to deal with anything that came up. For a group this size it was not going to be like this. Having 15 people breathing at the same time meant that I had to be able to trust myself to provide that comforting hand or to guide someone through an integration independently while the trainers were off in another part of the room. While I was supported by the other assistants (the fabulous Luca and the gorgeous Catherine) and the trainers who were on hand should something big come up, this was a real learning-curve for me and taught me so much about recognising and appreciating the stunning effects that evolutionary breath-work and a bit of positive thinking can have on a person.

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As is usual with our seminars, we began by asking ourselves some difficult questions, supplied by our facilitator, David Parker, that we may not really want to answer. ‘This is what I want to ACHIEVE’ seems like a simple enough question to answer but comes with all sorts of caveats like “but I won’t achieve it because…” or “achieving that would be great but I don’t have the time…” We all build walls around our dreams that stop us from going out there and trying to make them happen.

Similarly, a question like ‘This is what I want to LET GO OF’ can throw up issues where we recognise something is bad for us and yet somehow are unable to let go of it. How many of us have been in a relationship that we know is no good and yet are unable to walk away from? Stopping to ask yourself these questions and forcing yourself to articulate answers can allow ideas to formulate that you probably already had but have been hiding from. This is why I love this kind of work – because it is truly soul-searching and gives you that space to really get to know the person you are and the person you want to be. As a creative this is an invaluable exercise.

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These questions also allow you to structure your breathe a little bit. While I’m not advocating trying to force emotions out when you are breathing it is only natural that, if you have been thinking about what you want to achieve and the aspects of your life that you’d ideally like to let go of, then they may well form a large part of your breath-work experience. I know the first time I breathed that focusing on my creative blocks beforehand meant that when I went into that state of being inside my own body I became acutely aware of what it was that was stopping me achieving my creative goals and what I could do to break the chain of me blocking myself.

This is something I have found myself explaining to people who are new to breath-work time and again, that while there is something deeply spiritual about the work which can’t be controlled or manipulated, there is a very strong scientific element to it as well. Rather than being completely hippy-dippy woo-woo, which I know works for some people, I prefer to think of breath-work as a practical tool that can be used to help recharge my creative self and reinvigorate my mental state. Just like meditation or going for a brisk jog!

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So, to conclude, I seem to be reiterating something I’ve been saying a lot recently which is that if someone like me – and I like to consider myself as quite down-to-earth and practical – can reach a point with breath-work where he wants to use it to help others as well as himself then it must be doing something right.

Every time I assist people on their breathes, I am blown away (no pun intended!) by their reactions and am always glad when I can be there to provide a bit of support to those who are brave enough and strong enough to say yes, I want to improve myself.