The short version...
Express Yourself is an hour-long class of gentle movement, mindfulness, and vocalisation designed to help you release stored emotions and memories and heal trauma. Each class is themed.
It is for anyone willing to grab hold of their courage and try a new way of expressing themselves. There is no right or wrong way to move or vocalise within this space, instead you will be guided to connect in with your body and allow it to move you and voice through you.
Express Yourself will be delivered online via Zoom. Classes will not be recorded for the sake of privacy and no refunds will be given. If you let me know 48 hours before class that you can't make it then you will be able to reschedule your time (please email sarah [at] sarahchann.com).
The long version...
Express Yourself is a unique combination of movement, vocalisation, and journalling. Each class is themed and designed to help you:
- access and uncover parts of yourself that you hide from yourself and others
- allow your emotions to move through you
- release old stories you hold about yourself
- experience new sensations and ways of relating to yourself
- practice using sounds and movement to express how you are feeling
- start a conversation with your body and hear its wisdom
- feel courageous in exploring movement and sound
- connect with yourself on a deeper level so that you gain greater understanding into who you are and what you are here to do
- let your body move you and make sounds through you instead of you moving your body or deciding what sounds it needs to make
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Does everyone just roll around screaming?
While I think that would be incredibly cathartic, the answer is no. Each class will flow through a range of emotions depending on the theme of the class - anger, happiness, curiosity, grief etc are just some of the emotions we might play with. The idea is to connect you with YOUR body so you can express what is inside YOU. Both the movement and the vocal expression in the class are an invitation - you work within what feels most comfortable to you. In some classes there will be an opportunity to work up to scream - again, everything is optional, but let me tell you, a good scream feels incredible!
- What will my kids/partner/neighbour/dog think??
No matter where you go or what you do there will be someone who judges you for it (and often it's the critic in your head doing the judging). At the end of the day, if this is something that could help you to become more you, does it matter what other people think? We are not used to expressing ourselves vocally (loud sighs, grunts, screams) and so people can be a bit taken aback. So to help you out I've designed a few "Don't mind me, I'm making this noise on purpose" signs that you can print out and stick on your door/your window/your front door - wherever you need to. Click here to download. On the other hand, you can always invite the other person to join you.
- It's fine for other people, but I don't think I could ever express myself like this.
Yes!! So often we think that we can't express ourselves in certain ways because we've been conditioned out of it. It feels WAY out of our comfort zone. Which is why every "instruction" in class is simply an invitation. If you don't think you can moan out loud, then what's the smallest sound you could make that feels comfortable to you? If you don't think you could punch the air, what's the biggest movement you could make with your arms that feels good to you? At the end of the day, it is not about what it looks or sounds like to anyone else, it's about how it feels in YOUR body. Each class follows a format that builds on itself so the expression becomes easier as you become more confident in your ability to follow your body's cues. It's all about you learning to listen to your body and express what it wants than how it looks or sounds to other people (or your inner critic).
Hey, I'm Sarah, and I'd love to connect with you in an Express Yourself class. I developed these classes as a form of emotional expression and embodied trauma resolution. Some of the most effective tools I experienced in healing my own childhood trauma involved moving my body and using my voice.
One day as I sat in my car after a cathartic session, screaming and shouting in a way that felt deeply empowering and embodying, I realised that more people need the opportunity to express themselves this way in a safe space. And so the Express Yourself classes were created. I hope to see you in one soon.
