Thursdays 5:30PM PST
Join Springlove of Access-Centered Movement® in a weekly drop-in class designed for those of us with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD). If you are not sure if you are hypermobile, these are some signs:
- joints that pop frequently
- natural flexibility (although many times muscles tighten to protect joints and become stiff, joints can also become stiff because of injury)
- sensitive nervous system
- insomnia
- gastrointestinal distress
- inexplicable neuromuscular issues
- bruising
- proprioceptive difficulty (challenges in perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body)
- psychic capacities
While this is designed for people with hypermobility, many people can benefit from deep core stabilizing, and anyone is invited to join this class. This will not just be about our physical cores. We will also discuss our galactic cores and how having a “loose container” impacts this.
This workshop is intentionally entitled, “Healing with a Loose Container,” as wanted to gently invite us each into our spiritual adulthood, our agency. I want to offer that we
Each week the class is broken up into discussion and practice, making sure to support newer folks and challenge regular students. I usually begin by discussing my unique theories and viewpoints on hypermobility. This can include a discussion of how hypermobility affects our nervous systems and spiritual bodies, along with practices and rituals for stabilizing, cleansing, and renewing. I try to limit how much I talk and to prioritize practice so we typically begin moving after 5-10 minutes. Sometimes a longer demonstration is necessary in order to teach various techniques.
I often talk about my views on how to find the most effective and neutral positioning for your particular spine, as this is key for hypermobile folks to reduce pain and increase “functionality” if wanted (a complex concept rooted in ableism and capitalism, nonetheless if it is self-directed, I support you!). I offer integrative and functional Pilates-based exercises, adjusted for your needs, to help maintain joint stability and reduce pain. I teach therapeutic techniques for developing muscle and reducing scar tissue, activating deep core stabilizers, retraining neuromuscular patterning, proprioception awareness, relearning breathing techniques, and strategies for regulating our nervous systems. I invite you into dynamic therapeutic movement within your capacity, in hopes that you may slowly learn the tools you need to maintain as much stability as possible for your body and mind.
Things that I suggest you have access to (I will give different options hoping that this is accessible for as many people as possible):
- Please access place where you can lie down as comfortably as possible. The best option is a mat on a firmer surface like the floor (it might feel supportive to layer the mat with blankets or towels to create more cushioning). If it is not possible for you to access a mat or to get on the floor, lying on a couch or bed is an option if it’s not so soft that your spine rounds when you lie on your back. If you are not able to lie down please let us know.
- A chair that you do not sink into (please let us know if you cannot sit)
- Something to support your neck like a rolled-up towel, scarf, or pillow intended for lying on your back.
- Resistance or therapy band.
- One pound weights or canned food.
- Something to place in between your thighs like a Pilates ball, pillow, or towel.
- Something for self-myofascial release like a foam roller, stick roller, or Theracane.
REGISTRATION You MUST Register
You only need to register once a year and are expected to re-register at the beginning of each year when I create a new intake form. If you come weekly or more than once in any way, your attendance is known with prepayment or an email requesting scholarship)
ACCESS INFO
• Workshop will be recorded and sent to all participants
• AI Closed Captioning Provided• Access needs that can be met day of can be included in the Registration form
• Ideally this will have ASL *and* I don’t have the budget for it—if folks who have access can contribute generously and community members need this, we can do our best. If you are HOV, Deaf/deaf, would like to join, and need ASL, please contact us as soon as possible. I need at least 72 hours notice to provide this service. I apologize that your access needs are not automatically met and that you have to do this extra labor. You deserve better and I look forward to the day when I have more resources and can do this.
• WILL ALREADY CENTER ACCESS FOR
o low vision, blind/Blind
o wheelchair users
o folks who need to sit, stand, and/or lie down
o neurodivergence,
o mental illness
o chronic pain
o spoonies
o hypermobile and EDS folks
o limited mobility
o inability to use limbs
o asthma
o PTSD
o Etc.
You will get the Zoom Link after registering, it may take a few days. If you do not receive a link by Thursday at 5:00PM PST please email me.
LINK TO REGISTER:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeWLOD64-jT4Zkr5kZ2xAWLm2Mksrukz1SxzQRrRjptmKigww/viewform
CLASS WILL ALWAYS BE RECORDED and you will receive a link to said recording whether you attend live or not. I will be using the “Access-Centered Framework”, which is trauma-informed, intersectional (I work to dismantle oppression and hierarchies at all times), consent-based, and will never expect you to “adapt” to the exercises I offer—I will change the exercise to meet your needs. While I will be offering suggestions to keep your practice as safe as possible, everything I offer is invitational as I believe that you know your bodymind best. I will offer you space to advocate for your needs, and I encourage you and invite you to take up that space.
PAYMENT This CLASS is Sliding Scale $20- $40+ with Partial and Full Scholarship Options
• I highly encourage people (especially white folks) who have financial access to pay as much as they can (perhaps more than $40) to help fund folks who do not have access
• The only way that this model works successfully is when people give what they authentically can, remembering that we are all conditioned in a model of scarcity and that it is often uncomfortable to give in this framework. For people who cannot afford the sliding scale: I am offering scholarships to low-income folks. Priority for Black and Indigenous folks, unhoused folks, and people with fixed incomes. Please remember that I am very low-income and this is my life’s work.
• Please contact Springlove via email (accesscenteredmovement@gmail.com) to request a scholarship BRIEFLY explaining your situation.
Please submit your pre-payments to:
If paying via PayPal *or* Venmo, PLEASE send payment as a “friend” vs for a service. I am a low-income person with disabilities who does not make much from my offerings and PayPal/Venmo takes a percentage if not paid as a friend. This allows me to offer more scholarships and PayPal/Venmo does not need more of our money! If you are not comfortable doing this, contact me for another method.
PayPal: acccesscenteredmovement@gmail.com
Venmo : @springlove
Email: accesscenteredmovement@gmail.com if you need to pay another way.
No refunds as this will be recorded.
Access–Centered Movement 