Adam Spreadbury-Maher shares his thoughts on Breathwork and our Marrakech Retreat 2018.

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Olivier Award Winner Adam Spreadbury-Maher is an Australian/Irish Theatre Artistic Director, Producer and Writer. He is the founding Artistic Director of the Cock Tavern Theatre, OperaUpClose and The Hope Theatre, and is the current artistic director of the Kings Head Theatre, Islington. London.

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“Initially attending a one day Evolutionary Breathwork workshop in Central London, I decided to take the plunge and travel to Marrakech on the week long Breathwork retreat in March that David and his team hold annually. I didn’t know what to expect, though I went along with an open mind and heart.”

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“The week long retreat was co-led with established breath worker Luisa Bradshaw, a partnership that accounts for over 45 years combined experience, buckets of empathy and good humour, and I felt ‘emotionally safe’ from the start.

Based at a beautiful and comfortable 4-star riad-style hotel, just off the beaten track and hustle and bustle of the main square, in the Kasbah medina, our group was gently eased into the course with care and compassion over the first 2 days in the hotel with hammam, steamed, washed, scrubbed and relaxed in the Spa plus daily group breathwork for emotional and body release.”

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“The schedule had plenty of time for us to spend together socialising at meals or relaxing by the pool, alone in solitude and reflection, plus visits to some of Marrakesh’s most exquisite gardens. The day trip to the Ourika Valley at the foot of the Atlas Mountains was a particular highlight for me, along with silent walks in the stunning Anima Garden en route in the morning.”

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“Throughout the week, not only was I able to spend sometime focussing on a cleaner and better relationship with myself, I was also able to make new friends and deepen existing relationships.

This is breathwork for today’s pragmatic realistic, who is happy to dodge the crystals and dolphin music; it’s effective, self-led ( yet supported and guided ) self growth therapeutic practice.

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Quite unexpectantly, Conscious Connected Breathwork with David Parker has had a hugely positive impact on my life and well being. I recommend David, Luisa and their team unreservedly, in fact . . . I’ve already signed up for next year!”

Adam Spreadbury-Maher

 

Winter Update : Tales Of The Unexpected.

 

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Tales of the Unexpected. #BREATHE
I took a planned 7 Day no-work break in Tenerife mid January with no schedule, and had no idea I would be driven up to “Pura Vida” in Bajamar, North East Tenerife for a gathering of some of Tenerife’s most experienced Rebirthing Breathworkers “Colectivo de Renacedores de Canarias”. A workshop and a full breathe from 10-2, then a hearty lunch with Agustín Hernández plus Silke Modersohn who created the centre “Pura Vida” for yoga, rebirthing and relationship work. Thanks all for such a warm welcoming experience

10 days before my trip I collapsed at home with a very high heartbeat and had to call an ambulance, then an overnight stay so my long used angina meds could be adjusted. According to the Doc, the structure of the heart changes and so meds needs review and at 71 this year I took it seriously and still under the care of University College Hospital for monitoring. I asked whether the stent I had fitted 13 years ago was working, and the reply was “Yes, if it wasn’t, you would have had a heart attack.” Both my parents died instantly with heart attacks – so I am prepared to break the pattern!. ❤️ #BREATHE

Luckily they let me get to Tenerife as planned but while away I decided to have a break on return to London, and curtail Evening Breathwork Groups till after we return from Marrakech. ❤️ 

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Our Annual Breathwork Retreat in Marrakech is FULL ❤️ #BREATHE

but you can read more here :

https://urbanlifeclass.me/2017/09/04/not-january-as-usual-our-next-marrakech-breathwork-retreat-is-in-march-2018-a-change-is-as-good-as-a-rest-spring-break/

MARCH Evening Breathwork Dates are here – Please BOOK EARLY to avoid disappointment 

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#BREATHE ❤️

 

Spring Update

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I whizzed through WINTER since our Autumn Update with a busy schedule in place, and now we hit Springtime with clocks forward and even a hint of sunshine.

We held 2 One Day Breathwork Seminars since that previous update, one in October HOME ALONE and the other in February LOVE UNLIMITED, both well attended but we have lost the venue. Nothing to do with us, just a decision by Management of the Charity not to be open at weekends, as it needs a paid person to attend opening and closing, in times of funding cuts. We are searching at the moment but costs of over £300 per day are not unusual in Central London ( many commercial enterprises go beyond £500 ). As many of you know, the venue needs to be suitable for Breathwork, have facilities and open on a Sunday in Central London. Anyway we have a few ideas up our sleeves. The Urban LIFECLASS team are on the case!  https://urbanlifeclass.me/theteam/

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Marrakech Breathwork Retreat January 2017 – Early Feedback

“I came on this retreat last year and THAT changed my life, without doubt. Doing breathwork today with the most amazing group of people has surpassed every expectation that I could have had. 

16195699_10154226392806200_2150883089052881516_nIt has been very deep work, but overwhelming in its content and in the range of emotions which it generates. I have seen major changes happen in others, honesty, trust, sharing and the most breathtaking energies holding the space throughout. Thanks to Robert, Sara, Suzanne and Jake for assisting so well.

Finally special thanks to David Parker and Meleeshka for doing the most amazing work and holding the space so beautifully. Tonight I am in a state of blissful gratitude, feeling the love and looking forward to the final few days.”  – Mike Delaney

http://www.mikedelaney.co.uk   Mike Delaney RNMH, RMA, Cert Couns, (BACP, EAGALA) / London – Birmingham.  

Mike Delaney / Leap Equine Therapy : http://www.leapequine.com/our-team/senior-therapeutic-team      

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Last month we went to Manchester to get things going with a Free 2 hour Introduction which turned out to be very interesting, not in the way expected ( bit of a lesson there ). It was well attended , but the weekend we planned for this month we have postponed till the Autumn to include those away on early Easter breaks and wanted to attend. However I created online coaching clients from Manchester and unexpected future private 121 Breathwork sessions during the summer period to build on. Not part of my plan, but as Marianne Williamson says ” God’s plan works, yours doesn’t “.

The result was ‘effortless accomplishment’. More news on this laters.

https://urbanlifeclass.me/2017/02/06/stop-shopping-manchester-urban-lifeclass-coaching-is-bringing-breathwork-relationship-recovery-to-the-north-free-afternoon-intro-saturday-12th-march-4-6pm/

 

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Our Monthly Evening Breathes in LONDON are now Booked UP a month in advance and we appear to be attracting new breathers every month without effort. #BREATHE 

More NEWS on Manchester & London Coming soon!

1.2.1 sessions, additional information and overseas seminar organising can easily be booked with David. https://urbanlifeclass.me/contact/ 

HAPPY EASTER

January Maroc Spiritual Retreat 2015 a HUGE success. So we are doing it all again next year.

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Blog by David Parker Co-Founder of URBAN LIFECLASS

In January last year, 2014, Breathwork Trainer Meleeshka, who I’ve known for 25 years, spent a week with me at my favourite 4* Hotel Les Borj de la Kasbah, in Marrakech Morocco. While I had visited it over a dozen times when leading Breathwork Seminars in Morocco a few years back, Mel who had not visited Marrakech since the early 70’s, said sitting by the pool “Why don’t we do a Spiritual Retreat here next January and bring people from the UK, focusing on Abundance, Forgiveness & Self Care?”. So we did.

To many the idea of a Spiritual Retreat brings up thoughts of early morning starts, sacrifice, scarcity, bleak surroundings and trial, so we decided to challenge this concept by focussing on the opposite : Abundance, Effortless Accomplishment, Self Nurturing, Emotional Support and Playfullness. It WORKED!

1663924_114_yYou can tell the success of any workshop, seminar or retreat by the thoughts, decisions and actions that follow it. Many have experienced the high of reading a book on personal growth, but somehow never got round to the exercises, and so it is with weekend seminars and the like.

CHANGE sounds like a great idea but actually changing something is more challenging. But on return to the UK, someone from the Retreat ended an unhealthy relationship, another handed their notice in on their unsatisfying job, while others made deep external and internal shifts. You can get challenged by one-to-one therapy, or a One Day Seminar but the energy of facing yourself and others over a 5 day Retreat process, really brings out the weeds to be culled. What assisted these results was not just Group Conscious Connected Breathwork every day, but the comfort of the Hotel Spa facilities close at hand.

The first 2 days of settling in was supported by group Hammams of 4 people, morning and afternoon, while others were experiencing a Rebirthing Breathwork session, for emotional release – some for the first time. Future participate blogs will elaborate further about the bonding, laughter and cleansing that took place. Keep a look out.

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READ MORE about our Retreat here : http://urbanlifeclass.me/2015/02/09/january-maroc-spiritual-retreat-a-huge-success-for-all-so-we-are-doing-it-all-again-next-year/

New countries, new playgrounds.

Since I returned from a month in Australia in September it’s been a bit of a whirlwind on the passport front. The Canary Islands in December for a break and to catch up with Agustin Hernandez, a prolific Rebirther in Teneriffe, followed by Austria over Christmas to launch Rebirthing groups in the Tyrol, then my first presentation in Morocco in January this year. At the end of  last month I went back to Innsbruck  for 2 more Rebirthing groups, which is building nicely with an opportunity to start Rebirthing in Vienna later in the year.

But the big one is Morocco, I am so excited by the opportunities there, that I have started a blog and information site just for that country and it’s cultural differences, in english and some pages in french. It appears that limited rehab and detox facilities ( if any ) exist in Morocco and no government figures are available for alcohol & drug use, as if no abuse problems exist. I had some reservations when I was invited  to present there, as alcoholism is paramount to the history of codependency and speaking about alcohol in a muslim country I thought would prove difficult. Well it wasn’t. People were eager to talk about it, either privately or in group. Casablanca appears to have noticeable alcohol issues alongside, club drugs and sexual activity via female prostitution. All this creates shame, the word I kept hearing in relation to family secrets.

This makes sense on reflection because Casa is not a tourist destination but the financial and business hub of Morocco breeding all the problems we experience in the West when money, power and addiction come together.

For my first presentation, the free two hour thursday evening introduction was ready with 20 chairs – and 45 people turned up! It was not the amount of interest that held my breath, but the diversity of audience, all ages, from twenties to grannies, from short skirts to covered heads and legs and equal men and women. Locals and expatriates from France, Spain, Belgium and America sat cross legged on the floor hungry for information about a subject that rarely gets spoken in public there : codependency & addictions. So it was wonderful to work with well over 20 people on the One Day Saturday Seminar, including 6 doctors, and twelve people who had never experienced Rebirthing Breathwork before. Well the feedback speaks for itself :

Excellent but too short – come back! . . .  David Parkers relaxed and unpretentious attitude, humour and calm way of speaking . . . Can you come back once a month? . . . My first Rebirthing breathe was sensational! . . . well led, adaptable, complex material . . . Very secure and relaxed atmosphere.

Before I left Casablanca train station at lunchtime the next day, for the Marrakech Express, the wonderful committee of NAFS ( The Moroccan Rebirthers Association ) invited me to a power breakfast beforehand to complete. We discussed the feedback sheets and I agreed that I would return in May for a weekend seminar and a week in Casa for private sessions and to build up support, if only to repeat the laughter we all had. Since then I have been invited to Tangiers to start something there later in the year and other requests have come in from Yoga centres to develop ideas. I have committed in my schedule to return to Morocco 3 times a year, this year and next, to build for the good of all concerned. I so look forward to returning the first 2 weeks of May.

En shallah!

So a BIG THANK YOU to the committee pictured here as I left and to Philippe Raffrey from Rabat who attended my one day and listed my blog and information on his pioneering alternative therapy blogsite, the largest such site in Morocco :  http://marocterredeveil.canalblog.com/

. . . & do check out my NEW Moroccan blog and info pages here : http://urbanlifeclass.wordpress.com/