Movement and Mindfulness

For the second year running, Owen, Imran and Nick invite you to experience mindfulness and movement in the peaceful surroundings of Unstone Grange in Derbyshire.  This weekend event (NB Monday 7th is a bank holiday in Scotland) aims to give you a taste of gentle somatic movement (somatic meaning awareness of our living bodies) and mindful practices.  The event is aimed at men with all levels of experience or none.

We aim to use the beautiful outdoor space as fully as possible bringing you a sense of inner peace and direct contact with the natural world.  We also hope to offer some gentle circle dancing and singing.  There will be a bonfire on Saturday evening.  There will be space for quiet reflection and opportunities for coming together to participate in workshops and communal activities and to share experiences in discussion.  We will have base groups so that we each get to know a smaller group of men more intimately.  

Imran will be taking care of the food, and we will have the chance to practise mindfulness while lending him a hand over the weekend with food preparation, washing up and clearing tables.  We intend that the event should be alcohol-free.

The somatic movement work will offer space to deepen into our awareness of our bodies and explore the present moment through spontaneous movement, creating opportunities for relaxation, renewal and connection with ourselves and others. There will be space for reflection through talking, drawing and/or writing.

Unstone Grange, near Sheffield, has hosted many ECC events over the years. The resident community will welcome us back for this mindfulness and movement event. We will have exclusive use of the roomy, relaxed main house, set in its 5 acres of organic gardens, and with pleasant local walks within easy reach.  We also have use of the barn for dancing.  There are good shower/toilet facilities and sleeping arrangements in shared rooms. 

Millthorpe, the village where Edward Carpenter lived for 40 years, is only a few miles away.

The Organisers

Owen

Nick

Imran

Owen Clay
“I joined the community in summer 2021 so it’s still relatively new to me. I love being part of spaces where people can share, explore and grow together and being able to offer some movement workshops as part of that is a dream come true for me. In my day to day life I currently work in mental health support and I’m also a Somatic Movement therapist. I recently resettled in Scotland after many years living in Spain.”

Nick Jackson
“I’ve been involved with ECC since the mid-nineties.  I’ve run singing and story-telling workshops for ECC and this will be my second year helping Owen to run ‘Movement and Mindfulness’ at Unstone Grange.  I think there’s something very lovely about being with a group of men, moving slowly and taking care of each other.  I hope together we can make it happen again this year.”

Imran Riaz
“I’m so happy to have another chance to cook for an ECC event.  I learned to cook as a child in Pakistan.  I cook from memory and love to share my passion for cooking.  Everyone is invited to help me in the kitchen and I can offer to help anyone who wants to learn about cooking.”

Essential Information

Venue: Unstone Grange, Crow Lane, Unstone, Dronfield, Derbyshire S18 4AL. www.unstonegrange.co.uk

Dates/times: Arrival Friday 4th August from 4pm. Departure Monday 7th August by 2pm.

Accessibility: Unfortunately the house has no wheelchair access or ground floor bedrooms, so anyone with serious mobility issues will find the venue unsuitable.

Public transport: The nearest railway station is Dronfield, about 2 miles away. There are also regular bus services between Sheffield and Chesterfield, dropping off about a 10-minute walk from Unstone Grange.