Resting as Revolution

Pictures By: Akshita Brahma, Néa Ranganathan, Maya Seligman

Resting as Revolution Workshop: Co-led by Néa and Akshita

28th September 2023
In the session, Néa and Akshita explored ideas by Audre Lorde, The Nap Minsitry and adrienne maree brown. Through this, emerged conversations around rest in a captalist world and how marginalised communities interact with the concept of rest. The group discussed questions like, what does it mean to show up for themselves and one another? How do they value themselves outside of productivity?

Around the room, stations were set up for people to interact with at their own pace. Akshita and Néa curated offerings around passive and active rest. The stations were called Pause, Explore, Express, Connect, and Move. Over time, the space was filled with dual and solo movement, live music, crafting, napping and a slow and restorative atomopshere could be felt.

As a closing ritual, they spent some time breathing together outside among the trees and grass.

Five Rhythms Workshop: Co-led by Akshita and Zarshaa

11th April 2024

This workshop was a way in which Zarshaa and Akshita experimented with using movement in a room together with a group to empower healing minds and bodies using the practice of 5 Rhythms. The aim was to create time for rejuvenating and detoxing in a very individual way, whilst sharing space together as part of a wider creative action around relaxation led by the Goose Lounge collective.

During the session, held in the reclaimed Rest Nest, Akshita and Zarshaa covered the history and practices of Five Rhythms before they began exploring the practice practically with the group. The purpose of the practice overall is to be gentle, inclusive and to respond to the needs of the individual’s body, so they encouraged people to not be alarmed when hearing 'dance' or 'movement'.

The session concluded with free drawing and breath work to recenter individual and collective energy before stepping out of the Rest Nest into the wider world again.