Stretch and release
Stretch and release offers Yoga classes to help release deep seated tension through somatic movement, breath work and affirmations. We teach a range of classes with other artists, which include creative writing, twerking, and hand balancing. We believe that everyone deserves to feel connected and beautiful in their body, and movement can be a tool to help actualise this. Check out our values page to find out more about our Stretch and release beliefs.
Who we are
Stretch and release is founded by Jay X and classes are facilitated by them. Jay is passionate about creating wellness spaces that can be safer spaces for marginalised people to feel agency and rest in the body. Jay felt excluded from main stream wellness spaces and wanted to create a trauma informed space for all types of people to release and explore movement. Read jays story here.
Why stretch and release is for you
Movement is for everyone! You don’t have to change your body we just have to adjust the movement so you can enjoy the feelings of release, rest and balance that you deserve.
We are passionate that people of different sizes, abilities and ages should be able to enjoy stretch and release. Even if you have never stretched before, you are welcome to explore with us.
We know wellness spaces can be uncomfortable for people without proximity to whiteness, thinness and other privileges but you belong and deserve to be in this space too.
What we offer
We offer private and public online and in-person classes for people to experience somatic movement at their own pace, and tailored to their own accessibility needs. Along side our yoga classes we also offer twerk, hand balancing and creative writing collaborative workshops. We offer classes for individuals and organisations of all ages, abilities and intersections. Find out more about our classes.
Our Service
Our Service That You Can Choose.
Stretch and release
Our sessions start with joint freeing movement and intentional breath work to prepare for our somatic movement. As we enter our deep stretching we practice mindfulness of our own boundaries, bodily functions and feelings and relinquish expectations and pressure. Jay will guide you through the session and finish with affirmations and meditation if requested.
Twerk stretch and release
We will start class with joint freeing movement and gently opening up our hips. We will then explore different twerking movement and how to use it as a source of grounding. As we begin our yoga sequence their will be an option to twerk , engage in different glute isolations and vibrate in certain poses to further release tension. We will finish with some affirmations and meditation if requested.
Creative writing stretch and release
We will begin with stretch and release, focusing on the elements Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. As we do this, we will reflect on our relationship and connection with nature. Afterwards, we will have a relaxing poetry session with Ebony, using the tools we have acquired from stretch and translating it into written craft. Ebony (they/she) is a queer fat Black Dark skinned writer that centres their work around liberation such as fat Black liberation and queer celebration. They are passionate about marginalised groups realising their creative beauty and importance and enjoy working with all different people that want to heal through creative writing.
Hand balancing stretch and release
We will begin the class with a warm up, joint freeing movements and wrist prep with miss Geégeé Georgina (she/her). Miss Geégeé is an international circus artist and instructor, who is passionate about circus skills being accessible to those that are excluded from artistic spaces. After our warm up miss Geégeé will then discuss and teach different balances, with different adaptions to suit very beginners to intermediate practitioners. We will then centre ourselves before entering into deep stretches, focusing on the the muscle groups we have just used. We will finish with some gentle stretches, affirmations and meditation if requested.