Creativity in Motion: A Somatic Journey to Transform Anxiety into Expression

One space remaining.

Saturday 31st January 2.00-4.00pm

Riverside Wellbeing, Whaley Bridge

With Dr. Sally Eccleston, Registered Psychologist, Somatic Therapist and Yoga Teacher, and Tess Gee, a local illustrator

Investment of £45

About the Workshop

This two-hour creative and somatic workshop offers space to move from anxiety into presence through embodied movement and mindful art-making.
By combining gentle physical awareness with creative expression, the session supports emotional release, nervous system regulation, and a renewed sense of calm.

You don’t need any previous experience in art or movement. All you need is comfortable clothing, curiosity, and a willingness to explore how the body and creativity can help you reconnect with ease and inner steadiness.

What to Expect

Arrival and Grounding

We begin by slowing down and bringing awareness to the body. Gentle breathing and simple movements help release physical tension and signal safety to the nervous system. This time allows you to settle, arrive fully in the present moment, and prepare for creative exploration.

Movement and Expression

Through guided yet intuitive movement, with easy to follow movements, you’ll be invited to explore how emotion and energy move through the body. As you reconnect with rhythm and flow, you’ll be invited to express your experience through colour, texture, and shape—alongside words if you wish. Creative expression provides a way to process feelings and experiences that can be hard to verbalize, supporting regulation and self-awareness.

Transformation and Connection

From movement and expression, we shift into openness and connection. You’ll explore what it feels like to move with more ease and create from a place of trust and joy. Together we’ll contribute to a shared mandala - a collective symbol of wholeness and transformation.
Mandalas represent wholeness, the universe, and the interconnectedness of all things. They are often used as tools for reflection and healing. Together we’ll create one as a group, and each participant will take home a small piece to remember the experience and the sense of connection it inspired.

Integration and Reflection

We close with a period of stillness and gentle rest, allowing body and mind to integrate the experience. You’ll leave feeling grounded, lighter, and more connected to yourself - with simple, embodied ways to return to calm and presence in daily life.

Tea and snacks will also be offered as part of this workshop.

What You’ll Gain

This workshop offers a safe, supportive space to pause and reconnect with yourself. Through movement, breath, and creative expression, you’ll learn evidence-informed practices that help reduce tension, increase self-awareness, and support emotional regulation.

You’ll gain simple, body-based tools for grounding and calming the nervous system, as well as ways to approach anxiety and stress with curiosity rather than resistance.

By the end of the session, you’ll likely feel more centred, open, and connected to your body’s natural capacity for balance, creativity, and resilience.

Your Hosts

Sally
Sally is a highly trained, registered HCPC Psychologist and Senior Yoga Teacher with over eight years of experience and professional training. She is skilled in a range of therapeutic approaches, with a special interest in integrating the body within psychological therapy. Yoga was introduced to her as a student in 2011, and after completing her Doctorate in Psychology, she undertook her initial yoga teacher training in 2016. Sally believes that yoga and movement are powerful tools for change — helping strengthen the mind–body connection and supporting awareness of the barriers to wellbeing, including trauma and mental health challenges.

Tess
Tess is a self-taught illustrator who has always found presence and peace through drawing. With a love of patterns, the female form, and the natural world, she creates artwork, cards, and window illustrations for local businesses. Her creative practice centres around mindfulness, beauty, and connection - inviting others to find stillness and joy through simple acts of making.