Barefoot Body and Soul Open Day
A day of dance, yoga, somatic practices and energy healing with something to suit EVERY body.
It’s official! Barefoot Body and Soul is now up and running and open for business!
Ok, so I know we never really closed but let’s not let the truth get in the way of a good story. And what a great story it is!
We’ve already come a long way from 1st May 2026 when I got the keys and took over the lease from the lovely Joanne Ashley Grey.
First point of order was to take down the heavy black curtains and let in some light.
And with a little help from my friends…
with a special mention going out to Lea Braithwaite for her encouragement, support, ideas and infectious enthusiasm, as well as to Clare Getty at East Belfast Enterprise for her mentoring support, my sister, Siobhan, sister-in-law, Anna, my mum, Rosemarie and love of my life, Paddy, as well as so many others who leant a hand…
We have arrived at something special
Our lovely movement spaces, The Groove, pictured here, and The Haven, upstairs, are ready to welcome EVERY BODY that feels like it could use a little more joy. I hope you will find it with us.
08.08.2026 – the open Day
What a glorious day, filled with laughter and high spirits. We had loads of participants from the Nia community as well as curious folks who stopped by to see what it was all about. Whatever brought you to our door, I hope you left with something special, and you come back for more! Here are a few photos from throughout the day. Massive thanks to my fellow facilitators who brought their talent and enthusiam … and are looking forward to moving with you all at Barefoot again soon.
If you attended a session, please leave a testimonial in the comments below. We would love to hear about your experiences.
Soul Circle with Niamh
Meditation, energy healing and cacao
A half hour taster session wasn’t enough for participants who immediately sank into deep relaxation in Niamh’s careful hands. Never fear, her Soul Circles will be starting at Barefoot in September. See her page for more details
Ashtanga with Bo
Expert guidance on yoga posture to get the best out of your body
Bo knows how to move. His own practice runs deep and this is clear as he guided participants calmly and methodically through the practice. You can find details of his weekly classes here and keep an eye out for an upcoming blog on his 6 week program, coming soon.
Body Conversations with Theresa
a deep dive taster into what moves us
Theresa’s session was a gentle, meditative introduction to conneting into the self, how we walk and hold ourselves and then exploring authentic movement as a practice. Theresa has a workshop coming soon to Barefoot and you can see her page here.
Dance Class with Lisa
Not just a dance class
Beginning with a somatic practice using touch to ground and centre into our bodies, Lisa led us through a fun and uplifing piece of choreography to Will Smith and got us stepping and crunching like the bad asses we are. Check out Lisa’s page for more offerings.
Classic Nia with Susan
dance, martial arts and mindful movement
Susan brought her infectious JOY into The Groove and had us dancing and laughing all the way through her session. Susan will be joining the team from September and has other classes all over the region. Check them out here.
Moving to Heal with Rose
Gentle nia
Through movement we find health. I can’t tell you how many times people have come to me and apologised for not being coordinated! But very quickly, they realise it’s not about performance, its about moving in ways that feel good in your body. Find out more about Rose (me!) here.
Weighted Nia with Rose
Classic Nia with wrist weights
And finally, this was an introductory taster session to allow participants to feel what it was like to move with 0.5kg wrist weights on in a safe way, to build strength in the arms and core as well as developing stability and balance. New classes are starting this week.
And so much more coming to Barefoot in the coming month and beyond.
We hope to move with you soon.
Much love,
Rose
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