Tanya Forgan

18/01/2025

To all the new people here—thank you for joining my little corner of the world. And to those who have been here for a while, thank you, too. I truly hope this space offers you an out-breath in a world that often feels like it’s holding its breath.

I’m Tanya—an Embodiment and Group Facilitator, blending Yoga Nidra, mindfulness, grief tending, breathwork, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion into spaces where we can truly come home to ourselves. I believe in speaking to the truth of life, peeling back the layers, and cutting through the noise to reconnect with what truly matters. Small talk? Not really my thing. What I care about is the deeper conversation—the one that leads us back to a sense of belonging, both to ourselves and to each other.

My main body of work is called ‘Awakening The Heart,’ and is dedicated to reconnecting with our epicentre of love - our hearts, our truths, and life. Time and again, Through ritual, reflection, and community we co-create moments of stillness in the chaos, allowing us to return home to ourselves.

Whether you’re here for a little inspiration, a reminder to slow down, or a nudge on your journey, I hope we can continue to awaken, explore, and embrace the messy beauty of the human experience together.

Love ❤️

05/01/2025

Grief and Gratitude Ritual ~ Saturday 11th January, Wokingham.

This time of year often brings a quiet tenderness that’s hard to put into words. After the rush of the holidays, there’s a certain stillness that can feel heavy. The joy we’ve celebrated sometimes gives way to sorrow—whether for lost loved ones, missed moments, or just the sheer exhaustion that creeps in after it all. It’s normal to feel a little raw.

Next Saturday I will be holding a ‘Grief and Gratitude Ritual’ alongside amazing Sound Healing Therapist Catherine Holt in Wokingham.

This is a space to tend to tender hearts, rest weary bones and enjoy the simple delight of sharing precious moments together.

Grief and Gratitude Ritual
Date: 11th January 4-7pm
Location: Sarvanga Studio, Wokingham

https://tanyaforgan.com/grief-and-gratitude/

🙏🏾

23/12/2024

Rest and Reflect: A gift of quiet in the noise of it all.

I’m inviting you to pause. To rest. To breathe. To dream.

Tomorrow - Monday, 23rd December from 7pm - 8:15pm let’s gather for an hour of gentle restoration and reflection. Together, we’ll make space for what really matters, even in the heart of the festive season.

This is my gift to you:
Breathwork ~to remember your centre
Yoga Nidra ~ to deeply rest
Reflective space ~ to reconnect with your truth

Let’s come together to rest and dream into what’s possible.

This offering is free, but you’ll need to register in advance to join.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqdu-grzwqG9cqd7NIRqaThn3I8pn1vuHk

🙏🏾

07/11/2024

Tonight we rest.

We down the tools of doing.

We take an out breath.

We draw inwards with the energy of now - winter.

Come join me/ us in this shared space of rest.

Find a comfortable place to be.

Gather your blanket, turn down the lights.

Let this space hold whatever you’re carrying.

Gift yourself this time – you don’t have to earn it.

You are welcome ~ the space will be open to ALL humans.

See you tonight, 7:30 - 8:30pm. Please register to receive the link.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAuceuqqjgsE9DmQLdPZQT3kGxdAeHJ_xlF?fbclid=IwY2xjawGZigxleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHcVir_6bRNT2-3skei6vTBG0G9NwBSwItBPC0aucAz10ihzopNiMkzOt1g_aem_IU0L6qfolcCfi2sh-1ndYw #/registration

05/11/2024

I've been reflecting on the difference between resting as a response to "collapse" and intentionally making time for rest as a practice for resilience and healing.

One of my longstanding coping patterns to trauma has been for my body to physically shut down—a response that manifested as exhaustion or an overwhelming need to withdraw. My bed became a refuge. To the outside eye, it might have looked like I was resting, but it was less about restoration and more about my body’s response to feeling overwhelmed with life.

When I started my training as a Yoga Nidra teacher a few years back, it shifted my perspective. I discovered that rest didn’t have to be something my body fell into out of necessity; it could be a conscious choice. It offered me a pathway to connect with myself in a new way and reclaim a gentle power in how I approached "self-care" (I'll write more about that soon—it’s a loaded phrase these days!).

As I now deepen my understanding of trauma patterns I now have such an appreciation for this process and the wisdom of my body. This response served to protect my nervous system from overload, and for that, I am grateful.

As I tune in more closely, I know that "Intentional Rest" is the best way I can truly care for this particular state. Intentional Rest is a conscious choice, about creating space to truly listen to what my body and heart need. It’s a practice rooted in presence: slowing down, tuning in, and noticing my body’s sensations with gentle curiosity. This kind of rest has become one of the most healing parts of my journey, helping me find greater stability in both my nervous system and my life as a whole.

For me, intentional rest might look like sitting quietly by the fire watching the flames, lying down in my all-time favourite practice of Yoga Nidra, or mindful breathing (I especially love doing this in a warm bath!). These practices have become a cornerstone of my life and work. Shifting from survival-based collapse to intentional rest has created the conditions for true healing.

I share this in the hope that others might feel inspired to create a similar intentional space for themselves. Rest is essential for reclaiming our power, nurturing our bodies, and building resilience on our healing paths.

This Thursday, Nov 7th, I’ll be offering an hour of intentional rest from 7:30 pm. It’s free, you just need to register to receive the link.

OPEN TO ALL - Dog not included.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAuceuqqjgsE9DmQLdPZQT3kGxdAeHJ_xlF

I've been reflecting on the difference between resting as a response to "collapse" and intentionally making time for rest as a practice for resilience and healing.

One of my longstanding coping patterns to trauma has been for my body to physically shut down—a response that manifested as exhaustion or an overwhelming need to withdraw. My bed became a refuge. To the outside eye, it might have looked like I was resting, but it was less about restoration and more about my body’s response to feeling overwhelmed with life.

When I started my training as a Yoga Nidra teacher a few years back, it shifted my perspective. I discovered that rest didn’t have to be something my body fell into out of necessity; it could be a conscious choice. It offered me a pathway to connect with myself in a new way and reclaim a gentle power in how I approached "self-care" (I'll write more about that soon—it’s a loaded phrase these days!).

As I now deepen my understanding of trauma patterns (thank you Catherine Hale) I now have such an appreciation for this process and the wisdom of my body. This response served to protect my nervous system from overload, and for that, I am grateful.

As I tune in more closely, I know that "Intentional Rest" is the best way I can truly care for this particular state. Intentional Rest is a conscious choice, about creating space to truly listen to what my body and heart need. It’s a practice rooted in presence: slowing down, tuning in, and noticing my body’s sensations with gentle curiosity. This kind of rest has become one of the most healing parts of my journey, helping me find greater stability in both my nervous system and my life as a whole.

For me, intentional rest might look like sitting quietly by the fire watching the flames, lying down in my all-time favourite practice of Yoga Nidra, or mindful breathing (I especially love doing this in a warm bath!). These practices have become a cornerstone of my life and work. Shifting from survival-based collapse to intentional rest has created the conditions for true healing.

I share this in the hope that others might feel inspired to create a similar intentional space for themselves. Rest is essential for reclaiming our power, nurturing our bodies, and building resilience on our healing paths.

This Thursday, Nov 7th, I’ll be offering an hour of intentional rest from 7:30 pm. It’s free, you just need to register to receive the link.

OPEN TO ALL - Dog not included.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAuceuqqjgsE9DmQLdPZQT3kGxdAeHJ_xlF

28/08/2024

I believe one of my gifts is giving others the permission to rest.

Here is your permission slip!

Come and join me next Wednesday evening, for the monthly online 'Rest and Reflect' session. Take an hour to down your tools and bring your weary bones closer to the earth.

During this time, we'll cultivate a peaceful space to pause, take deep breaths, and embrace stillness. I'll guide you through restorative breath-work and a soothing Yoga Nidra practice, leading into a brief time for quiet reflection, whether in silence or through journaling.

Date: September 4th
Time: 7:30 to 8:30 PM
It's completely free, but you will need to register to receive the link here:https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpcempqD0pEtzQZtF2soq7F9pxdJotZ2CV

OPEN TO ALL. Feel free to share with anyone else you feel could benefit.

08/08/2024

LIONSGATE PORTAL - 8/8

What is opening?
A new way of being?

UNITY in the midst of the chaos.
Unheard voices having space to be heard.

What a gift we have been given.

Thank you.

Can we evolve?
Be the change we have been longing for?
Release the old ways.
Welcome the new.
Rising high.
Rooting deep.

Can we evolve?

Photo credit - astrology.com

25/07/2024

SILVER SKY FESTIVAL

Sitting under the grandfather oak I watched as 38 curious souls walked across the land and took their seat in the circle. It was a beautiful, humbling sight.

I gently guided them to come into their bodies, move together, breathe together and share the space as they became a living, moving collective organism. A constellation. Tears fell, hearts opened. The sun came out.

At the end some brave souls shared their experience with the rest of the circle, their words opened our hearts even more.

After the circle was closed a woman came up to me and said, "I've never experienced love like that. I feel changed forever."
That’s it, right there. A new inscription had landed upon body, mind and soul.

As I write this now I’m reminded of the book ‘The body keeps the score’. What score are we inscribing in our bodies? When we come into connection in this way we can experience new imprints of safety in connection, the joy of simply being alive and the power of community.

Where shall ‘Awakening the Heart' travel next I wonder!

Big love to Geeta Jajani for holding with me. You rock my love ❤️

19/07/2024

Bedside Stories - Dancing in liminality.

Last night, I sat with my beloved Nana. For the first time in my 50 years of being alive that she didn’t recognise me. The sadness in my heart felt palpable as I watched her drift in and out of other worlds, speaking in mumbled words about places that didn't make any sense to my mind.

At first, I was overwhelmed by sadness, tears prickling my eyes. Then I heard a faint whisper "you have choice". I could be in sadness or choose to enter her reality - the liminal space between life and death. So I listened with intent, trying to hear and understand the world she was experiencing and chose to step in.

She spoke of conversations with women in yellow dresses, their laughter echoing through rooms I couldn’t see. I closed my eyes and imagined them, their dresses long and flowing. She described sharing cakes with many people. I choose a Victoria sponge and Black Forest gateau. I wasn't sure what she choose, but she seemed to like it. She spoke of growing blueberries (something she has never done as far as I am aware) as I spoke of the redcurrants and blackcurrants growing at the end of garden. She told me how she was standing in the hallways watching 'them' dance. I told her I could see them doing the two-step. She smiled and pointed out a man with long legs and a bag on his chair. We travelled far and wide, together and shared a connection deeper than recognition.

Dying, is a most curious process. There is so much richness in it, so much to learn and experience. And she is still alive, taking me on a rollercoaster of "what's next". At times she is here, in others far away, sometimes she dances between planes of existence, perhaps even more.

I guess I will only truly understand this process when my time comes. Speaking of time, it feels different around her, like it’s moving through an egg timer at high speed one moment, then stretching out in a transitionary state the next.

I feel an immense gratitude for these shared moments. She is teaching me, even now, about the depth and breadth of human experience, about the spaces we can inhabit when we let go of the tangible and step into the unknown. Surrender again and again.

I left her to sleep last night with a heart full of love and a mind full of questions...

What can we find in the liminal spaces?
How do we dance graciously with dying?
And most importantly, how do we continue to connect, even when the worlds we inhabit seem so different?

Important questions for our times perhaps.

“This sky where we live is no place to lose your wings so love, love, love.” Hafiz

08/05/2024

Grief and Gratitude - Creating new imprints

I recently returned from a week away facilitating The Field, a training dedicated to deepening facilitation skills. After this powerful week, one question has lingered in my mind: "How do we create new, healthier imprints in our nervous systems?"

As I pondered this I found myself reflecting on the monthly Grief and Gratitude Ritual gatherings I have been co-creating in my local area. I came to realise they are so much more than moments of shared circle and emotional release. In these gatherings, we're redefining our relationship with grief. No longer to be something hurried through or hidden, but instead held a sacred practice of honouring our losses while embracing gratitude for what remains. This shift represents a new, healthier imprint within our nervous systems.
​
Reflecting on your own experiences, what imprints around grief were instilled in you? For many of us, including myself, it was a clear directive: conceal grief, swiftly resume normalcy, and view prolonged sorrow as abnormal.

I'm guided by a different vision now— one that rewrites these narratives and provides a sanctuary where grief and gratitude are respected and held in reverence.

Together with Sound Healer Catherine Holt, our regular gatherings embody this vision—supporting a growing movement of people committed to reshaping their inner landscapes. It's emotional hygiene—an intentional act of self-care with far-reaching effects.
​
Our next grief and gratitude gathering is the evening of 5th of June. I extend a heartfelt invitation for you to join us.
​
https://tanyaforgan.com/grief-and-grattitude/

17/04/2024

Tonight, Sound Healer Catherine Holt and I are coming together for a special gathering: the 'Grief and Gratitude' Ritual at Sarvanga Studio in Wokingham.

Our Ritual gives time and space for tender hearts to be held and heart with love, for through acknowledging our losses and allowing ourselves to feel we create more space for joy.

You may be recovering from a specific loss, carrying the weight of childhood issues, or holding the cumulative weight of life changes. Perhaps you are concerned about the future or going through a process of transformation. You may be exploring the roots of physical symptoms or illness. Whatever the source of your grief, you are welcome.

Feedback from previous circles has been deeply encouraging. We always conclude each session with expressions of gratitude, accompanied by comforting tea and chocolate.

There's a space if you would like to join us tonight.

https://tanyaforgan.com/grief-and-grattitude/

Fabulous artwork - Azul Thome

08/04/2024

My dear friend Catherine Holt(one of the most incredible Sound Healers I know!!), and I have shared many moments over cups of tea contemplating how to create more intimate gatherings here in Berkshire—a a place where many people are juggling the demands of work, commuting, parenting, and caregiving. Recognising the value of reviving age-old traditions of gathering and ritual in our contemporary lives, we often found ourselves pondering, "how do we a vision of 'the village' to life?"

Then, as if by magic (as is often the way when a beautiful collaboration is destined), we were both drawn into grief work, studying with Francis Weller. It wasn’t planned, we hadn’t even discussed it, but life seemed to align our paths perfectly. Grief Rituals became our collaborative calling. I love how life is lining up people right now to deepen and expand their work together, rather than individually. The new paradigm is happening.

Now, we find ourselves co-creating nurturing grief spaces within our local community. As we journey together we draw upon inspiration from mentors like Joanna Mary, Sobonofu Some, and Martin Pretchal, as well as following the guidance of our own inner compasses.

Our regular Grief and Gratitude Rituals provide a sacred space for those navigating personal paths marked by loss, change, or absence, as well as for those holding the sorrows of the world. Grief extends far beyond bereavement.

In coming together, we honour the beauty of shared grief and recognise this as a timeless practice that awakens us to the depths of life. As we expand our capacity for gratitude we unlock a more authentic and soulful existence.

Our next Grief and Gratitude Ritual is the 17th of April Sarvanga Yoga Studio Wokingham

OPEN TO ALL

https://tanyaforgan.com/grief-and-grattitude/