Tanya Forgan

18/10/2025

This year’s Winter Retreat is already stirring something deep within me.

The women are gathering, the Circle is forming.

I’m dreaming and visioning.

I’m writing, weaving, and gathering. I can already see the altar space, the cocooned rest nests, and the land that holds us.
I’m feeling the power of the Circle of ‘us’, those that have said yes and those hearing the call.

I’m collecting stories, songs, and poems.
I’m scribing the rituals, attuning to the quiet alchemy already forming in this year’s retreat.

This is not a “rinse and repeat,” even though I’ve returned year after year.

This is deepening.

It’s listening to the women who have come before, some for many years, hearing what supported their unfurling, what brought them most alive to love.

It’s holding just enough structure to nurture, but not so much that it squeezes out the mystery.

I know the space, the land, the people at Florence House intimately. That familiarity allows me to trust in the holding beyond the circle itself.

And I love that this year’s retreat lands in the heart of Winter Solstice, with all the quiet gifts it brings.

This retreat is my absolute love. If you’ve been before, you know why. If this is your first time you'll get to find out ;-)

It holds the rhythm of our gathering. It’s the one I know best. It feels like a beloved.

We’ll gather from 19–21st December to retreat into and celebrate the Winter Solstice. This retreat will be lovingly supported by my Soul Sis Geeta Jajani.

The Circle is open.
If it’s calling you, please join us.

https://tanyaforgan.com/the-winter-retreat/

09/10/2025

Grief.
* For all those who have lost their lives in wars and conflicts.
* For all those whose lives are being trampled upon by powerful elites.
* For all those who are suffering.
* For all those who are homeless on the streets of London, Delhi, Washington DC...
* For all the varied species on this beautiful planet who are being obliterated by greed and aggression.

And so I grieve.

On a personal level, four people important to me have died in the last two years. Getting older: fewer weddings, more funerals. And I am grieving today for a good friend who is very unwell. At times I feel an iceberg of sadness within me. My heart shakes at the enormity of it all. Sometimes, it is almost like I am on my hands and knees. What happens next?

Grief. This is a powerful word that comes from the Latin ‘gravis’ meaning “heavy” or “weighty”. Sallie Tisdale (author of 'Advice For Future Corpses') wrote: “Grief is like a long march in bad weather.” Grief can be deeply exhausting.

But can we allow our grief? As best as we can, can we attempt to engage with grief, even express our grieving? Because pain and sorrow might cultivate appreciation of life. Because without grief, there might be no joy. Because loss can teach us about the importance of life. Because grief – a letting go – can make space for joy. A learning that we can aspire to do what we love in this life (and so not prevaricate or postpone).

Engaging with grief can take many forms: remembering absent friends with other friends, gardening, tree hugging, pet proximity, physical and verbal expression, watching the sky and the horizon, journal writing – and much more. Maybe wondering where our happy places might be (two of mine are the Parkland Walk and the Woodberry Wetlands cafe).

Where are your happy places?

08/10/2025

DESCENT: A Six-Week Book Circle Journey through Francis Weller’s The 'Wild Edge of Sorrow'.
Exploring the Five Gates of Grief, together.

As we meander towards winter, I’m following an inner call with something that has been quietly living in my heart for some time.

Together with amazing Soul Sister and Sound Therapist Catherine Holt, we will be offering DESCENT, a six-week journey through Francis Weller’s 'The Wild Edge of Sorrow' book, weaving grief exploration, sound healing, and the sacred art of tending the soul.

Years ago, when I first encountered Francis Weller's words, something in me opened up. His book gave language to what I had been carrying for so long and offered me a permission slip to feel what I had long held back. The experience moved me so deeply that I went on to apprentice with him as a Grief Tender, learning the living practice of holding community Grief Rituals.

During that time I discovered that when grief is given space, witness, and ritual, it transforms. It ceases to be a private burden and becomes a river that reconnects us, to ourselves, to one another, and to what truly matters. I find grief the most exquisite expression, for it reminds us how much we love.

Catherine and I have both walked our own descents, individually and in support of each other. We know the landscape of grief intimately, not because we've nailed it, but because we're still in it, still learning what it means to stay open when everything in us wants to close.

We are called to offer the DESCENT journey now because so many of us are carrying unspoken griefs, personal losses, collective heartbreak, the ache of dreams deferred, love unmet, and a world trembling with immense loss. We need spaces where we can tell the truth about what it actually feels like to be human right now. Where we don't have to perform or produce or have it all 'together'.

This circle is for anyone who is curious about exploring grief as a teacher, who wants to move beyond intellectual understanding and experience its wisdom through the body and the soul. It is for those who sense grief living within them, grief that may be old or unspoken, known or unnamed.

Over six weeks, we’ll travel through The Five Gates of Grief as described by internationally known Psychotherapist, Author and Soul Activist with over 30 years of experience Francis Weller. We will be blending reading, reflection with sound healing, and gentle ritual into a living exploration of the heart.

This is not a traditional book study where we stay safely in our heads, analysing and discussing from a comfortable distance. It's an embodied descent. A journey where Weller's words move from page to body to soul. Where we let ourselves feel, gently and with care. Where we discover that grief, when welcomed, becomes a portal to deeper connection, meaning, aliveness, and, surprisingly, more joy.

No prior experience is needed, only a willingness to arrive with an open heart, and a copy of The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller.

Commences Thursday, 6th November · 8pm (Online)

Join us
https://tanyaforgan.com/descent/

24/08/2025

EMBODIED PEACE - Calling all Peace Builders, Facilitators, Coaches, Community Leaders, and anyone seeking to cultivate deeper presence and resilience in their personal and collective lives.

I’ve known what it feels like to fracture relationships and then slowly learn what it takes to heal them….or walk away with the knowing that I have done all I can. I’ve witnessed people I love struggle with conflict. I’ve seen how easily fear, defensiveness, and silence take over. And I know in my bones that conflict is one of the hardest things we face as human beings.

What I’ve come to know is that peace isn’t something we’ll stumble upon only when the world quiets down. Peace begins within. It is felt in the body, carried on the breath, and nurtured in the tender space of the heart.

I’m not speaking about bypassing with love and light. I mean the raw, steadying practice of tending to ourselves, and co-tending to one another, especially when life feels messy, uncertain, or divided.

This day at is an invitation to explore - together. How we find more steadiness when things feel shaky, to practice staying in relationship even when it’s hard.

🌿 We will use movement, breath, and somatic practices to reconnect with the peace that lives inside us

🌿 We will learn how the nervous system responds in conflict, and how to meet tension with curiosity instead of collapse or escalation

🌿 We will sit in Circle, inside the Bedouin tent, and practice what it means to hold disagreement with grace and to live from our deepest values

This is for anyone who feels the weight of these times and longs to root into a steadier presence.
Especially for those working in peace building, facilitation, coaching, leadership, activism, and anyone who simply wants to learn how to navigate conflict with more resilience, honesty, and heart.

No experience is needed. Just a willingness to pause, to listen, and to remember that peace is possible, even here, even now.

Date: Wednesday 4th September
Venue: St Ethelburga’s, 78 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AG
Time: 10:00 – 16:30

🔗 Book via https://www.stethelburgas.org/event/embodied-peace-workshop-sep-25

23/08/2025

For the past few years, I’ve been listening to one question whispering through my body again and again:

What does it really mean to live with an awakened heart?

The answer, while never final, continues to reveal itself in small, ordinary ways, in the cracks of grief and tenderness, in laughter that dissolves walls, in the quiet exhale of being truly seen.

Heart Alchemy was born from this inquiry.

On 7th September, Blanca León and I are holding a one-day retreat created as a remembering, a return to your heart’s natural rhythm, to the part of you that already knows how to rest, soften, and belong.

This is not a retreat of shiny performances or spiritual posturing. It is a day of honest humanity with a circle of women who are all learning to be with life in its raw, wild, tender forms.

We’ll be guided by restorative movement to soften what’s braced, Yoga Nidra as a doorway into renewal, nourishing seasonal food to restore the body, time in nature to remember our place in the wider web, and a women’s circle where truth, love, and presence are welcome.

This day is medicine for weary hearts, excitable hearts, tender hearts, ALL the hearts.

It’s an invitation to stop holding it all together for a while, to breathe deeper, and to let yourself be met.

💗 The circle is almost full. If you feel the pull, join us.

Heart Alchemy Women’s Retreat Day ~ A Sacred Return
7th September | Wasing Park, Aldermaston
🕙 10:00am – 4:30pm

https://tanyaforgan.com/womens-retreat/

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