Yarn Fire is a healing space that I have envisioned through the development of a new methodology, Yarn Fire, which is an experimental practice of creative, somatic, and spiritual 'yarning'.

Yarn Fire is and spiritual and embodied practice that works from the First Nations idea that the body is inextricably one with Country, which I am referring to as the embodied Cultural landscape. Yarn Fire healing experientials draw on embodied deep listneing, clairsentience and trance work to guide participants to explore their identity as an expression of nature, interacting with the spirit and spirit of the land to invoke the healing power of Country, and ground it into the body. This process involved taking a spiritual wander to the aspects of Coiuntry that are deeply resonating within the body's consciousness, and our spiritual awareness. Here, listen deeply to, and interact with the healing spirit of the land, and explore who we are as an aspect of this place.

Yarn Fire works to create a connection to the embodied cultural landscape through an embodied stream of consciousness. This is facilitated within layered and caring process of place-based and somatic deep listening, and spiritual & imaginative practices of walking on Country. During the session, participants open a conscious relationship with the body through the intention to reconnect and know oneself as a living, breathing, and feeling part of Country. In this way, we to return to the inner knowing of Country is a place that holds and forms our identity and is a realm intrinsic to our authentic being. In Yarn Fire, we attempt to touch Country with our hearts, and to know who we are within these Cultural paradigms that cannot be mimicked or re-produced by dancing on the surface of Country. We attempt to go in deep to the embodied holdings of Country, to reclaim and re-awaken our Cultural landscapes and expressions that are dormant. We are de-fencing the internalised colonial boundary lines that show up as amnesia, loss, emptiness, shame, and imposter syndrome, to re-inhabit and deepen awareness of ourselves as Country.

Through the Yarn Fire process, participants are guided to gently wonder through aspects of their inner realm, finding the meeting place between the somatics and clairsentients to comprehend the embodied story, its relationship to Country, and how it can create greater meaning around the sense of self in everyday life. This is engaged with through a non-linear process of recalling through noetic intuiting cultural body schemas within place-based and spiritual contexts. Yarn Fire uses imaginative meditation and visualisation that is invoked through deep listening and observation, allowing the body and the psyche to emerge a deeply felt sense of place, which becomes a storied paradigm through which the participant can come to know the landscapes that live within the self. These medtative discoveries are frhter explored and explored through creative exploration and trance movemment to create sense and coherence out of what has immerged in the sapce of deep embodied and spirutal listening.

“Jack Sheppard’s class was a somatic and spiritual moving experience with imagery visualisation connected to my cognitive mind and psychological heart. The body entered a state of dreaming when sleeping, where subconsciousness leads the movement with self-consciousness at the same time. The way of this guided improvisation is and unique sensation, a method I had never experienced before, as I feel like I have travelled to another space and time with my soul while I moved in reality responding to that space and time. After the class, I felt spiritually full-filled and recharged.”

- 'Yarn Fire' workshop experiential participant.

Jack formed Yarn Fire after a decade of place-based dance, somatics and Deep Listening. Their practice continues to unfold as an evolving process of discovery.

Yarn Fire is a work in progress, designed to grow and evolve, supporting First Nations Cultural revitalisation, preservation, and embodied spiritual literacy. The space is taliored first and foremost to the First Nations community of so-called Australia; and then toward BIPOC and the broader communitites.

The foundational questions of Jack research are:

How does one develop an embodied connection with Country? How can this expand our awareness and perspectives?

How can First Nations storying help to broaden our understanding of community practice in relationship with our landscape?

How can we create awareness of our 'inner stories' and life experiences through storying, listening and Place-based connectivity?

Yarn Fire works within an already exisiting fabric of First Nations ways of knowing, doing and being, . The cultural concepts that Jack works with are interpreted through his personally embodied knowledge-base and storytelling practice.

***Please note: This is not a space that performs Dreaming stories. Participants should not a "traditional" expereince. Those who are wanting to learn about the local land and its Cultural significance should contact the local Custodians of their area.***