Thank you Herosalen community for offering me space and so much courage tonight to write this letter:

Dear World,

Traveling back from London and a series of wonderful workshops, excited and happy to have been teaching in Bergen again this week. I feel lucky to find a sense of home in both places.

I have been doing a lot of reflecting and considering options in my time here on planet earth, It´s been a hell of a ride!
This afternoon, we had news confirming our decision to embark on a 6 month sabbatical that will take me to live in Brighton UK from January 2014. This means i will be leaving Bergen 17 December 2013.

The good news is that i intend to keep Bergen in my heart as well as explore new territories and roots – the intention to make it work in both places and commute to Bergen once a month for about a week. I will return to teach and run classes at Herosalen, as well as continue a monthly residency at KODE with the art + yoga project, host workshops and of course the Yoga Disco regularly – so humbled and grateful for these opportunities!

The first dates are already in place and i will be returning Wednesday – Monday at the end of each month January to June. The Kunst + Yoga project will continue on a monthly basis, as will Herosalen (twice a month- clip cards are still valid for those who have purchased them.) and i´m also planning to return to Sjelevarme as well as some retreats in the pipeline.

For now, classes continue as per the calendar, i´m here until 17 December with regular meetups.

If you feel like a bigger dose of yoga and creativity and fancy seeing the new year in with me, i will be holding a new year retreat in Brighton 3-6 January, details will be released very soon.

It´s been such a difficult decision, the most painful part the feeling of letting go of something you love, namely the community of people around me making the classes, workshops and retreats what they are. I really could not do this without your support. Thank you for trusting me, for coming to classes and events, for dancing on the mat, for smiling (especially in plank pose), for believing and for teaching me. Each project started as a dream, really, it´s cheesy but utterly true, and although tremendous elbow grease and heart was put into each of them, i could not have done it without you. And being reminded by Helga to Never Give Up! I see each gathering as a unique event, different people, all kinds of energy and things we´re going through, to get on the mat in the first place, being who we are, human, and beautiful and perhaps swearing and perhaps making a shape that makes our eyes bulge until we remember not to bulge them, and perhaps just managing to show up and breathe, and perhaps weeping, but in every situation with a realness and soulfulness in everything that is just…exquisite and an honour to witness. It´s something. It´s powerful. And long may it continue.

For now though, it´s time to move into a new phase, get some fresh scenery and input, shake some shit up a bit, feel and experience the wild ride of life, be closer to my UK family, and return on a monthly basis more nourished with even more to give. Brighton, i´m excited to be a part of the community and extend this family across the water.

I´d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support, dedication and belief, and also to people who have given me their trust in running free with my projects, particularly Benedicte you fine woman, for trusting this strange foreign girl from England to come here and teach at SiB, the hard working staff of SiB in each of the centres (so many of you fine people!), Yogarommet for a new perspective and opportunity, Helga who has instrumentally been a mentor as well as an incredible friend, i love you. Finemann Erland, Tina and everyone at KODE, Finemann Dag for cutting me some slack, Åse (for the big break in my Yoga Unleashed series almost three years ago- i won´t forget that), Vilde for understanding and making incredible shit happen, Maja for your dreams and your magic, and to the hardworking staff and every student who has ever been to a class at Fantoft, Årstad, Sentrum, Vektertorget or Studentsenteret (SiB), Yogarommet, Herosalen, Sjelevarme, or any of the art museums of Bergen- KODE.
I also have the upmost gratitude, love and humbled respect for each individual who has come along to play in class, to share their unique and beautiful practice and allow me the pleasure of holding space, workshops and events in this fine city. It has been so sweetly nurturing, humbling, at times excruciating but absolutely the most incredible experience.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for teaching me. From my heart, from my guts, from my throat chakra, from every orifice.

This is utterly emotional, tender, succulent, sore, exciting, challenging, beautiful and weepy.

But it comes wrapped with so much love!

Stay in touch – I am not leaving, i´m merely commuting.

Dionne x

Photo credit: Fred Klemetsen