We have run workshops on meadows, in tents, in gyms, on car parks and once in a castle cellar. Almost anything works - but a few things have to be right, or the hour is spoiled before it starts.
Here is a checklist, ordered by what is essential and what is not.
Essential
- A flat space not being used for anything else at that time. The one genuinely unavoidable requirement. A workshop beside a thoroughfare does not work.
- About two square metres per person. Slightly more for Kung Fu, slightly less for an office session.
- An agreed time that does not move. Shift the slot by half an hour and we lose half the participants.
- Somebody to announce it. A line on the programme is not enough; a short announcement five minutes beforehand doubles the turnout.
- Access to the space 20 minutes early. For setting up and for the people who arrive early.
Welcome
- A roof or shade. Essential only for meditation; very welcome for movement workshops above 25 degrees.
- A PA for more than 40 people. A wireless microphone and one speaker. A handheld mic is not an option, because we have to demonstrate movements.
- Water for participants. Especially at Kung Fu workshops.
- Something to sit on for meditation. Cushions, mats or blankets. Without them people stop after ten minutes.
- A few chairs for anyone who cannot sit on the floor or stand for long.
You can skip
Advance registration. Open entry works better. People join as it goes and it bothers nobody.
Special equipment. We need no mats for movement workshops, no props, no particular flooring.
A changing room. Nobody changes clothes.
Music. We do not use any.
A photographer. Welcome if you have one; fine if not. We only ask that photography stays out of the front row during the seated part.
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
What to send us when you write
- Date and time. If several options exist, list them all.
- Location and what the space is like - meadow, tent, hall, with or without a roof.
- Expected number of participants. An estimate is fine, but an honest one.
- Who is coming. Age, whether it is a general audience or a group with experience.
- What you hope the workshop will do. The most important detail and the one most often left out.
- Whether you have a PA and anything to sit on.
What you get back
A programme proposal with a duration, a price and an honest opinion on whether what you want can be delivered in the conditions you have.
If we judge that the chosen workshop will not work - meditation in full sun at two in the afternoon, say, or Kung Fu at seven in the morning - we will suggest another.
Cancellations and weather
For outdoor workshops we agree a backup space or a backup slot in advance. Rain by itself is not a reason to cancel if there is a roof available.
A cancellation on our side happens only through illness; in that case we try to find a replacement teacher from our school.
Where we work
We are based in Ljubljana, where our training centre is at Ziherlova 44, and we run workshops across Slovenia. For distant locations we agree travel costs separately.
