Empower with Childs

Toni Childs, yoga, meditation and live music. Photo/supplied

Toni Childs, the American born singer-songwriter with a powerful voice, is in town this weekend. She had a string of hits during the 1990s and is in town partly to perform, but mainly to share the transformational benefits of yoga and meditation practice.

She's been practicing yoga and meditation for 30 years and has been developing it alongside her music career.

Her hit, Because You're Beautiful, was instrumental in developing the yoga and mediation aspects of her career.

The song came about because she was asked to write an anthem that would inspire people to end violence against women and girls.

It went on to win an Emmy and has become a powerful and potent song, that is ever-evolving, she says.

"The song inspired me to design a very powerful yoga, meditation and live performance experience," she said.

During tours she noticed many in the audience were looking detached and this spurred her on to help women reclaim their sense of selves.

"A lot of the women looked like they had left themselves on the side of the road and forgot to go back to pick themselves up ... Perhaps they had given all their energy to being amazing mothers, wives or lovers. Or perhaps they remained in a relationship they should have left years ago, or had lost a loved one.

"Whatever the reason, it appeared to me that these women were losing their playfulness sensuality and, most importantly, their power," she says.

"Witnessing this, I felt compelled to start talking about what I was observing during my concerts. I began inviting women to come onto the stage with me so I could sing to them personally and remind them of the truth: that they are beautiful and their very essence is beauty! This produced an incredible amount of tears and vulnerability.

"After performing Because You're Beautiful at countless venues around the world, I listened to my intuition and inner guidance to bring this transformational experience into the more intimate setting of a yoga environment. I designed a yoga experience combining improvisational dance, meditation, storytelling and live singing plus a number of gentle stretches.

"I believe self-love and mindfulness is key to evolving to the next level of human evolution (which is my greatest drive in life), and I am sharing what I am learning.

"My sessions are less about yoga and more of an introduction into a mindfulness practice that includes yoga asanas, dance, soundscapes and songs to support our greatest desire to let go of what no longer is serving us and embrace what we are longing to connect to most!"

the fine print
What: Yoga, Meditation and Live Music with Toni Childs
Where: Mount Yoga, 26a Tawa Street
When: October 23, 5.30-7pm
Bookings: Ph 575 5630 or 64 204 045 4692. Cost $25