It’s already February, and some of you might still be looking for new ways to kick-start 2019. If so then the Express Yourself collaborative workshop is for you. Get together with other women and release your inner goddess.

Hannah Northcott, along with Jindafit, has prepared a day to help empower and inspire confidence, beauty, and strength through a half-day workshop. The event will include a robust and exciting Jindafit workout session, Visual Poise, and a vocal and style class.

The Visual Poise session is all about developing and refining memory alignment technique, so that you can stand tall with confidence and pride. In the vocal class, Northcott will teach vocal projection and speaking with clarity and self-assurance. Participants will also have the opportunity to jazz up their wardrobes with a Style Principal class.

Northcott is passionate about helping women to find their inner voice and confidence in who they are. Using her background in drama, education, public speaking, theater, yoga, and media, Northcott will share techniques that she says can support the elimination of negative beliefs from your past and restore self-confidence. Every person deserves to reach their full potential in all areas of their lives and through physical and vocal exercises, this workshop aims to help you on a journey of self-discovery and realization.

The Express Yourself workshop not only promises to be a reflective and revealing time, but a fun day of learning and worthwhile investment in personal growth.  To find out more check out www.dramayogi.com, and book your spot by scanning the QR code below. RMB 400. February 23. 9.30am – 12.00pm. Lower Dance Studio, Dome, 10 Anhua Street, Shunyi.

Photos: Pelin Guven

The ideal weekend for respite, fun, and indulging awaits you in the form of a uniquely crafted women’s only retreat, right in the heart of Beijing. Pauline van Hasselt, of Beijing Mothers and Pauline’s Cuisine, and Caneisha Berry of Berry Thoughtful are the wonder women and masterminds behind the beautifully, enhancing, meditative, and fun weekends, created to encourage women of all creeds to connect and find time to reflect.

After a successful launch of their women’s retreat last summer at EAST Hotel, they are back in full swing to offer a jam-packed weekend full of well being-focused and inspiring activities. In partnership with Jindafit, ladies can look forward to getting their bodies moving and swaying to Afrobeats, in true endorphin-releasing style! There will be beauty and free-flow champagne; a comedy show, and a workshop with Berry.

The weekend retreat also includes a stay at the beautiful EAST Hotel with late check out; three meals, and snacks; hair and mini-massages; plus a photo shoot that will help you to capture the memories you will build during your stay with other girls, who just wanna have fun!

Itinerary, March 9

• Jindafit
• Free-flow brunch
• Bubbles and Beauty Bazaar: hair, massage and photo shoot
• Fashion: Shop till you drop, from local artisan designers
• Bar food
• Surprise Guest Comedy Show
• Overnight Stay

Itinerary, March 10

• Breakfast
• Workshop: vision boarding
• Free time to use the wonderful amenities at East Hotel and the surrounding area

Spots for the retreat are limited, so to secure yourself a fabulicious weekend and I’m sure, a well-deserved break, contact Berry or van Hasselt using the QR codes below to confirm your attendance with a RMB 500 deposit. Something tells me you will not regret it! RMB 2,300 (Single Room), RMB 1,900 (Double Room). March 19 – 10. East Hotel, No. 22 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District (www.east-beijing.com) 北京东隅酒店二楼 北京市朝阳区酒仙桥路22号100016

Photos: courtesy of organizers

We’ve all had them. We’ve all triumphed with them, or succumbed to our usual routines and schedules, and let some if not all of them go. Yes, I’m talking about the to do or not to do, New Year’s Resolutions.

Most of us start as we mean to go on with a resolution that is supposed to kick-start a healthier new lifestyle; one that we enthusiastically announce is going to help transform our former selves into more streamlined, get-up-and-go fitness fanatics. But rather than start 2019 with unrealistic or simply unobtainable quests for health-status perfection, maybe join a Jindafit class and dance your way into health for the body and mind. I’m guessing this will be much more fun too!

The super-energetic routine combines high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and African music to keep your hips swaying while the mind and soul relaxes. Founded by self-styled “producer not a consumer” Jack Tchinda (aka DJack), Jindafit was formed after he participated in a lackluster step class.

“The teacher wasn’t paying attention to me at all. I was new to the class and he didn’t look at me once. Me being in the class for the first time, I was so confused. I didn’t know what do to,” he said.

Cameroonian DJack decided to go about creating something inspired by his African roots and dance background as a young boy. Jindafit (inspired by DJack’s name, with the ‘TCH’ replaced with a “J” for easier pronunciation) uses a mix of different types of African dance, such as Makossa, Bikutsi, Assiko, Ndombolo, and more. These fitness classes, designed to be more user-friendly and encouraging than the generic 80’s phenomenon that was step class, are set to funky Afrobeats, and feel more like a day rave than an exhausting workout!

Jindafit took off in 2005, and now operates in Beijing with qualified coaches, at two locations, three times a week.

Jindafit coach Camila Betin is now offering a free trial of her class at W Prime, Four Seasons Hotel, which in the New Year will roll out to weekly classes every Tuesday at the Hyatt. For more information on classes and locations check out www.jindafitness.com or WeChat: Djacklamusique. For now, it’s time to get fit and celebrate life with a trial class.

Jindafit Trial Class, December 18

Adults. Free. 6.30pm. W Prime at the Four Seasons Hotel, 48 Liangmaqiao Rd, Chaoyang District. (10 5695 8888, WeChat: Djacklamusique) www.jindafitness.com. 北京市朝阳区亮马桥路48号 .

Photos: Courtesy of Organizers, pixabay