Charleston’s Self-Reclamation and Sensual Movement Studio for Women
Blending yoga, dance, somatic movement, and deep self-care into every class | Mt Pleasant, SC on Highway 41 near Dunes West | Now Open! Online sisterhood and programming launching November 2024.
Join us on the
Hunt for pleasure
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Hi
Gorgeous
Ready to walk through that Slow & Wild door? Start here:
Sample 3 Classes for $50
Enter your info here and we’ll send you to the Intro Offer that lets you sample all the nervous system calming flavors of Slow & Wild for nearly half the price!
Use your 3 credits towards any of our classes:
our Signature (sensual dance and yoga combo) class,
a Choreo (choreography) Series with a Chair, Floor, or Heels routine,
a Slow & Wild Yoga Flow, or
our newest addition, Release – a deeply restorative class.
We’re located
in North Mt Pleasant off of Highway 41 near Dunes West
1903 Hwy 41 Ste 204, Mt Pleasant, SC 29466 | Lobby shared with Creative Minds Preschool (yes, they offer drop-in childcare on weekday mornings only)
ph: (843)606-0765
Video Gallery
Kris tells the Slow & Wild origin story
It’s about giving ourselves permission
What is Self-Reclamation?
Trading blame, shame, and the “good girl prison” for emotional freedom
Our 4 Class Styles
OVER-THINKING IS UNDER-FEELING. SO, WE YOGA. WE SHAKE. WE GRIND AND UNDULATE. WE DO IT ALL TO FEEL. TO RELEASE ISSUES FROM OUR TISSUES. TO OPEN UP AND EMPTY OUT.
SIGNATURE
• Somatic Grounding & Invocation
• Slow self-attunement on the Sensory Mat (6-foot round faux-fur base)
• Playful, sensual movement sequences that drop you into your turn-on
• Open up and empty out with a short, dynamic 360° yoga flow on the Foundation Mat (6-foot round yoga mat)
• Intuitive freestyle (letting your animal body lead)
• Deep tissue self-massage using our lady balls
• Integration (similar to Savasana)
• Benediction & Journal Session
*50% dance & somatics | 50% yoga, massage & journaling
SLOW & WILD YOGA FLOW
• Somatic Grounding & Invocation
• Slow self-attunement and sensual shape-making on the Sensory Mat
• Dynamic 360° yoga flow on the Foundation Mat
• Intuitive freestyle (letting your animal body lead)
• Deep tissue self-massage using our lady balls
• Integration
• Benediction & Journal Session
*20% dance & somatics | 80% yoga, massage & journaling
CHOREO SERIES
(Choreography)
• Our most popular and playful class (that sells out fast) renamed by our “congregation”: The Church of Slow & Wild
• Offered monthly as a pre-booked series of 3 classes
• Earn yourself a flirty stage name and the opportunity to perform the group routine at one of our Studio Showcases
• Somatic Grounding & Invocation on the Sensory Mat
• Learn one simple, fun, and sexy dance routine – typically a floor sequence that may include some chair moves
• Cool down and deep stretch
• Benediction
*80% dance | 10% stretching | 10% laughing your face off
RELEASE
(Restorative)
• Somatic Grounding, Breathwork & Invocation
• Slow extended self-attunement on the Sensory Mat
• Deep tissue self-massage using our lady balls
• Intuitive freestyle movement at 1/4 pace
• Integration
• Benediction & Journal Session
*50% somatics & nervous system care | 50% stretching, massage & journaling
*All classes are 75 min. and will align with a monthly theme – one of our 10 Self-Reclamation themes.
Nice to
meet you
We’re ecstatic you’re here. Allow us to introduce you to Slow & Wild and tell you why it’s so special.
This is a sisterhood, first and foremost. We are women reclaiming ourselves––our bodies, our sexuality, our playfulness, and our power. We celebrate breaking rules and making a mess on purpose, because it’s MEDICINE. We foster self-expression and healing connection through the collective Permission Field we create in each class. What that means is, we all agree to “self-contain” (hold loving space for ourselves for the duration of class) – and to also uphold the collective container, granting safety and permission to ourselves and each other – so our guards can come down and PLAY becomes possible. Play is the juice of the Slow & Wild movement practice –– a slinky, stretchy, part-graceful, part-primal, turn-your-brain-off (and your body ON) pleasure-hunting dance and yoga flow.
It goes a little something like this.
We begin each practice with an Invocation, wholeheartedly dedicating our time and focus to self-nourishment and -liberation. Movement is loosely choreographed to playlists that take you on a sensory ride. After a grounding somatic warm-up, we start low and slow (as if moving through water) on a spacious and luxurious Sensory Mat (a 6-foot round padded movement mat topped with the softest faux rabbit fur for slithering bodies, kissable skin, and delicate knees). You’ll feel your nervous system calm almost instantly like it does when you’re petting your favorite animal.
And then…
The fans turn on, lighting gets richer, and we let the music take us as we gradually build in pace and intensity of movement (more yoga-based in our Slow & Wild Yoga Flow classes and more dance-based in all the others) until reaching a fiery crescendo (less temperature hot and more smokin’ hot!). We save time to freestyle as well, just to move however our bodies feel like moving (which has zero to do with looking pretty).
If it’s one of our Choreo (choreography) series you’re attending, you’ll see for yourself why our women nicknamed it the Church of Slow & Wild! It’ll include a sexy full-length dance routine (either floor, chair, or heels) that we’ll break down into bite-sized pieces and run through repeatedly over 3 consecutive Sundays together, being all yummy for no one but ourselves in the mirror. The choreography is always fun and simple so no one ends up frustrated or lost (we have major allergies to that situation)! In all classes EXCEPT the Choreo Series, we’ll typically devote the last 15 min. to a deep tissue self-massage (using our “Lady Balls”), then complete the practice with an Integration (similar to the final resting pose in yoga), a closing Benediction, and a Journaling Prompt that ties into that month’s Self-Reclamation theme.
Perfection.
While Slow & Wild isn’t going to resonate for everyone on the planet who identifies as a woman, for those of you whose fires ARE lit by it… those who LIVE to move your bodies and are deeply committed to reclaiming and rediscovering every ounce of yourselves, your power, and what makes you come alive –– you’ll know right where you belong.
“This practice was born out of suffering. I took my deepest aches –– the ones I couldn't get rid of –– and turned them into a ritual I could do solo or with other women to move big energy, tend to my own heart, confront whatever bound or tightly wound me, and nourish the parts of myself that needed it most. I knew there were other women out there like me who craved a safe space to show up and be in whatever shape or state they found themselves on any given day: flatlining zombie, hot mess, or complete train wreck; shy wallflower or raging storm; nurturing matriarch, sovereign queen, or wise and luminous oracle; unapologetic hedonist or relentless and irresistible seductress. Here, all parts of the wild woman are welcomed, witnessed, and given permission to take up space –– which is healing for everyone, even the family and friends of these women.”
Founder Bio:
Kris Ward is a mom of two, lifelong dancer, choreographer, and teacher of all things fitness, wellness, and emotional health. She draws from her education in Marriage and Family Therapy, her previous career as a Life Coach and Coach Trainer, and the processes used in her own codependence- and trauma-healing journey to inform the philosophic and somatic approaches to the Slow & Wild method.
The quality of a woman’s heart is soft and natural. Her power, a force. The gift we give ourselves when we come together to wield this power, backed by these hearts is pure fucking magic.
Permission granted.
This is how we do it.
1) Come as you are.
No bullying yourself into any shapes or states. Look how you look, feel how you feel, and lose the facade. Wear something that feels good on (and feel free to bare lots of skin for slinking and sliding around the Sensory Mat)! Bring all your “parts” (moods, emotions, stories, coping mechanisms, and habitual ways of being) to the table. All are welcome here.
2) Slow down, open up & empty out.
When it’s time to begin, drop in, turn inward, and start to take up more space energetically as you enjoy your breath and the invocation. Arrive fully in the moment, awakening your senses and intuition (our aromatherapy, the gentle breeze, dim lighting, and soft textures help). Gradually let yourself open and empty out whatever is ready to be let go of. This is not about performing, but attuning to both the music and what wants to be expressed from within. This is your chance to move energy, feel the feelings wanting attention, emote, hunt for pleasure, and nourish “Little You”––that lovable, vulnerable Inner Child that will forever be a part of you.
3) Confront what binds you.
Oftentimes in class (or later as a result of your home practice), you’ll come to recognize things about yourself (relationships, beliefs, habits, or patterns) that limit your joy, freedom, and creativity, or stifle you in some way. We encourage you to confront these gently, with love, compassion, and patience. Rest assured that they’ll be dismantled and/or healthfully rewritten or reconfigured in their own right timing as you continue forward on your journey of self-reclamation.
4) Let your practice fill you back up.
Feeling lighter and more spacious by the end of class, trust that what needed to move, shift, be revealed or released is exactly what occurred through your practice––and more will be revealed over time about what you need for your own self-care and -alignment. We’ll use the last song of class for integration then take a few minutes to journal some thoughts or insights. Consider sharing them with another Slow & Wild sister to foster connection and further integrate your discoveries.