This November, Haptic Yoga by Beat Blocks is coming to the atmospheric Crypt at St Nicholas Church as part of Brazen Live Track – a series of extraordinary live experiences bringing together technology, creativity and culture across Bristol.
Launching exclusively at Brazen, Haptic Yoga is a UK-first experience created by Bristol-based Beat Blocks, in collaboration with Moments of Flow. Across 45 minutes, you’ll move through yoga, somatic movement, breath and music while standing on specially designed haptic decks that transform sound into vibrations you can physically feel through your body.
If you’re wondering what haptic yoga actually is, what it feels like and where the idea came from, we caught up with Kit from Beat Blocks and Sarah from Moments of Flow to find out everything you need to know before you go.
Beat Blocks’ story started with a surprisingly simple question: what if you could feel the beat as well as hear it?
Ceo of Beat Blocks, Kit Wardle explains:
“Beat Blocks was invented by creative technologist Rowan James. He was working as a touring performance poet, and found himself out of time with his backing track, which led to a lightbulb moment – ‘what if I could feel the beat as well as hear it?’”
With support from Innovate UK, Beat Blocks went on to produce a prototype haptic floor. Several years later, the team now works at events and festivals around the world, with its technology being used everywhere from specialist schools and music festivals to major galleries and experiential campaigns for global brands.
Now, they’re taking everything they’ve learnt and putting it into an experience of their own: Haptic Yoga.
What does haptic technology actually feel like?
This is the tricky bit to explain – because it’s designed to be felt. Beat Blocks’ technology transforms sound into physical vibrations, adding the sensation of touch to the way you experience music.
Or, as Kit puts it:
“The best answer to this question is to come and experience it for yourself.”
For Beat Blocks, bringing touch into live sound adds a visceral new layer to what we usually experience through our ears alone. And seeing somebody experience that sensation for the first time is one of Kit’s favourite parts of the job.
“The best part of this job is getting to see people’s facial expressions as they experience a haptic floor for the first time!”
At Beat Blocks’ Bristol demo space, the team regularly welcomes DJs and producers to try the technology, and Kit says watching someone drop a bassline through the floor “always brings joy”. With Haptic Yoga, however, they’re hoping to take that experience somewhere new.
“Whilst on one level a haptic floor is primarily a physical experience, we hope that Haptic Yoga will also be a profound emotional experience.”
Why combine haptic technology with yoga?
After working with such a wide range of people and organisations, Beat Blocks wanted to explore what else could be possible with the technology.
Haptic Yoga brings together everything the team has learnt so far, with Sarah Fyson from Moments of Flow developing the movement side of the experience. Sarah was immediately excited by the possibilities.
“I’m fascinated by sound acting as physical vibrations that travel through the human body to help calm the nervous system, aid the release of muscular tension and emotional build up.”
Sarah already experiments with sound, music and mindful movement in her own practice, so combining this with Beat Blocks’ technology opened up a completely new way to explore those ideas.
Meet your yoga instructor, Sarah Fyson of Moments of Flow
Sarah and her husband Jules create sound journeys for their events, and developing Haptic Yoga has involved a lot of experimenting.
“To design the sessions we are basically getting on the haptic technology ourselves and playing!”
They’ve been testing different pieces of music through the haptic decks, experiencing how each one physically feels before creating the soundtracks that will accompany the sessions.
And the movement itself goes beyond a traditional yoga class.
Sarah blends somatics, yoga, breath, dance and visualisation, creating what she describes as “a whole reset for the body and mind”.
Then, of course, there’s the fact that the music will quite literally be coming from underneath you.
“The music coming up from beneath you will also make it feel different! Especially with the beautiful up lighting, it will feel like a really magical experience.”
How will you feel afterwards?
Sarah hopes the experience gives people an opportunity to reconnect with what they need in that moment.
Her aim is for people to leave feeling:
“Reset, relaxed, calm and in one's true essence, feeling ready to do whatever is needed to act on your dreams and desires – whether that be to rest and slow down or be courageous and take action.”
Ultimately, Sarah says, “your body always knows best and the answers are always within.”
So whether you regularly practise yoga or have never stepped onto a yoga mat before, Haptic Yoga is less about perfecting poses and more about experiencing what happens when movement, music and physical sensation come together.
A pretty special setting
Haptic Yoga will take place in The Crypt at St Nicholas Church, right in the heart of Bristol.
The historic, atmospheric space will be transformed with haptic decks, music and lighting for a series of intimate 45-minute sessions.
With small groups taking part at a time, it’s a chance to step away from the city above and experience something completely different beneath the streets of Bristol.
Haptic Yoga is part of Brazen Live Track, a programme of live experiences created for Brazen, Bristol’s festival of technology, creativity and culture.
Yuup has curated the Live Track to bring some of the ideas behind Brazen out into the city, giving people the chance to do more than simply hear about new technology – you can actually experience it.
Alongside Haptic Yoga, the programme includes Bristol: Built by Dreamers, a holographic storytelling experience from Bristol-based Holotronica at St Mary Redcliffe, bringing Bristol’s past, present and future to life.
Explore the full Brazen Live Track and discover all the experiences taking place across Bristol.
Everything you need to know before you go
Where? The Crypt at St Nicholas Church, Bristol.
When? Monday 9 – Friday 13 November 2026.
How long? Each Haptic Yoga session lasts 45 minutes.
Who can take part? The experience is suitable for both regular yogis and complete beginners and is for ages 16+.
What should I bring? Bring water and your yoga mat and wear something comfortable that you can move in.
When should I arrive? Please arrive around 10 minutes before your booked session so everyone can get settled and the experience can begin on time. Unfortunately, late joiners won't be able to enter once the session has started.
Is the venue accessible? The Crypt is accessed by stairs and unfortunately does not have wheelchair access.
For Kit and the Beat Blocks team, seeing somebody's reaction when they experience a haptic floor for the first time is what they're most excited about.
This November, you can find out what all the fuss is about for yourself.
Come for the yoga, the technology, the music – or simply because you have absolutely no idea what it’s going to feel like.
Book Haptic Yoga by Beat Blocks and be one of the first to experience this new technology.
