A liberating mindful movement practice
A personal sharing of what it meant for me and how it could help you welcome yourself back home into your body.
I love to say that Movement Medicine found me, more than I found it. I was in my early forties, towards the end of a year-long Family Constellations study, and as their last module, I ended up at my first 5Rhythms weekend, a Conscious Dance practice created by Gabrielle Roth. During that amazing and unexpected weekend, something in my body simply woke up. It finally danced freely. It laughed. It cried. It released. It shouted. And I knew then, without needing to explain it to anyone, that there was no going back.
That weekend was a door for me, and once it opened I could not pretend I hadn’t felt what was on the other side. From that moment I explored the wider world of Conscious Dance, through many teachers, many floors, many practices, until I finally arrived to a Movement Medicine weekend in Rome taught by David Mooney, there I just knew, I was home.
The moment I knew this was something I actually wanted to study was when I stepped onto the dance floor in the Devon lands of England, at the ‘Phoenix Retreat’. The way the 4 elements spoke to me, the connection to the seen and unseen world and the amazing music chosen, made my body feel safe enough to simply open to life and its wider connections. I knew it was a safe space for me. How this practice is held, ethically, heartfully, mindfully, let me open to do the deepest and most profound work I have ever done. The care Ya’Acov and Susannah, my teachers and the founders of this practice, bring to space holding let me fully unravel, trusting I would be respected while doing my own deep powerfully transformative work, and especially knowing I would safely find my way back, as the way through is in the body.
For the first time I felt I could unite all of my expansive, contradictory, curious self, by weaving together shamanic, therapeutic, scientific and artistic wisdom. It really transformed my life, powerfully and lovingly. I discovered the power of somatic wisdom, embodied connections, intuitive practices, connections to my ancestral South American roots and amazing dances all sprinkled with a good dose of laughter (and tears!), love and awe.
How this practice can hold you Body, Heart and Mind.
Maybe you are longing to reconnect. To your body. To your heart. To something deeper that has gone quiet under the weight of daily life. I certainly felt that at one point in my life. Please know that this longing is not a weakness, it is a key to a door asking to be walked through. And if you go through, know you will find a space that is safe and inclusive, where you can explore in freedom, with no attachments to who you should be or how you should move.
Maybe you have also read about studies that show how dance helps reinforce new neural connections, supporting the health of your mind and the wellbeing, stability, balance and flexibility of your body. So if we read these benefits in the context of a deep somatic wellness ecstatic practice like Movement Medicine, we can find a way back home to our own body.
By bringing awareness to your body, you reconnect to your essence and your wisdom, encouraging health and self expression. Your body releases tension with the support of a carefully chosen blend of music as your guide. You remember your connection to the four elements, earth, water, air and fire, and to the Tree of Life. Building your relationship with these elements as resources is a core part of the practice.
By bringing awareness to your heart, you connect deeply with yourself, with others, and with the mystery of life. You allow support to enter, you start to build your own personal circle, and you learn how to stand safely in your own center. You welcome yourself and others with gratitude, openness and curiosity.
By bringing awareness to your mind, you realize you can let go of old belief systems and patterns that no longer serve you. You feel the clarity of your inner guidance helping you make sustainable choices, for yourself and for the world you live in. Your mind becomes an ally, held in the safe container of a healthy body with clear boundaries and creative engagement.
Our Map. A journey through 21 portals.
Many people often ask, what is the Movement Medicine map? How is it taught? What is the basis of it?
The practice of Movement Medicine was created by my teachers Ya’Acov and Susannah Darling Khan in England, shaped by their years of teaching and dancing 5Rhythms alongside Gabrielle Roth, and woven together with their own lineages in neuroscience, Family Constellations, Gestalt therapy, and indigenous shamanic wisdom of our connection to the natural world and the cycles of life. Many years ago, Ya’Acov received this map showing a path of embodied awakening, a vision of a new movement practice that was rooted in reverence for life, earth, and spirit. At the same time Susannah received the name of this practice in a dream. These two threads wove together into what would become Movement Medicine: a practice to reclaim the intelligence of the body, honouring our connection to the web of life, and dancing ourselves home. You can read more about this story here in the School website.
The symbol you see here above is that mandala, it is a map of these 21 stations representing the Tree of Life.
~The lines hold the four directions and elements: earth in the south, fire in the east, water in the west, air in the north.
~The five circles at the bottom are the roots of the tree, our five dimensions of awareness: relationship with self, with others, with community, with our ancestors, and with the divine.
~The nine spheres along the top are the branches, holding nine gateways: body, heart, mind (the journey of empowerment), past, present, future (the journey of responsibility), fulfilment, interconnection, realization (manifesting the dream).
~And in the center sits the Phoenix, the Great Mystery, with the polarities of yin and yang weaving around it.
Each gateway opens up a landscape of ongoing enquiry for the work of embodying soul in all aspects of our life. If you will, it functions as a kind of compass, providing us with a powerful orientation system for our life journey. It offers a rich territory for an ongoing embodied enquiry, discovery and growth.
How do we connect to this mandala? Do we always have to dance all of it?
Movement Medicine can be experienced in a single one hour class, a day workshop, a weekend or a whole 10 day retreat. The way each of us teachers chooses to use these 21 portals is an individual choice. Maybe sometimes we choose to dance ‘only’ with the 4 elements, or hold a week long Phoenix retreat. We can hold day long ceremonies to dance through all of the 21 portals, or maybe we can hold an afternoon to ‘just’ dance with our Yin and Yang energies and how to balance them. That is the beauty and power of this Map for me, it has a solid safe structure to let myself find my own freedom to offer my work in any given moment. Depending on what the group needs and the theme I want to bring. So for me it is ultimate freedom and creativity. And for more info of how I also use it in my Movement Medicine Facilitator path with Embodied Branding, have a look here.
“The Movement Medicine Path is a dancing path. A path where movement is your medicine, where you are both respected as the one you are and challenged to become all you can be. A path where community and individuality are mutually enhancing and you learn to alchemise the past, be present, and play your role in creating the future.”
~ Ya’Acov and Susannah Darling Khan
What can we expect in a Movement Medicine class?
In my spaces, we usually begin with some free movement, no guidance yet, just the music and the precious time it takes to arrive into the space. Letting the words go. Dropping into the body. Leaving the day behind and stepping into now. We bring awareness to our physical body and our breath, and simply feel what is emerging. All emotions are welcome and are held with respect.
From there we usually open a sharing circle, where we introduce ourselves and I explain what we’ll be working with that day. Right after, we begin to dance, with simple invitations and guidance to notice parts of ourselves and our bodies. There are no choreographies or specific movements to do or follow. The body is left free to move intuitively to the rhythm of the specially chosen music, to release, replenish and relax. I always invite you to let go of judgement, let go of notions of right, wrong, good or bad. After the music stops, we close again in a circle before leaving the space, nourished. We always leave space at the end of class to ground properly together.
I love to create special music journeys chosen in the moment following the group energy that incorporate the 4 elements and the movement medicine mandala map as guiding principles. These elements add depth and meaning to my practice, and allow participants to connect with their own inner wisdom and creativity. Have a listen here to some of them.
I am also passionate about dance and the freedom of self-expression, and I encourage participants to let go and connect with their bodies and emotions in a deeply authentic and supported way. The space I create is a rich and nourishing blend of music, dance, mindfulness, and self-exploration, and offers a unique and transformative experience for participants.
I’ve never danced before, can I come?
Absolutely. Movement Medicine is for anyone who has a body. I hold inclusive spaces for any gender, ethnicity, age or ability. There are no steps to learn. You are encouraged to listen to your own limits, and you can stop and rest at any time while staying present in the space. If you need special assistance, please email me beforehand as not all venues are appropriate. If you’re hoping to bring young children, reach out first, not all events are suited for them.
Every space I hold rests on three golden rules:
~ Respect and take care of yourself. How do you physically feel that day? Are there any parts of your body that need rest? Please listen to your own needs and know that you are encouraged and asked to follow them. I ask you also to include your own emotional responsability.
~ Respect others in the dance. This includes touching, unwanted close proximity in the dance or judgement. This is a sacred space where we need to feel free to let go in safety. Remember that dancers are not allowed to take pictures or videos of the event. If any of these happen in the space you will be invited to leave.
~ Respect the space itself. Whether we’re indoors or dancing under the sky, it is our duty to take care of the environment that holds our dances. Please keep clean, and look after the surroundings and spaces.
These three mindful circles are what makes freedom possible inside the container, and what allows me to hold the space safely for everyone in it.
My events are always drug and alcohol free, so please come mindful of your physical state. Make sure you’re hydrated, in good health, and bring water. Wear comfortable clothing in layers so you can adjust in the moment from a quiet meditation to a sweaty rhythm moment. We usually dance barefoot.
In the rare moments something surfaces that feels like too much to hold alone, please reach out to a therapist or someone you trust. Movement Medicine is not a substitute for medical or psychological treatment and it can bring emotions to the surface, that is part of its medicine. If in doubt, you’re always welcome to email me.
“Movement Medicine® is dance for our times. It gives us direct, embodied experience of the dance of life that’s going on inside us and all around us. As a species, we face enormous challenges right now that require us to be as creative as we can be, as individuals and as a species. We need to adapt to evolve, and dance teaches us to move with life. Movement Medicine reconnects us, deepening our capacity for empathy and compassionate being and action.”
~ Ya’Acov and Susannah Darling Khan
Step into the dance!
There is no right way to arrive, only your way. If this path is calling you, just for one class or for a lifetime, come dance with me at one of my upcoming events, check them out here.
And if you’d like to explore this practice near you, the School of Movement Medicine website holds teachers events worldwide, including those of the founders Ya’Acov and Susannah, all part of this same living lineage.
I also invite you to start with a free pre-recorded Movement Medicine session or a journey of 3 sessions, that you can enjoy in your own space and time. And if you feel you want to connect with me in a live bespoke session see below for the private Movement Medicine session. Your choice, your dance.
