Search Results for: Ecstatic dance/

Ecstatic dance break

Dance and movement has been one of my most important tools for healing. Dancing is living well. We can do it seated or even laying down if we have to. Just move to the music and feel it.

Nia dance…another method to achieve ecstatic movement

I find that when I tell people about how I love to go to ecstatic dancing in my community that some number of people are intimidated at the thought of letting loose among strangers. I have personally found it the most comfortable way I can be with people right now, but I understand that for many dancing is a somewhat scary thing. What I like about the groups I dance with here is that it’s as acceptable to sit against the wall and meditate as it is to dance. I often meditate or do yoga in corner when I’m not up to dancing the whole session. It’s truly a safe space for me and I love it. …

Fall into winter: a time of contraction

I always have a significant dip in how I feel in the fall and winter too. I am struggling with that as well right now. I can assure you that we do contract with the seasons and that is why it’s often more difficult in the fall. I used to think it was a huge setback but I now see it as a natural rhythm. That doesn’t mean it’s not still difficult. It is.

An inclusive approach to mental health: Not all in the brain

submitted to Beyond Meds by Oxford University Press – By Michelle Maiese — For many years, the prevailing view among both cognitive scientists and philosophers has been that the brain is sufficient for cognition, and that once we discover its secrets, we will be able to unravel the mysteries of the mind. Recently however, a growing number of thinkers have begun to challenge this prevailing view that mentality is a purely neural phenomenon. They emphasize, instead, that we are conscious in and through our living bodies. Mentality is not something that happens passively within our brains, but something that we do through dynamic bodily engagement with our surroundings. This shift in perspective has incredibly important implications for the way we treat mental health –

Dancing can be healing in profound ways

Ecstatic dance is awesome in the literal sense of the word and I consider it a body oriented mindfulness practice as well. I’ve also referred to it as self-directed body-work in conversations with friends. Sometimes my “dance” is about moving and stretching my body in some really odd ways to get at something that is tightly held in the body and needs release. Dancing can sometimes be me not moving at all (on the surface) while the music courses through my body and my cells and neurons DANCE. …

healing documented

The archives of this blog now span over ten years. They are a record of a  life – learning and transforming at a rate unlike any other time. I say this as a way of disclaimer. In the earlier years of this blog I am processing shock and dismay. In the early years I am… Continue Reading →

Expansion and contraction

Today I’m very grateful for Shinzen Young. I woke with very contracted energy this morning and felt pretty distressed. I thought about how my energy contracts and expands a whole lot. When I thought about that I remembered that Shinzen Young’s youtube channel is called “expandcontract.” So I ventured over to his channel and found this dharma talk which was just exactly what I needed. Yes, guidance leads me to what I need pretty much always now. Guidance is showing me how to heal myself. … [click on title to read and view more]

Hip Hop/Yoga Dance Workout

As most of you know by now, I like mixing it up. Well, really, I NEED to mix it up. My body wants and needs something different everyday. I woke up a couple of days ago and wanted to dance but I also felt like I needed some yoga, so I did a search on youtube with yoga and dance in the search query. I got this lovely little short but intense workout…

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