Healing Grief Through Movement

Dancing the Elements

Move freely to the music, selected for its suggestive rhythm and flow, and the poetic word pictures compiled for each of the four elements – Air, Fire, Water and Earth. This is a simple yet effective way to get fully into our bodies, release self-conscious inhibitions, and gently stimulate the mind/body spirit connection.

Dancing Your Spirit Animal (Totem)

In some cultures animals are considered guardian spirits. If an animal speaks to you it is offering its protection and powers. We will discover our power animal (with the aid of the Medicine Cards) and its qualities. Through drumming and movement we will merge with our guardian animal and derive the relevant message or knowledge it brings to our current situation.

7 Chakra Kundalini Dance

Each of the seven Chakras (Sanskrit word meaning wheel), or energy centers, are assigned a different function in the Eastern system of medicine. We will focus movements that relax and awaken each energy center, bringing awareness to the significance of each in our own lives.

Root Chakra (Connection to Earth and Community)
Spleen Chakra (Creativity, Sexuality)
Navel Chakra (Power in the World, Individuation)
Heart Chakra (Compassion)
Throat Chakra (Communication, Voice)
Brow Chakra (Intuition, “Third Eye”)
Crown Chakra (Spiritual Connection)

Dancing Mythology (Inanna’s Journey to the Underworld, Demeter & Persephone, the Minotaur, Kali, Kuan Yin or Tara for Compassion, etc.)

The power of myth (as purported by Dr. Joseph Campbell) works in us because the stories are visualizations of universal archetypes, shared by all of us whether consciously or not. As we enact these mythological journeys, we tap into the buried aspects of self. We are able to find the hidden meaning of events and circumstances, and heal the schisms between “dark and light,” “good and evil,” etc., as they play out in our lives.

Dancing Your Story (Day-long process, includes some drawing & poetry)

Lying on a large piece of paper, someone will trace the outline of your body. Throughout the day we will do movement explorations to help us fill in the background, representing our past (with relevant colors, words, shapes, etc.). Eventually we will fill in the image with what we would like our new future self to look like, and finally express that vision with new movement.

For more information, including scheduling, get in touch with Dhyanis.

I designed my Moving Past Grief program to identify and embrace your personal purpose, as well as the significance of deep loss. The customized class series helps us move through grief as an ultimately healing, liberating and empowering process. I tailor the program for each participant’s needs and abilities.

The imagery I select helps you move energy through your body in order to fully express and release your grief. One need not be a dancer or have had any dance training to receive the full benefits of moving to express emotion where words are not enough. Here are some ideas I share at the Movement Workshops:

If your body is your temple, Dance is your prayer. It is your moving meditation. It is your sacred task to express your true self.
If anyone says they would like to dance like me, I tell them “Great – then dance like you.” H. Auden said, “Dance while you can.” He did not say dance well!
Allow yourself to use your powerful imagination. Children do it every day. As Pablo Picasso famously said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is staying an artist when you grow up.” Imagination mobilizes our natural gifts and is very healing.
During the exercises, I invite you to surrender to your imagination and let your body playfully give form to the images I will suggest as the music plays. This is called authentic movement; there are no steps to learn. Just focus on describing with your body what you feel from the music and from my suggestions.

In the Moving Through Grief program, we are going beyond thought, beyond self-consciousness to merge with the music and the motion. You’ll let the force of life pulse through you, using your hands and arms, your heart, your belly, your legs and feet.

The result will surprise and delight you, and may even lead to ecstasy!

I have personally made healing dances on or these occasions:

Symbolic dance of death and resurrection – 7 Veils for Mom
Improvisational performance on the day I had to put my 21-year-old cat down – did a lot of floor work and even cried.
Eulogy dance for Princess Di

Find out about:
Moving Past Grief Movement Series
Dhyanis’s Dance and Coaching background

Moving Past Grief

Grief Coaching by Phone

Category Archives: Healing Grief Through Movement

Moving Past Grief: Healing Through Dance