I am so excited to announce this! I don’t remember the last time I had an in person workshop, and this will be my first here in Columbus at my studio home, Heartfelt Yoga.
Here is the registration page.
Peony Somatic Dance: Ecotones
To start, what the heck is an ecotone, Christine?
It’s this cool thing in ecology. It’s the transition zone where two biological communities meet and integrate. It’s considered a really fertile spot for change, for evolution, for new things to happen.
For us, the ecotones will be areas of investigation and experimentation. Crossover spaces where we can learn new things about ourselves and our space in the world.
Our ecotones, as it were, will be the following:
Our physical, energetic, and emotional bodies
Our breath, voice, and movement
You as an individual, you as a community member, and the community
Self observation, deep listening, and writing
The Basics
Dates: Friday, November 15 through Sunday, November 17
Times:
Friday: 6 PM to 8 PM
Saturday: 10 AM to 6 PM (with one hour for you to get some lunch)
Sunday: 10 AM to 2 PM (with just a snack break)
And don’t worry: You won’t be sweating your butt off for all of those hours. There will be a good blend of moving and not moving based explorations.
Cost: $299
What you should bring
Your beautiful self
Comfortable clothing for moving and layering
A favorite blanket (or use one of the studio’s)
You do NOT need a yoga mat
Pen and journal
Water bottle
Snacks
Anything like a favorite crystal, plushie, mala, statue that will support your time with us
More about Peony Somatic Dance: Ecotones
Peony Somatic Dance is a breath and imagery based practice unlike any of the ecstatic or "conscious" dance stuff that's out there. It will take you deeply into your uniquely creative way of moving and deeply into your life, but it will also allow you to explore and expand your internal landscape, making space for all that has happened to you and all that is to come. One of our primary goals is emotional flexibility, the ability to deal with whatever is happening and to still maintain a connection to your essential joy.
(And side note: Peony Somatic Dance is deeply grounded in Japanese Butoh, and specifially the underlying philosophy of Butoh. Watching this short video that includes moments with my mentor, Maureen Fleming, will give you a bit more understanding. You can also check out my YouTube channel here.)
You can read more about what actual classes look like here.
This workshop will give us the time we need to dive deep into the vast array of practices I’ve developed over the last 15 years of teaching.
Some example of the practices we will experiment with
A variety of breath practices that will support movement, rest, and contemplation
Group and partner practices that teach us about our shared energy and support
Group and partner practices to re-awaken child-like wonder, awe, and glee
Group voice play (don’t worry… totally safe and you can always opt out. No one will be put on the spot or made to “sing.” this is about noise making)
Individual deep movement meant to regulate your nervous system
Individual deep movement to explore your inner landscape
Individual deep movement to awaken playfulness and joy
Writing prompts to integrate all you are learning via your body
Group movement to create a “piece” that will represent the weekend’s work
Group discussions to explore how we can fully integrate this work into our daily lives back home
Questions about any of this?
Respond to this post or email me or Facebook/Instagram message me. (See all the links at the bottom of this page.)