"If you have ever been moved by the dancer, felt the stirrings of your heart and the goosebumps on your skin then you have the dancer within you that longs to dance, to move and to express in a deep and soulful way.

We all live in this, the physical world; we each inhabit a physical body. . . a vessel. And when we are fully present in the moment we are spirit embodied — a simple step forward becomes a step in the divine dance of life."

Dance enables us to deepen our connection with our physical bodies. By stretching the body we find the places of tension and resistence. Once found we can explore them, breath into them, breath into freedom. Movement facilitates the flow of blood and expansion of breath, raising our awareness of the life energy within us. When we explore our physical edges and imagine moving beyond them, we merge with the Universal life energy and invite that energy into the dance to flow through us and back into the world.

Breathe in and out, breathe, breathe, feel the energy move through you. Remember in these calm, still moments that breath is life and breathe life in. Breathe in, breathe out, bringing the breath into all the places and spaces that reside within you.

And as the breath moves deeper we come face to face with the deeper aspects of ourselves; those that our society, our culture, our history, and our individual pasts have had a part in creating. In North American culture we often face a deep-seated hate and fear of the body; the lack of trust, the lack of love we feel for this our scared vessel of life.

Breathe into the places that are painful, breathe deeply. Remember that breath brings life and trust that you can move through anything. Look at the pain, feel it, taste it, and know that it will pass. Stretch beyond your comfort zone, soften, become more flexible, more supple, more subtle, and deep.

Through the path of dance we begin to recognize our body as teacher. The body teaches us what we are. It holds our experience on physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and energetic levels. We are what we have moved through, we become what has moved us. At whatever step we find ourselves, we are where we are meant to be.

This dance creates me as I move through it one step at a time…my body is my teacher, she reveals to me her stories and songs and I listen for the clues of which way to turn…which step to take next.

"For me, the fastest way to still the mind is to move the body."
–Gabrielle Roth

As we shift and move and explore, we experience the need for Centering, that deep place of calm, the axis upon which we spin, the safe place to return to after venturing out. When we are centred the dance grows deep and pure. The mind wanders but we gently bring it back: clear the mind, hear the teacher, watch, listen, get out of the way. Our mind is a powerful tool that we can use to navigate our exploration through the body, assessing the damage. Where do we need bridges? Reinforcement? Healing? Strength? A focused mind allows us to channel healing energy. And as we heal we begin to see ourselves dancing in our mind's eye. Imagining ourselves the master; imagining ourselves whole and beautiful; imagining ourselves free and graceful. We notice the change that occurs; slowly it comes to those with the tenacity to hold on and the courage to let go.

We can only become what we can imagine ourselves to be, flowing with the Universe graceful and free.

Sometimes we hear the voice that says we can't do it — we must be stupid, crazy, we are too ugly, fat, uncoordinated, old, not spiritual enough, not thin enough — and we know we are in deep, and if we hold the vision and let go of the shore we will make it. This voice is old and no longer needed. This voice is born of the culture of shame and seeks to keep us down, hold us back, keep us out of the flow of life.

Watch the message, be aware, breathe into the pain, breathe deeply, know that this too will pass. Change will come to us, we can imagine ourselves to be, flowing with the universe, graceful and free.

The emotions enter the dance, feelings rise and fall. They glimmer in the eye, ride on the breath and move through the belly. Breathe deeply and feel what is there in the belly, allow your soul to flow forth and greet you. What, inside you, is calling for creative expression? Dance is a safe place to explore the untended garden of human experience that brings colour and shape to every moment of life. Dance is the life line which enables us to delve deeply and emerge to live fuller lives.

In the dance we dwell in the magic of the moment with another.

I cultivate the garden of my emotions, seek to embody gracious states of being, flowing with the universe graceful and free.

What is the dance but the expression of divine spirit through physical form? When we engage our whole beings in the pursuit of wonder, beauty, wholeness, transformation, we open to that which is divine. When we lay ourselves bare before the mirror, when we confront and open and deepen, we breath into the places of pain with the intention of releasing, softening. It is the softening that carries us deeper.The journey toward wholeness, toward living the sacred moment, dancing the sacred body, breathing the sacred life, is deep and long. The journey begins with the courage to take the first step. We didn't get there in a week, a month, a year. In fact we have never quite arrived. But now we know that this life is breath and constant change. We know we will feel pain, and breathe, and soften into our pain. And with the softening the pain will move. We know that we can only become that which we can imagine ourselves to be.

And so we imagine we are dancing this body sacred, flowing with the universe, graceful and free.

We acknowledge with deep gratitude the love and support of all of our teachers who believed in the spirit of the dance, the gift of grace, and the beauty of sharing. We acknowledge our mentors and peers and give thanks for this dance of life and the breath that we share.

On their journey towards wholeness, Jan and Gina have shared the experience of studying modern dance with Linda Rubin, and of studying yoga at the Yasodhara Ashram in Kootenay Bay, BC. In the spirit of sharing inspiration gained, classes are available. Call Gina (306) 933-2527 or Jan (306) 244-4776 in Saskatoon for more information.