Dance Meditation with Joan Toder

 

Tuesdays 12:30–2p  

 

Saturdays - 3:30–5p - July 3 & 17; August 7 & 21, 2010

 

First-timers and novices welcome.

 

In Dance Meditation we move to music from around the world, using a wide range of rhythms and tempos that help us connect deeply within ourselves. The music progresses from slow and meditative to flowing, playful, driving, and high-energy, facilitating exploration and expression of the many energies and emotions that move us.

 

There is minimal structure in the class. Each person moves at their own pace and there is no right or wrong. We dance alone and we dance together, using the group to create a safe and supportive environment.

 

Dance Meditation is a practice of:

 

  • Surrendering to our inner knowing
  • Getting present in the body as we disengage from thinking
  • Trusting the body’s wisdom to guide us
  • Accepting non-judgmentally whatever arises
  • Cultivating awareness of ourselves
  • Connecting with others
  • Finding stillness within, regardless of what’s going on around us
  • Being joyful and having fun

 

The class is appropriate for all levels of fitness and experience. All that’s needed is a desire to connect deeply within and a willingness to move and have fun!

 

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The class is appropriate for all levels of fitness and experience. All you need is a desire to connect deeply within yourself and a willingness to move and have fun!

 

The class has minimal structure – each person moves at their own pace and there is no right or wrong way to move. We dance alone and we also dance together, using the group to create a safe and supportive environment.

 

Comments from students

 

I am sending you an e-mail to let you know how much I enjoyed the Saturday "Dance Meditation" class. Joan was an excellent teacher, facilitator, and guide.

It was fun dancing to the great music and making new friends. It was also a great way to express myself authentically without fear of judgment. Everyone moved in their own unique way.

I do have one complaint...There are not enough of Joan's classes! Twice a week would be perfect.  (Note: Joan now teaches twice weekly - Tuesdays & Saturdays at 12:30p)

Namaste,     Linda Lee Baia - April 2007

 

On Sep 12, 2008 - Rita Farin wrote an AMAZING  BLOG on Joan's class - Read it here!!

 

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About Joan Toder

 

I am very grateful for meditation, which has been at the center of my life for more than 25 years. For many years I practiced silent meditation – sitting in stillness. My meditation now incorporates stillness and movement, sitting and standing, silence and vocalizing. It’s a practice of working with energy – both internal and external – as well as tuning into and trusting my inner wisdom. The combination of movement and meditation is very powerful for me, and I find that it’s often easier to quiet my mind when I’m moving than when I’m physically still.

 

I’ve danced all my life – not as a result of formal training but from love of movement. For ten years I also taught Cajun and Zydeco dance classes and had the great gift of seeing people experience the joy of connecting with their own bodies. But I began to know that I wanted to go beyond teaching specific dance steps. Rather than teaching “how” and "what" to dance, I wanted to offer a format for people to discover and express their own unique dance.

 

Dance Meditation is a merging of my love for dance and meditation and the creation of a space for others to join me in using dance as a spiritual practice. I began leading classes in 2001 and have led Dance Meditation at Jai Shanti Yoga since the studio opened in 2003.

 

 

 

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