Behind the scenes @ Embodied Dance

You may have noticed that for the past few months I’ve been running an Embodied Dance workshop a few times a week.

Some of you may have seen the emails and thought…

“Nah, not my thing!”

Some of you may have been confused and thought,

“Rena? Dance Class?!”

Some of you may have been quietly curious and perhaps want to understand what this is all about.

One of our regular participants kindly agreed to share her thoughts and experience since she’s been joining weekly!

So sit back and enjoy this short interview. I hope it answers some questions for you!

What intrigued you about The Embodied Dance Workshop?

I’d seen Rena’s emails about Embodied Dance, and at first, I said, “Nah, it’s not for me.” But then I saw another email, and I decided to give it a try.

I’ve been exercising since I was a teenager, but recently I just can’t just push through the pain like I used to. Exercise that used to give me an adrenaline rush just doesn’t anymore.

So I was intrigued by the opportunity to exercise in a way that was gentle, that was listening to my body.

I still do Yoga sometimes, but often I’ll come away more drained than exercise, or I’ll find myself doing a Downward Dog pose on a sore shoulder. I wanted to exercise without pain.

What happened when you actually got to the Embodied Dance class, what did you discover?

So when I got to Rena’s class I saw how this experience really helped me get in touch with the little quiet voices inside.

Those voices that usually I’d bulldoze past and not listen to so well. The class is a safe space to just tune in, pay attention in a safe and fun way.

She plays songs I haven’t heard before. It’s a positive and nice experience. I often spend a lot of time in my head, but when I get to the class, Rena will throw out a question that will push me to dig deeper and I come away feeling more grounded, centered, and comfortable with who I am.

Very often I’ll journal after the class and process the experience. Honestly, it feels like Tefilla. It’s like taking my WHOLE self, all those scared vulnerable parts that I’m not usually acutely aware of, and bringing it to Hashem.

It feels very healing. I gain so much from each one and I look forward to it.

Have you experienced specific shifts as a result of joining the class?

It gives me more patience with my kids and myself and my husband. It’s like taking a step back and figuring out what’s going on. It takes away anxiety and tension, and I really appreciate that.

Was this a new language, or were you familiar with it already?

The language of tuning into your body was familiar because I had worked with a coach, but the movement and dance piece was totally foreign.

In the beginning, I felt very self-conscious, even at the end, when we all come together and talk, I kept the camera off.

But by the second, third week, I had the camera on all the time. I feel very comfortable with moving around, in tune with the music, theme, and my body.

What happens when you tell other people about Embodied Dance? How do they respond?

Most people I mention it to think it’s weird and out there.

They are scared. I often describe it to people and tell them how I love it, but I’m a poor saleswoman ‘cause they say it’s not for me! Maybe I am weird or maybe I’m courageous?

What surprised you about Embodied Dance?

I was surprised by how spiritual it is. How positive it is. It sounded very new age-y when I was coming into it but I trusted Rena because of the stuff I’d heard from her before, so I took the leap. That experience of finding where I am and taking it to Hashem was a surprise for me.

Thank you to this participant for sharing her experience with all of you!