About

Sacred Dance is about taking movement that one step further into the stories our bodies hold, often trapped in the silence our words cannot express. It is based in non-verbal communication, dance and movement therapy, movement meditation and has a deeply healing effect on almost all practitioners who experience it.

I have been a passionate practitioner of conscious dance forms (Soul Motion, 5 rhythms, Ecstatic Dance, Movement Medicine) for many years. I have experienced such deep insights and transformational moments in the expressive and therapeutic forms of dance that I’ve often wondered if this is where the original Tantric Yoga practices began.

As a teacher of yoga, pilates, movement modalities and other forms of therapy it can be a challenge to introduce this type of work to students. It takes clarity, structure and a deep understanding of the concept of holding space. This dance needs us to be vulnerable. It can only transform us when we drop our armour, lift the veil of who we think we should be and allow ourselves to be true to our innermost voice. In this course you will learn how to facilitate a journey for your students that allows them to move through the layers of vulnerability and open up to a depth of inner wisdom.

After many years of practicing different approaches to conscious dance and movement, it was a natural process to begin incorporating my interpretation of these forms, Sacred Dance, into yoga teacher trainings, workshops and retreats. It has been hugely successful and I’ve come to understand the powerful effect of this work on the yoga community as there isn’t really an expressive and empowering outlet in the more traditional practices.

Through my experience I have discovered the formulas that work best as an addition to retreats, workshops and trainings. A way of introducing and cultivating a deep connection with our students so that we can move through fear, anxiety and other underlying emotions in a safe and compassionate environment. I will take you through the process of building trust, with you as the facilitator, creating it in groups and guiding people through layers of internal dialogue and awareness. We will explore the many facets of how we hold space and how we guide people in their dance, in their self expression.

What to Expect

This is a full 7 day training and in the process of learning this practice you will go on the deepest journey yourself so that you will be open and ready to go out and share this with your students and community.

“The body has an inner dialogue in movement that allows us to liberate the stories that bind us. We must listen.” - Julie Martin  

 What You'll Learn 

• Establishing Trust - As a teacher, in the group and providing for the individual
• The Conversion - How to take students who are completely new, or unsuspecting and bring them into the process with guidance and clarity. Encouraging students with resistance or who experience anxiety.
• Holding Space - The importance of bearing witness and bringing your energy into the dynamic of the group.
• Movement Motifs and Exercises - To unlock the inner dance we need a tool box that reaches beyond what most minds think of when they consider dance. Get them into their bodies from a different perspective.
• Telling the Stories the Body Holds - The intimate release of letting our stories come to the surface is a powerful therapeutic tool that needs delicate and supportive guidance in a frame work that encourages free expression.
• Creating Embodied Dialogue - Engaging students in the creation of their own movement mantras and linking that to what we are teaching in workshops and trainings.
• Working with Partners and Group Connection - The science behind touch, connection and community in movement and expression.
• Creative Writing - How to bring spontaneous journalling into the process and the effects it has on the sessions.
• Making Playlists - The importance of the music used and how different rhythms and styles of music effect each session.
• Closing Circles and Ceremony - How to lead closing reflection circles and bring ceremony into the process. Guiding a sense of closure to sessions so that students feel re-grounded, safe and stable before they leave.

Sample Daily Schedule

• 7.30-8.00: Meditation Setting Intention

• 8.00-8.30 :  Break with tea and journalling

• 8.30-9.30 : Short Asana Practice and intention setting

• 9.30-11.00 :  Structuring sessions and dissecting the theme of each day.  The theory behind the work we are doing and investigating the different approaches to movement exercises

• 11.00-14.00 :  Brunch and free time

• 14.00-18.30 : (With breaks) : Working through the movement motifs and pausing to reflect and breakdown. All afternoons will be our own process and understanding how to bring that back to our communities.

• 19.00-20.00 : Dinner

• 20.00-21.00:  Reflections and connections. Reviewing and processing our work as a group.

Who Is This Training For? 

This training is for any yoga or other movement teachers, therapists and those in the wellbeing industry that would like to bring Sacred Dance, as a therapeutic and expressive addition to your classes, workshops, trainings and retreats.

You will need to bring a blank journal.

Pricing

 Twin room with shared bathrooms: - £1800 pps  (Early Bird £1650)

 Single room with shared bathrooms - £1800pp (Early Bird £1650, bathrooms in separate building right next door to sleeping annex)

Single room with shared bathroom - £1850  (Early Bird £1700)

 Twin room with en-suite - £1900 pps (Early Bird £1750)

 Double room with en-suite - £1900 pps - £2700 as a single room

Early Bird Price

Early bird pricing (£150 discount) available if paid in full before February 28th 2022. 

Deposit

In order to secure your place and your room, you will need to pay a non refundable deposit of £350.00. The balance of the fee for the retreat is due no later than the 15th of June, 2022. 

Payment Plans
Payment plans available via PayPal (monthly running for 6, 8 or 12 months available depending on start date of payment plan)

The Venue: Soul Space

This wonderful retreat is surrounded by open sea, large pastures and deep forests - an ideal environment to meet yourself. Lyckhem is located on Kärleksstigen 10, on the outskirts of Väddö, a small oasis located about 2 hours from Stockholm. The retreat includes accommodation and delicious meals prepared from vegetarian ingredients from the neighbouring farm.

Booking and Cancellation Policies