JourneyDance Pearls

JourneyDance is an amazing journey inward through a dance led with visualizations and intentions. It is an opportunity to get out of your mind and into your body. JourneyDance is a grooving celebration that will have you loving your body and loving your life! Weaving simple, guided movement sequences and free exploration, JourneyDance reconnects you with your innate state of joyous well-being. Your mind becomes clear, free, and positive, and your body feels supple, energized, and powerful. Practiced to inspiring world music, your dance is an empowering journey to self-acceptance and transformation. Journeydance was created by Toni Bergins.  www.journeydance.com

Here are some "pearls of wisdom" I have taken from my JourneyDance Teacher Training immersion with Toni at Kripalu:

• try to make physical contact with someone while eating. this has a grounding affect that helps us connect to our bodies and helps us feel full
• touch is powerful. a person should have at least five significant touches a day (hugs, reach out, holding hands, etc.) reach out and touch someone
• speak what you need. ask for what you need. no one will ever know if you don't say something
• daydream. create. imagine. invent
• dance is prayer. we can make any action into a dedication or prayer. make something in your day sacred
• listen. really listen
• fire is empowering. let it be a tool to burn the what does not serve you. like a phoenix, let your wishes and dreams rise from it's ashes 
• when negative thoughts arise, write it down on a piece of paper. crumble it up. put it in a box labeled "I release ____ into the earth." immediately chose a positive thought. write it down. put it in a box labeled "wouldn't it be nice if." when the boxes are full, or when you are ready, make them burn
• humor is the best medicine
• sweat to put the fire out inside, and to purify the body of toxins
• try not to let any negative thoughts exist for more than five seconds
• everyone can sing
• everyone can dance
• we have to get over ourselves to really see others
• pretend you are an animal. slither like a snake. meow like a cat. fly like a bird. invite friends along for a guaranteed rowdy good time
• perspire, you won't expire! 
• try shaking medicine, the chi machine, and contact dancing
• hula hooping is the fountain of youth  
• give yourself a hug. be your own best friend. love yourself
• it's okay to build yourself a wall of protection when you need it
• sometimes you gotta get a little funky!
• music is transformational 
• focus on what your doing right and do more of that
• use "I" statements. own your emotions, actions, thoughts, and experiences
• try shape shifting
• give permission to be yourself
• move your body to heal it
• start to notice patterns in your life
• celebrate obstacles
• play. play. play 
• be a little weird. try something new
• the dance is perfect, because you're in it
• move your hips front and back, side to side. it's fun!
• hold your stomach. say hellooooo belly and I love you belly 
• give your inhale to your exhale and your exhale to your inhale
• oneness makes things flow
• radiate who you are. take up space. own it
• it's okay not to forgive everyone, we just move on in different ways
• use the process and it's okay to be processing the same thing over and over again
• use the mind and use tools to help control it
• navigate your emotional journey
• processing is necessary
• we chose where we put our money and our energy
• the universal consciousness is rising 
• tears are love
• close your eyes and listen to your heart 
• open your eyes and see someone. really see them. look. listen. feel. be with them
• burn up painful thoughts and dance in the fire
• open yourself. use imagery and movement
• educate. read. research. learn. grow
• tell someone they are amazing, funky, divine, wild, sensual, luscious, inspiring, or whatever else you can think of. and then tell yourself the same
• remember, we're all in this together 
• *twinkle*

I am reminded of this quote from A Course in Miracles:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
 

thank you Toni, fellow JourneyDancers, and Kripalu  

jai!