Gabrielle Roth: The Wave Dance — Five Rhythms

I call my form of ecstatic Dance The Wave It's a moving meditation using five basic rhythms that form a map to your innermost being the first Rhythm flowing is fluid continuous motion and flowing builds to staccato short sharp percussive stops and [Music] starts and then chaos us wild abandoned and free totally surrendered from here we are lifted into the lyrical Rhythm Airy light playful and this energy will dissolve in moving Stillness focusing on the inner Dance The Still Point of your moving center anybody can do this practice it's not about how you look at the about how you feel and some days you're going to feel very different you may feel heavy or nert or depressed so get into it move your heavy and nert feelings into a dance breathe into them and they become flowing whatever you're feeling surrender to it move with it breathe into it and it will change now some rhythms are simply more comfortable for each of us than others some you may resist but trust each one is a teacher a catalyst A Healer a gateway to your soul you're not intended to imitate what you see here no one in the video is a professional dancer we're here to dance with you to inspire you you've got to find your flow your staccato your chaos your personal style of doing the wave use the wave to move Beyond self-consciousness into your wild m mysterious free spirit I'll guide you just follow my voice your breath is the key not controlling it but letting it go and most importantly listen to the beat so give yourself permission relax surrender have a good time and remember if you don't do your dance who will we'll Begin by warming up your body parts feel your connection to the Earth through your feet and let your head go as you relax your knees take a deep breath as your head rolls around your [Music] shoulders feel the weight of your head how it wants to move today [Music] and follow your head with your whole body relax your jaw feel the connection between your head and your shoulders shift your attention into your shoulders breathe into your shoulders just move them up and down forward and back all around let them tell their [Music] story do they feel tight or loose let your whole body fall your shoulders feel the connection between your shoulders shoulders and elbows shift your attention to your elbows how do they feel how do they want to [Music] move [Music] and just let your elbows go follow them deeper into your [Music] dance [Music] shift your attention to your hands how do they feel how do they want to move in this [Music] moment do your hand [Music] dance surrender your whole body to this dance follow your hands with your [Music] eyes your arms are the messengers of your [Music] heart and shift your attention to your spine let your breath help you find the dance of your spine moving like a snake undulate loose natural relax surrender your whole body to the [Music] dance [Music] shift your attention to your hips feel how they want to move hips hold many [Music] stories and surrender your whole body to following your [Music] hips feel the connection between your hips and your knees feel how they want to move lift [Music] them bend [Music] them listen to your knees and follow them deeper into your dance [Music] and shift your attention to your feet how do you move oner feel the balls of your feet your heels and Toes improvise ways to move your [Music] feet and surrender to the dance of your [Music] feet breathe [Music] and let your awareness gently shift from your feet to your [Music] knees