“TEACHER’S HEART”
Heartbeat for 5Rhythms Teachers
led by Silvija Tomčik
23-26.10.2025. – Toronto, CANADA
This Heartbeat level workshop is dedicated to and created just for 5Rhythms Teachers.
This Heartbeat is addressing the teacher’s heart and its emotions and it is for all 5Rhythms teachers, Waves or Heartbeat certified. This is for 5Rhythms Teachers who teach a lot, who teach sometimes, who are on sabbatical, who never started teaching, who are done with teaching, who don’t know when or what or why or how to teach, who are teaching who are teaching some other movement practice as well, who are not in 5RTA…
Emotions as teachers. Teacher’s emotions.
“…feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back. They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we’d rather collapse and back away. They’re like messengers that show us, with terrifying clarity, exactly where we’re stuck. This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it’s with us wherever we are.”
Pema Chödrön
We all know teaching can feel lonely. Even when teaching Waves level, we are holding space for many emotions in the group. Those emotions are often ungrounded, sometimes projected on us seeing us as an authority or some other role, and very probably moving, touching, triggering our own emotions and projections.
My intention is to offer space and time where we can move with the emotions that we feel when wearing the teacher’s hat. Some of our emotional journey already begins when we start announcing the workshop, and sometimes even that alone can stop us from going forward with our unique offerings. For me the crises can hit me right in the midst of the process, on that Saturday evening of a weekend workshop, when I am too deep in and can not go backward but need to keep going forward and I am not sure how to do it and what is the point of it. For some of us, the hardest time we give ourselves is after the workshop, doubting what we did and how we did it, or dealing with students’ feedback and questions.
What is the most scary part of being a teacher for you? Where do your insecurities mostly come up? What can shake you up when you’re in front of the group? How fear may block you from seeing a group clearly, and from following your instincts as a teacher?
What tenses up inside of you when you are leading? How are you with creating clear boundaries with students and colleagues? Where do your frustrations from this job come out? Can you stay with anger and keep communicating?
What do you feel you carry from the group and process for a long time after the workshop is finished? How do you release yourself from the heaviness that is not all yours? Can you reach out from the sad and lonely place? Who and what holds you after you stop holding space for others? What about your own grief touched by the tears on the dance floor?
Do you remember the joy of just dancing? Do you know what your unique offering is and can you share it generously? What uplifts you as you witness the dance in front of you? What feels like success for you as a teacher? How can you express the gratitude?
Can you receive the grace from being in service to others’ healing? What are the rituals that help you integrate all the experiences from the work and the people? How can you include yourself in the compassion and kindness you can offer to others? What lights up your path? Do you feel like you belong to the wider circle of 5Rhythms teachers and/or to the Dance? Can you give yourself the space to thank your heart for its presence in all things?
SILVIJA:
I became Heartbeat teacher in 2010, and it took me a while to trust this map and to find my own flavour of teaching it. Now I almost teach only Heartbeat workshops, or a combination of Waves and Heartbeat level. As always, I offer in my teaching what I need myself. This workshop is for me as much as it is for you, and for our bigger circle, and I am very excited about offering this for the second time. The 1st one was totally amazing and so full of heart and so full of love!
This workshop counts as 3 days of Heartbeat.
WHEN:
Oct 23-26, 2025
Thurs Oct 23 1-4pm
Fri Oct 24 11am-6pm
Sat Oct 25 11am-6pm
Sun Oct 26 1:30-4:30pm
PRICES:
$425 CAD Regular | $475 CAD Supporter | $375 CAD Supported | $212.50 CAD Crew (by application) *
*Tiered pricing is available so that those of us with more can share, and those of us who could use some support can receive it.
CANCELLATIONS:
A refund less a $50 processing fee, will be issued if notice is received by Sept 20, 2025.
A refund less a $150 processing fee, will be issued if notice is received by Oct 4, 2025.
No refund will be issued for cancellations after Oct 4, 2025.
If we need to cancel this workshop, we will refund participants 100% of workshop fees. Please note that we are not able to cover any costs incurred by participants for transportation or accommodations, so please organize your travel and travel insurance with this in mind.
LOCATION:
Beach United Church, 140 Wineva Avenue Toronto, ON M4E 2T4 Canada
ACCOMMODATION
This is not a residential workshop. All participants are responsible for booking their own Toronto accommodations. There are many AirBnB’s in “The Beaches” neighbourhood, close to our venue, that may be rented and shared amongst participants. If you would like a list of other recommended accommodations in downtown Toronto, please contact Layah at layah@layahjane.com
MEALS
We will have a couple (optional) group meals during our time together. Details will be provided closer to the date.
REGISTRATION FORM:
CONTACT AND INFO:
Layah, layah@layahjane.com