“Healing is a journey. It involves stepping out of our habitual roles, our conventional scripts, and improvising a dancing path. The dancing path leads us from the inertia or sleepwalking to the ecstasy of living the spirit of the moment.” GABRIELLE ROTH

There is something deeply human in our search for that something which will always work and that something which will work for everybody.
One of the favorite answers that I like to give when asked the 5 Rhythms, is: “It is not everybody’s cup of tea, but it is open to everybody.”

The more I teach, and especially when I dance, the more I am fascinated with by how different each rhythm is from all the others on a very physical and energy levels. The very uniqueness of each of these 5 Rhythms fascinates me, and how much we sometimes tend to stay in one of them, for whatever reason, and how beautiful it is that we actually can do so. We can spend the whole Wave in a Flowing mood, or in a Staccato vibe, or in a Chaos color, or on a Lyrical level or in a Stillness vibration.
What a challenge it is to travel the whole Wave, to really visit these different energy fields and different states of being by moving in their maps.
Sometimes at the end of the Wave I really feel like I have travelled the whole world. My world.

I have visited this deep inner part of me, that very cozy place inside of me , a place where I feel good inside my own skin,  a place where I can welcome myself and others. The part of me where I feel the roots of my feet dancing with the roots of my mother and my land. The part of me that is in the same hood with my resistance to move, and my fear of being moved, and my courage to just be. Flowing.

I have visited that part in me that gets me from one place to another, from my heart to another, from what is inside to who is outside and what is needed. The place where some things are actually organized and have clear boundaries and there are stickers on each jar saying what is inside and there are some manuals with instructions.  Staccato.

I have visited a part of me where it feels like both my neurons and my neurosis are dancing, and there is nothing else to do but bow my head to this masterful creativity that includes constant shattering and dissolving. The place where there is so many things going on in the same time. I am listening and I am speaking, I am seeing and I am being seen, I am inhaling and I am exhaling, I am giving and I am receiving, I am feminine and I am masculine,  and I am you and you are me. Chaos.

I have visited a part of me where my smiles are born from, a part where I do my best to keep my faith safe and sound, a part of me that is a helpless fool for love and a part of me that can’t get enough of the beauty of flowers and sunsets and moments of truth. A place of trance where my movements go through time and my love travels through space.  Lyrical.

I have visited a part of me that somehow still feels like the furthest destination, something like the South Pole of me. And it still keeps calling me to visit these unvisited parts of me where emptiness can feel soothing and embracing.  A place where I have enough distance from the things I am leaving behind, the endings that need a good goodbye. A place where I am touching with my fingertips the beautiful uncertainty of some new beginnings.  Stillness.

Welcome to the 5 Rhythms practice, these maps can take you on a journey around your whole world.
Love, Silvija

“Dancing the 5Rhythms is about waking up to your most essential nature, stretching your intuition and imagination as surely as your body. It’s a formless form, one that expands your range of physical and emotional expression and introduces you to forgotten parts of your self.” Gabrielle Roth

FLOWING:
I want to feel safe when my feet touch the floor. I want to relax the weight of my body into the earth, into my steps and our common circles. I want to get comfortable within my own body, to feel my soft inside adjusting itself to feel as comfortable as possible.

STACCATO:
I raise my head up to let our eyes meet. I draw the boundaries with my elbows, I center my attention with my hips, I steer my knees through the space, I tell the truth with the heart in my chest. I respect the sharpness of the edges, I listen to the clarity of the exhalation, I see that each beginning has its end.
 
CHAOS: 
It is as if I have plunged and I feel the thoughts fluttering on the surface, but they’re no longer touching me. The body is so wild that it unbridles my mind which begins to create outside the box. It’s as if I’m plugged in some self-sustaining, non-polluting energy source. As if I had never had shackles, as if I had always known how to love, as if my poison is also my cure, as if my wound is at the same time my blessing, as if my vulnerability is also my strength.

LYRICAL: 
Swaying. Bouncing. Vibrating. Shivering. Swelling. Hopping. Floating. Shimmering. Fluttering. Pattering. Skipping. Crawling. Gliding. Kicking.  Swinging. Mingling. Drooling. Cooing. Gasping. . Hiccuping.

STILLNESS:
The echo of silence. The spiral of infinity. Resting in my own embrace. Recognition in the mirror. The breath is on the house. 

with love, Silvija

“As Heisenberg said in his uncertainty principle, you can’t measure a particle’s momentum and position in the same time because particles are always in motion. The self is the same way. The self is a dance, constantly in motion. In its uncertainty and fluidity, the self is utterly fascinating. Imagine how boring you would be if you never changed, if you were frozen in time with the same heroes, hairdos and heartaches.” GABRIELLE ROTH

In this dance there is space for you, for me, for them, for us, and for the others.

In this dance there is space for those who need more space, those who cannot find their place, those who are always in their place and those who are never in one spot.

In this dance there is space for those who are feeling like beginners, for those who are afraid to begin and then do, for those for whom this is a continuation of some other beginning, and those who are waiting for their dance to begin.

In this dance there is space for those who connect with their body quickly and easily, for those who need time and support and for those for whom this is the greatest challenge right now.

In this dance there is space for those who adore music and surrender to its every call, for those who are sensitive and picky about music, and for those who prefer to dance without music, in silence, to the soundtrack of their breath and heartbeat.

In this dance there is space for those who find their safe space here, for those who find their edge and dance on it, and for those who like to leap into the great unknown.

In this dance there is space for those who feel that they are the problem, for those who feel that others are the problem, for those who feel that everything is a problem, and for those who feel there are no problems.

In this dance there is space for those who wish to find something, for those who wish to let something go, for those who wish to discover something, and for those who wish to forget something.

In this dance there is space for those who feel OK being the centre of attention, for those who feel OK being on the fringes of society, for those who feel OK in corners, and those who like hanging out in hallways.

In this dance, there is space for those who feel safer with books, for those who feel safer on social media, for those who feel safer on stage, for those who feel safer at home, and for those who feel safer moving.

In this dance there is space for those who feel beautiful when they dance, for those who feel clumsy when they dance, for those who feel as though all eyes are on them when they dance, for those who feel in their natural element when they dance, and for those who feel they are a part of the Universe when they dance.

In this dance there is space for those who appreciate having this quality time with themselves, for those who appreciate the intimacy which is possible pretty quickly when we dance with someone we do not know, for those who surf and fly on the wings of the group, and feel they belong to a tribe.

In this dance there is space for those who look out at the world through pink glasses, for those who have X-ray vision and no illusions, for those who prefer to close their eyes and dream, for those who see a part of themselves in everything that surrounds them, and for those who see red.

And most of all in this dance there is space for change, for a shift from one place to another, for a change of perspective, for changing roles and a possibility of a different experience. In just two hours of a class or workshop so much can change. Perhaps, not our initial state per se, but our perception of it and ourselves, our relationship with that state and with ourselves.

I invite YOU to send me a sentence beginning with “In this dance there is space for…”
 

With love, Silvija

“Love is emotional energy flowing rightly. It is the full rate of emotions expressed appropriately, in the moment, honestly, directly. Love is  essentially  the primal energy of all our emotions flowing, of really feeling and responding moment by moment, situation by situation.” GABRIELLE ROTH

For me there is nothing more loving than being able to be present for somebody’s fear (including my own).  To hold the ground when it feels like the ground is shaking.
“I am scared that you will leave me. I am scared I will leave you. I am scared I am too much for you. I am scared I am not enough for you. I am scared of coming too close. I am scared of being too far away….”
May we find courage in love.
Nothing more loving than being able to be present for somebody’s anger (including my own).
To hold the center when it feels like the fire is blazing.
“You never see me! I always fuck up! You are just like the rest of them! I am just like my mother! Shut up! Talk to me! You are such a mess! I am such a bitch! I can’t take this anymore!”
May we find forgiveness in love.
Nothing more loving than being able to be present for somebody’s sadness (including my own).
To be soft when it feels like waves of sadness are washing over me.
“This is the end. I don’t deserve love. Why me? Why now? Here we go again. When will I learn? It makes no sense. What’s the point? I don’t believe in love anymore. Alone again.”
May we find freedom in love.
Nothing more loving than being able to be present for somebody’s joy (including my own).
To be light when it feels like being touched by grace.
“Is this true? Wow. Awesome. Oh my God. Yes, more please. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Let’s do it again. You are so beautiful. I feel so beautiful with you. To the Moon and back.”
May we find gratitude in love.
Nothing more loving than being able to be present for somebody’s compassion (including my own).
To keep breathing when it feels like each breath is hallelujah.  To keep breathing in this place where we look in each other’s eyes and we see the part of us beyond emotions, the clear blue sky.
“Inhale. Pause. Exhale. Pause.”
May we live in love.

With love, Silvija

“Feelings are neither positive nor negative; they simply are elemental forces in our life energy with their own vibrations and functions.” GABRIELLE ROTH

What if emotions I feel are here to tell me something? What would they be communicating to me? Sometimes they are whispering, sometimes they are stuttering  sometimes they are mumbling, sometimes they are screaming…

Fear: “Feel your feet on the ground. Listen to your gut feeling. Open your eyes. Trust your senses. What are your options? What are your resources? You have a voice even if it is shaking. You can back up. You can leave. You can ask for help. You can hold my hand and we can do this together. Inhale 1,2,3,4, pause 1,2,3,4, exhale 1,2,3,4. Take care. No need to rush unless you need to run away. Your well-being is important to me. Pay attention. What is going on?”

Anger: “ Stand up. Be clear. Be direct. Stop the bullshit. Stop pretending. You are not a victim. Your feelings matter. You have right to ask for what you need. You have right to say what you don’t want. This is yours to defend. You deserve the truth. Walk the edge. You are important too. Respect your pain. Draw the line. Do it now.”


Sadness: “It’s ok to be disappointed. Of course it hurts to let go what you cared for, what you loved. Soften your face, rest your head on my shoulder. Allow your vulnerability. Your tears are releasing me. You don’t need to carry this alone. Forget your perfect offering. Let me break this tension. Let me cleanse the debris. Let me clear the air. Relax your spine. It’s ok to fall down on your knees. Your tears are beautiful. I love you. There’s nothing wrong with you feeling so sad, your heart feeling so bad. You can drop the armour now, let me pass through you. Open your mouth so I can sing my blues.”


Joy: “Shine on you crazy diamond. Mi casa, tu casa. What a relief to relax! It’s so beautiful, so beautiful. You are alive! Enjoy the moment. This sweetness has no calories. Join me. Welcome, the doors are open, and there were never locked. What a blessing! Spread your wings and fly. Follow the bliss. Go with ease. Focus on simple things. Touched by grace. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am yours and you are mine. As Gabrielle Roth would say: “Don’t be afraid to show your light.. If it ends up being too much for people.. tell them to wear sunglasses!””

Compassion: “There is both depth and vastness in your heart. I am good with the fullness and with emptiness. Your joy and pain are one. I see you. I feel you. You have my undivided attention. What is needed now, for this to be healing, for this to find completion, so you can move on and move through? Let me be the bridge from your heart to others. We are all in this together. See the bigger picture. Circle of life. Let it be. Rest in natural great peace. Keep breathing.”


Big thank you to the group of “The Art of the Heart” in Friedrichshof for inspiration!!
with love
Silvija

“Some people experience ecstatic communion at rock concerts, other people in sport stadiums, still others in the church. I find it on the dance floor, where I join a tribe of dancing maniacs, people who move. On the dance floor, differences disappear; nothing matters but sweat, surrender and soul.” GABRIELLE ROTH

My growing up was during the time of Yugoslavia and so at the age of 7 I became Tito’s pioneer and this pledge that I swore to, left a big impact at me:

Today, as I become a Pioneer,

I give my Pioneer’s word of honour –

That I shall study and work diligently,

respect my parents and my seniors,

and be a loyal and honest friend.

That I shall love our homeland, self-managed

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

That I shall spread brotherhood and unity

and the principles for which comrade Tito fought.

And that I shall respect all people of the world who value freedom and peace!

As a child my idea and the image of Yugoslavia that I had in my mind was made up of one couple from each of the 6 republics, each dressed in their own unique folk costumes, dancing their kind of dance as they all form a circle holding hands and dancing around and singing together. This image is still strong in my mind.

At the same time, my life at home as a kid was pretty lonely, my sister is 6 years older than me and somehow we almost never had much to talk about and connect with. My memory of our meals at home was being the youngest and somehow not a part of the conversation when there was one and sometimes there was no conversation at all. Our family felt very small. My mother was an only child and my father had a brother who wasn’t connecting with my father at the time, moreover, my aunt and uncle had no children.  All this shaped me in some way.

Finding 5Rhythms was suddenly finding all that I was missing for such a long time.  There was a sense of unity and togetherness and dancing towards freedom and peace no matter where we came from. It felt like finding a family where I was a part of this non-verbal conversation where each of us has something to say/dance. Somehow the things that were missing or were broken, started to come together in a beautiful and healing way.

My first step with 5Rhythms was to bring this practice to Zagreb, so I became an organizer. In the beginning it was the only way I knew how to dance myself.  It was an amazing combination of bringing people and teachers together and creating spaces for magic to happen and lives to heal. In the midst of all that I realized that actually I was still on the outside, I was not fully in; not completely participating, I always had some work to do and my inner control freak found a full time job. I had a role to hide behind. I was somehow still on the sidelines watching groups and people get what I needed and had found in this practice.

Becoming a 5Rhythms teacher helped me to feel more involved and less at the periphery, and still I could hide behind my desk, and be jealous of people in front of me having a great time. This has changed over the years. First I found more and more ground and courage within me to be able to really see everybody in the group – to see the suffering and to see the healing.  As the years of teaching went on I felt more and more comfortable in my own skin and started to allow myself to show in my truth, in my power and in my vulnerability.  There was a time when I had such a back pain at a workshop that all I could do was crawl on the floor and then there was a time when I had pissed my pants while demonstrating jumping on the trampoline.

With the Heartbeat Training there was an important and crucial shift in my heart, and I found ways to open my heart to those in front of me and around me and feel loved as well as loving.

I am very proud that this year I enrolled in an Ongoing group as a participant, and I am making my way to being a part of the group, part of the tribe, part of this crazy dancing family, to letting myself be held.

This summer I also accepted that I actually am a social animal and I enjoyed sharing a big house with our friends and colleagues and our kids during both of our summer workshops so much. I realized that I found it living together in this way so much easier. I love that like in the dance, you have possibilities to dance by yourself in a room full of people, and you can dance with one person in a very intimate way for a few minutes before you move to the next one, and during all these dances knowing that I have a place in this big circle and that only I can take myself out of it was a big realization for me. A part of me does not believe that it would be possible to live like that here in Zagreb (we don’t have community living as far as I know) and the part of me that is writing these lines is hoping that it is not too late to find or co-create something like that.

Looking forward to the next time we meet each other on the dance floor when all our elbows become a part of a bigger elbows circle/community!!

Love, Silvija

“There was no turning back. There was only surrender.” GABRIELLE ROTH

One of the crucial things that I have been learning by practicing the 5 Rhythms is how to live with changes. Changes in the body, emotional changes, changing directions, changing roles, changing seasons…
I still remember, after having taught the Rhythms as such for some time, how I shifted my focus to teaching about transitions from one rhythm to the next. I remember, after many years of dancing, the moment when I realised in my gut, not in my head, that the whole Wave was actually teaching me about change. Every living thing, everything that breathes has movement, and as long as it is moving, it is changing. I also realised that it took a lot of my life energy to stop the natural energy flow, to bottle up my emotions as they were rising and falling and how much I struggled to stop my own thoughts about how I think too much.
Thanks to Flowing I discovered where my trust lives inside of me, the trust to really let my energy flow naturally, organically. I learned to trust that if I am patient enough and listen to my deep instincts long enough, there will come a time when my words will want to be shaped, my direction and intention will show up and my heart will be ready to act.
Thanks to Staccato I discovered what lay beneath the superficial order and hierarchy, what vibrated behind all my attempts to be perfect and always do the things that were useful in life. I found a strong and vulnerable heart, a constant inner beat that never gives up on me, a song that sings both in low tones of sadness and high tones of exhilaration. I touched the truth, which had been beating in my chest all the time, and which I had hidden first and foremost from myself, that I wished to love and be loved and that I knew how to love and be loved. I could see that it was my power, my (birth)right, my freedom.
Thanks to Chaos I explored the vast wilderness of my own mind, I danced with all my body parts to the cacophony of absurd and crazy thoughts until my head felt at least a little emptier. And in that emptiness, my mind could become a student. In that emptiness I began to get a glimpse of a higher intelligence that was guiding me and to which I could surrender more and more. I began to listen to the wisdom of my errors, the pain of my wounds and breaks, the sadness of my losses and I learned that right now was the best moment to feel both my feet on the ground, one hand on my belly and the other on my heart and follow my breathing.
Thanks to Lyrical I was surprised to see that I could be easy when things are difficult; I could be open when the door is closed; I could be present when others were absent; I could be interested in boredom and fascinated by apathy. I could be playful in this game called life. I was fascinated to see how something as light as the soul (21 grams?!) could fill my life so much. And how things do not need to be perfect in order for me to feel good.
Thanks to Stillness my unheard cry for meaning was heard in the silence.. My inner hamsters’ paws could take a rest from running on the wheel of life. My own breath became my inspiration. The mystery of death brought the numb survivor to life. All that was separated became one. I danced all the way to the end.

With love, Silvija

“Wolves find the balance between separateness and unity. Even the lone wolf is part of the pack. Instead, we tend to seek one or the other, making individuality and community into an either or proposition. Wolf knows he is both. For us humans, this wisdom is lost early on, as soon as the ego makes its debut….When you know your place in the pack, you too, can sit back, relax and howl at the moon.” GABRIELLE ROTH

At this time I feel drawn to write about how we are all in this together. Or, as Gabrielle often used to say: “There is only one of us here.” Actually, I want to write about how that is possible in a workshop, in a room full of people, where all of us are going our own way, healing our own wound, following our own body and destiny, uniquely and originally – this 5Rhythms map opens the same doors for all of us, the same song moves the whole group (maybe each one of us in different directions) and when the teacher speaks many people have the feeling he or she is talking directly to them. This is something I have always loved about this 5Rhythms practice – the emphasis being both on personal freedom and sense of tribe, community. There is space for spreading our own wings and rooting our own feet, with no need to follow others’ footsteps or choreography and at the same time there is invitation and need on being aware of the empty space between myself and the other. So many times at the end of the Wave, there is a deep sense of belonging and connection to the group without necessarily working it. 

In my life, there’s been a huge hole with this apparent dichotomy. I haven’t seen many examples of it being possible, that it was possible to be yourself, unique, free, and at the same time to belong, to connect with the group, tribe or family. As if one excluded the other.  For a number of years now, I have been realizing, understanding and practicing the idea that one is closely connected to the other, actually that these are  inseparable. We are hungry for both of those, and we don’t have to choose one over the other.

When I am in need of attention, hug, company, feedback, one of my behavioural patterns is to try hard and pretend not to need it, or even push it away when it’s offered. The dance is a place where this has become even more evident and more painful, and that’s why it is the place where healing, risk-taking, playing, exploring and connecting can start. Just the fact that every part of my body and my being is immersed in the movement means that „I“ as I know it, my ego part, is less. My usual patterns, old fortified defences, my own games of thrones are less present, weaker and fall silent.  I am able to meet this lonely part of myself more easily, and when I let myself in, I can let you in, too, I can feel my place in the group, the ecosystem, the Solar system, the Infinity.  

Every time when you come to the dance you have a chance of meeting yourself, of meeting someone else, especially when you least expect it, or when you stop expecting it; there’s a chance of meeting with the group and the bigger picture; there is a possibility of the feeling that we are all in this together and that there is only one of us here. See you there hopefully. 

Love, Silvija

“When you dance, you experience God, that fierce force, the energy that is universe. Its power, its infinite wisdom, become part of you. In these moments, I don’t think, I know that there is something beautiful and good and loving underpinning everyone and everything. That’s not to say that dancing on this earth isn’t going to cause us its own kind of pain. As we move in the Mystery, we have to offer all of ourselves back to the dance, and there’s room for blisters, wounds, and healing there.” GABRIELLE ROTH

There are a hundred voices in my head, not just one for and one against. They wish to please my ego, the people I care about who love me no matter what, and the people I don’t even know, the society that perhaps I do not belong to. I go down into my belly, I relax it with breath, allowing it to soften, my knees drop lower, I am closer to the ground, closer to myself, closer to the answer which I had known from the beginning.

On my shoulders, responsibility that is not all mine, a sense of importance that is holding me back instead of lifting me up, tension that is offering false promises of achievement and success. I breathe deeper into my chest, expanding the space for my heart that sometimes contracts deeply. It contracts although it is full of energy, full of passion, full of life. My heart is totally dedicated to life.

I am walking ahead of myself, leaning forward, as if I needed to cross the finish line. I am in a hurry in my head as well as in my feet. As if somebody or something was pushing me. I am afraid to look whether there is really something behind me. I take a deep breath in and out, and I stand in the middle, in my centre. That is when I can feel the support behind me that I can lean on. It is close enough for me to lean on it when I need it, and far enough so as not to push or steer me. So what if I arrive a little bit late to wherever I am going, it is far better to turn up standing tall, open, centred, and supported.

I have a question that I like to ask myself: “What is really important right now?” Somehow that question brings me back to the present moment, to the things that are within my power, to the first next step that sets the direction, back to that for which all else must be let go of.

Right now for me it is important to be a mother and to stay at home.

With love, Silvija

For me August and January are THE months when I can switch off the biggest number of days in a row. Sometimes it is only this longer break, longer state of stillness and being that has an effect on the hardwired stress and being tired from myself, from automatic actions and words as well as the daily addictions that successfully manage to separate me from myself, from others and from nature. In those days of “rest” I am visited by a whole host of emotions, thoughts, and ideas, physical sensations. From boredom to noticing beauty in details; from guilt to pleasure; from staring at the TV screen like a zombie to deep regenerating sleep; from planning what to do next to living as if I had only this moment; from worrying to carelessness; from wasting time to finding myself; from the feeling that nothing makes sense to the dedicated focus on my own breath; from the fear that I will lose my groove to the relief when I realise that the groove always goes around; from continuously trying to escape the black hole within to floating on my back on its calm surface.

This summer I gave myself my favourite workshop “Naked Soul” with Jonathan as a present. It was in Denmark this time and it brought me back to the dance floor, my sacred space. It was challenging, enlightening, and deeply touching to meet the dancers who I usually teach. One person did not even recognize me because they had not expected me there. I also decided to spend more time at home, in Zagreb, this summer, to stop travelling because I have learnt that it is right here that I can get most rest, as I have the strongest support circle here (my child in the kindergarten). However, my fins are already itching and we are getting ready to go to the seaside; my favourite sea, the sea that always recognizes and receives me. This summer the place where we usually spend our vacation – Sutivan at the island of Brač – has become the location of our summer workshop for the first time. The workshop is taking place at the end of the month and will be an opportunity to explore the connection between moving and stillness and that eternal quest for balance between the two. I am very happy that we have managed to turn this workshop into a special experience for the both of us even beyond the workshop itself because we shall be sharing a house with our colleagues teachers who will be assisting us at the workshop and our children will be playing together again.

Easy and light summer greetings, Silvija

“Feelings are neither positive nor negative; they simply are elemental forces in our life energy with their own vibrations and functions. They are essential to our health and well-being. Essentially, fear protects, anger defends, sadness releases, joy uplifts, compassion unites.” GABRIELLE ROTH

Inspired by my recent workshop “My heart has desires” which was 2nd module of a Trilogy in Zagreb: 

My heart wants to ground me through the fear,

it makes my eyes and ears bigger as I explore how to keep flowing.

My hear wants to be like a martial arts black belt master,

that does not even attracts fools that want to get into the fight.

My heart wants to be released of painful disappointments, 

so my chest and belly could be full of trust again.

My heart wants to sing “hallelujah”, bubble out from joy, 

leap on the streets from the rush from one simple summer day. 

My heart wants to rest my head on your chest and listen to the heartbeat, 

so all the background noice can disappear. 

with love, Silvija

“Without grounding in our bodies, we’re like lightning, occasionally destructive, most often dissipated in a flash. To harness our power, we need to enter the deep dark of our bodies and truly become “guardians of god’s light.” GABRIELLE ROTH

One of many things I love about the 5Rhythms practice and Gabrielle Roth’s teachings, is the way it brings together what has become separated and in some kind of conflict: body and spirit, our inner feminine and masculine energy, rest and movement, darkness and light. The more I dance, the more I know and feel that these are impossible to actually separate, they live thanks to each other, they inform each other, they inspire each other, and it is most important to me to find their common language – the movement.

And if I really want to get to know myself, get to find myself, get to love myself, I need to go on this journey through all and each of them.

For a person who finds it hard, even almost impossible, to learn through big fat books and printed information, it has been such a gift and huge relief to find a practice where I am learning through movement, through physical, through all my six senses, through direct experience and personal exploration. I am happy to get again and again the change to get to know my body, and to get to know it as this celestial-earthy instrument, that as any other instruments loves to be tuned, even fine tuned.

Sometimes it’s my hips being nourished by Flowing, my elbows get clear through Staccato, my feet find their wild side in Chaos, my shoulders are grateful for the lightness of Lyrical and my head finally finds peace in Stillness.

How are you fine tuning your body this June? As always, we are full of dancing invitations. Welcome

Love, Silvija

“The fastest, cleanest, most joyful way to break out of your own box is by dancing. I’m not talking about doing the stand and sway. I’m talking about dancing so deep, so hard, so full of the beat, that you are nothing but the dance and the beat and the sweat and the heat. Surrendering to the movement practice teaches us to trust.” GABRIELLE ROTH

It is interesting for me to see how the topics of workshops that I teach in some way mirror what I am learning myself at the moment, how they reflect what is currently going on in myself and in my life. When I plan them ahead, arranging dates, locations, and themes, I don’t really know what prompts me to choose specific topics, but in the end everything fits together and is connected. Very soon I will be teaching two workshops on the topic of “Surrender”, one in Leuven and the other in Vienna, so I am going to go deeper here into this subject.

My first intention with this workshop was to provide many different gateways into the Chaos, because I know that it can cause strong “allergic response” within us and sometimes in our environment. Nevertheless, this is an extremely important rhythm as it holds a place in the middle of the wave and the rhythms that follow it depend on it. In its essence it calls us to surrender to it 100%, with all we have, it is not satisfied with any less. When I mention many gateways into the Chaos, I mean that it can be entered from Flowing, and from Staccato as well as from Lyrical, or Stillness. Of course, I’m also referring to the pure, unadulterated, primordial Chaos, which has existed long before we came into existence, the source from which everything was created. For me, every one of us is actually a fruit of Chaos’s creativity, a unique union of opposites. While we were being created no one knew what exactly we would be in spite of their plan and desire. Even today we are still in the creative process of creating ourselves through falling and rising, pulling back and pushing, losing and finding ourselves. When we resist Chaos, this natural phenomenon, and when we stubbornly try to control it, we can end up destroying ourselves and those around us or driving both us and them mad. Chaos demands that we completely surrender to it, that we throw in its powerful alchemist process all that we carry on our backs, shoulders, heart, stomach, all that we cling to and hold so tight. Chaos receives that which is ours and that which isn’t, whatever we can offer. So much of what we think does not belong to us at all, much less has it anything to do with the present moment. In this dance we practice how to shake ourselves in a way that is soft, and relaxed, and isn’t so much tilting at windmills or fighting with life, we are shaking ourselves from our roots to our very essence. So that we can be ready when life throws us off the rails, or we lose our footing, in these times when we can no longer rely even on the changing seasons not to mention our country’s leaders – we are ready for what we did not know was coming, ready for the unknown, ready to surrender to the immeasurable emptiness. As Chaos calls to us to let go with every drum beat, in that process of surrendering completely, we find our own freedom, and sometimes we receive that “amazing grace” and can see the collateral beauty.

I wish us all a sufficient dose of dancing towards and for freedom, and you can find some good opportunities in our program.

Try, what have you really got to lose?

With love, Silvija