“Put the body in motion and the psyche will heal itself”
~ Gabrielle Roth
somatics + movement + dance = embodiment
What is conscious dance?
Your Dance Medicine is a conscious dance class that recognizes dance movement as a “medicine” that restores balance, health and wellness to the mind, body, heart, soul and spirit. Through embodied awareness, self-expression and playfulness, Your Dance Medicine serves as a pathway that can lead to greater freedom and access to joy.
Whether your dance starts from having had a stressful day, a heart-break, the need to move after sitting for hours, or to celebrate a win, Your Dance Medicine invites you to meet your body right where it is, so that you can move, feel and heal your way back to health and aliveness.
What to expect?
In Your Dance Medicine, there is no set choreography. Each class begins with an opening circle, a theme and a somatic exercise to help you begin to connect with your breath and body. As the class progresses, you are invited to find your own authentic movement. The musical journey provides a path for you to become more expressive, fully embodied and shift into your dance. Each class ends with a closing circle for integration.
What type of music do you play?
Set lists for Your Dance Medicine are carefully curated to offer you a creative and exploratory dance experience. Music is brought together from a wide range of genres spanning the globe. Set lists may include meditative soundscapes, tribal, folk, electronic, spoken word, techno, drum and bass, and more. Music will vary in rhythm, tempo and style.
Each song has a purpose. No two classes are alike!
What are the potential benefits of conscious dance?
Movement and music offer so many physical and mental health benefits. These may include:
- Relaxation and stress relief
- Reduced depression and anxiety
- Nervous system regulation
- Flexibility, endurance and mobility
- Increased confidence and sense of agency
- Self-discovery, clarity and self-expression
- Present-centered awareness
- Authentic social connection
- Access to freedom and joy
Separate and Together?
Whether you are a seasoned dancer or brand new, an introvert or an extrovert, there’s room for everyone to move and groove. Rhythms, beats, movement and dance are universal languages.
In the container of Your Dance Medicine, you get to dance on your own, in a group with others who are doing the same. Inevitably, this shared experience creates connection, even though no one is talking. The group field creates opportunities for attunement, co-regulation and a sense of belonging.
Through this practice, you get to have your own dance experience, and a shared dance experience, all at the same time. Separate and Together.
About Carolynn Aristone
Conscious Dance Facilitator
Dance has served as a pathway back to joy for me ever since I was a child. Not only that but I’m someone who immediately starts bopping to the beat when I hear dance music, or I can be deeply moved by a meaningful acoustic set. To me, this is an example of a body-led experience. Before my brain kicks in, my body forms a connection to the rhythm, sounds, lyrics and beats of a song. Whether in movement or in stillness, my body feels the musical experience.
As owner of Center for Intimate Relationships, LLC, where I provide psychotherapy for women and couples, I’ve always taken interest in the role of the body and the nervous system in how we experience our relationships and the world. I’ve trained in various psychotherapeutic modalities that center the body as an integral part of healing. My personal connection to dance and my experiences in the therapy room led me to train in conscious dance facilitation and to create Your Dance Medicine classes.