Dana Marie
Sacramento, CA
Dana Marie curates an intentionally powerful container as she invites her Qoya dancers to get grounded in their bodies & stay present for whatever arises. Her ease within her own body, calming vocal tones & playful demeanor invoke an imperative sense of safety & permission for those she leads. Teaching is second nature to this Central California native.
Raised on a ranch, Dana’s love of Earth studies sparked early in life as she developed a deep appreciation for animals and communing with the land. Earning her Bachelor's of Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Dana’s focus centered on Environmental Horticulture Science with an emphasis in International Business and Floral Design. In 2006, Dana earned her 500 hour teacher certification in Hatha Yoga; teaching thousands of classes professionally since that time.
Meeting in San Luis Obispo as one of Dana's original yoga teachers, Rochelle witnessed Dana's passion for body, breath & movement evolve. Simultaneously, Dana recalls Rochelle's earliest unfoldings of the practice we now know as Qoya. The women's mutual love & respect for one another has deepened into a supportive and enduring friendship, extending decades.
As first a student, then later a teacher of Qoya, Dana has developed a beautiful relationship to the practice. She considers Qoya an integral part of her own expansion & healing work. Inspired by how it continues to enrich her own life experience, Dana is called to share this empowerment tool with the women, and those who identify as women, of the world.
When did you take your first Qoya class? May 2016, @ It's All Yoga in Sacramento, CA, it was the book launch class with my dear sister Kaci Florez. Divine timing does it again:)!
What does it mean for you to teach Qoya? I am so honored to be able to hold space for other Women to access their truths. I am so inspired by Rochelle, and there is such a special place in my soul where I have deep reverence and love for her. It feels like I have found my pack of Wise, Wild, and Free Sisters! By teaching Qoya, I can offer the practice as an invitation to what I feel to be the gift of community and collective remembrance. We are blessed beings on this Earth, and by leading Qoya, I can honor the Mother, the Spirit World, the Qoya, and all that is above and below, in ways that feel sacred and reverent.
What is your favorite song to dance to right now? I love all sorts of music but specifically right now today I just danced to Sia's Angel by the Wings, and it is sooo good and inspiring!
What book has inspired you on the path to embodying the feminine? An Autobiography of an Orgasm by Betsy Blankenbaker has inspired me sooooo much, to talk about, to experiment with, and to embrace my orgasm and the gifts involved with having a clitoris. I love talking about and recommending this book to others to empower them to feel and share more!
What would you tell someone who is thinking of taking a Qoya class for the first time? If you're curious, how else can you know unless you try? It is a sacred space to tap into, and remember your true self through movement. It doesn't matter how it looks; it is more about how it feels, and in Qoya, we honor how we feel because it is our honest truth.