Interview with Kitty Cavalier, Bhangra Dancing Video and Qoya Spring Tour!

I hope your New Year is off to a wise, wild and free start!  In today's post, I am incredibly honored to share an interview with Kitty Cavalier, a five minute video to experience incredible joy in your body through Bhangra dancing and announcing the Qoya Spring Tour going to New York City, Colomubus, Ohio, Crested Butte, Colorado, Los Angeles, CA, Sydney and Byron Bay, Australia, Auckland, New Zealand, Costa Rica and maybe even your living room. 

Once a month, we will be highlighting a Qoya dancer in the community.  I'll ask a woman who has embodied Qoya and it's philosophy to share what it means to her.  Today, I'm delighted to introduce our first interview with Kitty Cavalier, who teaches Qoya in New York City and is the founder of the School of Charm and Cheek where she shares her gifts teaching Qoya and burlesque classes, Seduction as a Spiritual Practice Workshops and Retreats, as well as other fun things like make-up tricks and magic candle rituals!  Enjoy her words here.

How do you describe Qoya in your words?

This is a toughie! To describe Qoya is kind of like trying to describe swimming in the Ocean, you just have to experience it.  How can you describe something that brings you bliss beyond words?  I usually do so logistically at first: “It is a class that combines yoga, dance, and sensual, free movement.”  I also drop in little love bombs like “it has completely changed my relationship to my body and my life” or, “I now look forward to exercise the way I look forward to a massage thanks to Qoya”.  

How does Qoya tap you into your wisdom in your life?

Qoya has taught me that my body knows everything.  If there is a situation I feel stuck in, or stuck on, I know that as soon as I turn on a song and start to move, everything will suddenly make sense.  I remember that (even though this sounds a bit like new age fluff) we are all Divine and eternal. It’s one thing to know that in your head, but Qoya makes that wisdom available to me in my body, any time I want or need to access it.

How does Qoya evoke your wildness in your life?

Well, I’m definitely always the one to start the dancing at a party now! I really think our bodies are like our own little universes.  What you can feel in your body exists in your universe.  If you know what it feels like to lose yourself in your dance, your sweat, your pounding heart, those are the moments are when the wild, untamed, organic soul is unleashed. Knowing what that feels like on the inside allows me to create it on the outside – in my work life, my home life, my spiritual life, my love life (hubba-hubba), and everything in-between!

How does Qoya help you revel in your choice to be free in your life?

One of the things I am most grateful for the level of freedom I feel in each moment thanks to Qoya.  I was in yoga class today remembering all the times that I would try to follow what everyone else was doing, causing myself pain in my body and beating myself up for not being “flexible” or “strong” enough.  Through practicing Qoya, I now know that my body is MY BODY. If someone is telling me to move it in a way that doesn’t feel right, I am free to stop and choose what feels good.  I don’t have to conform to what others are telling me to do.  I choose what I want, and trust that it is always the right choice, because it is my choice.

Qoya is based on the idea that through movement, we remember. 

What do you remember in Qoya?

I often ask this question of my students during stretching at the end of the class so that they can capture the experience they had in class.

The answers are always the same for everyone.

I remember that everything is going to be ok.

I remember that I am divine.

I remember that my life rocks.

I remember that being a woman rocks.

I remember that I am powerful.

I remember that I can do anything.

I remember that my body knows all.

I remember that if it feels good, that means I am doing it right.

Thank you Kitty! So grateful for you shining your light on and through Qoya.  

One of the things I am so inspired by is Kitty's desire to give and share what has evolved her on her soul's journey.  Teaching Qoya over the weekend in LA, we explored the theme of what is under our New Year's resolutions, intentions, goals or visions.  Other than the rewards that manifest in our lives, what is the the essence of what we want to give away.  We offered that gift as an intention as we danced our sun salutations.  We  embodied the sensation of how it feels when we share our gifts with the world as we free danced.  I've found the greatest consequence of following your deepest intentions and truest desires is a feeling of fulfillment and joy.  I've also found one of the quickest ways to experience joy in the body is through Bhangra dancing.

Check out this 5 minute Qoya Bhangra 101 video here and see if it is true for you too!  Remember, Qoya is an EXPERIENTIAL path.  It is not about understanding the concepts, but feeling the pulse of them in present time in your body, mind, heart and soul.  In other words, instead of a mental exercise of nodding your head as you read, get up and move!

Bhangra from Rochelle Schieck on Vimeo.

Want to plan an immersion of joy in your life? More than 5 minutes of Bhangra dancing, maybe an hour Qoya class?  More than an hour, maybe 3 days on a Qoya and Ski Retreat in Colorado or 7 days on a Qoya Retreat in Costa Rica? Or, join me down under while Qoya makes her debut at her first yoga festival in Byron Bay, Australia and Spirit Fest, a weekend for Yoga, Dance and Tantra, then a weekend workshop in Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand.  Or, we can always dance in your living room via EmbodyQoya.com. 

Expect a Miracle,

Rochelle

P.S. To see more about Qoya and feel the energy of our offering, here is a short video from the last Qoya Costa Rica Retreat.

QOYA RETREAT - Costa Rica April 6th - 13th 2013 from jodi jones on Vimeo.

How to Navigate December 21, 2012 like a Queen

Dear Qoya Queens, Do you remember that Qoya translates in Quechuan as Queen? Not a bejeweled and emotionally distant Queen in a castle, but a feminine manifestation of higher consciousness that is confidently seated on the throne that is her life. In a way, that is one of the best ways that I can explain all that I have come to study and learn about December 21, 2012.  This is our individual and collective opportunity to shift our consciousness into it's highest vibration to embody and radiate our inner Queen, which is another way to say, our divinity.

My friends over at Astrostyle.com explain this auspicious day on December 21, 2012 as marking the end of a 5,125 year cycle of the Mayan calendar and the beginning of another era. It's more of a "the end of the world as we know it," than a literal Armageddon. In fact, the Mayans call the post-2012 era The World Of The Fifth Sun or The Fifth World. The Mayans were profound record keepers and mathematicians, both astronomers and astrologers. Another occurrence they predicted for December 21, 2012 was that both the Earth and the Sun would align with the Galactic Center-- an event which has not happened for 26,000 years (the time the Ice Age began). Just as the Sun is the center of our solar system, the Galactic Center is the gravitational field that the entire Milky Way revolves around! So, this alignment of Earth, Sun, and Galactic Center connects us to worlds beyond our own, fiery and mysterious with an indescribable pull. This post is my offering for a guide to the end of the world (as we know it), with the intention of centering into your own essence as wise, wild and free and seated powerfully on the throne of your life.

How?

GO WITHIN.

I meditated deeply on "where to go" for the solstice.  Mt. Shasta? Hawaii? Back to Minnesota where I was born? New York? LA? The mountains? The ocean? The answer I received was, "There is no where to go out there. The only place to go is within." For those of you who are sensitive to the subtle energies shifting, be sure to take time to align yourself with an internal focus.  When researching guidance on how to navigate through these changes, the Shamanic wisdom that came forward was, "The assignment each person is given during this time is to listen deeply to and trust themselves and their intuition."  This is the perfect application of all the practices of yoga, meditation, clearing your system with green juices and eating organic whole foods and other self-development healing practices that all of us have been exposed to up to this point. This advice need not be applied from a place of fear.  Regardless of the Mayan Calendar ending and the predictions for an evolution in human consciousness, even if you don't personally feel a huge shift in your world right now, it's never a bad idea to establish a more powerful connection with trusting yourself.  And since it has been 26,000 years since we were aligned with Galactic Center....why not? Just do it. Go in. Trust yourself more deeply than ever before.

Here are three invitations to take you deeper in for your own guidance today.

1) Click here to do a 20 minute December 21, 2012 Forgiveness meditation with Alberto Villoldo, founder of the Four Winds Society. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIZi1ODXueI&feature=youtu.be

2) One of my favorite tools for going deeper within for answers is the labyrinth.

A labyrinth is an ancient symbol for the meandering path of the soul that goes from light into darkness and emerges once again into light.  It’s a maze, but there is only one way out and that’s the way you went in.  The metaphors here are endless.

How do you walk one (or dance one)?  The way I was taught to walk a labyrinth was to go in with an intention and as you walk into the center, let all of your questions come up, all of your doubts and all of your fears. Feel yourself asking, curious and seeking for an answer. Make your way to the center and when you arrive, pause.  Sit down.  Soften.  Surrender.  Let yourself be held and seen and loved in the sacred center of the labyrinth and stay as long as you need.  Release all that binds you until all that no longer serves you is gone.  Trust that you will know when the releasing is complete.  When your inner voice tells you you’re ready, begin to walk out and instead of asking questions, allow yourself to be simply in a state of receiving.  Give your inner voice an opportunity to share what it longs to remind you of.

 How can you make one? You can make one out of yarn in your living room, out of sticks in your backyard or in the sand at the beach.  Make a labyrinth by making a spiral starting in the center and energizing and charging it with your presence as you make circles around it.  As many as seven spirals around, as few as two, do what feels right and whatever you have room for.

3) Do Qoya.  Qoya is based on the idea that through movement, we remember.  We remember our essence, our truth, our spirit as wise, wild and free.  Here is a free hour long Qoya class with the theme Feel As Much As You Can and access your inner knowing and feelings as a guide to navigate this sacred time.

Feel As Much As You Can from Rochelle Schieck on Vimeo.

I am so grateful for your support of Qoya and honor your courageous soul as we dream a bigger dream for ourselves and for humanity.  A return to love.  A remembering of spirit.  A dance that feels honest and true.

Blessings on your journeys- inner and outer!

Rochelle

P.S. Please join us in Costa Rica April 6-13, 2013 for the quintessential Qoya experience.

QOYA RETREAT - Costa Rica April 6th - 13th 2013 from jodi jones on Vimeo.

Sometimes the Best Advice Is Your Own

There have been many days, weeks, maybe even a year where I felt I personally rocked New York City.  I savored every moment in it.  I would meet a friend for yoga at 6:30am in Lower East Side, go for a green juice after at my beloved Juice Press and then buzz off to a series of meetings/work dates at different locations throughout the day at the Ace Hotel, various Le Pain Quotidien's or my most frequented spot Jivamukti cafe.  Then, I'd head over to Brooklyn to teach Qoya at Sacred Brooklyn and go out to one my favorite restaurants in the city Flatbush Farm after that.  If the spirit moved me, I'd end up dancing after at Barbes, Brooklyn Bowl, NuBlu, or some other place determined in that particular present moment.  Get home after midnight and wake up to do that or some other variation that included museums, parks, plays or other city adventures.  Days like those, I loved all the variety that each neighborhood offers, the inspiring people at every corner and the buzz of New York City around you.  And then, as if a switch turned off, all of a sudden the sound of the subway got a little louder, the lack of only one tree in sight a little more depressing, the heat a little more oppressive and was it me or were there really 1000+ plus people on this particular block? I came home the other day completely defeated by New York, cried with exhaustion and woke up the next morning with severe and sudden strep throat.  For the next 2 1/2 days, even texting was ambitious and challenging to my low energy level.  The fever, body aches, painful attemps to swallow (ouch!) and inability to sleep were a strong invitation to surrender into the swamp of fear, pain and despair. The goal is being emotionally responsible right?  Definition of responsible being able to respond.  Not collapsing into our wounds like a child.  Not dismissing them like an emotionally unavailable way-too-busy-for-this adult.  Right in the middle.  For me, it's going deep into the darkness with certainty of what is on the other side. Hint: love and light.  I shed tears.  I wondered why, what could I have done differently.  I blamed myself for getting sick...and then I didn't.  I let go to surrender into the experience of what was happening, knowing that it would get better.  And, when I couldn't surrender, I watched movies of other people's challenges that they overcame.  I also cheered my immune system on.  (I think she liked that.  I should write her a thank you note).  As I swallow in this moment without wincing, I'm writing to you from the other side.

The other side of those moments.  Those moments when you really feel like the unknown is too much.  It is too scary.  The pain is too great.  When will it go away?  The bills are due next week, where will the money come from?  Your heart is bleeding to create your art, but what if "they" don't like it, what if it's not good enough? You care about him or her so much, but if you tell the truth will they leave?   Those moments where you can become so paralyzed in the what if's, you can really get lost.  You can forget.  And, sometimes you need someone or something to help you remember.

Qoya is based on the idea that through movement, we remember.  Through movement, we remember our essence as being wise, wild and free.  We remember how to locate and identify our essence through movement and then use our connection to that essence like a compass as we navigate our lives in this world.

Recently, Kitty Cavalier, a burlesque dancer and the creator of the School of Charm and Cheek, (who is one of the women that went through the Qoya teacher training in Costa Rica last spring and who is pictured to the left with me) wrote a blog post about her inspiration to start teaching weekly Qoya classes in Manhattan. You can read it here.  (I also encourage you to take her classes if you are in the city. They're perfect.) As I was recovering from not feeling well, faith still strong, but a little lost, I read her quote me in her blog with the words I said to her, "Just start. Whatever dream it is you have, just start with what you have in that moment, but just start."  It was the perfect thing for me to hear in my back in the saddle state and it was something I had already said, already knew, but just forgotten.

Sometimes the best advice is your own.  Know yourself well enough to know the ways that you can connect back in with your own inner wisdom.   It can be through movement like Qoya or yoga, meditation or prayer, being in nature or on a pilgrimage, getting a good night sleep or taking a long hot bath.  Investigate which ways really work for you and maybe write a little list to keep, so when you need them and forget, they're still there.  Another way to evoke hearing your own advice is to imagine how you would advise your best friend with the issue that has come up in your life.  Offer yourself the same honesty, compassion and kindness that you would to him or her.  Most spiritual teachings guide you to remember that all you seek is already within you.  The next time there is something looking to be discovered, resolved or created- go within to find it.

My last class in New York City for a little while is Sunday, July 15th at Sacred Brooklyn.  The theme is the next paragraph which is a poetic collection of the song titles and lyrics from the playlist I'll use.  Come dance with us in Brooklyn or with us in spirit by listening to the playlist on spotify, click here.

Take up your spade and break ground.  

The Sun is up, a new day is before you.  Sun is up, wake your sleepy soul.  

Sun is up, hold on to what is yours.

There is no greater love than being able to say thank you sun.

Like a moth to a flame, burned by the fire.  My love is blind, can't you see my desire?  

That's the way love goes.

Drive while helplessly hoping to stay strong and keep your faith alive.

The Wolves, the man on fire and passion may take you out,

but even when the stars go blue, hide tide or low tide, I'm going to be your friend.

I believe in a better way and a higher love and am here to remind you, you are not alone.

Come dance with me up on the hill where they do the boogie or

with me and julio down by the schoolyard.

Follow your own advice.  Follow mine if it resonates as truth in your heart.  My advice for the day is to try Day 2 of the free 10 day into to EmbodyQoya.com.  The theme is Just Move (kind of like Just Start, but with movement)! Here's the link to check it out with a free 5 minute video to get your body moving.

I look forward to dancing with you at the perfect time.

With love and two dancing feet,

Rochelle

Going Home: The Pilgrimage Back to One's Body (And other news about Qoya Kids, the online Qoya Studio (it's up!!) and the next Qoya retreat in Greece!)

"At the end of all our exploring,

Will be to arrive where we started,

And know the place for the first time."

-T.S. Eliot 

My last blog post was titled 3 easy ways to learn how to listen to your intuition.  If you're going to write about encouraging others to listen to their intuition, it puts oneself in a position of moral obligation to do the same, in order to be in integrity. So, when I received a clear intuitive message that said, "Go to Minnesota for your birthday and (specifically) go to the physical land that you were born on," I booked my ticket and packed my suitcase.

The first couple days of my visit in Minnesota, I found myself completely enchanted with my friends and family, with the beauty of all the gorgeous gardens, parks, bike trails and outdoor concerts. I went to a bunch of delicious farm to table restaurants like the Birchwood cafe, Lucia's, French Meadow and vegan oasis Ecopolitan. I was overwhelmed by the amazing women who attended my Qoya weekend workshop at Four Gates and I found myself thinking "...maybe I could move back here and make Minnesota my home base?"

I looked up the address of the hospital I was born in and was off for my pilgrimage to visit the place where this trip around the sun first began. When I arrived at what used to be the hospital where I entered this world, I couldn't believe what had replaced it- a beautiful (and chic) apartment building that just opened.  In that moment, my intuitive vision became clear - I'm coming home.

After having my intuition guide me so clearly to my next home, I went for a walk in the closest part to this apartment building and came across this poem by T.S. Eliot.  The words were the stamp and seal of approval, the poetic synchronicity that describing goes beyond words.  When you can feel your place in the web of interconnection amongst all things.  To feel your intuition is to feel plugged in and supported in a way that is stronger than isolated and alone.  Reading this poem, could make anyone want to go home- to go back to the beginning, back to the space between two waves of the sea.

I believe that the easiest way to tap into your intuition, into your happiness, into life- is to learn how to feel it through your body, through movement.

Qoya is based on this idea that through movement, we remember.  We remember, as women, that we are inherently wise, wild and free.

That through movement, we can experience our own way home.  Back to the place we started our journey in our body and knowing it for the first time.

On my birthday, something else happened.  I launched the Qoya online studio!  It's a growing collection of videos ranging from 5-10 ,15, 30 and 60 minute videos that remind you that your body is an incredible resource of wisdom to answer your deepest questions.  Videos that remind you that your body is a vessel to wildly and creatively express your essence.  That your body is one of the easiest ways to be liberated, to feel free and to have a daily experience of your power, purpose and pleasure.

Some is free; like the 10 days to Embody Qoya (which are 10 days of 10 minutes of movement a day to get you going!) and the Qoya Kids page (which has a 15 minute video and pdf print out to guide movement for ages 3-5, 6-9 and 10-12).   The rest of the site has a membership fee of $30 a month. Check out it's first unveiling here at EmbodyQoya.com.

My dream is to share all the things in which I have been blessed to experience and learn and create them in a format that is easy, effective and fun to serve, nurture and inspire others on their  journey. Do you have 5-6 minutes today to do the first day of the 10 Free Days to Embody Qoya? A little movement goes a long way.  Just a moment of remembering can be the kickstart you need.  It can be like control-alt-delete to reset your system again.  It can be the realigning of your compass, so that your body's wisdom can guide you home.

For the pilgrimage back to one's body, there's Qoya.  And now, you can have access to Qoya through your internet connection with dozens and dozens of videos on EmbodyQoya.com as well.  And then, there are retreats, which are sacred time to live the philosophy of Qoya morning, noon and night with morning meditation and breathing, longer Qoya classes, healthy delicious meals, adventures and learning how to sit with the sacred in ceremonies and goddess rituals.  The next 2 retreats are planned for Greece in the Fall and Costa Rica in the Spring. I'll also be teaching classes in NYC at Sacred in Brooklyn Sunday July 8th and 15th at 5:15pm and another workshop in Minneapolis Sept 4-9th.  I am so grateful for the growing community of dancers, for all the blessings that are and all the blessings that are to be.

Love doesn't even begin to describe it,

Rochelle

Follow Your Bliss. For Real.

Qoya Teacher Kelly Quintia Blissful in Santa Monica

I trust you've heard the adage Follow Your Bliss before brought to life my Joseph Campbell and a mantra for many to live by and a common sight on inspirational quotation cards. But, what does follow your bliss mean...for real?

Often times my bliss leads me to places like Hawaii, Costa Rica, India or outside of New York City and into the magic of Woodstock.  Those are all the places I've led Qoya retreats in the last year and I often say, the only thing better than having a fulfilling experience that nourishes oneself on all levels of your being is creating a possibility for someone else to experience that bliss.  Always, always, always, our happiness is magnified by the generosity with which we offer ourselves to the world.  Always.

I recently watched the documentary called Finding Joe.  It's about Joseph Campbell, his wisdom and reflections on his philosophy.   The amazing thing that Joseph Campbell did was immerse himself in stories, myths and religions from all over the world and then noticed the story line that lies inside ALL stories.  He calls it the Hero's Journey and it is the journey we all take.  Sometimes we choose it and become a daring entrepreneur like Richard Branson, a creative genius like Bjork, a consciousness expanding athlete like Laird Hamilton (who is interviewed in the movie) or a world changing philanthropist like Zainab Salbi who started Women for Women.  And other times the journey chooses us- with grief and loss, sickness, losing a job, going through a break up or some other shift that forces us to change our direction.  We may choose it or it may choose us, but we are all on a journey.

As we travel, the mind yearns for a map.  Where do we go?  How long will it take?  Are we there yet?  Advertisers are happy to sell you their idea of the "way." Friends and family guide you the best that they know how, but one of the interesting things that Joseph Campbell says when trying to find your way is that the one way you know that you are on the wrong track is that there is a clear path.  If there's a path, it's been cleared by someone else.  That was their mystery to solve.  Their puzzle to put together.  Their awakening.  Not yours.  Yours, mine and all of us, can only identify our way by going where no one has gone before.

And which direction to go and when to go?  Imagine your compass as your bliss.

Here are some hints on finding your bliss so you can follow it.

- Bliss is the one thing you can't not do. (I remember in college I started as a dance major and felt there was no way I could not dance everyday.  It just didn't seem possible.  I had to dance like I had to eat and sleep.  What is the thing that you just HAVE to do?)

-Bliss is when hours can pass by in minutes (I always feel this way when teaching.  Classes feel 3 minutes long.  I also feel it when I'm working on Qoya and I start to yearn for 36 hour days, because there are so many desires I want to create, so much of myself I want to pour into this work.)

-Joseph Campbell says, "When you follow your bliss, the universe will open doors where there once were only walls." (When I was 18, I read a similar message in the rite of spiritual passage book the Alchemist.  The idea was the same, when you follow your heart, the world conspires on your behalf.  I had the good sense of deciding I would live my life like an experiment and see if that was actually true.   If it was, I would continue with that belief and if it didn't work out, then I'd reassess.  Thirteen years later, I continue to make courageous leaps that are less rational and conventional, but are following my bliss.)

And what about challenges?  What about when you follow your bliss and then there is a dragon to slay on your path?  By following your bliss are you exempt from life's challenges?  Does everything work in synchronistic magic and feel like you are skipping in the hills of Switzerland or lounging on the warm beaches of a Caribbean island?  No.  The documentary offers, "Opportunities to know our deeper powers come when things are challenging" and another one of Joseph Campbell's quotes, “It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure."

This is important to remember as to not be overly discouraged when challenges arise.  It's normal to have an adjustment period, to experience the fear, the pain, the temporary loss of peace, the breaking of the illusion of control, but the hero's journey, the heroine's journey, is the epic tale of the soul and the soul yearns to grow and as the saying goes, "Calm seas don't make good sailors."

Gorgeous woman blissfully splashing in the ocean at Qoya Retreat in Costa Rica

When you can look at your life's story and see the archetypical threads, you can identify where you are in it.  It can guide you to see that it is time to make the courageous leap, time to embrace your challenge as an opportunity to grow or time to look into the eyes of fear and step fearlessly into it and then beyond it.   The journey can be challenging and you must know how to source enough energy and power to do it.  So...where does that come from? From your bliss.

Your bliss is the thing in this world that connects you to the truth of your soul.  You must find this.  And if you don't know what it is, you are about to start having the best time trying.  It may be taking cooking classes, starting to garden, taking a week off to go on a retreat somewhere amazing, becoming a mother, painting the sunset, whatever it is that awakens you.

Follow your bliss like a compass.  Trust that like the sun will rise and fall, so will the universe support you on your hero's journey.  And in those sweet moments of your bliss, savor them, savor them, savor them. Also, remember to write thank you notes for all the blessings you receive.

I invite you to Expand Your Ability to Receive your Bliss with this free 20 minute Qoya video.

It's also only 6 weeks until the Qoya Retreat in Costa Rica April 21-28, 2012 and we are down to our last 10 spots.  If you're thinking about coming, please let me know to ensure there will be a bed for you to sleep in!  I'm also excited to announce another retreat I'm doing called the Goddess Altar  May 21-25, 2012 in Woodstock, NY at Menla Retreat center with two of my favorite muses and teachers.  As always, I look forward to dancing together at the perfect time.

Shine on,

Rochelle

Open Your Heart. Donate $12. Win a Spot at the next Qoya Retreat in Costa Rica in April. Yep. It could be You.

After finishing Qoya's fifth retreat in the last year and first New Year's retreat in Hawaii, I was infused with an even deeper sense of gratitude for how beautiful life can be.  I spent last night sitting on an island in the middle of the ocean under the light of the full moon fueled by the sparkling stars, decaf chai, strawberries and dark chocolate as I wrote a dozen thank you cards and felt like I could have written a thousand.

From this place of abundance, I feel called to honor the blessings in my life through service with the consciousness of our interconnection.  I truly believe that as you get stronger, I get stronger and as I get stronger, you get stronger.  So, it is with the desire for all of us to go higher in 2012 that I offer you the chance to give generously from your own abundance and receive the opportunity to come to the next Qoya Retreat to Costa Rica April 21-28, 2012 as my guest.

The fine print: You can win a spot in the next Qoya Retreat in Costa Rica April 21-28, 2012 (an $1,800 value!), but airfare and any other additional costs are not included.  To see what is included, look here!

Be entered into the contest by donating $12 to the Flawless Foundation for their $12 for 12 months of good karma in 2012 fundraising campaign. Each dollar up to $25,000 will be matched by a generous donor AND all the funds raised through Qoya will go to yoga programs for children.  You can be entered for each increment of $12 you give before midnight on Sunday, January 15th. And there's no limit to how many times you can enter.  It is also transferable so you can win and give the retreat spot as a gift! (To men and women~ I guarantee you know at least one woman who would love you for this gift!)

Rochelle Schieck, Founder of Qoya, and Patrick Kennedy at the Flawless Perfection Party in April 2011

One of my top 12 desires for 2012 is to be a catalyst for charitable giving and so when I saw this final push for a fundraising campaign with Flawless, I had an instant epiphany on how to make that dream come true.  Here's why I am choosing to make this donation to Flawless.  I know the organization very well as I've been a volunteer and have watched it grow from its inception.  I was at their first big event at the Millennium Hotel in NYC in 2009.   I was at their memorable event at the Burden Mansion on Fifth Avenue MC'd by Lisa Bloom and with the most inspiring panel of speakers like the Honorable Patrick Kennedy, Karenna Gore Schiff, Garen Staglin among others.  I've been to their dinner fundraisers that turned into dance parties and I've been on the phone with founder Janine Francolini when she's gotten big news like Moby is coming to the next event and endorsing Flawless and their mission or while she was on her way to be with the kids for one of their amazing programs that involve healing through gardening, the arts or yoga.  I was at their most recent event at Freg Segal in LA, where Flawless partnered with artist Tara Dixon and her business Gratitude Designs.  I've been blessed to be a witness to the common thread between all of these events and the work Flawless does.  The common thread is love.

Not love you only from a distance love.  Not love you only when it's convenient love.  Not love only when it's conditional love.  Real. Enduring. Soulful-even-when-it's-hard-love. Especially when it's hard love.

There is nothing convenient about trying to raise a child with mental illness.  And there is nothing harder than trying to navigate your boundaries to take care of yourself when someone you love is struggling with mental illness.  The reaction to the discomfort around mental illness is to look away.  The ostrich technique.  If I bury my head in the sand and then if I can't see it, maybe it will go away.

However, the totem animal of the Flawless Foundation is not an ostrich. It's a peacock.  The Flawless Foundation's mission is to "See the Perfection in Every Child" and  take a stand for more humane, compassionate care for children and adolescents who live with mental health and neurodevelopmental challenges.

The Flawless Foundation fulfills its mission by funding holistic healing programs and removing the stigma that holds people back from rallying around this important cause. Whether it is our own challenge or that of someone close to us, a culture that turns away from the reality of suffering that our fellow humans are going through affects all of us.

In a time and place in the world where there are so many worthy healing causes, the Flawless Foundation stands out to me as a brave and soulful warrior stepping towards the tender minds and souls of children and their care takers to love them right where they are at, seeing the perfection not only in every child, but in everyone.

And isn't that what we are all trying to do in our own way?  Bring more love and light to this world?  I am. I am devoted to leading Qoya classes, retreats and creating an online Qoya studio through which women have the invitation to remember the deepest truth of their soul as they move their body.  And the only thing better than experiencing a deep remembering and soulful connection to the divine in my body is the idea of being able to be a catalyst for someone else to experience it and imagine the healing impact that could have for them.

I believe that is possible through the yoga programs that the Flawless Foundation initiates and I invite you to join me in supporting the Flawless Foundation in their courageous work. The ability as an organization to approach children with love restores their dignity, gives them the help they need and acknowledges the divine spark that lives in them as the divine spark that lives in us all. We can open our hearts big enough to hold the complexity of these situations and hold space for them to heal and be loved right where they are.

To enter the raffle is a win-win-win, which is my favorite way to play.  You win by getting the gift of investing in another soul's well being and you get the opportunity to play with the idea of indulging in a powerful and joyfully transformative week in Costa Rica at the Qoya Retreat (or gift it to someone else!) And the children win by getting exposed to a nurturing environment that empowers them in their healing process through movement.

To enter: Go to the Flawless Foundation website and donate.  Send your confirmation email from paypal to rochelle@wisewildfree.com and write Costa Rica in the title.  Every time you donate an increment of $12 you will be entered in the raffle.  There is no limit to how many times you can enter.  No limit to how much we can love. No limit to how much we can dance.  Raffle will be drawn January 16th and all donations must be made by midnight the evening of January 15th to enter.

Ready. Set. Give.

With love and aloha,

Rochelle

P.S. In the spirit of giving and excitement about launching my online Qoya site, here are links to a free one hour Qoya class online, a 10 minute movement ritual in the spirit of the new year to Dream Bigger Dreams, do a quick 5 minute video to gently open up your body with circling or tap back into the power of your pleasure with a five minute video to explore some sensual movement. The password is qoya.  And good luck winning the raffle!

Dream Bigger Dreams

Happy New Year Darling Dancers!

A quick note to wish you a magical New Year.  May the blessings that you put into the world boomerang back to you a million fold.

Here's also an invitation to join me in my New Year's ritual this year.  I sat down and wrote my top 11 gratitudes for 2011 and shared them with a friend, then we wrote our top 12 desires for 2012. The final part of this exercise is to then take the desire list of your friend and write your desires for him/her x 10!!! Take their desire list and magnify it, expand it, make it a shooting star, add your creativity and love of this person to see something bigger for them that they may not be able to see for themselves.  Let them do the same for you.

Gratitude is a great way to ground ourselves in the blessings of our lives and is the most fertile ground for planting the seeds of our desires.  We all love to dream, but sometimes we fall out of practice.  Holidays are a great time to press pause long enough to reflect on the past, savor the present moment and vision the future.

Know that you can do this ANYTIME, with a friend or on your own if you desire!  New Year's Day, New Year's Week, the New Moon, Your Birthday, Your Anniversary…or just because it's a Tuesday.

I believe that when you dance, you access your true essence and feel the sacred pulse of life in your body, from which all creation arises.  So, to tap into even more power and magnify your dreams, I am also gifting you this 10 minute movement ritual for DREAMING BIGGER DREAMS. (The Password is: qoya).

Thank you for a beautiful year of dancing with Qoya in 2011.  I am so grateful for you and your support and look forward to dreaming bigger dreams together in 2012! (Maybe in Costa Rica?!?)

With love,

Rochelle

P.S. Click here to do the Qoya 10 minute movement ritual on Dreaming Bigger Dreams! (Password: qoya)  Happy New Year! xo

A One Way Ticket To Paradise

My holiday gift to myself this year is a one way ticket to paradise. I'm talking about paradise literally AND figuratively.

Literally, I bought a one-way ticket to Hawaii.  Starting January 2nd, I am leading the New Year's Qoya Kauai Retreat. After that, I'm still open to the universe/spirit/god/goddess/my intuition to guide me.

Figuratively, I am inviting you to get your own one way ticket to paradise and join me. There is the paradise "out there". The paradise that seems elusive and temporarily experienced on a vacation, in the acquisition of a desire or in the daydreams and fantasies of the mind. There is also the paradise inside, that is available to us anytime regardless of external circumstances. It is the place where we feel ecstatic. Alive. Awake. Aware. Wise. Wild. Free. Ourselves.

The gift I am offering to you is a map to your inner paradise through movement.

Qoya connects us back to ourselves so that when you move your body in a way that feels good, you start to tap back into your essence, your truth, your radiance, so you can source from that center.

Once you have that tangible and measurable sensation in your body to reference, you can use it like a compass when making future decisions.  Does taking this job make my body zing like the way I felt when I was dancing?  Does this food make me feel lethargic and tired or full of energy like when I finished the Qoya routine?  Once you have experienced yourself at a high vibration naturally by simply moving your body, you know how to create the conditions to experience it again anytime you need it. (You move!)

The whole point is to notice what works.  What lights you up.  What makes you feel alive and more connected to yourself, spirit and others.  Then, do that more often.  It sounds simple, but sometimes we forget.

Qoya is based on the idea that through movement we remember. We remember, as women, that we are inherently Wise, Wild and Free. Wise, Wild and Free are also the essence of the movement forms that influence Qoya. Wise comes from the wisdom of yoga. Wild is from the creative expression in dance. Free is from the pleasure found in sensual movement. The focus is less and less and less on how it looks and more and more and more on how it feels. When you're moving your body and it feels good to move, you're doing it right.

Here is the link to a one hour Qoya routine called Paradise (Password: qoya)! It and dozens and dozens of other videos like it will be on EmbodyQoya.com (the online Qoya movement studio I am working on as I travel), but until that launches, I would love to share this with you and encourage you to explore finding the way that your body wants to move, finding your map and your way to your inner paradise in 2012.

I know there are many of you on this list who have never actually tried Qoya. Thank you for your support and I hope that you enjoy this video as an appetizer and that we can dine together and feast on Qoya in person sometime in a class or retreat together. For those of you who I have danced with, I hope this will be a reminder that takes you back into the physical sensation of remembering and expressing your true self through your body.  Please let me know how you like the video!

***To prepare for your Qoya class, wear comfortable clothing (the movements are a combination of yoga, dance and sensual movement).  Most people prefer to do the class barefoot.  Before doing any exercise, it is best to be well hydrated and have an emptier stomach.   Always listen to and honor the unique needs of your body.  The class is one hour long.

Here's the link to the class again! Password: qoya.

May we remember how to connect to the joy and pulse of life by feeling paradise in our body.  And if you'd like to join us in person for Qoya's next excursion to Paradise, look at the Spring Qoya Retreat in Costa Rica April 21-28, 2012 at the beautiful Blue Spirit Resort.

Dancing in gratitude,

Rochelle

Feel Your Wildness Now

I am a wild woman who thrives as she creatively expresses herself, offering her unique essence and gifts to the world.

So are you.

My vision of a wild woman is a feminine creature with a strong life force. She knows what she loves and makes it a priority. She can light up a room with her sense of humor, wear clothes that radiate her own self-expression, and is always the first person on the dance floor. Or maybe her wildness lingers on the sidelines, coy and calm, waiting for the perfect moment to emerge.

Either way, she is wild in a way that breaks past the invisible force fields of expectations. She no longer needs to be "nice.” She parties in the proverbial box, and invites others to venture out of it. She stirs your sense of adventure and encourages your curiosity. She is the most fun person you know.

She is you.

What holds us back from being Wild?

Many times in our lives, we overvalue the more masculine qualities of structure, strategy, linear thinking, predictability, and our return on investment. The cost is that we undervalue our more feminine qualities of intuition, creative expression, big desires to do what truly nourishes us, and our ability to revel in the joy of the present moment. The consequence is feeling unfulfilled by too much structure and then feeling guilty if thereʼs too much pleasure. Qoya guides you back to your essence, to connect with the wild part that lives in each woman and let her out to play.  The world needs women who are willing to be bold and a little wild now more than ever.  Let's get there.

FEEL YOUR WILDNESS NOW.

To experience the wildness in you right now, turn on a song you love LOUD, and dance. Feel the freedom of moving any way your body wants to. Feel the life force inside of you. Move — to the music, to the beat of your heart, to your own pulse. Dance because you can no longer not dance.

When you have tapped into the feeling and freedom to be wild, creative and expressive- how can you apply that in your life?  How can you be a little wild today in a way that serves the greater good?  How can you leap forward instead of hold back?

Qoya offers an opportunity to wildly liberate yourself from habits and expectations to find more connected and creative ways to express yourself- first, in your body and movement.  Then, in the way you approach your daily life.

To go deep into your dance and deeper into the gifts that Qoya offers, I invite you to feel that wild woman come out.   Come to a class at Sacred in Brooklyn, join us for our upcoming Woodstock Retreat Labor Day Weekend and stay tuned for our online Qoya studio launching next month in September.

I look forward to dancing with you soon!

Shine On Wild Ones, Rochelle

I Shall Be Released.

One of my last nights in Costa Rica I was lying in bed distraught, despondent and, in a way, delusional.  I was beyond upset.  There was no logical reason for me to be under the covers at 7:30pm (while in a warm beautiful tropical country in December while my contemporaries were snowed in during a New York blizzard).  However, I was sincerely contemplating going to bed and the thought of 12 hours of slumber seemed like a great idea in the pursuit of trying to find a way to ease the pain.  I’m aware of the hormonal shift that was naturally occurring in my body at that time and that the decrease in serotonin during this particular time of the month could have been a fair explanation and yet... there was such an overwhelming sadness. Instead of resisting, I dove in.  I opened myself to feel all the pain, all the sorrow and it hit me like a weight.  Like someone threw me an anchor to catch and I was holding on as it took me to the bottom of the ocean floor.  I looked around at what was there. What is this sadness? What is it’s essence?

I thought of the most recent book I read called The Diamond in Your Pocket by Gangaji, a western enlightened woman.  She says, “Just take a moment, this moment, to let everything go- the search, the denial, the rejecting, the clinging.  Let it all go and just for this moment rest in the truth of your being.  Then whatever comes after that can be seen and experienced in the context of the sanctuary of beingness.”

After a strong wave of peace and surrender came over me, I heard my inner voice encourage me to move.  Not to have to change anything, not having to make it different, but just to feel my body move and to feel the life force that animates my body.

I went to my computer and made a quick playlist titled Neosporin.  As soon as I started dancing a smile came across my face.  I actually have a theory that I’ve tested on the women that have been to my Qoya classes.  I believe that one of the easiest ways to access and embody our own happiness is to move in rhythm.  And by happiness, I really mean beingness- where you are at peace and enjoying the present moment you are experiencing.   Try and see if it is true for you too.

Here is a quick 2 minute video to feel yourself move in rhythm and notice if you too shall be released.  Released from what?  Released from whatever is blocking you from receiving all the love, abundance, health and creativity that has it’s eye on you.  Can we open enough to be present and in the present can we experience our true selves with delight? I believe we can.

The Magic of Rhythm from Rochelle Schieck on Vimeo.

Remember, the main message of Qoya is that through movement we remember.  We remember, as women, that we are wise, wild and free.  By taking a moment to move, we can tap back into the truth of ourselves and our being.  Being wise. Being wild. Being free.  Being.  Being...Released.

I'm so grateful you're here.

With love, Rochelle

P.S. Thursday Morning Qoya Classes begin 1/13/11 from 9:30-10:45am and Tuesday Night Qoya Classes begin 1/18/11 from 7-8:15pm.   Click here to see more details!

P.S.S. The next Qoya Retreat is set for April 16-23, 2011!   Click here to see more info on registering for this upcoming adventure!

And just for fun...Nina Simone singing I shall be released.  Sending love your way.

Some get strong. Some get strange. Sooner or later, it all gets real. Walk on.

Some get strong.  Some get strange.  Sooner or later, it all gets real.  Walk on. -Neil Young

Some get strong. Three years ago, I moved to New York City.  A 20-something idealistic young woman from Minnesota with no job leads, no big savings account, no permanent place to live, nada. What I did have was a strong intuitive feeling in my body.  A zing.  A deep sense of inner knowing that this was the right move for me.  I also had a ticket to see the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. That was September 11, 2007.  *Side note- I recently attended the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert and highly recommend checking out any of the footage on their website.*

When is the last time you remember you just knew something?  Where you felt it in every cell of your body?  Where you honored the wisdom that came from your body?  Where you took a risk and had faith in your own strength?

Some get strange. Life is bizarre.  It takes random twists and turns.  People you trust make decisions that affect you, sometimes negatively.  People you can't imagine effectively running a bake sale get elected into public office.  It gets weird.  And as we go through our days, our own perception shifts and evolves.  Some mornings we feel elated. Some lonely nights we feel victimized and wronged by the world. Some afternoons we are just trying to see past the cloudy fog of indecision.  Either way, the only constant is change and sometimes the change is strange.  We can easily look around our personal world and/or the collective reality and say WTF is going on?  One thing to remember- sooner or later, it all gets real.

Sooner or later, it all gets real. All things must pass.  Instead of getting caught in the dramatic loop, try to ask yourself, "how is this serving me?"  Just by asking the question, you open yourself up to the answer. There is a great book about this process of looking for how a difficult situation maybe serving you called Radical Forgivenessby Colin Tipping.  Eckhart Tolle says, “Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment.”  If we can get real with ourselves, we can start to see the soul gift of the circumstances we are in and walk on.

Walk on. So what do you do? What do you do while in limbo? What do you do in those inbetween places where you are living between the clear desire of what you want and the reality of where you are?  Neil Young strums his guitar and sings Walk on. In our case, I invite you to dance on. Imagine taking a sticky situation in your life on as your dance partner, as a welcomed dance partner. Start to dance with it.  Start to dance with life.

Remember, there is a very simple thing that always works to get back into our bodies.  A way in which we can get real again.  A way in which we can walk on.  It's so simple, no experience required.  You just have to be willing to try.

What is it?

Movement.

Dance.

Shaking. (ecstatically)

1- Watch this short 2 minute video and shake along with it!  On your own, shake each part of your body for 10-15 seconds. You will feel rejuvenated and more like your true self.  That vibrant true self.  Use this simple exercise as a tool to get back into your body, to get real and to walk on anytime you need it.

2-  Click here to listen to Neil Young's song Walk On as you slice organic red peppers for dinner, walk to your next appointment or get ready for your day.  Feel yourself taking life as a dance partner as you go from task to task.  Notice how a little music can brighten up the most mundane part of our days. Feel the cycle of life moving through you and just like you accept the seasons changing from summer, fall, winter to spring, find that same acceptance with change that some get strong, some get strange and sooner or later, it all gets real, walk on.

3- Come dance with me!   If you're in New York City, I'm teaching 4 classes a week and your first class is FREE, drop-ins are $30 or you can purchase a $100 all you can dance Qoya pass good through December 8, 2010.  Click here to see Qoya class dates and times. There are also 4 spots left for our Costa Rica Retreat December 11-18, 2010.

I look forward to dancing with you,

xo

Rochelle

I invite you to shake right now.  Notice how you feel.  Notice the zing in your body.

Shaking from Rochelle Schieck on Vimeo.

Remembering and Forgetting.

Welcome to wisewildfree.com. My name is Rochelle Schieck and I am so glad you're here and grateful for how you got to this page. Last month I met Carolyn Garcia, who was the wife of Jerry Garcia. Jerry Garcia's voice and music that he played with the Grateful Dead was an anchor to many people spanning generations ranging in musical influences from folk to rock to funk~ all leading back to a message of love. There was an inquiry in the music of the spaces between our moments of remembering and forgetting. Remembering and forgetting that love is always what is most important. Always.

We're human. We're busy. We forget.

But, it's so important to know the ways in which we can remember. Remember how good it can be. Remember how good it already is. Remember the divine spark and pulse of life that lives in us and through us.

Carolyn Garcia said that the Grateful Dead their shows began in the late 60's with an intention to have a place where the community could meet. The community of people who were excited about the social revolutions of civil rights, women's rights and making love- not war. Right now in the midst of our own generation's war, economic fallout, impending environmental issues and 24/7 news media reminding us of our challenges, it's easy to forget what is really important.

I'm sending out the invitation to remember. To remember what is of the most supreme importance to you. The people, places and things that light you up. The remembering of the deepest truth of who you are- your joy and it's expression. When I heard Carolyn Garcia say, "They were creating a place for the community to gather," it just hit me. In every cell of my body I felt my desire to create places for my community to meet.

For the women who want to howl by the light of the moon, tread in the waters of the warm ocean, indulge in delicious organic food and be surrounded in a group of like minded women to continue the conversation of what it is to be ultimately feminine- please join me and Liyana Silver, relationship expert, and Alisa Vitti, women's health and lifestyle expert in Costa Rica December 11-18, 2010 for an epic week of remembering the profound pleasures of being in nature, being in community with women, being on an adventure and time to just be. Click here to see the gorgeous flyer and get more information.

For the women who want to practice movement and learn techniques of breathing, the power of setting intentions, have a sacred space to meet once a week to be encouraged to have their bodies express their true self and their feminine power, please join me for Qoya classes in Brooklyn and Manhattan starting next week. Click here for schedule and how to register.

For the women who want to have access to their source energy, like a shot of espresso, who want to carve out a couple minutes of their day to remember the joys of being wise, wild and free, who want to say yes and thank you to every thing that crosses the path...let's dance. Let's dance today and please use this blog as a resource for you to dance anytime you desire.

Question: What helps you remember? What people, places or activities do you engage in and it is an easy flow of positive energy that wakes you up, makes you feel alive and helps you remember what is most important to you. For some it's the ocean. For others it can be hiking outdoors. An old friend. A new friend. A divine meal. A lover. A child. Sipping a hot cup of tea while looking out the window. I believe for all of us two ways we can remember are through dancing and through community.

Movement: Feel your feet. Feel your connection to the floor. Feel grounded in the present moment through physical sensation. Play with moving your feet as fast as you can. Try to touch as much of the ground as you can with your feet. Remember the childhood joy of hot potato and imagine you are stopping out a fire with your feet. Have fun in your body! See video below for suggestions and someone to dance with.

Feel your feet to be wise, wild and free. from Rochelle Schieck on Vimeo.

Intention: The intention is to remember. Remember what is important to you and dance for that. Tap into more energy in your body and feel the awareness of your feet.

Take it with you into your day: Can you get your feet to touch the earth today? Walking in the grass, sand or on stones? Feel your feet throughout your day and notice where they take you. Let them lead you to the places that delight you and help you remember what is most important to you.

Hello, I love you. Won’t you tell me your name?

Hello, I love you, won't you tell me your name? As we're getting to know one another, I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Rochelle Schieck. I live in New York. I believe that through movement we remember. We remember that we are inherently wise, wild and free. I encourage women through my Qoya classes, workshops, retreats, private sessions and this blog to move. The big picture vision is that the more women move and subsequently remember, the more they trust their inner wisdom, express their wildness and revel in their freedom. And like most spiritual or wisdom traditions teach, we collectively remember that all we seek is already within. It's just about creating a passageway to the deepest truest parts of ourselves. One of the most pleasurable, exciting and confusing parts of the human experience is our sensuality. It's time to presence a modern embodiment of an empowered woman who oozes with self-love. Imagine it was simple. Love your body as it is now. Love how it feels to move in it. Love more. Criticize less. Let's practice and rock out a little along the way.

Question: When is the last time you felt sexy?  In 5 minutes, you are going to say, 3 minutes ago.

To me, sensual movement means moving the way your female body wants to move. Sensual movement gives us permission to slow down and feel. When a woman moves naturally in her body with fluidity and power, it can appear “sexy” – and it is. But, in Qoya, we don’t do it to look good for an observer. We move this way to enjoy our own bodies. To revel in the pleasure of your own body is to accept the gift of being a woman and one of the most profound ways to say yes to your life.

Movement:  3 simple things~ 1) walk across the room sloooooowwwwwlllly and enjoy yourself as you walk 2) a couple hip circles to the right, a couple hip circles to the left 3) repeat

Intention: This is an opportunity to say, "Hello, I love you" to your body.  Notice your inner dialogue as you move your body in a strong feminine and sensual manner.  You know you're doing it right when you're enjoying it.  Slow down and deepen your breath to tune more in to more physical sensation.

Music:  Hello, I Love You by the Doors

Take it with you: Do this experiment in front of a mirror where you try 2 different approaches to looking sexy. 1st- TRY. Try to look sexy. Use extra effort and notice how it feels. (It usually feels somewhat ridiculous). 2nd- Slow down, be you, and focus on FEELING pleasure in your body as you soak in the sensation just for you, not for anyone else.

Did you get it?  As I teach Qoya classes, I notice women can fall into a default of what they think is sexy, which can feel inauthentic.  A woman who is enjoying herself will always shine.  Get in the habit of enjoying simple things like the way you walk, make each hallway a catwalk, the elevator a stage to pivot turn on and see where else you can slow down, tune into your body and feel more sensation.  And from that place, introduce yourself to the next person you see with a Jim Morrisonesque hello.

Do you remember the 21st night of September?

Yes, it’s true. I’m quoting Earth, Wind and Fire. But, stay with me. I recently heard Barbara Biziou, author of The Joy of Ritual, speak and she said something along the lines of, “Our lives have become a series of run-on sentences where we are so busy, we’re not taking time to stop, to slow down and really be present with each other. Rituals are an opportunity to put a period at the end of the sentence, to mark the important times in our lives.”

A birthday dinner where we sit down and celebrate a loved one’s life. Last weekend, families observed Yom Kippur to fast, pray and atone. Halloween is coming up, where we dress up and that day becomes memorable because it breaks us out of the mundane pattern of our lives, sometimes feeling like Groundhog Day. As much as I love Bill Murray (see photo below) let’s consciously mix it up today and remember the 21st night of September (or whenever you read this).

Question: What is something that you can honor about your life? What is an accomplishment, big or small, that you could acknowledge?

Find examples of things that you have already done that you are choosing to celebrate:

*ways you have been courageous in taking action towards your dreams by researching possibilities, connecting with a like-minded community or graduating from a program

*ways you have been standing for what you believe is important, modeling the behavior you desire to see in others....being the change

*ways you have lived your life with great love, where you extended an olive branch symbolizing peace, choosing to be kind instead of needing to being right

*ways you have lived your life with beauty, even if it didn’t always seem that way, but today you choose to view your life as a journey, an epic one, and you as the heroine.

See the places where simply your presence has contributed to the well being of this world. Write one or more instance down on a piece of paper. Let's dance to that.

Intention: Once you find something and you have written it on a piece of paper, create a simple ritual to honor it. Some easy ideas are lighting a candle, setting an intention to celebrate, put on a special outfit (optional, but very fun) and then be fully present as you do your movement.

Example: My very close friend Becca invited me out to dinner last night to celebrate the launching of this site www.wisewildfree.com. I thought...how can we make it memorable? How can it be more than just dinner but marking this as a special day? I came up with the idea that we would put on hot pink sequence dresses and tap dance around New York City, just to make ourselves laugh. We never made it outside because we were having so much fun dancing around her apartment. Now I will always have the gift of our memorable celebration dinner. Breaking up the run-on sentence of our days, we put an exclamation mark on our night.

Movement: With the stage set (candle lit, consciously honoring a part of your life, and maybe a fun outift...) dance! Kurt Vonnegut says, “Dance! Even if the only place you have is your living room.” Trust that your body knows how to move and give it the space to move the way it wants to. Bend your knees, feel your hips move from side to side, take deep breaths into the sensation of your body and go for it.

How to take it with you into your day: Once you’ve celebrated yourself in your own creative way, take a moment to think- is there someone close to you who you could reach out to and acknowledge a moment in their life? Make sure you don’t skip your own celebration and go straight to doing it for someone else. Do yours first! From all the energy and joy you have from your own celebration, you'll have infinitely more to give.

For a song to dance to...you guessed it- September by Earth, Wind and Fire. Click on the link below for the music video and ideas for costumes! Enjoy and report back on what sort of fun memories you create. I’d love to hear.

Click here to see Earth, Wind and Fire singing September on You Tube