freedom | Aya Dance Meditation

Breaking free of self-imposed limits.

Heya friend! This week, we’re trying on new shoes as we dance……….. I’ll explain. :) Back when I first began to study mind-body dance, I learned a lot about how beneficial it is to be barefoot. And though there is no pressure to be barefoot in Aya (shoes are always welcome), I’m a big fan of being barefoot as much as possible (if it feels good to your body). So much so, that for over fifteen years I’ve primarily worn shoes that mimic being barefoot. I absolutely love how they

3 min read

Looking up

This week, let’s explore how we’re using our eyes. In class (and throughout life) we can simply be curious and notice things such as: Where am I looking? Up? Down? Around? Out? Are my eyes open? Closed? What am I aiming at? Where am I headed? Is my vision more focused? Blurry? Zoomed in? Zoomed out? What am I looking at? Or looking for? What am I seeing/connecting with? How am I orienting in the world around me? And then, how does that orientation feel (in my body, mind, hear

1 min read

Omni-directional movement.

Friend, I’m so excited to dance this focus with you. But first, a little story… It was the summer before my senior year at UNI, and I was working in the weight room. My job was to clean the equipment, and scan student IDs. At the time, I loved lifting weights and talking about lifting weights, so I was right at home. One day, a young man came in, walked over to a rack, set a bar on his shoulders, and proceeded to do something totally crazy: he started doing lunges in all so

4 min read

Staying flexible.

Welcome to Part 7 of our series on Cultivating Organic Fitness ! Well, friend, this past week was interesting. In 2 different classes, we had some sounds beyond our control that required a bit of… flexibility . :) 1) On Monday, a smoke detector located on a very high ceiling above us chirped very loudly approximately every 60 seconds… 2) On Wednesday night, at the start of Zoom class, my microphone was accompanied by a loud buzz that I couldn’t find the source of… Both sound

8 min read

Letting ourselves get a little weirder.

Friend, I am sooooooo ridiculously excited for this week’s focus. This week is all about getting a little weirder as we dance. I’ll explain. :) You see, Aya is all about freeing our body (and self), and yet…. sometimes I find myself making my dance look…. well…. normal. I can feel that inhibition. I want to roll around on the floor more, but I don’t want to be quite so different than everyone else. I want to let my body move freely, but I don’t want it to look too weird and

7 min read