Exercise & Wellness   

This course aims to examine and learn basic yogic principles from the advent of the practice to its modern-day iterations in order to help students create a self-specific yoga practice all their own.

A critical analysis of for-profit yoga alongside a deep dive into the free and accessible practice of meditation will be assessed in order to learn: What does it truly mean to practice yoga?

Students will learn yoga theory, yoga techniques, and movement safety in order to create their own yogic practice that best aligns with their own bodies, minds, and spiritual practices.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to practice the type of yoga that best suits you, alone or in a class setting, with a holistic and consent-based approach. 

Bellydancers are supple, feminine, earthly, mysterious, playful and strong. That dancer is you! Come learn among friends and awaken your inner fire. Build community and self-knowledge while honoring the inner divine feminine, regardless of your gender expression.

This class is perfect for new students or a great drill class for returning students. Experienced dancers can deepen their practice by working thoughtfully into the isolations and rhythms as your body and mind open and are prepared to learn more subtle nuances in these powerful foundational moves. 

In this open level class, you will learn*:

• Alignment for dance posture
• Intro to history and music 
• Building strong dance skills 
• Isolations - straight lines, circles, figure 8 and undulations 
• Shimmies
• Beautiful arms and hands gestures 
• Intro to veil dancing 
• Intro to structured group improv and finger cymbals

*New material is always being added to this course. We are currently exploring both solo cabaret and group improv fundamentals that are used for our bellydance street team.

FAQ's

What should I wear to class?

Yoga or any exercise type clothes are perfect. Wearing a hip scarf will  help you see hip isolations more clearly in the mirror. You can purchase scarves with coins or beads or just grab a beautiful scarf from home that you can tie around your waist to start. Some students like to get a little more dressed up in long skirts or harem style pants with a pretty top.  There are LOTS of fun costume things that you can experiment with down the line but there really isn't much that you need to get started. 

Do I need anything else? 

Well, no, but YES!  You can enjoy class without any of these extras if they don’t fit your budget at this time. Come to class and see what other dancers are using. Then you can start to collect your own magical items.

• fringe or beaded hip scarves
• finger cymbals - Go get em’ if you don’t have any yet. The smaller the better. 
• frame drum - Start with a small 10” or 12” Remo frame drum
• dance journal for class notes
• phone with available storage space to make practice videos
• water bottle or hot tea container
• light knee pads (optional)
• yoga mat (optional)
• snacks (optional) - A small bags of nuts, power bar or some fresh veg can give you a lift if you need a little blood sugar boost.
   

Breathing Space introduces a unique Breath, Reading and Reflection experience with Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Laura Tsang. In 6, 60-minute sessions, students will combine gentle breathing with guided, innovative meditation.

In a quiet, nurturing environment, you’ll learn effective tools for emotional wellness that you can carry with you into daily life. Whether you are new to meditation or experienced in mindfulness practices, our practice offers space for everyone to slow down, reflect, recharge and reconnect.

This integrated practice is designed to help you:

• Connect your head and heart
• Process emotions with greater clarity
• Restore emotional energy
• Increase emotional awareness
• Deepen insights

Please note, this course is designed as a self-awareness practice and is not a substitute for therapy.

A Zoom link will be sent to your email on file no less than 24 hours before the start of the course. Please check your spam & junk folders or call us at 206 934 5339 for assistance.