5Rhythms® is a dynamic movement practice ~ a workout for the body and soul. Practiced by tens of thousands worldwide, 5Rhythms is a simple and catalytic map for freeing our bodies, and opening our hearts. All we need to do is show up, tune in and move what is alive in us. There is no right or wrong way to move in this practice. It is an improvisational movement methodology that supports unique expression, release, expansion and integration.

All are welcome here: all bodies, genders, abilities, and levels of movement experience.

Created by Gabrielle Roth in the late '70's, 5Rhythms draws from Gestalt therapy, the human potential movement, and transpersonal psychology. The practice is accessible to people of all ages and abilities, and is suitable for anyone who wants to rediscover the joy, and freedom of dance. 5Rhythms reconnects us to our human birthright: movement is a healing art that helps us mark rites of passage, celebrate, grieve, and express what it is to be alive. It's not about what it looks like, it's about how it feels, and how it reconnects us to ourselves, each other, and something much bigger than us.

The 5Rhythms ~ Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical and Stillness ~ dance us through a Wave that mirrors the way energy moves and changes in the world. Each of the Rhythms brings an energetic quality, and particular teachings. Rather than having steps to follow, in each Rhythm, we find our own individual expression and spontaneous choreography. Dancing Wave after Wave, we connect to the spectrum of aliveness that is available to us - beyond the mind, personality and ego - awakening and expressing our creative, multi-facted, vibrant and full selves.

"The fastest, cleanest, most joyful way to break out of your own box is by dancing. I'm not talking about doing the stand-and-sway. I'm talking about dancing so deep, so hard, so full of the beat that you are nothing but the dance and the beat and the sweat and the heat."
                                                                                           ~ Gabrielle Roth

Earth . Fluid . Free the body
Receptive . Let it in

 

With continuous, circular, spiraling movement, we find our Flow. Through our feet, we connect to the earth, and our capacity to be grounded and receptive. With mindful inhales, we cultivate our ability to let life in. We soften. We practice embodying fluidity.

 

 

Fire . Direct . Express the heart
Focused . Let it out

 

With clear, direct, and defined movement, we embody Staccato.  Through our hips, we express the fire of our desire for life. Exhaling in percussive rhythm, we cultivate our ability to let life out. We move into the world with purpose. We reach out to connect from the heart. We practice embodying focus.

 

Water . Free . Empty the mind
Surrender . Let it go

 

Breaking free from all form, we surrender to the surging peak of energy moving through us. Giving over our desire to control with our heads, we let the Rhythm of Chaos dissolve resistance and control, emptying us out.  Unplanned, and unpredictable, we tap into dynamic, creative spontaneity. We cultivate our ability to let life go.  We practice embodying surrender.

 

Air . Light . Awaken the soul
Effortless . Let it transform

 

After emptying out in Chaos, we are transformed in Lyrical. Opening our arms, we connect to the air, and to our capacity to move through the world effortlessly. New possibilities emerge, weightless, and expansive. We are uplifted; we open to the joy of being alive. We cultivate our willingness to let life transform us. We practice embodying a lightness of being.

 

Ether . Empty . Embody the spirit
Spacious . Let it be

 

Turning our attention towards the inner dance, we integrate, and let our dance come to completion in Stillness. Deepening our awareness of the breath that moves through us, we connect to the pauses between movements, and to our capacity to be both full and empty. Alive breath. Shapes surface. We are danced. We cultivate our capacity to let life be. We practice embodying spaciousness.

 

Gabrielle Roth ~ 1941-2012

Gabrielle traveled the world for 40+ years of her life, leading workshops for tens of thousands of people searching to release their hearts and minds through their bodies.  Over time she developed different Maps of the 5Rhythms body of work, – Waves, Heartbeat, Cycles, Mirrors and Silver Desert – moving individuals through sessions focused on Body, Heart, Mind, Soul, and Spirit. You can read more about her life and work here.

 

Curious to learn more about the world you've wandered into? Come dance with us!