bodymantra

BodyMantra is an unchoreographed movement practice designed to help participants develop and strengthen the qualities of presence, self-awareness, trust, and authenticity in their lives.

The body possesses a vast well of knowledge about all that we are capable of, as well as the wounds and old stories that are limiting our fullest self-expression. BodyMantra catalyzes and supports an investigation of this inner landscape through personal, interpersonal and spiritual inquiry.

Facilitated by BodyMantra founder Kimberly Jonas, participants are encouraged to follow the natural impulses of the body – to find movements and gestures that help establish a connection to the physical and emotional bodies. Movements can be subtle and small or wide and expansive. Sometimes you’ll come to sweat, sometimes you’ll come to slow down. We move both alone and with others in this practice, as both provide powerful insights into our experience as human beings.

Kimberly develops evocative music scores to serve as a backdrop for the journey, including rhythms and sounds from classical, jazz, pop, world beat and blues genres.

In the world of BodyMantra, we don’t shy away from the hard stuff – difficult material that we might tend to avoid because it feels unfamiliar or puts us on shaky ground. In fact, this practice encourages participants to dive more deeply into these realms: self-doubt, judgment (of others and of self), shyness, shame, regret, grief, and fear. We turn to meet these aspects of ourselves with the intention of learning more about our most limiting behaviors, which in turn leads to their transformation over time.

As we traverse the landscape of more challenging or hidden personal material, we begin to learn more about our needs in the areas of safety, intimacy, relationship, health, self-care, and authenticity. We come to see where we have been playing it small and not stepping into our fullest potential. How we have allowed aspects of ourselves to become suppressed, covered up, or flat out ignored.

BodyMantra provides a forum for participants to more fully investigate these tendencies and move toward more health, balance and ease.

The practice then spills into daily life. You will start to feel and see where changes need to be made. Where new practices and conversations are ready to be undertaken, and old, outdated behaviors put to rest.

This expansive inquiry is supported through the body-centered investigation of BodyMantra. You will be shaken and stirred by this practice. It is designed to take you far and wide, while simultaneously draw you closer to your True Self.

When you attend an immersive BodyMantra experience – a workshop or retreat – you will also be exposed to a marriage of mind, word and body. When we dig into material that is this complex, it is imperative that we build new neurological pathways and patterns of behavior that solidify our a-ha’s, breakthroughs and choice points. On retreat, we take the time to speak with other participants, learning how to invoke the power of impeccable speech and observation so that we are incorporating our work on a cognitive level. This allows the work you encounter through BodyMantra to integrate into your daily life, and thus bring you to new levels of self-awareness and alignment.

BodyMantra participants move in bare feet and the appropriate attire is clothing comfortable for moving and sweating (i.e. yoga pants, shorts, T-shirts, tank tops). If you need support for your feet, do not wear street shoes – only clean-soled shoes, please. Please also read our Etiquette Guidelines to learn more about respectful choices related to this practice.