5Rhythms®

The Five Rhythms are a therapeutic dance practice that was discovered, named and developed by American theatre director, healer, dance teacher and recording artist, Gabrielle Roth. At the root of her work is the belief that if we put the psyche in motion then it will heal itself. Putting the body in motion puts the psyche in motion. The Five Rhythms are called FLOWING, STACCATO, CHAOS, LYRICAL and STILLNESS, and together they form THE WAVE .

FLOWING gives us the practice of being; being in a body, being in the moment, being in motion and being present with what is moving within us. It is feminine, receptive and gentle and frees the feet.

STACCATO focuses us on action, clarity and expression, bringing us to our heart, our connectedness with others, and releases the hips. It is masculine, outgoing, angular and focussed.

CHAOS combines the feminine and masculine in a wild dance, where the mind is still and the body can surrender to the moment – to the movement. Loosening the head, whatever needs to be released can be dropped, moved through and then we can move on.

LYRICAL is nimble, light and unpredictable, and arises out of letting go in chaos. It has a playful and spontaneous quality, freeing the hands to express directly from the heart and soul.

STILLNESS is the dropping into a deep connection with ourselves, the divine in each of us and the Earth. It frees the breath and is a pure moving meditation, at peace, quiet and empty.

Each Wave is a wave of energy that rises and falls, and begins again. The practice is to put the body in motion and let it move through Waves, so that it can gently release tension and unexpressed emotions held in the body. It is a simple and profound exploration of different ways of moving, different qualities of energy. Each person will do it their own unique way, going at their own pace, with as little or as much energy as they have.

There is no pressure to ‘get it right’. It is a personal journey, which can facilitate change, not just on the physical level, but emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It is available to everyone no matter what age, shape, size, colour or gender.  

Learn more about Gabrielle Roth's Five Rhythms and her music, Raven recording, from her website at www.gabrielleroth.com