This past weekend was overflowing with illumination and personal understanding, courtesy of Discovery Seminars and my choice to step outside my comfort zone to explore what’s possible beyond its limitations.

I first took a leap of faith into the world of Discovery Seminars back in April 2006. At the time, I didn’t know I was about to plunge into a four-and-a-half day journey of introspection, ready to challenge my self-limiting beliefs and the self-defeating games that consistently made me live smaller than I deserved. I thought I was doing it for a friend who had asked me to support them on their journey.

It was nothing short of a mental revolution.

Those four and a half days, plus the following two weekend sessions, opened a realm of possibilities for those of us who were skeptical about change and stubbornly wished that everyone else would change while we remained the same.

Back in 2006, this life-altering experience was known as ‘Choices.’ However, the pandemic prompted a rebranding and rejuvenation, transforming it into an even more potent opportunity for self-discovery.

To quote a former boss of mine, “Change is here to stay.” And, while the people at the front of the room have changed, and some of the processes have been refreshed and reworked, the biggest change remains what happens to those who walk through the doors to discover that, while change may be an inevitable part of life, it doesn’t have to dictate our path. We possess the power to take charge and shape our own journey through it.

For me, a significant change this weekend  came through my Saturday morning contribution to the seminar.

Ever since my early thirties, I have championed movement as a form of meditation or therapy, having been inspired by Gabriel Roth’s 5 Rhythms practice during a week-long course where, guided by a certified 5-Waves practitioner, we explored the fundamental principles of this practice and learned how to impart its gifts to others.

Years rolled by with me actively participating in and leading workshops on the 5 Rhythms. But, somewhere in my late fifties, I found myself retreating from group practices. I still danced and practiced embodied movement alone in my studio, but I distanced myself from the communal experience.

This past Saturday, however, marked my return to leading a session, and it was profoundly moving.

For 40 glorious minutes, about 40 of us, all of whom were participants in the Discovery Seminar, allowed our bodies to inform our movements in sync with the music I had curated for the session.

The beauty of embodied movement lies in its ability to connect us with the deep, healing silence of stillness. Throughout the session I only provided a gentle guidance to shift with the rhythms of the music (the 5 waves), allowing each individual to move at their pace, dancing their personal dance with the rhythm.

“Everyone and everything is welcome in this space,” I assured the group before we began. “There are no right or wrong steps. There’s no singular way to move or to feel the rhythm. The only guiding force here is the way your body yearns to move, the path it chooses to guide you along.”

It was an utterly liberating experience to witness over 40 individuals, fully immersed in their personal journeys, moving with their bodies’ calling, and defying the inner voices of self-doubt whispering discouragements like, “You’ll look silly,” or “You don’t know what you’re doing!” These are the devious hissings of our ‘critter-mind’ pulling us into playing small, encouraging us to hide from the light of our own magnificence.

The freedom to move according to your body’s calling, to delve deeper into its core, is an experience that’s profoundly liberating and healing.And gratifying. To have a participant tell me they hadn’t felt peace like that in a long, long time, filled my heart with joy.

I am awash in gratitude. Leading that workshop was a beautiful awakening to what is truly possible when I let go of the things I tell myself are no longer so.

I am grateful for CH and BM for trusting me, even when they had no idea what the workshop was about. I am thankful to those who turned up to listen to their bodies calling them to move to their own beat and their encouragement to ‘Do this again.” I am grateful for the music and the rhythm of life that moves me to dance.

I am so blessed.

Namaste.