EP63: 5RHYTHMS Dance : A Somatic Approach to Healing with Simona and Layah

In this episode of the Red Beard Embodiment podcast, host Alex welcomes Simona Irwin and Layah Jane Singer-Wilson for a genuine conversation about Five Rhythms dance as a pathway to befriending fear and healing trauma.

The guests share their personal stories – Simona recounting her first Five Rhythms experience that brought unexpected tears after years of emotional blockage during her health struggles, and Layah describing how movement became her medicine during a pivotal health crisis in her twenties. Together, they discuss their collaborative course "BEFRIENDING EMBODIED MOVEMENT: AN INTRODUCTION TO 5RHYTHMS™" created to bring this transformative practice to everyone, including those who might be homebound or facing physical limitations.

Through gentle explanations and personal examples, they reveal how the five rhythms – flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical, and stillness – create a container for our emotional lives, allowing fear and other difficult feelings to move through the body naturally. Their approach honors both the cathartic potential of movement and the importance of regulation, creating a trauma-sensitive framework that meets practitioners exactly where they are.

Whether you're curious about embodied practices or seeking new ways to process old wounds, this conversation offers compassionate insight into how our bodies naturally know the way through fear when given the chance to move with awareness.

Key Highlights:

• [00:00:] Welcome and introduction to our guests
• [01:12] Five Rhythms as embodied healing practice
• [02:39] Simona and Layah's backgrounds and expertise
• [05:46] Simona's moving first dance experience
• [10:20] Understanding the five rhythms wave
• [13:16] How Layah found her calling through movement
• [17:34] Alex shares his dance journey beginnings
• [20:19] The origins with Gabrielle Roth at Esalen
• [27:33] Creating trauma-sensitive movement spaces
• [31:12] Inside their accessible online course
• [33:35] Movement and nervous system regulation
• [37:27] Mindfulness principles in movement practice
• [41:16] Adaptations for all bodies and abilities
• [46:31] A personal healing story through dance
• [51:11] How to join the movement community

Links & Resources

Layah Jane

• Website: layahjane.com
• Instagram: @layahjane.movement

Simona

• Website: turningtowards.me
• Instagram: @turningtowards

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