Moving Meditation Retreat

"It is written in the book of the Sioux that they have gone into the earth.
Nothing will bring them back until the white man dances." — Chief Seattle

Three time-honored transformational practices are offered in this experiential retreat: ecstatic dance, Yoga, and Meditation. Central to each of these practices is the cleansing of body, mind, and spirit, and dying to what is old and being reborn to the present moment.

Ecstatic dance is dance enlivened by your breath, powered by your heartbeat, and set into motion by music from around the world. Since the beginning of time people have danced to celebrate, to petition, to give thanks, and to cleanse. As we dance, we sweat our prayers, dance our dreams, laugh and cry our way to feeling refreshed, revitalized, with new visions for our future. We will dance as Rumi once did in Quantum Leaps Lodge's Rumi Room.

"Every child has known God, Not the God of names, Not the God of don’ts, Not the God who ever does Anything weird,
But the God who knows only four words. And keeps repeating them, saying: "Come Dance with Me Come Dance" — Hafiz

The Yoga and Meditation practice is a dynamic, multicultural moving meditation practice combining Tibetan, Indian and Chinese yoga asanas. Ellen chose the asanas specifically for their ability to catalyze energy, develop strength, enhance flexibility, support deep relaxation, and to awaken the spine. In this practice we activate the breath of victory "Ujjayi", and engage the "love muscle" or the "PC" muscle.

This highly experiential retreat will give participants the opportunity to enter a variety of moving meditation practices, sending you home refreshed, revitalized, and with a new vision for your future.

The weekend begins Friday at 8pm and continues until Monday at 2pm.

Ellen Watson

Ellen is celebrating her 25th year on staff at Esalen Institute, where she studies, practices, and teaches various modalities of moving meditation practice. A licensed minister, Ellen believes that the core of all healing begins in the realm of the heart and the Spirit. Among her great pleasures are opening the door for people to dance, to sing and play and pray, to touch and be touched. She is passionate about spreading the good news about how waking up can heal and transform the mind, body and soul.

Ellen is a teacher of Esalen® Massage, Gabrielle Roth's 5Rhythms™, Holotropic™ Breathwork, SpiritDance, The Art of Essential Touch, and Your Body is a Musical Instrument. From 1984 through 2003, Ellen developed and administered the Movement Arts Program at Esalen. In 1996, she founded MovingVentures™ School, a 501c3, whose mission is education in the somatic arts, focusing on women and men in developing countries, and the southern USA. 

The MovingVentures™ faculty offers workshops, retreats, and training at Esalen, in Bali, and at other inspiring locations around the globe.