A new paradigm for embodied healing in a unique, experiential, therapeutic process in which expressive movement, guided imagery, ritual, music, and creative expression work together.
In “Embody”, Toni Bergins, the founder and creator of JourneyDance, an internationally renowned dance movement program, shares with readers her Embodied Transformation Method (ETM) a powerful way to address trauma mindfully so people can confront it, heal, and grow to love themselves unconditionally, just as they are. ETM is a dynamic, conscious practice that can help people release what no longer serves them and shows them how to stop stuffing/numbing the pain and start feeling, stop over-thinking/limiting, and get moving!
Embodiment is the new buzzword in personal transformation, but, most often, it is connected to static practices like breath work and meditation, where you are taught to be still and sit with your (sometimes painful) feelings. For Toni Bergins, embodiment is an active practice where people literally get out of their heads and into their bodies! Her program is a trauma-conscious one that offers a new promise: leading readers through deep, personal work but making it feel like play. In this book, she turns the heaviness of processing pain and past trauma into an expressive art aligned with the most recent research. Toni studied with trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk, who, in his bestselling “The Body Keeps the Score”, notes: "In order to overcome trauma, people need to feel safe enough to open up their hearts and minds to others and become engaged with new possibilities. This can be done if trauma survivors are helped to confront and confess the reality of what has happened and are helped to feel safe again. In many cultures this involves communal rhythmical activities, such as dancing..." And that is Toni Bergins' mission and method.
Embody features Toni's prescription for a comprehensive healing journey, comprised of five core elements:
Music, to open the doorways of impulse, imagination, creativity and healing to change mood and awareness;
Movement, to enhance presence and confidence, and release old patterns and traumas;
Mystical Inquiry, where imagery and creative visualization exercises are used to guide readers into an alchemic and shamanic state to investigate past hurts, and learn to trust their instincts;
Prayers and Invocations, to raise energetic vibrations to a positive place with powerful affirmations; and
Journaling, with writing prompts to process inner self-awareness learned on the dance floor or through any of the other Embody elements.
