Thread: Bellydance for Healing class

Hey everyone,

I'm wondering if anyone has taught bellydance to women who are recovering from some kind of personal trauma. I'm going to be teaching a beginner's workshop at a yoga studio and saw on their calendar that they offer yoga workshops for overcoming trauma. While talking to the studio owner, she mentioned that these people are usually very disconnected from their bodies. This is something that has crossed my mind a few times over the past few years. I'm not a therapist or psychologist so it seems that someone with both bellydance experience and at least an understanding of how people heal would be best for this kind of class.

While in Tokyo I worked with the Afet Collective (thanks Eshe!) and while I loved donating to our cause supporting a women's shelter in Tokyo, I always felt compelled to do MORE. The language barrier kind of kept me from pursuing that but now that I'm back in the U.S., I'm interested in working more directly with women, if possible.

Any personal stories or advice is welcome! Thank you!

In Sera Solstice's bio, it reads that she taught dance to women victims of domestic violence in India 2005. Just google her, she is easy to find. I would try emailing her and seeing her she would give you some input.

Yes I know of one but it is not marketed that way.

http://danseorientale.com.au/newslet...mer-School-10/

In this workshop students are taught Maqams and how certain maqams are attached to certain emotions and charakas and can have emotional healing properties.

Thank you both! That's very helpful. The maqam workshop sounds interesting, too.

I've taught breast cancer survivors, but only little one-off classes and I don't teach them any special way, just lots of laughter and acceptance.

it sounds really interesting, I wonder if the instructor would let you join in the yoga class a few times to get a sense of it?

good point! I'll ask her.

Just wandering thru to say Henna is a delicious dancer with gooey hips and a radiant smile :)

Bellydancing the world a better place..how wonderful!

oh Eshe! ..g.: