Heart, Womb and Soul Dance - Free Trial Sessions
Friday, August 21, 7-9 p.m
Wednesday, August 26, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: Studio Laetana, Hoogstraat 105A, Unit 7, 5615 PB Eindhoven, Netherlands“All that is important is this one moment in movement. Make the moment important, vital, and worth living. Do not let it slip away unnoticed and unused.”
- Martha Graham
“The wind? I am the wind. The sea and the moon? I am the sea and the moon. Tears, pain, love, bird-flights? I am all of them. I dance what I am. Sin, prayer, flight, the light that never was on land or sea? I dance what I am.”
- Isadora Duncan
Heart, Womb, and Soul Dance sessions will be designed in the spirit of the Red Tent; an embodied devotion to earth, spirit, and our beautiful feminine bodies. Through healing movement, meditation, and dance, and based on the healing and performance arts of Odissi dance, Yoga, and Qi Gong, we will explore, breathe and dance to enliven our cells, organs, tissues, overall vitality, and spirit.
What to bring: A water bottle
What to wear: Something that makes you feel beautiful, easy to move in, with no loose edges near the feet and ankles. A bindi, if it pleases you to do so.
Registration: Email redtent@heartwombandsoul.com.
Read more about Odissi and Heart, Womb and Soul dance here: http://www.heartwombandsoul.com/news/2020/7/25/heart-womb-and-soul-dance-starting-this-fall
View the event on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/231758048033862
Watch videos by my teacher, Revital Carroll, that introduce foundational principles of Odissi Dance:
https://youtu.be/IdAnLklusfc
https://youtu.be/PW10ycvUnIg
It will be my absolute joy and pleasure to share this dance and this time with you!With love and admiration for your infinite beauty,
Jennifer
Red Tent: Fire Ceremony and a Conversation About Beauty
The most divine essence of each woman is her unique beauty. It is not for the world to judge, control, repress, or mandate how it’s going to be expressed or not expressed. One can try; the inevitable consequence will be that she will rebel or implode. Cultivating, cherishing, and properly adoring the beauty of each woman in a society, on the other hand, will have inexhaustibly favorable and life-affirming implications for everyone and everything She touches.
Please join us in the Red Tent for a conversation about Beauty – Why the World Needs it Now – and why we are the ones to bring it.
Please bring:
A poem, song, or essay (one you love, or one you wrote); instrument; painting; drawing; something from nature; or something else that represents infinite beauty for you.
A page from your journal (words, thoughts, a drawing) representing that which you are ready to transform and transcend.
What to wear: Something that makes you feel beautiful.
Food: There will be a vegetarian soup on the stove, and other light refreshments.
If you would like to contribute a loaf of fresh bread, salad, dates, nuts or dark chocolate, please notify the host.
Please RSVP to confirm your attendance. Space is limited as the ceremony will be held at a private residence.
Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Time: 19.00 – 22.00 p.m.
Location: Near Eindhoven City Center - RSVP for location details
Cost: Free/donations only
A Circle of Darkness and Light
The Dark Moon is nearly upon us once again.
What’s stirring in you?
What’s inspiring you?
What do you need and desire for yourself? For our world?
Our body is our temple, the Earth is our Mother, and the world is ours to steward, celebrate and nurture back to wholeness. Join us in a virtual Red Tent gathering to relish and honor our cyclical journey through darkness; into the realms of mystery, transformative possibility, and conception. Traveling this sacred path together in the spirit of Shakti – the feminine way – is an honor and divine responsibility. Coming together in community – especially in this deeply troubled time of engineered “distancing” – is more essential to our health, well-being, and feminine power than ever.
Each woman will have the opportunity to share what’s on our minds and in our hearts. As is our ongoing mission, we will practice deep listening, compassion, and Sisterhood. Each woman’s unique journey to Herself will be held with reverence, in a warm embrace of loving support and compassion.
Please bring a little piece of your personal inspiration to share with us – a poem, song, meditation, piece of art, story, personal lesson or inspired reading. It can be something you wrote; or from a favorite author; or a personal experience you want to tell us about.
What is helping you successfully navigate this unprecedented, universally challenging time?
No fussing - Let it come to you naturally.
Our format will be fluid and easy.
We’ll start with a meditation or movement sequence to fully “arrive.”
Our first share will be a free-flowing “how are you?” share…
Then we’ll go around the circle inviting each woman to share her inspiration.
Wear something beautiful and/or comfortable and cozy. Light a candle, and create an altar. Prepare a cup of tea and nourishing snack for yourself. Let the preparation be a joyous part of the ritual, and a celebration of feminine beauty.
We will be most grateful and honored for you to join us and support our community by contributing your heart’s song and your brilliance.
This circle will be held online on Zoom. Number of participants will be limited to ensure ample time and space for a juicy conversation. We usually meet in Eindhoven, Netherlands, but current circumstances allow us to include anyone in our worldwide community who would like to take part. Additional gatherings will be added as needed/desired.
Please email to register: redtent@heartwombandsoul.com
Date: Friday, April 24, 2020
Eindhoven time: 20.00 – 22.30
Pacific time: 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
The Red Tent is always free. Donations and/or community contributions are welcome. Contact the host to donate or discuss ways you can contribute to help our community continue to thrive.
Tending Our Community In Times of Crisis
In a powerful expression of solidarity and Sisterhood, a beautiful circle of international women met in a virtual Red Tent today, via Zoom. I couldn’t help but feel part of a “Brady Bunch” (https://youtu.be/AzODEdkypdg). Admittedly, this is not the preferred MO of this circle of women healers, artists, activists, seekers, huggers and deeply compassionate and sensual beings. Still, I believe that tending to our splintered modern communities - practicing solidarity, heartfelt connection, and a deep appreciation for our shared humanity – now more than ever, will help us gracefully traverse our current state of affairs.
There is no doubt we will have to be intentional, proactive, and creative about the ways that we choose to hold our community close. While the invitation to stay home and “do” less can be a delightful gift, feelings of isolation can become toxic, overwhelming, and deeply painful for many, many people. We will continue to share funny and absurd memes, express outrage about politics and horror over statistics. Meanwhile, grief, loss, depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, fear, uncertainty and (for some) hunger, will simmer beneath the surface, behind closed doors and beyond the public media feeds. Let’s, please, all set the intention to reach out – to someone, somehow. May we all continue to deploy our treasure chest of skills and healing practices to stay connected with our innate wisdom, our ever-present and ever-wise Earth Mother, as well as our global human family as we navigate the days and weeks ahead.
Social Cohesion and Seeds of Spring
Join us for a Conversation in the Red Tent, Friday, March 27, 2020, via Zoom
Each month, the darkness of the New Moon urges us into a dreamworld - to let go of “doing” for a few sacred moments - in order to allow physical metabolic debris and stale emotional energy to shed like dead skin from our cells and psyches. In these sacred and deeply tender moments (post-harvest phase of the previous cycle), our lessons are fresh, if often painful. If we actively and conscientiously engage in the process of clearing the debris, we come away lighter, wiser, and with fresh, true, and necessary insights naturally emerging to inform our journey forward. It is in these moments, in a healing space, where a gently-guided, compassionately held, honest and freewheeling conversation can give birth to necessary course corrections and extraordinary possibilities. It’s spring folks – what seeds and opportunities will we devote our energy to this season?
In this moment when everything feels uncertain and the world is practicing physical distancing, the women of the Red Tent are coming together this week of the New Moon to share what’s on our hearts, and to cultivate social cohesion, emotional resilience and holistic vitality. Our gathering will include healing and rejuvenating meditative practices.
This circle will be held online on Zoom. Number of participants will be limited to ensure ample time and space for a juicy conversation. We usually meet in Eindhoven, Netherlands, but current circumstances allow us to include anyone in our worldwide community who would like to take part. Additional gatherings will be added as needed/desired.
Please email to register: redtent@heartwombandsoul.com
Date: Friday, March 27, 2020
Eindhoven time: 20.00 – 22.00
Pacific time: 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
The Red Tent is always free. Donations and/or community contributions are welcome. Contact the host to donate or discuss ways you can contribute to help our community continue to thrive.
Conversations in the Red Tent: Embracing Our Inner Critic
Join us in the Red Tent Tuesday, February 25, 2020, 7:30 - 10:30 p.m.
Yogayuj Yoga Studio, Geldropseweg 84c Eindhoven
This month our community member, Marieke Meischke, will facilitate a conversation intended to catalyze self-discovery, emotional self-awareness and empowerment. As always, we come together with the intention to cultivate self-awareness and inner wisdom, and to explore the nuances and vulnerability of our human experience in community.
“I was first hesitating to join the Red Tent since I haven’t been feeling comfortable being a woman and being among groups of women. But it came to me at the right time in my life and now, also due to Jennifer’s wonderful guidance, I enjoy it immensely. Surrendering in a safe situation with the kindness and protection of other women; it is relaxing and healing for me, especially since I recently divorced after a very unexpected and complex turn in my marriage.”
“I read the book Embracing Your Inner Critic; Turning Self Criticism into a Creative Asset during a short trip to Tel Aviv in which I forgot my phone at home. It gave me the focus (no distraction) to get into it very deeply, and I realized how powerful this topic is, and how powerful it can be in transforming our suffering - embracing the obstacles we face again and again. I use what I learned also with my music students and they are really interested in it. They write about it with great inspiration. It is so recognizable for everyone, at every age.”
Marieke realized that she had been sabotaging many dreams and desires in her life, ending up frustrated, and making the ‘wrong’ decisions when it came to important choices, like connecting to a life partner. “I chose relationships that undermined me rather than supported me.”
On the evening of the dark moon in February, Marieke will share about her journey with Voice Dialogue, and how she began a conversation with her inner critic – creating an ally instead of an enemy. She will facilitate an experience in our circle to demonstrate how, with this method, Voice Dialogue, we can support ourselves to become more independent and free.
‘On the journey of self-discovery, let’s stop looking for what is wrong with us. Let us discover, instead, who we are and how we work! Let us separate from our judgments as we explore the amazing system of selves within us, and learn to live our lives with ever-increasing honesty, choice, and freedom.’
- Hal and Sidra Stone, authors of Embracing Your Inner Critic; Turning Criticism Into A Creative Asset
You are cordially invited to join us in our meditations, conversations, and self-care rituals in the Red Tent. Our community is warm, welcoming and diverse; we love to dance, sing, and laugh together; and our conversations are always inspiring and deeply touching. ❤️
Meet Marieke:
She turned 56 years vibrant, gorgeous and wise on Valentines day!
She was raised with a lot of music (classical, jazz, pop), and this has always been the guideline and lifeline for her. Inspired by Joni Mitchell, she became a lyricist, although she has been writing journals, letters and poetry since she learned to write. Communicating on paper felt more safe than talking with people. She does freelance work as a festival organizer and as a coach/teacher at a music conservatory. With her students she explores the art of the spoken word, lyrics, and coping with life as a creative person.
Marieke has also been caretaking for 12 years. She recently wrote a novel based on a true story with an ALS patient she works with since 5 years. Together they are currently doing readings about the topic of surviving the world of medicine and caretaking when being chronically or lethally ill.
Though all of this is challenging and quite fulfilling for Marieke, it can also be quite stressful, especially running the festivals. Yoga and meditation keep her in balance; running or walking in the woods keep her strong and connected to nature.
Co-leading with Marieke will be another pillar of our community, Katy Hart. Originally from Iran, she has lived almost 20 years in Holland.
“As women, although we have our differences, we also share many similar experiences, like our menstrual cycle. In this fast modern world we have all been pushed to favor our masculine aspects, and that has caused a lot of stress for many of us. I was drawn to study and explore feminine energy and have done so in depth for the last two years, and I am now living more consciously in my femininity. I have experienced many transformations and a whole new life taking shape around me. Through this I discovered the precious Red Tent! I needed a circle of women around me to find out more about me – amazingly, something shifts within me every single time we gather in our sacred Red Tent and share our ❤s while feeling safe, thanks to lovely Jennifer. I have stepped up to take the lead while she is not in Holland and to be part of a team of co-leaders among our lovely sisters to keep the lights of our Red Tent on. We all love it. I am so grateful to Jennifer and you, ladies, for your trust and faith in me and that gives me more courage to step into the unknown and host the Red Tent for the first time together with lovely Marieke ... I am excited about it and so thankful for the support of Jennifer who has dedicated her heart to the Red Tent. Love, Katy”
Read more, share and RSVP on Facebook
Our January Conversation: Holistic Breast Care
In January our Red Tent community gathered on the evening of the New Moon and inquired deeply into our societal, psychic, tender and profoundly intimate relationship with our breasts. We were guided by our friend Daleep Kaur to consider a holistic perspective and approach to care of our feminine essence by transcending fear, judgement and starkly clinical models of care, and practicing reverence for all that our breasts represent for us. It was an evening of dance, inspired conversation, creativity and genuinely feminine connection. Thank you Daleep! 🙏💃
Moved by the painful experiences of many women in her life, holistic breast care is an important part of Daleep’s life’s work. She is available for further inquiries and consultations at Daleep YOGA. 🌹
Also present in this circle was our friend Claudia Van Het Kaar, who has spent the last few years interviewing women about their breasts for the book that she is writing on this topic. As a practitioner and author, and hostess of Eindhoven’s Centrum voor vrouwen, Claudia also welcomes further inquiry and conversation regarding the care and tender keeping of our breasts. ❤️
In February and March, our circle will be hosted and lovingly guided by our community members Katy Hart, Marieke Meischke, and Floor Hofman. Pencil Tuesday, February 25, and Wednesday, March 25 into your calendar for the Red Tent! Check back here for details soon.
Conversations in the Red Tent: The Landscape of Our Breasts
Our community is amazing! Rich with experience, feminine radiance, fearlessness, outstanding leadership qualities, and stepping up like never before in 2020 to guide our community into a new era of health, connection and empowerment. Join us!
January 24, 2020, 7:30 p.m., Yogayuj Yoga Studio, Geldropseweg 84c Eindhoven
Read, RSVP, and share the event link on Facebook.
With the guidance of our community member, Daleep Kaur, we will dedicate the evening of the new moon this month to honor and give voice to one of our most tender body parts: our breasts. Pleasure, pain, nurturance, rejection, pride, shame, love, ignorance – each and all of these feelings may be familiar to our experiences with our breasts during the course of our lifetime. Our experiences as women are not separate or isolated; many of the stories are shared, familiar, felt across cultures, and handed down from generation to generation.
How do we process these feelings? How do we connect with and trust the inner instincts that sense that "I know what is good for me," while the outer world projects on us and seeks to influence our small and grand decisions in life? What kind of care, way of thinking or choices can we make to feel happier about our breasts?
This Red Tent will invite you to explore this tender feminine landscape through sharing, flower art and dancing.
Daleep is a teacher of Kundalini and Hatha yoga, specializing in women's well-being. She is an experienced birth doula, pre- and postnatal yoga and dance instructor and trainer, massage therapist, and mother of 2 sons. Originally from Moscow, Russia, she moved to Eindhoven in 2010. After several stories of women close to her suffering with breast cancer at quite early ages, she made the choice to deepen her knowledge in this aspect of women’s health. She discovered the Healthy Breast program founded by doctor of naturopathy and renowned Kundalini yoga teacher in Canada, Sat Dharam Kaur. She organizes special classes, workshops, circles and private sessions to educate and inspire women about breasts health in a holistic way. Find out more about Daleep and her work at http://www.daleep.org/.
Introspection, Meditation, Safety and Sweet Treats
Join us in December for a beautiful afternoon of introspection and meditation, sweet treats, and decadent soul-affirming conversation. As our community grows in number, diversity, and depth of character, we continue to seek opportunities to know ourselves and one another more intimately.
Red Tent is a ritual of touching into the natural cycle, touching into ourselves – that part that may not feel free to reveal itself anytime, anywhere – and touching into the warmth, wisdom and safety of sacred feminine community. We’re building a welcoming and authentic container in a world and time that - for many of us – feels anything but safe, warm, authentic or accepting. Our conversations are rich with adventure, inquiry, curiosity, reflection, possibility, and naked truth. We don’t shy away from edgy or emotional aspects of our human experience – you are holistically welcome here.
As we forge forward and develop our skill of holding space and creating safety within and among ourselves, we send a powerful, if subtle, ripple into the world; one that penetrates rigidity, facade and resistance with softness, truth and resilience.
Our heartfelt meditations and conversations in the Red Tent transcend words, connect souls and heal hearts. If your heart feels called to join with other unabashedly fierce and tender feminine souls, please save the date and plan to join us!
Read More about the Red Tent here.
Connect, share, and add to your events calendar on Facebook.
Email Jennifer with questions, to be added to the email list, or to RSVP.
Conversations in the Red Tent: Growing Glorious
Our gathering under the new moon last night was a powerful inquiry into the realms of infinite possibility and creative force. We studied the natural rhythm of expanding consciousness and developing wisdom throughout the course of a monthly cycle, a creative project, a relationship or lifetime, and the fundamental forces of nature that urge the cultivation of growing gloriously self-aware, self-responsible, emotionally intelligent, inexhaustibly creative, and self-confident.
What yearnings might we have, and what insight might we be willing to offer in the world around us if we knew that our honest contribution – the one that was conceived and sourced through our quiet meditations, our first-hand experiences, our life lessons and our deepest yearnings - was going to be a game changer; the one that would change everything for the better?
