Class today

*** Free class for the cancer community ***

in collaboration with St. Joseph's Healthcare

Details: 

"Release and Restore"

When: Every Wednesday 5:30pm - 7:15pm (West Coast / Pacific time) 

Where: Zoom 

Cost: FREE

What we do: about 45 minutes of expandance - a mindful dance and movement meditation technique with me (all abilities welcome - I have modifications if you aren't mobile) and then restorative yoga with Sarah, which is easy and deeply relaxing and is accompanied by her sound journey with singing bowls.  If you don't want anyone to see you dance, simply tilt your camera up! You don't need any dance or yoga experience. 

You don't have to be a patient of St. Joseph's. The only criteria is that you are, or have been, on a journey to healing from cancer, and that you'd like a class that will help you feel wonderful and relaxed!

To register, please e-mail the lovely Sharon at Sharon.doughty@stjoe.org and let her know where you are at in your journey, and that you'd like to try our class, and she'll send you the Zoom link. 

"The movement and sound healing class was phenomenal! Absolutely magical...

The instructors were compassionate, professional, kind and so accepting...
I’m overwhelmed by everyone..
This class left me feeling more connected with my body and it completely eliminated my anxiety...I think my healing has begun..." - Tina 

"Yesterday I attended Rachel and Sarah’s Release and Restore class for the first time and it was wonderful!" - Kim

A little about the programs here. 

A little about Rachel here. 

A little about Sarah here. 

Class tomorrow

 

Yes, there will be class tomorrow!*

* All being well... With at least two fires relatively close to us here in Northern California, smoke in the sky and ashes falling like flurries of snow, it's natural that we are on high alert. Many of us have packed our ''go bags'' much earlier in the season than we usually would, and quite a few of our friends to the north have already been evacuated. It looks like, so far at least, we're ok here in Sebastopol, so I'm planning on going ahead with class tomorrow. Please register if you're planning on attending, so that if we do need to evacuate and thus cancel, I know who to e-mail about class.  REGISTER HERE for the Zoom link: https://bit.ly/NewExpandanceRegFri This class is FREE for BIPOC, U.S. green card holders and undocumented immigrants Everyone else, donate here: https://www.paypal.me/expandance CashApp / Venmo: expandance $5-$20 *or whatever you can do* At high stress times like these, it's super important to look after our nervous systems. To breathe, to center, and to move our bodies. I hope you can join me tomorrow to do all the above and more, so that we can move through whatever the world throws at us grounded in trust, with grace and compassion for ourselves and each other.  See you tomorrow,  Rachel  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz3J64XhKLI&t=24s

Wednesday classes for the cancer community are ongoing Please share with friends "Release and Restore" When: Every Wednesday 5:30pm - 7:15pm (West Coast / Pacific time)  Where: Zoom  For: the cancer community  Cost: FREE What we do: about 45 minutes of expandance - a mindful dance and movement meditation technique with me (all abilities welcome - I have modifications if you aren't mobile) and then restorative yoga with Sarah, which is easy and deeply relaxing and is accompanied by her sound journey with singing bowls. If you don't want anyone to see you dance, simply tilt your camera up! You don't need any dance or yoga experience.  You don't have to be a patient of St. Joseph's. The only criteria is that you are, or have been at some point, on a journey to healing from cancer, and that you'd like a class that will help you feel wonderful and relaxed! We have a lovely, friendly group coming each week. We'd love you to join us. ---

In other news, my dear collaborator, friend of 20 years and co-founder of expandance, Laurie Schneider is undertaking a solo artist-in-residence week at Shawbrook Dance in Longford, Ireland this week. If you're interested in her process while she's there, follow her on Instagram here.

Laurie Schneider. Photo by @rahpetherbridgephotography

Friday expandance classes continue on zoom

 Hi friend, 

It can be so easy, can't it, when the world is so different, and tough, to show up for ourselves and give ourselves some love and care. This is just a reminder that just showing up is 90% of it! To that end, I hope you'll join me for expandance tomorrow. Show up for the choreographer inside your cells! 

A note on registering for classes: 

Please remember to register! You can register for several weeks in advance if you like, just please make sure you're registered for the dates you want to attend class. Otherwise what can happen is we have people in different zoom rooms and things can get messy. Thank you to those of you who register! It keeps everything nice and simple for me!

Register here: https://bit.ly/NewExpandanceRegFri

Thank you!

Friday expandance classes are FREE for Black, Indigenous, and People of color, as well as for undocumented immigrants (regardless of what country you're in). For everyone else, please pay what you can; $5 - $25 suggested. 

Donations can be made via PayPal here or via Venmo or CashApp ''expandance'' 

"I’m still reveling in the harmonious sensations after an hour of Expandance class .

Firstly, The combination of rhythm, self awareness and gentle movement had me right back in my conservatoire days of ballet and Tai Chi.  I was applying principles I’d had endorsed 40 years ago!  [I’m a professional singing and violin teacher, not a dancer.]

Secondly the cleverly focussed, embedded thought element had me working on a joint that had recently let me down.

The base of my left thumb is now free enough not to cause pain when playing my violin. A little more regular focus should have it completely freed-up.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Rachel’s teaching to anyone…. Lovely stuff!"

- Charles, UK 

Friday zoom classes

"You know, it's amazing, Rachel, how this practice brings so much peace, softness, and light"

- Helen, TN, August 2020

Join me in the morning for expandance

Fridays

8am

55 mins

Register here for the zoom link: https://bit.ly/NewExpandanceRegFri

FREE for BIPOC and undocumented immigrants

Donation based for everyone else

Donate via PayPal https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/expandance

or Venmo: expandance

Free expandance for cancer patients tonight 5:30pm PDT

Answering a few questions about expandance

Good Thursday, comrades. In this video I answer a few questions about Zoom expandance classes. If you have more, just let me know!

Tomorrow and every Friday

8am Pacific / 11am Eastern / 4pm Ireland & UK

Register here:

(takes 10 seconds, and you'll get an e-mail with the Zoom link)

https://bit.ly/RegisterExpandanceFri

FREE for BIPOC & U.S. immigrants

Donation based for everyone else.

Donate here:

https://www.paypal.me/expandance

or

CashApp / Venmo: expandance

Suggested donation $5-$25

Apologies for the lack of captioning

How do we know what our bodies need? Sometimes our bodies whisper to us - maybe with a yawn to let us know they're tired. Maybe with a signal to the brain saying ''I'm thirsty'' if we're dehydrated. And sometimes, when we don't listen for a while, our bodies need to get loud in order to get our attention. That can show up in the form of ailments, pains, muscle spasms, the ''back going out'' etc. What if we started listening on a regular basis? When I first started expandance (the dance company) with Laurie Schneider and Alicia Christofi Walshe, many years ago in Ireland with grant support from the Arts Council of Ireland, we were in the studio 5 days a week doing our expandance practice. From that practice, we created choreography and went on to perform those pieces at various theatres and festivals in Ireland and New York City. And for those first few years when we worked together, something interesting happened. None of us got injured. In a full time working and performing dance company, do you know how rare that is? All because we were listening *deeply* to our bodies every day, and responding to what they needed. That is why I now teach expandance practice not just to dancers, but to everyone. I know from experience the power of listening, and of moving from that deep listening place. I invite you - if it's been a while since you did expandance, or if you've never tried it - to join me tomorrow for class. You can tilt your camera up while we are dancing if you don't want others to see you. It's a beautiful, freeing practice. You don't need ANY dance experience, or even a lot of space. Here are the details: Every Friday 8am Pacific / 11am Eastern / 4pm Ireland & UK Register here: (takes 10 seconds, and you'll get an e-mail with the Zoom link) https://bit.ly/RegisterExpandanceFri   FREE for BIPOC & U.S. immigrants Donation based for everyone else. Donate here: https://www.paypal.me/expandance or CashApp expandance Suggested donation $5-$20 *or whatever you can do* * Calm your mind and clear mind chatter * Find those places in your body you're holding tension and let it go * Get grounded and centered * Feel more free, easier in the body and mind, and more uplifted I look forward to seeing you tomorrow! I'll open the room 5 minutes early so we can all get settled. Keep moving, my friends, Rachel x P.S. I'm also teaching Release and Restore (expandance and restorative yoga, with Sarah Jenness) every Wednesday at 5:30pm PDT through St. Joseph's Health. This class is FREE for the cancer community - patients, survivors and caretakers. Please register with the lovely Sharon at Sharon.doughty@stjoe.org and just let her know where you are in your cancer journey.  Listening within; listening without It's important to listen to our bodies. It's also important to listen to people who have been oppressed for hundreds of years. Here are just a few of the people I'm listening to and learning from online: https://www.instagram.com/rachel.cargle/ https://www.instagram.com/thenapministry/ https://www.instagram.com/janayathefuture/ https://www.instagram.com/iamrachelricketts/ https://www.instagram.com/urdoingreat/ https://www.instagram.com/philipattar/ One documentary that was particularly helpful to me was ''13th'' on Netflix, and this video (posted this week by @janayathefuture) is beneficial in learning more about racial structures and belief systems: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBbY19ABa54/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Feel free to share with me any BIPOC authors, speakers, and artists you know and are learning from.

Registration link for expandance Fridays

*** expandance Fridays **

Every Friday

8am Pacific / 11am Eastern / 4pm Ireland & UK

Register here (takes 10 seconds, and you'll get an e-mail with the Zoom link)

https://bit.ly/RegisterExpandanceFri

Donate here:

https://www.paypal.me/expandance
or
CashApp expandance

Suggested donation $5-$20 *or whatever you can do*

* Calm your mind and clear mind chatter

* Find those places in your body you're holding tension and let it go

* Get grounded and centered

* Feel more free, easier in the body and mind, and more uplifted

"Rachel's capacities and tools are among the most impactful and transformative I have ever experienced." - A.H., Portland, OR

expandance practice ongoing

Have you tried expandance yet? 

I hope you can join me this week (and every week while we are in SIP) - 

1. Wednesday class for the cancer community (through St. Joseph's Health)

2. Friday class for everyone 

1. Wednesdays

5:30pm - 7:30pm 

FREE for the cancer community, current patients, survivors, and their caretakers

expandance followed by DEEP relaxation with restorative yoga poses, singing bowls and sound journey from Sarah Jenness

E-mail my amazing boss Sharon to register and for the Zoom link: Sharon.doughty@stjoe.org

''The combination (of dance and restorative) was spectacular" - Nikki 

2. Fridays

8am - 8:55am 

Lovely shortened link: https://bit.ly/ZoomExpandanceFri - YES! Just click on that link! It'll bring you straight to the Zoom room :-) 

DONATION based. 

$20 suggested / pay what you can / no one turned away to: https://www.paypal.me/expandance 
FREE for anyone coming from St. Joseph's cancer community classes, as well as for front line responders, delivery and store workers, and immigrants. 

A wonderful way to start the day! I open the room a few minutes early so we can start on time. 

This is what a Sebastopol mama said last week after an expandance Zoom class:

I did expandance this morning with Rachel Wynne. If you have been thinking about doing this, Do It! I am not a dancer, I don't exercise regularly and I have chronic pain. I loved the unconventional warm up she lead us through and the visualizations with movement. Afterwards, I felt relaxed and energized at the same time. Most notably, I was able to release a considerable amount of tension that I was carrying in my body. I did all of this a short amount of time and in a small space. - B