Description
In Embody, Toni Bergins, the founder and creator of JourneyDance, an internationally renowned dance movement program, shares with readers a powerful way to address trauma mindfully so people can confront it, heal, and grow to love themselves unconditionally, just as they are. Embody 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 breathwork and meditation. For Toni Bergins, embodiment is best achieved through active movement, and has created a practice where people literally get out of their heads and into their bodies! Her program is a trauma-informed 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. Specifically, trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk, writes in his bestselling The Body Keeps the Score, "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: to help readers move into a new story for their lives.
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.
About the Author
Toni Bergins, M.Ed., is an embodiment trailblazer who has taught at the premier holistic healing centers for the last 27 years. She is on permanent faculty at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, and has worked there as a movement artist, dance educator, expressive arts workshop leader, and expert in creating transformational workshops. She has led JourneyDance programs at the renowned Esalen Institute, Omega Institute, 1440 Multiversity, The New York Open Center, Pure Yoga, Blue Spirit and countless others. Since Toni first presented her workshop at the Omega Institute in 2008, JourneyDance has become a yearly event, and is the single most sought-after form taught in Omega's on-campus Movement program, employing 10-plus JourneyDance teachers each season. Toni also writes and creates video content for her website, journeydance.com.
Reviews
"Toni Bergins' new book is a must-read for any who are seeking to deepen their moment-by-moment integration of mind and body. Her beautiful work helps us throw light on our shadow selves so that we can face them, move with them, and integrate them. Highly recommended!"
-Stephen Cope, bestselling author of The Great Work of Your Life and scholar emeritus Kripalu Center
"Toni superbly illustrates the power of the body, movement, and dance in the journey of transformation. Toni guides the reader on a path to embracing that dance truly connects and fosters the ability to feel, heal, and transform into the greatest versions of ourselves."
-Erica Hornthal, author of Body Aware
"This book is refreshing and pure truth. You cannot heal any form of trauma without movement. For over 20 years Toni has been a part of my women retreats. Her JourneyDance class is like medicine that helps women transform their pain, and feel sensual and alive. Her new book, Embody is the best way to shake your sh@$ out!"
-Sierra Bender, author of Goddess to the Core, creator of 4 Body Fit (TM)
"Embody is an invitation to reclaiming our beauty within. The journey is spellbinding, filled with mystical movement, a deep dive into swirling emotion and releasing, and tools to lighten one's being and soar to new heights. The book is infused with pressing poetry, sensuous soundscapes, and Toni's journey of reclamation weaving through the kaleidoscope, inviting an ever-deepening exploration and expansion."
-Alyson Quinn, author of Healing Trauma, and director of the Trauma Informed Practice Institute
"Embody is a profound guide to rediscovering the joy and authentic power within your body. As a creative, powerful, and deeply insightful leader, Toni masterfully brings the power of dance to life through these pages, making her life-changing JourneyDance method accessible to all. Her words, music, and movements guide you every step of the way, helping you feel, heal, and love your body from the inside out. Absolutely brilliant, Toni is a powerhouse who has done the deep work, enabling her to share her powerful methods in such a beautiful way. Proud to call her not only a peer but also one of my teachers."
-Cristi Christensen, author of Chakra Rituals
"I've witnessed the depth and meaningful impact of Toni's work at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. Embody is a true reflection of her in-person teaching, guiding you through an innovative and transformative practice, wherever you are."
-Coby Koslowski, MA, author of One Degree Revolution
"At a time when so many of us have become estranged from our hearts, Toni offers a sacred path to help us come home. In Embody, she has distilled decades of personal development, study, and teaching into a treasure chest of transformational tools. Through wisdom, story, and therapeutic practices, she invites us to embrace the full spectrum of our humanity, and write a new story for our life. I've experienced the power of her work many times. Every time I've danced, dreamed, or collaborated with her, I've come away inspired, moved, and more alive."
-Carrie Grossman, devotional singer
"Toni Bergins invites us into a transformative journey where she masterfully guides readers to reconnect with their bodies, rediscover their innate joy, and embrace their full range of emotions. Toni's profound understanding of embodiment shines through every page, offering practical insights and heartfelt encouragement. Toni's words are a beacon of light, and Embody is a powerful tool for anyone seeking to enhance their resilience and emotional well-being."
-Rochelle Schieck, founder of Qoya Inspired Movement, and author of Qoya: A Compass for Navigating an Embodied Life That Is Wise, Wild and Free
"Toni is one of those rare spirits who bravely makes a stand for those ready to lean back into their wilderness and creative expression. She creates a safe space for the daring work to begin, calling us home to ourselves. In the most simple, yet profound ways, she guides people back to the body, where true healing always begins."
-Brothers Koren, founders of Your Big Voice and Webby TV series, The Journey
Book Information
ISBN 9780757325007
Author Toni Bergins
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Health Communications
Publisher Health Communications
Weight(grams) 363g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 140mm * 23mm