Twelve Reasons to Dance!

Contributed by Cindy Ayton...

"We carry inside us a source from which everything is born..."

1. Belly Dancing can be considered the oldest dance ever danced by women - purely and simply, the oldest dance in the whole of civilization.

2. The first temples were built to honor the Divine, and were dedicated to the Goddesses, and served by priestesses. The priestesses danced for the Goddess and united with her through dancing.

3. Dancing expresses the longing to stretch beyond one's limitations and come closer to the Divine.

4. Women have gathered for Ritual and Dance for centuries.

5. Through dance, one can express all the moods and feelings, all the longings and sufferings and joys of being a woman.

6. Dance can help a woman is search of her own identity. It can pave the way for a process of self awareness.

7. The story of one's life as it is written into the body can be retold and understood in the intense movement of dancing.

8. Belly Dancing becomes a source of inspiration; a means of collecting and strengthening oneself; a way of understanding oneself.

9.This dance creates new worlds of awareness, and helps release stored memories in the body.

10. Belly Dancing is a dance of isolation, in which various parts and centers of the body are moved individually - independently from each other, yet end up forming a unity.

11. On the emotional level, Belly Dancing brings Joy. We are Dancing from the womb, our Sacral Chakra, our Creative center, our center of Joy. It is a great way to release tension and transmute negative energy.

12. Dance was used to strengthen sexual energy, to awaken joy and to praise the mysteries of life. You come into Harmony with the universe, abandoning yourself to Life and the Divine.

 What Dance could express this more passionately than Belly Dance?

~ Excerpts taken from  "Grandmother's Secrets: The Ancient Rituals and Healing Power of Belly Dance", by Rosina-Fawzia Al-Rawi

For more information about our upcoming belly dance class, click here...

Sacred Bellydance Coming to LHHC!

Cindy Karakalia Ayton presents a beautiful 2-Hour Workshop, "Spiritual Bellydance", with Devra Johari Giles!

Sunday, June 26th, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm

319 Gordon Drive, Exton PA 19341

$65 per person, includes a white veil for each participant!

Dancing from the Inside Out

Spiritual Bellydancing is a slow, meditative means of awakening the spirit within ourselves. It is a healing, energizing, and a means of communication that resides in every individual.

During this workshop, we will spend the first hour with slow warm-up and stretching, then, using common movements used in bellydance, we will begin our dance journey.

The second hour, we will work with fabric provided by the instructor and explore the connection between the inner and outer worlds.

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Space is limited to 12, please register early to secure your spot for this transformative experience!

Payment in full is due by June 10th ... check made payable to Cynthia Ayton

cynayton@verizon.net or call: 610-656-2758

Devra Johari Giles - Spiritual Bellydance

Devra began dancing in Atlanta Georgia studying Spiritual Bellydance. From there she moved towards performance styles of dance and eventually instructing. in 1999. She has been doing so ever since with a few short breaks in between.

Devra is currently teaching five classes a week at her studio in Bel Air, MD. and will begin teaching two classes at Harford Community College this summer.

Cynthia Karakalia Ayton performs and teaches Middle Eastern and Sacred Dance.

Middle Eastern Belly Dance is Back!

Bring out your inner goddess!

Cindy Ayton, with her 18 years of dance experience, is again offering her Middle Eastern Belly Dance for Fun & Fitness class, beginning Wednesday, March 2nd, from 6:30 - 7:30 pm.

A six-week series is $66 - beginning and intermediate experience welcome!

On a personal note, after many months of resistance, I (Gina) finally took a chance on this class last spring, and I will tell you, I LOVE IT!

It's fun - it's a workout - and as a (shy) mother of four boys, I got a chance to let my girlishness come out and play! There's nothing like tying on a jangly, shiny hip scarf to change your mood and kick out the winter blahs.

Cindy is a wonderful teacher, who's passionate about dance and really loves to have fun with this stuff. She encourages all of the women in her class to have fun with it too, and learn to appreciate how beautiful our bodies really are.

Got your attention? Give her a call: 610-656-2758, or email her at cynayton@verizon.net

Herb of the Month - Dandelion

(This week's post is by Cindy Ayton, of Earthfarmacia)

Herb of the Month

Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinalis)
Parts used- Leaf, Root and Flowers

One of my favorite little herbs!

I believe Dandelion is one of the great tonic herbs of all times. The entire plant is the ultimate spring tonic being both restorative and rejuvenating.

The root is a wonderful digestive bitter - it stimulates the liver, increases the flow of bile,cleansing the system gently. The root is also a very safe and effective diuretic as it tones the kidneys, and gently ridding the body of water. The leaves are high in vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium,iron, vitamin A and C. Adding the leaves to your favorite salad or casserole, is a delicious and nutritious idea, and a great way to reap the benefits of this wondrous little plant.

The roots can be added to stir fries, soups and decocted as a tonic tea. I use the tinctured leaf and root every spring for 4 to 6 weeks for what i call my "spring cleaning".

Favorite Liver Tonic Tea

3 parts nettles
2 part dandelion leaf
2 part red clover
1 part alfalfa
4 Tablespoon of herb per quart of boiling water, steep 20 minutes.. drink 2 to 4 cups a day!

Enjoy!


Reiki 1 Certification in March!

Once again, Cindy Ayton, Reiki master of 16 years, is offering Level 1 Certification on Sunday, March 28th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

The fee is $125, and you can contact Cindy by phone: 610-656-2758  or by email: cynayton@verizon.net

More about Reiki:

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - 'rei', whoch means 'God's wisdom' or 'the Higher Power', and 'ki', which is 'life force energy'. So Reiki is actually, 'spiritually guided life force energy'.

An amazingly simple technique to learn, the ability to use Reiki is not taught ij the usual sense, but is transferred to the student during a Reiki class. This ability is passed on during an 'attunement' given by a Reiki master, and allows the student to tap into an unlimited supply of 'life force energy' to improve one's health and enhance the quality of life.

After the attunement, you can use the Reiki healing technique on yourself, family, friends, animals, etc.

While Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion. It has no dogma, and there is nothing you must believe in order to learn and use Reiki.

Class includes history, instruction, Reiki 1 and 2 manual, attunement, refreshments, and Level 1 certificate.

When you leave you will feel completely confident in your ability to use Reiki. Once the Reiki energy is awakened within, it is with you for life.

The more you use it, the stronger it becomes!