Morning Embodiment Practice: Mindful Movement, Stillness, + In Between

Morning Embodiment Practices is an invitation to practice giving ourselves permission to arrive fully to where we are, and gently explore movement and stillness to care for our bodies and ourselves. 

As an element of self attunement, we will practice making intuitive choices through a lens of self love, meaning that we are each making choices that are nourishing and responsive to ourselves as individuals in that moment. Part of this practice includes being very intentional and explicit about what kinds of choices we might consider, and being curious about how it feels to try them. There will be many options provided throughout, with guidance around how to navigate choice making, including if this is new to you or you are navigating a limitation or injury. There will be a corner of the room set aside in case you’d like to opt out of the facilitated structure and take a moment for yourself to rest.

Opening Circle: 10 min. We will arrive, ground, and check-in with whatever feels present for each of us. This event is designed to support you in meeting yourself in whatever you might be experiencing. We get to welcome ourselves to come as we are. 

Warm Up: 20 min: We will do a guided, full-bodied warm up, tuning the instruments of our bodies and attention, giving ourselves plenty of time to shake it out, stretch, wiggle, and move through whatever feels stuck. Movements will be simple enough to follow along, giving us a chance to get out of our heads and drop into our bodies, regulating our nervous system. Drawing on modern/contemporary dance and yoga, there will be flow, rhythm, and music.

Movement Explorations: 30 min: After the warm up, we will explore movements that deepen our connection with our bodies and our intuition, focusing on concepts and areas of the body that can help us settle and release. 

Meditation: 15 min: We will settle into meditation and rest. Finding stillness might be sitting/standing/lying down and might include cozy props, having eyes open or closed, and suggestions to make yourself comfortable, including allowing some body movement within that quiet space.

Please bring clothes you feel comfortable to move in. It’s recommended to bring long sleeves, long pants and socks with you, in case we are moving on the floor. Bring a journal if you’d like.

Tickets are sliding scale $15 - $35 with no one turned away for lack of funds! This event is in-person only.

About Suzanne (Zan): 

With three decades of modern dance experience and 13 years of teaching, Suzanne Beahrs guides students in exploring movement as a pathway to deeper connection—with ourselves, our surroundings, and each other. Her classes blend technical training, creative expression, and guidance on being intentional with how we are each practicing. Her movement style was described by The New York Times as “grounded, silken.” In addition to modern dance, she is currently heavily influenced by house dance, contact improvisation, and mindfulness practices.

She is currently on faculty at Shawl-Anderson Dance Center and has previously taught extensively at ODC, Gibney, Elon University, ADF studios, and many more. She has shown her choreography in NY, NC, CA, AZ, MA, and MO, and performed in works by Ishika Seth, Mo Miner, and others.

Beyond the studio, Suzanne is a facilitator and has worked as a DEI consultant. She also enjoys exploring writing, visual art, nature, music, and belonging. 

Education: MFA in Dance, NYU Tisch School of the Arts; BA in Geology, UC Berkeley

Learn more about Suzanne: 

IG @suzannebeahrs 

suzannebeahrs.com

Banner photo: Stephanie Leathers

Host or Publisher The Berkeley Alembic Foundation