Classes

way of the wave : 5Rhythms practice
autumn equinox to winter solstice
Sept. 23 - Dec. 16, 2021

Thursday evenings
drop in
6:45 pm - 8:30 pm

come dance inside-out at Cobble Hill Community Pavilion

Healing is movement. Disease is inertia. If you put the body in motion, you will change. - Gabrielle Roth

In this season,
I give classes to acknowledge our human condition in intense times.
We can be simultaneously wounded and capable of restoring, inundated and insightful,
in need and generative, in conflict and peace-building.
Carrying potential for positive change.

I give classes to support growth in our individual capacities to know ourselves,
to be basically well, and to deliberately direct our time and attention
to mending our shared state in this precious life.

I give classes to invest in deepening responsiveness and balance
in our collective actions and community life,
in the context of a crisis-addled human family and planet.

I give classes knowing that broadened care and engagement is preceded
by care directed inward, and rooted. We can show up, decompress, refresh.

We'll dance in and around Cobble Hill Community Pavilion,on the grounds of Evergreen Independent School,
at 3515 Watson Ave., just down the block from Cobble Hill Hall.

Cobble Hill Community Pavilion is a dream come true for the needs we have, now. It's a timber structure with open sides and a smooth concrete floor.
We'll have weather-shelter, open air, and lights. I'm grateful to access a place that can provide generous personal space and allow us to continue
with care, integrity, and the ingenuity to dance in winds of change.

Be mindful of on-street parking signs.
Come well-prepared for changing weather and shortening daylight.
Remember to wear comfy shoes if dancing barefoot on concrete is not for you.
No experience required. All humans 13+ welcome, any culture/colour/creed, any gender/sexuality, any size, any health/(dis)ability status.

PRACTICE NOTES
No pre-registration required for now.
Physical distancing of 6 feet is required, but because we'll be outdoors, masks are elective at this time.
Whether you've danced with me before or not, please visit this page for essential orientation and preparation.

PRICING
My experiment at this time in regard to exchange is a spectrum with suggested payment points from sponsored to sponsoring.
Our extractive capitalist society creates intense and unfair precarity and barriers for many,
while others live with excessive means. I need to create conditions that sustain the work it takes to offer the practice.
It's your choice. Please offer what you can.
I uphold accessibility. No-one turned away. If finances are a barrier, please contact me.

Standard
(sustaining)
suggested $20

Sponsoring
(if you are in relative abundance, you're invited to invest in accessibility for all)
suggested $25 or any amount more

Sponsored
(students with limited means, those experiencing under-employment,
single parents/guardians with finite funds, those on lower fixed incomes, etc.)
suggested $15

I will accept cash, debit or credit cards at the door, and e-transfer payment to chantellfoss@gmail.com.

If you have questions about this, please ask. I'd be delighted to orient you further.

Indoor 5Rhythms paused for now.

Online 5Rhythms paused for now.

In summer 2021, outdoor 5Rhythms classes raised funds to support organizations
working to heal the living legacy of the Indian Residential School System of Canada.

On September 1/21, I directed $900 (50% of my proceeds) to:
Tsow-Tun Le Lum Society & Orange Shirt Society

We had the good fortune to dance in St. Ann's garden at Providence Farm (above).
This land has been worked and loved in community service since 1979 by an independent secular organization offering therapeutic programming
to adults and seniors with mental health challenges, developmental and intellectual disabilities, and age-related illnesses.
:::
It was occupied 1864-1964 by a school run by the Catholic order of St. Ann, with students from Indigenous and settler communities at different times.
I've made sporadic efforts in the last 10 years to research the school's role in our region, coming up relatively empty.
Recently I received some help from others, and confirmed that this school was not part of the group of five Residential Schools
found at Penelakut and 4 other places around Vancouver Island, contrary to what I previously understood from a government list
of schools that were both included in and excluded from compensation for victims.
:::
The distinction is an important one as we make our gradual way through layers of stories and unknowns toward facts and disillusionment
about our past and present. My understanding of our history is a work in progress which I expect will be disrupted again. Such is the learning path.
My intention is to open our 2021 community, in a gentle and honest way, to the significance and the power of the places where we dance and live.
:::
As we've met at this site since 2015, I've noticed that when people step onto these grounds to dance and reconnect, they become aware of and stirred by the layered and diverse histories and feelings of this place that has enduring meaning here. The power of this spot on Earth, and our personal relationship with what it might represent to us and to how we interact with communities, individuals, and the territory we occupy, are meaningful, and will be fruitful if we allow them to be.
:::
This summer's gathering wave of confirmations of mass-murder and anonymous burial of thousands of Indigenous children by the Residential system has properly stirred and shaken us. This reality is one we can't depart, and it's a medicinal invitation for for us to learn, grow, and shift, within community.
:::
These threads coming together provide the impulse for me to invite practice that includes real recognition of our history and its continued fallout,
with attention to significant local stories and locations, alongside great appreciation for this land and its caretakers.
I invite dancers to step into practice on this historical spot on Quw'utsun' land in human awareness of each impacted child,
and in respect for the Indigenous nations and communities who lost their beloved little ones forever.
:::

All yoga practice remains on hold for now.

ON HOLD : Community Yoga: a gentle wake-up call for every body
Mondays & Wednesdays 9 -10 a.m.
North Cowichan Aquatic Centre, James Street, Duncan
Let's meet to practice yoga in simplicity and togetherness. All energy, health, and experience levels welcome, including absolute beginners.
Each class opens with breathing-focused meditation, continues with moving our bodies, and ends full-circle in meditation.
This short practice provides a potent experience of what we can do when we arrive to support ourselves and each other.
All human beings of all backgrounds, genders, and health status welcome, 14 and older.

Bring your own bolster, strap, and mat if possible.
Mats, but no other props, are available on site.
Registration required by 8 p.m. the previous day: (250) 746-7665

ON HOLD : Parent & Baby yoga: a registered supportive yoga class for parents with newborns to crawlers
Wednesdays 10:15-11:30 a.m.
North Cowichan Aquatic Centre, James St., Duncan
No yoga experience necessary - and experienced yoginis/yogis welcome. This is a class with personal attention, time for social connection, and welcoming space for babies to nurse, cry, and do all the things that babies do. Gathering together, stretching together, and relaxing together is a powerful cure for the big challenges, massive changes, and frequent isolation of early parenting. Holding this class at the North Cowichan Aquatic Centre means you'll have access to easy parking, a fabulous array of supportive yoga props for restoration, and very affordable cost.

To register, call 250-746-7665.