Qoya: A Sacred Movement Practice for Women & Girls
Your body is your sacred ally
With all the body shaming that goes on out there right now, with all the ways you’re told your body is both too much and not enough, I know this can be hard to believe sometimes.
It’s as if the collective is designed to make women feel out of place in their own skin.
Your body is a portal for healing
All the drug companies constantly convince you that you have a condition that needs to be medicated and make you forget your own body’s inherent intelligence.
All the fitness crazes and diet industry hype promise they’ll transform your body in just a few months and divorce you from the joy of loving the skin you’re in.
All the marketing messages tell you what beauty is and what bodies should look and like make you feel like your body is flawed and will never be enough.
Those voices and tired stories that instill doubt and lack in you? They’re wrong. They’re conspiring to keep you small, fearful and eager to buy something to make it all better.
But even if you understand all this on a mental level, you need something that will help you understand it in the deepest most embodied way.
Despite all the noise and all the negativity,
you body wants to be your most trusted companion and
greatest source of joy.
Right now, all women need sacred movement to realize their own divine embodied truth.
All women need Qoya.
What is Qoya?
Qoya is system of sacred, feminine movement that is both spontaneous and structured.
Depending on when you look in on a Qoya class in progress, it might look like a women’s circle, a dance class, or a wild party. A two-hour class includes elements of yoga, meditation, and free movement.
Qoya is a movement system based on the idea that through movement, we remember.
Qoya offers the sacred rebel in each of us the opportunity to defy cultural judgments and stereotypes about what our bodies “should be” and, instead, offers a beautiful container for creating a sacred relationship with the body as it is.
Once you open yourself to this practice you’ll begin to know deep in your bones this truth: “my body is my sacred ally and portal for healing.”
When we gather together for a Qoya class, we remember our essence is wise, wild and free.
Wise: calling on the wisdom of yoga.
Wild: the creative expression in dance.
Free: expanding our capacity to enjoy being in our bodies through feminine movement.
Through dance, we use the body as a portal to the soul.
Benefits of Qoya:
feel more open and comfortable in your body
get in touch with your true essence
develop a sense of connection with other women
open up to your sensuality
expand the pleasure of being in your body
work through and feel emotions through movement
Who is Qoya for?
Those who identify as women and gender non-conforming people of all ages and levels of physical fitness are welcome and encouraged to dance with us.
I especially love Mother-Daughter classes because I think sharing Qoya with groups that span the generations helps deepen relationships and allows wisdom to ripple up, down, and through all the folks in the dance.
What you will need:
comfortable clothes that are good for moving and stretching
a water bottle
a yoga mat
a notebook and pen
for classes at the barn, closed toed shoes (sneakers you don’t mind getting muddy are best!)
What Students Are Saying
“Qoya with Erin is a true energy healing practice. I love how I able to move my body in a way that gets me out of my head and into the present moment. I am able to tap into joy, pleasure, playfulness and my intuition. I am able to open up my chakras, align my energy body and embody feminine energy through flow and surrender. Erin provides a safe space to connect with other women in her fun and playful way. In her joy and freedom of movement, I was able to give myself permission to connect with my body as a sacred ally. Don’t hesitate to go to one of her offerings! You will be so happy you did.”
“I had the special opportunity to experience Qoya led by Erin earlier this year at a retreat. Erin joyfully embodies this exuberant movement process, facilitating a circle that feels safe and connected. My usual self consciousness went out the window and I was able to connect to a soulful, wise and empowered part of myself that I had not previously felt. I highly recommend Erin’s Qoya gatherings!”
“Qoya offers just the right balance of intuitive free movement as well as structure and support to keep you grounded and connected to your intention. If you’re nervous about dancing in front of others, or worried that this is a dance class where you won’t know the steps- know that this is so very different! Qoya is an opportunity to drop down out of the mind and reconnect to our bodies and movement in ways that are intuitive, feel good and are deeply healing. Qoya can be as gentle, deep, slow, energetic, playful, or serious as you need- trust that you will get just what you need and your body will know how.”
Qoya Beyond the Traditional Studio
I’ve been teaching Qoya classes for a few years now, and like everything since spring of 2020, the way I’ve taught has changed, too.
It’s wonderful to have classes outdoors at our Great Falls, Virginia barn. Moving in the midst of a herd of powerful, gentle horses is a truly transformative experience. Check out the events page for the next class.
And, I am excited to bring Qoya to you and your organization.
As I expand my therapy practice and invite more adolescents to experience Equine Facilitated Therapy, I am excited to offer new ways for parents and teens to connect, particularly mothers and daughters to come together.
Let’s talk about arranging a class for you, your daughter, and your community.