Grief is the Portal: A Somatic Dance Journey

Grief is the Portal: A Somatic Dance Journey

Grief is heavy only when it is suppressed. When honoured, it becomes the bridge to a deeper love, a richer life, and an evolved version of you.

This sacred, feminine, and powerful journey is for women ready to stop running, to sit with what aches, and to finally allow what was never meant to be held alone to move through them. In ceremony, through the alchemy of somatic dance, you will welcome the discomfort, surrender to the wisdom within it, and transform what was once weight into wings.

The Journey:

Connection & Self-Inquiry with the ritual of Cacao – Fully arrive into the space and into your body with a heart opening cacao ceremony. Be guided through a series of journalling prompts woven with sacred story-telling to help you gently explore the sensations and emotions that feel stagnant within you.

Somatic Dance – A guided movement journey, allowing the music to move through you, dislodging grief and opening you to liberation.

Sacred Circle – Sharing and integration, anchoring the wisdom and gold you have uncovered.

When you create space to acknowledge grief, it ceases to be a burden and becomes your guide. Through this journey, you will rise—not despite your sorrow, but because of your ability to meet it with an open heart.

Are you ready to dance with the depths and find your way to love?

“We are here to love. 

There is no other reason for existence.” 

- Richard Rudd

The Science & Spirituality of Somatic Dance:

Movement is one of the most profound ways to process and release stored emotions. Studies in somatic therapy show that trauma and grief are not just mental experiences—they are held in the body. When we engage in conscious movement, we activate the nervous system in a way that allows these emotions to be metabolised rather than suppressed. Somatic dance regulates the vagus nerve, supporting the body’s natural ability to shift from states of tension to peace, while also releasing endorphins and oxytocin—hormones that foster connection, healing, and joy.

Women have been gathering in sacred movement for thousands of years. From ancient temple dances to trance-like rituals, dance has always been a way for women to connect with themselves, each other, and the divine. These traditions recognise what modern science is only beginning to affirm: that embodied movement is a gateway to transformation, liberation, and the reclamation of personal power.

Who This is For:

This journey is for women who have been carrying a weight they can’t quite name, who feel the pull to pause, breathe, and truly meet themselves. If you’ve been feeling disconnected, overwhelmed, or like you need space to simply be, this is your invitation. This is for the woman who knows that her emotions need movement, who longs to honour her grief rather than suppress it, and who is ready to trust her body’s wisdom in finding her way back to wholeness.

You don’t need to have experience with dance or somatic work—just an open heart and a willingness to listen to yourself in a way you may never have before.

What to Expect:

This is a sacred, safe, and welcoming space. Here, you are invited to take up space, to move as freely or as gently as your body calls for, and to release any concern about what others may think. You will not be asked to dance with a partner or engage in any movement that feels unnatural to you—this journey is entirely yours.

There will be moments for reflection, movement, and integration. Sharing is an important part of this work, but it is always optional. If you choose to speak, your voice will be honoured. If you choose silence, that too will be respected. While this is a deeply supportive environment, please note that this is not a therapy group or a substitute for personal or clinical therapy. If you need deeper support, we can offer recommendations for spaces that can hold that. Here, we simply honour the present moment and the power of shared experience.

This is a space of permission—permission to move, to feel, to let go, and to trust your body to guide you home.

What to Wear & Bring:

 Wear: 

• Comfortable clothing that allows for free movement—something you feel like yourself in. Dress up or dress down, you make the rules. Layers are recommended, as your body temperature may shift throughout the session.

 Bring:

•  A warm jumper or shawl for when we are in circle. Think cosy vibes.
•  A journal & pen for self-inquiry reflections.
•  A pillow or anything else that will help you feel comfortable during moments of stillness.
•  A bottle of water to stay hydrated.
• Any small sacred object (if it resonates) to place in the space—a crystal, a photo, or anything that holds meaning for you.

Most of all, bring yourself as you are. No expectations, no need to perform—just an open heart and a willingness to listen.

Meet your Grooving Grief Guides:

Alana Arvanitis is an executive business consultant with a deeply spiritual, feminine soul. With one foot in the fast-paced world of strategy and leadership, and the other grounded in sacred ritual and somatic wisdom, she bridges the space between hustle and healing. Her lived experience navigating high-performance environments has deepened her understanding of the importance of slowing down, softening, and returning to the body.

Alana’s path was profoundly shaped by her own experience with grief — a season of deep loss that cracked her open and became the catalyst for her passion project, The Self-Love Movement. What began as her personal healing journey has since grown into a sacred offering that supports women to come home to themselves through embodiment, ritual, community, and radical self-love.

As an event facilitator and space holder, Alana creates nourishing experiences for women to reconnect with their emotional landscapes, honour their grief, and deepen their self-love. Her work is a fusion of structure and surrender — inviting you to remember your power, feel safe in your softness, and embody the kind of love that transforms from within.

Tessa Alexa Stanford is a true self-expression mentor, grief educator, and creative guide who believes that caring for ourselves and others is an art form. With an extensive background in psychology, she helps people reclaim their power through storytelling, the healing arts, and transformational mentoring. Known for blending depth with play, she creates spaces where grief becomes a gateway to liberation, and where every woman is invited to take up space unapologetically. A little fierce, a little sassy, and entirely devoted to revolutionising how we meet our emotions, Tessa brings both expertise and soul to every space she creates.

Event Details:

 🜁  Date: Sunday, 13th April 2024
 🜁  Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
 🜁  Exchange: $89
 🜁  Location: House of Motion Pilates
    1924 Gold Coast Highway, Miami

🚗 Parking:
The adventure begins by manifesting your perfect parking spot amidst the light rail buzz—consider it part of the ritual 😉
Hot tip: explore a few of the quieter side streets nearby to land yourself a cool little park with ease.