Gateway of the Body: Dancing Mussar

Wednesdays, January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and February 7, 2024

12-1:30 p.m. EST

Practitioners of Mussar, a Jewish path to personal transformation, cultivate middot (soul traits) like courage or gratitude. In this Ritualwell Immersion, we’ll explore six middot through the gateway of the body, using the Nia movement technique, followed by prompts for reflection and expression. You’ll leave with ideas for how to develop a daily Mussar practice of your own.

The philosophy of Nia holds that everyone can enhance their potential for a healthy, meaningful life by engaging their senses and listening compassionately to their bodies. Nia is adaptable to individual needs and abilities, and its core principle is finding your body’s joy of movement, whether that’s swaying gently in a chair or stomping up a sweat.

What you’ll need:

• Clear a space so you have room to move, even if you intend to remain seated.
• Nia is low-impact and designed to be done barefoot. But it’s fine to wear tennis or jazz-dance shoes if that’s best for you.
• Have writing or art materials at hand, whatever you need for your preferred form of creative expression.

All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Janice Steinberg (she/her) holds a Black Belt in the Nia dance-fitness practice and has been teaching for 15 years. Last spring, she offered an Omer Nia program through Ritualwell. She is the author of the novel The Tin Horse (Random House) and a five-book mystery series published by Berkley.