Beth Rigby Uses Ancient Methods to Achieve Modern Benefits

by Paul M. Howey

Calling on two of the oldest arts known to human civilization, Beth Rigby creates among her students emotions that run the gamut from exhilaration to serenity, sometimes with a few tears and lots of laughter thrown in. In a program she calls Yoga Meets Dance™, Beth shares her passion for music and movement, inspiring others to cast off their inhibitions and open themselves up to the power of the music.

“Music can do so many things,” says Beth. “It can cause you to feel more alive and free. It can calm your fears, it can make you weep. The exhilaration one feels after seeing a movie is due, in part, to the soundtrack of the film. Music evokes deep emotion that helps people to feel alive and to rise above the boredom and drudgery of everyday life,” she adds passionately.

The Class Begins~

The people in her class talk nervously among themselves as they wait for the music to begin. A few appear to be self-conscious, probably asking themselves what they’re doing there. Then Beth enters the room and her easy demeanor and quick smile soon begin to put the others at ease. She offers little in the way of introductory comments other than to assure everyone to be themselves and to have a good time. She begins with some gentle yoga and breathing exercises to help them relax and detach from their often-frenzied activities. Then the music starts.

A pulsating primal rhythm fills the air making it nearly impossible not to sway with the beat. A funky, rocking tune soon has the class shedding any remnants of embarrassment. A sense of raw freedom fills the room as bodies and minds are passionately set free with ease and laughter.

“We humans have been doing this for a long, long time,” explains Beth during a lull in the music. She points out that archaeologists recently discovered ancient bone flutes that were used by the Neanderthals more than 43,000 years ago to create melodies. “Just think of it,” she says, “these are people who had to fight incredible odds every day just to survive; yet they found the time and the desire to seek solace in music.”

What is it about music that moves us so? There are many theories. For example, it’s believed that the sounds of a drum connect us to the beating of our own heart. Scientific studies have shown that a slow, steady drumbeat creates a sense of calmness, whereas a louder, more frantic cadence can cause us to feel excited and even frenzied.

Move in Your Own Way~

In Beth’s class, she utilizes all forms of music and myriad rhythms to help her students express themselves through movement and find a sense of raw freedom and cathartic release. She emphasizes that there is no judging of style in Yoga Meets Dance. “However you’re inspired to move is the right way to move, though I do provide a structure to the class, to inspire you to experiment,” she tells her class read more.

Healing Qualities of Music~

There’s also the therapeutic side to music. A study was conducted recently in a hospital’s neonatal ward. While babies were crying in the center of the ward’s noisy machines and human voices, a harpist began to play an ancient lullaby. According to Kate Mucci, author of The Healing Sound of Music, nearly all of the babies quieted down and many fell into a deep sleep. Obviously, adults benefit from music as well. “It helps us to open ourselves emotionally and let loose with feelings that may be causing disease,” says Mucci.

Beth agrees. “Music and dance have a magical way of accessing deep levels of emotion, freeing chronic stress, and restoring a sense of lightness and well-being. Gentle yoga relaxes people so they can more deeply feel the music, thus move more freely.” she says.

One of Beth’s Yoga Meets Dance students explains her own reaction. “I felt things moving and opening in me great joy and connectedness,” says Cindy Brown from Massachusetts.

All Ages, Shapes and Sizes~

Slow rhythms gradually build into an explosive, wildly fun, and high-energy experience. Energy-sapping emotions such as grief, worry, and preoccupation with the mundane are easily released. Before they know it, the people in Beth’s class are moving effortlessly, freely experiencing the sensual joy of movement. Some of the people in the class are in their early 20s and 30s. The oldest appear to be in their 60s and 70s. These are folks of a variety of shapes and sizes and levels of fitness all going at their own pace, free of judgment by others and more importantly by themselves. At the same time, Beth says, it is also a richly communal experience.

Connected to the Universe~

In his book ‘Contradictations,’ author Erik Hoffman says, “In past cultures, the people’s dance was far more connected to their experience of the universe.” He cites examples of rain dances, harvest dances, fertility dances, and more. People in these societies relied on each other for their very existence, he points out. “Now we live a different life. The old rites no longer hold the same significance. We need a new reason to perform our rituals.” Among these, he explains, are exercise, camaraderie, contact, and love of music and dance. All of which are a part of Yoga Meets Dance™.

As the class continues, Beth creatively incorporates the imagery of our most basic elements: fire, water, earth, air, and spirit, as they relate to our bodies, to the music and to the universe.

Meditative Stillness~

As the class winds down, so does the tempo of the music. An overwhelming sense of liberation fills the room, as the people in the class immerse themselves even more deeply into the music and the movement of their bodies.

Sitting in stillness as fresh memories of the entire experience sweep over them in waves the class dissolves into deep relaxation. Beth then leads them in a meditative cool down as each begins to richly experience sense of the calmness they’re finding inside. Michelle of Virginia describes it as feeling “peaceful and really alive all at the same time.”

“We take the magnificent stillness and love we’re experiencing in the class and project it outward around the globe,” says Beth. “We dance not just for own healing but for the healing of all people. Just as a pebble thrown in a still pond ripples out, so does the positive energy generated from our dance ripple out.”

In addition to teaching dance and yoga nationwide, Beth also directs training programs for those who want to become Yoga Meets Dance™ instructors.

“Teaching has taken me to many places inside myself as well as around the world,” says Beth. “My most special classes, however, are those I teach to trauma survivors and to wheelchair-bound patients.”

Why Beth leads dances~

“My greatest joy,” says Beth, “comes from seeing everyone, dancers and non-dancers alike, regardless of their backgrounds or life journeys, coming together and experiencing freedom, laughter, and unity through dance, through the soul-stirring interaction with music. Then, we remember, we are all the same. This is why I lead the dance. We remember some important things about who are and how we are connected.”

About Beth~

Profound meditative experiences have gifted Beth with a powerful intuition and inner guidance. She is a lifelong student of holistic healing who recognizes that there are many exciting paths to a healthful life brimming with meaning and joy. A gifted healer and intuitive teacher, Beth’s journey has led her to enjoy, embrace, and then share with others the benefits of a variety of ancient arts including yoga, dance, massage, and meditation.

Beth has been a featured faculty member and program director at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, on Inner Voyage Cruises, and has also presented her work at the Esalen Institute in California and fitness centers and yoga studios across the country.  She has created numerous workshops and self-discovery retreats.  She is also a massage therapist, energy healer, artist and long-time student of Soto Zen Buddhism.

Visit Beth at: http://www.yogameetsdance.com

Article by Paul M. Howey, AZ Text Publishing, Inc., www.aztexts.com