"The fastest way to still the mind is to move the body."
Gabrielle Roth
Susanne Stephan is a qualified social pedagogue in adult education and a certified 5Rhythms® teacher. Fascinated and passionate, she has been teaching them since 2019. With her natural being, she creates a trustworthy, inspiring atmosphere and holds a safe space where you can look inwards, explore your body expression and meet others as well as yourself again and again. Susanne is an open and respectful person who gives you a lot of freedom. Through her sensitive and clear guidance, a colourful mix of wildness and gentleness as well as music with a lot of beat and tender sounds, she will also seduce you to dance.
THE 5RHYTHMS® AS A DANCER
My first intensive dances were as a young woman in discos. What I liked about it was the freedom. There were no rules about how to dance, which steps had to be done in which order or anything like that. Much later, after practicing dance aerobics, belly dance and African dance I finally discovered the 5Rhythms® in 2010. I am deeply grateful they came into my life and for everything they have changed. I don't even want to guess how my life would have gone on otherwise. For me, they are home, liberation, healing, comfort, joy, self-exploration, self-awareness, therapy, refuge, sensuality, liveliness, a pleasurable escape from many superfluous thought carousels, wordless contact with others, myself and so much more. They are life's gift to me, a blessing and great happiness. On the dance floor I can express and move what is hidden, what I sometimes lack the words for, e.g. feelings, longings, pain, processes. I have space for myself, for me as part of the group, feeling the vitality of my body, my breath, my heartbeat, the circulation of the blood and the tingling in all cells.
THE 5RHYTHMS® AS AN INSPIRATION
The healing magic of the 5Rhythms® inspires me again and again. They have changed my soul life and strengthened my self-confidence. The individual puzzle pieces of my former world view now fit together and form a bigger and growing picture. I have learned to listen to my inner voice and to perceive and trust my intuition. The 5Rhythms® are map and companion for important decisions as well as in challenging situations. They have an impact on my everyday life.
I have absorbed Gabrielle Roth's books like a sponge. Theory and practice brought me into a constructive process with new ways of thinking, good decisions and changed paths in my life, e.g. health, work, self-realisation, relationships, activities. I was always an optimistic person who believed in the good in people, but now I see all living beings including myself with more love and understanding. This attitude affects my life in a positive way, and I find so much beauty in this world. This process will hopefully never stop because it makes me alive, authentic, empathetic, patient, curious, courageous, grateful and happy. So, there was no way back, but I had to keep going, to dive even deeper. After countless waves and workshops, I couldn't help to start the training for a 5Rhythms® teacher. It was just the next logical step.
THE 5RHYTHMS® AS A TEACHER
Besides dancing myself, one of the most beautiful things for me is to open a dance space, to get and watch people dancing or to see the shining faces afterwards. A dance floor can arise anywhere, somehow it's quite simple. As a teacher, I love to create an atmosphere that gives dancers confidence and makes them feel free and relaxed. A space where it is easy to let go. I`m just an example of the way with the 5Rhythms®, I want to inspire, share my experiences and show the many and profound possibilities with the 5Rhythms®. We all learn from each other, participant from participant, teacher from participant and participant from teacher. A respectful space where all people are equal, free, connected and can show themselves with all that is in this moment. I am constantly taking part in 5Rhythms® classes and workshops from colleagues. This is still where I find self-awareness, deep immersion and inspiration, which is a blessing for me.
MY FIRST TIME
When I went to a 5Rhythms® class for the very first time in 2010, I knew almost nothing about it. At the beginning, I didn't understand how it worked and what I was supposed to do. At first I just sat there and watched the others, but everyone was doing different. So I waited for the teacher to explain or instruct something for an felt eternity, but there was just music playing. So, I felt a bit lost at first. After a while I got the idea to use the time for myself and did some stretching exercises, which was probably in "flowing", the first rhythm. It was only when the beat increased, which was probably in "staccato" that it "clicked" with me and I suddenly thought: "Oh, just dance freely without imitating anything! Yay, just like in a club, at a party or at home! Just like I usually do my own dance, yippppeee! That's exactly what I did then and enjoyed the rest of the time of the 5Rhythms® class with the different music rhythms, the encounters and the energy so much that it flew by. What a wonderful and liberating moment.
MY MOST IMPORTANT TEACHERS AND GUIDES
Gabrielle Roth, Jonathan Horan, Tammy Burnstein, Silvija Tomcik, Erik Iversen and other 5Rhythms® teachers, Alain Allard, Gerald Hüther, Emmi Pikler, Mohandas Ghandi, many musicians and authors, the participants in my classes and workshops, my children Arik, Kira Lina and Malaika and life itself!
