Customer Reviews

Initiation

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I first learned of Gabrielle Roth at a Sacred Path men's retreat. The retreat focused on sacred movement, attaching emotions & totems to each of Roth's five dance styles: flowing, stacatto, chaos, lyrical, and stillness. We had live drumming at the retreat and didn't use recorded music. On the way home, however, I stopped and bought a copy of INITIATION so I could work through the rhythms myself.

If not danced to, the music is OK, nothing spectacular. It's not particularly great party dance music, either. But as the basis for an embodied spiritual practice? Wow! It's hard to beat.

I open up with flowing, connecting with Goddess, connecting with Earth, connecting with Ancestors, connecting with Spirit, connecting with Heart. I let my body move in flowing motions, softly, gently, slowly opening, encompassing more and more.

Moving on to stacatto, I move into a new energy space. Man, the toolmaker, not simply flowing with the current, but carving out a life. My energy level is rising. Into this movement I pour my plans, my goals, all that I would control.

The third movement, Chaos, seems to be the natural result of carving out my expectations from life. I let my body move wildly, struggling to control the rhythm, to push the river, to herd cats. This is where I bring my anger, frustration, and fear, letting the emotions flow through body language, in which no lie can be enacted.

The exhaustion of Chaos leads naturally into the rest of lyrical movement. It's discovering a new level of peace, of connectedness with the Universe, with Goddess, with Spirit; knowing that I'm not alone in the Chaos.

Finally, comes stillness, where I allow my motions to wind down, allow my body to slow down, to come to rest, to enter into meditation.

I've not worked with the other body music on the CD, I don't have enough time most days to work through the five rhythms. But that leaves me something to look forward to.

This is one of the most magical CDs I've ever heard. The music is purifying. It helps to focus my mind at the end of the day when I need to relax.

I heard this album when I was in my 1-didgets and I must say, this is a good album for the following.

#1: Dancing

#2: Mediation

#3: Yoga/Stretching

#4: Martial Arts

If you need some relaxation for you body, mind and soul, don't hesitate to purchase this.