4 Thursdays – April 4, 11, 18, 25 | 10am-12pm PDT | Cost: $105 for the series
Myths are timeless and so is our soul. The Greek goddess Demeter is an archetypal mother figure that must be reimagined if we are to embody her cyclic wisdom, reclaim her courage, and harness her healing energies. Demeter’s journey is multifaceted: from bliss to loss, from grief to despair, from contemptment to anger, and from victimhood to empowerment. Demeter shows us the way back home to ourselves after a loss, when at a crossroads in our life, and while facing an unexpected event. As Demeter goes in search of her daughter she sets in motion the process of searching for the parts of herself that she has neglected. Demeter’s myth sheds light into a deep lesson from grief and victimhood: radical mothering begins with oneself.
No previous art experience necessary.What prior participants have said:
A previous workshop participant shares:
Demeter’s posture exploration brought me back, once more, to the trauma and the grief of having had an emergency C-section. The life and opportunity taken to roll, to flow into natural life- sterile, cold, unfelt- the child being taken away for a while- searching for him. The posture unfamiliar was to be in my power, to extend, connecting to Demeter’s power to insist on not feeding anyone till she knew where her child was…that power to have over life, even others life…is very unfamiliar. To embody it, connected me to a feeling of majesty…from there, shuffling back and forth birth happened…birth, holding pelvis, screaming from my pelvis…as if the screams that had not been screamed, finally were screamed and heard….it was a release and brought me to exploring my drawing in movement:” I am done mourning”. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart, and of my family’s heart- I imagine this will be a helpful turning point! (Workshop participant, with permission to publish anonymously)
Marialuisa is a gifted and generous facilitator, who guides with a combination of gentleness and passion. She has a special talent for leading people into very personal and sacred places in a way that feels safe and transformative. Her work is always grounded in the physical and emotional realms of embodied learning and the breakthroughs can be life changing. I have studied with her for years, and every class is a new discovery. ~ Elaine Rose
Marialuisa’s work has provided rich nourishment for my mind, body and soul in its unique blend of theory, practice and spiritual depth. She offered scientific knowledge as a scaffold through which to enter somatic experience, which in turn acted as a gateway into a deeper connection with myself and the mysteries beyond. Her gentle focused presence, attentive listening and heartfelt aesthetic responses created a safe and trusting space despite the limitations of an online connection. ~ Katy Menell
Marialuisa Diaz de Leon, MA, REAT, MSME/T.
Therapist, movement specialist, mythologist, educator, researcher, and performer born in Guadalajara, Mexico. Marialuisa’s professional experience in somatic movement, dance, and psychology spans over twenty-five years and includes work in education, private practice, and community intervention. Marialuisa is the creator of Mythic Life: Embodying Wisdom, Beauty and Courage (mythiclife.net) where she brings her expertise on facilitating meaningful and transformational experiences to women from all over the globe. She has developed a mythosomatic theoretical framework; a forward thinking integration of myth, arts, somatic movement and archetypal psychology which informs her philosophy of practice.
Marialuisa is an adjunct faculty at Southwestern College and Associate Teacher at Tamalpa Institute. She served as Program Director and core faculty at Tamalpa Institute in California and continues to supervise advanced students’ fieldwork projects. Marialuisa is a registered Master Somatic Movement Therapist and Educator from ISMETA. She gained organizational embodied leadership experience while serving nine years on the ISMETA Board of Directors, the last three as Board President. She is also a registered Expressive Arts Therapist through the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA).
Payment: You will be directed to an Eventbrite page to register and pay.
$105/series
Deadlines:
- Registration closes at the start of the first day of the series
- Refunds will only be given if cancellation is received at least 48 hours before the start of the first class. No partial refunds or transfers available. Eventbrite’s registration fees are non-refundable.
- Payment is for the full series. Drop-in payments for single sessions are not available for this series.
