What is Movement Medicine?
Movement Medicine is a movement meditation practice intended to create an experiential and embodied connectedness with the world. It integrates physical, artistic, spiritual, shamanic and therapeutic practices to stimulate human creativity, healing and transformation, focusing on the relationship with ourselves, each other, the earth, and the spirit of life. It is non-denominational, aiming to answer the spiritual impulse without the need for dogma or belief. Movement Medicine meaning extends beyond simple dance to encompass a comprehensive framework for embodied spiritual practice that honors ancestral wisdom while integrating contemporary psychological and neuroscientific insights.
The practice is structured around several core frameworks. The first is the “9 Gateways,” which correspond to the four cardinal elements plus the fifth element of ether, providing different movement qualities and metaphoric languages to explore through embodied practice. The second framework involves “the 5 dimensions of awareness”: Self, Relational, Environmental, Ancestral and Divine. Practitioners engage with these dimensions through conscious movement, intention-setting, and ritual.
Movement Medicine for beginners typically begins with simple practices of giving the body to the beat, allowing movement to arise organically rather than through choreographed steps. The emphasis is on developing a direct, felt relationship with one’s own embodied experience and learning to trust the body’s innate wisdom.
Origins & Lineage
Ya’Acov and Susannah Darling Khan have been teaching movement as medicine since 1989 and founded Movement Medicine in 2007. Susannah and Ya’Acov Darling Khan directed the Moving Centre School Europe, representing Gabrielle Roth and the 5Rhythms in Europe until 2007. When the Darling Khans met in 1986, they soon recognized that, besides learning how to love and grow together, they had a shared purpose: “To create a modality to support human beings to heal and evolve their relationships with themselves, each other, the earth and the mystery of life.”
Movement Medicine has its roots in a blend of an 18-year apprenticeship with Gabrielle Roth, the shamanic traditions the founders studied with, Gestalt psychotherapy, Family Constellations, Neuroscience and systems theory. Susannah and Ya’Acov Darling Khan have studied with healers and shamans from the Amazon to the Arctic Circle, including an 18 year apprenticeship with Gabrielle Roth.
Susannah trained at The Gestalt Centre London in the 1980s, graduating as a Gestalt Psychotherapist in 1988. She completed Family Constellations Training in 2006-2007 while creating Movement Medicine, and the insights and methodology of Vivianne Broughton, Albrecht Mahr and Bert Hellinger are woven into the fabric of Movement Medicine. Suprapto was the Founder of Amerta Movement, a form of non-stylised movement practice that draws on free movement, the practice of Vipassanā, Javanese Sumarah meditation and Javanese Buddhism; he was a great inspiration for both founders in bringing ritual and movement together.
The School of Movement Medicine was born in 2007 and has since offered countless weekend workshops, scores of intensives, Apprenticeship Programs, rigorous Professional Trainings and ongoing continued professional development. The Movement Medicine Association was formed in 2012 to uphold professional standards and support Movement Medicine teachers and facilitators trained by Susannah and Ya’Acov Darling Khan.
How It’s Practiced
Movement Medicine sessions typically take place in a designated dance space, often with participants barefoot and dressed in comfortable clothing. Music serves as a central element, ranging from tribal drumming to contemporary electronic sounds, world music, and ambient soundscapes. The practice unfolds in waves, with facilitators guiding participants through different movement qualities, elemental explorations, and dimensions of awareness.
Practitioners begin by arriving in the body—often through breath, simple stretching, or grounding exercises. The practice then moves into free-form dance, where participants are encouraged to listen to their body’s impulses and follow the thread of their own authentic movement. Unlike choreographed dance, there are no steps to learn; instead, practitioners develop the capacity to “give the body back to the beat” and allow movement to emerge from inner sensing.
Ritual elements frame the practice. Sessions may open with intention-setting, circle gatherings, or invoking the directions. Facilitators might offer guided visualizations or “recipes”—structured movement explorations designed to access particular qualities or dimensions. Partners and small group work help explore relational dimensions, while solo practice deepens the connection to self.
According to Ya’Acov Darling Khan, trance is like “discovering that you’ve got second, third, fourth, and fifth gears of perception when you’ve been ambling along in first.” Practitioners learn to access altered states through sustained movement, breath, and intention rather than through substances or extreme austerities.
Movement Medicine Today
Movement Medicine is practiced globally through a network of trained teachers and facilitators. The School of Movement Medicine offers regular workshops, intensives, online classes, and multi-year training programs in the United Kingdom and internationally. Weekend workshops provide introductory experiences, while week-long intensives allow for deeper immersion. The Apprenticeship Program spans several years and includes personal practice development, shadow work, and leadership training. Professional Training prepares experienced practitioners to teach and hold space for others.
The founders have trained hundreds of teachers and inspired thousands of people worldwide to live their lives rooted in the creative power of the beat. Events range from drop-in classes in community centers to retreat settings in nature. The practice has spread to Europe, North America, Australia, and beyond, with local teachers offering regular classes and workshops in their communities.
The Movement Medicine book by Susannah and Ya’Acov Darling Khan, published by Hay House, serves as a primary written resource, offering conceptual frameworks, practice recipes, and personal stories. Recorded sessions and online platforms make the practice accessible to those unable to attend in-person events. The Movement Medicine Association maintains a directory of certified teachers and events worldwide.
Common Misconceptions
Movement Medicine is not simply “freestyle dance” or “dancing however you want.” While it values spontaneity and authentic movement, the practice is grounded in specific frameworks, principles, and developmental pathways that distinguish it from unstructured dance.
It is not performance. Participants are encouraged to dance for themselves, closing eyes if helpful, rather than dancing to be seen or to impress. The aesthetic value of movement takes a back seat to its authenticity and therapeutic potential.
Movement Medicine is not religious, though it is spiritual. It does not require adherence to any particular belief system, deity worship, or cosmology. Practitioners from diverse faith backgrounds—or none—engage with the practice while maintaining their own spiritual orientations.
The practice is not a substitute for mental health treatment or medical care. While Movement Medicine can support emotional processing and personal growth, it is not positioned as a cure for clinical conditions. Many practitioners engage both with Movement Medicine and with conventional therapeutic or medical support.
Finally, Movement Medicine is not identical to 5Rhythms, though the founders trained extensively in that lineage. Movement Medicine developed as a distinct modality with its own frameworks, language, and approach after the Darling Khans completed their apprenticeship with Gabrielle Roth and ceased representing 5Rhythms in Europe.
How to Begin
Those curious about what Movement Medicine means in lived experience should start by attending a local class or workshop. The Movement Medicine Association website maintains a global directory of certified teachers and upcoming events. Many teachers offer drop-in sessions that welcome complete beginners with no dance experience required.
Reading the book Movement Medicine: How to Awaken, Embody, and Dance Your Dreams by Susannah and Ya’Acov Darling Khan provides conceptual grounding and includes practice recipes to explore at home. The accompanying audio recordings offer guided practices for solo exploration.
Online classes through the School of Movement Medicine provide accessible entry points, particularly for those without local teachers. These range from single-session introductions to multi-week courses. Creating a personal practice space at home—clearing floor space, gathering meaningful music, and dedicating regular time—allows the work to deepen between facilitated sessions.
Beginners should expect to feel awkward initially. The practice asks us to move in unfamiliar ways, to trust the body’s impulses, and to be present with whatever arises—discomfort, joy, boredom, aliveness. This awkwardness is part of the journey. Over time, practitioners typically develop greater ease, fluidity, and trust in their own embodied wisdom. The invitation is to start where you are, move as you are, and allow the practice to unfold organically.