Depression is called ‘the disease of modernity’ and is considered in our 21st century as the greatest threat to public health in the ‘developed’ world. Young people (in their twenties) are growing even more depressed than previous young generations (Health survey research 2019).
This morning I woke up as usual at 5:30, with the fear of facing my biggest nightmare at the moment: winter depression. I live in one of the best ‘developed’ parts of the world, in North-Europe, where the winters are long, dark, grey, cold, wet, windy, rainy…
That little African girl in me who grew up bathing in the warmth, light and luminosity of the Mediterranean coast sometimes feels completely lost, lonely, insecure and scared.
However, the woman in me chose to live in the country of my heart, Holland, and developed different strategies to cope with (winter) depression. I share with you here in this film my best strategy. And it works!
This strategy is amazing! It helped me to get every morning out of my ‘depression risk’ and out of my bed and go with a dancing heart to my work; as a proud CEO of one of the oldest and largest Gender institute about Women’s History & Emancipation in the world!
I would love to read your reactions, so please post your comments below!
Wish you Healthy & Happy Times!
Boussa,
Kaouthar.
PS:
Discover my strategies to heal from depression: read my previous blogs about it
- Do you suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)? 30 December 2016
- Wanna Stop Depression? Be Angry! 3 February 2017
- How to Deal with Depression? 9 January 2017
- How to Heal from (Winter) Depression (this blog), 23 January 2019
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Inspiring…
Lovely way to start a day
Merci Kate for taking inspiration 🙏🏽.
The Divine Dance💃 which was passed on from my feminine lineage is a savior with its healing wisdom of Trance dances and so much more.
On lovely starts of your days!
Boussa (kiss in Arabic)
💜😘
Kaouthar
Inspiring…
Lovely way to start a day
Thank you! You are a delight to listen to and watch! I so am on your page about going back home to the body to deal with depression (and all challenges!) Thank you for sharing so personally your own challenges. And as a somatic person, myself, it is inspiring to hear from a highly embodied person as yourself that you also have to be proactive and initiate additional embodiment and intention to face a challenge— even though you live and breathe embodiment, you, too, have to pump it up during the winter- your greatest challenging time of the year. As I live in California (luckily! I, too, was winter challenged, living in eastern Canada, during the winters) my challenge has morphed from the winter to the night- that is when my anxieties say hello. And I need to do my embodiment practices especially at night– I thank you for this reminder!! And I love the vulva squeeze, though I must not over squeeze— I must do it fluidly and subtly as it creates too much tension that is already held there. I so appreciate the focus on the pelvis for women. I am curious if you have a conscious connection to your womb and share more about awakening the womb in your work?
Dear Michelle,
Merci for your beautiful words 🙏🏽.
I have to 💃Walk the Talk and there is strength in vulnerability and you can be vulnerable and strong at the same time.
In life we are all facing challenges and then how to deal with them in an empowering way. Great that this brought you the reminder to do especially your embodiment practices at night when the dark falls in.
About the Cabasa -the squeezing and releasing of the core muscles- focus in your case on the releasing of your vulva muscles.
The Cabasa is a central part of my Divine 9 Dance method to dance from inside out and to connect to our womb wisdom and align our head-, heart-, and belly/womb intelligence. During my live trainings, seminars and also at my Online Education The Art of Being Feminine I also give guided Cabasa Vulva Meditations.
(‘Cabasa’ comes from the word ‘grip’ in Arabic).
Boussa (kiss in Arabic),
💚 😘
Kaouthar
Thank you! You are a delight to listen to and watch! I so am on your page about going back home to the body to deal with depression (and all challenges!) Thank you for sharing so personally your own challenges. And as a somatic person, myself, it is inspiring to hear from a highly embodied person as yourself that you also have to be proactive and initiate additional embodiment and intention to face a challenge— even though you live and breathe embodiment, you, too, have to pump it up during the winter- your greatest challenging time of the year. As I live in California (luckily! I, too, was winter challenged, living in eastern Canada, during the winters) my challenge has morphed from the winter to the night- that is when my anxieties say hello. And I need to do my embodiment practices especially at night– I thank you for this reminder!! And I love the vulva squeeze, though I must not over squeeze— I must do it fluidly and subtly as it creates too much tension that is already held there. I so appreciate the focus on the pelvis for women. I am curious if you have a conscious connection to your womb and share more about awakening the womb in your work?
Dear Michelle,
Merci for your beautiful words 🙏🏽.
I have to 💃Walk the Talk and there is strength in vulnerability and you can be vulnerable and strong at the same time.
In life we are all facing challenges and then how to deal with them in an empowering way. Great that this brought you the reminder to do especially your embodiment practices at night when the dark falls in.
About the Cabasa -the squeezing and releasing of the core muscles- focus in your case on the releasing of your vulva muscles.
The Cabasa is a central part of my Divine 9 Dance method to dance from inside out and to connect to our womb wisdom and align our head-, heart-, and belly/womb intelligence. During my live trainings, seminars and also at my Online Education The Art of Being Feminine I also give guided Cabasa Vulva Meditations.
(‘Cabasa’ comes from the word ‘grip’ in Arabic).
Boussa (kiss in Arabic),
💚 😘
Kaouthar
Thank you for sharing this practice about movement and courage, just what my heart and mind needed to be reminded of this morning! I too live by a northern ocean, cold and rainy and dark all winter.
Merci a toi Sarah 🙏🏽.
Send you love & light and a boussa (kiss in Arabic).
💙😘
Kaouthar
Thank you for sharing this practice about movement and courage, just what my heart and mind needed to be reminded of this morning! I too live by a northern ocean, cold and rainy and dark all winter.
Merci a toi Sarah 🙏🏽.
Send you love & light and a boussa (kiss in Arabic).
💙😘
Kaouthar
Dear Kaouthar,
Thank you for what you do. This honest message of dealing with winter (or any) depression, is the message I needed to hear today.
Your TED talk about honoring the feminine was brilliant and astounding—- to see the way you got men and women off their seats and start moving.
You courage, unapologetic femininity and magnetism is inspiring. Your devotion to establishing community for women to be free is of utmost importance to free all people- men and children included. I hope to learn more from you and embody this fully one day.
I resonate so deeply with you because I’ve been a lifelong dancer who only knew how to feel so free when I was moving. I worked with children and then started a monthly workshop group in 2018 called Women’s Night of Dance. It’s a 2 hour community group for women to share openly, safely and vulnerably and then dance through their experiences.
I share this because I want you to know you are pushing me to dig deeper and maintain my practice as I bring this work to my community.
If it’s possible for you, please consider opening more spots for your online workshops/ classes etc. I want more! 🙂
With gratitude and respect
Dear Sandra,
Your words of appreciation in general and for my TED Talk -which one? “Dare To Be Feminine For Guts Sake” or “Thank God For Our Vagina”?- warm my heart 🙏🏽.
As a lifelong dancer you know about the benefits of healing dance, and beautiful how you started the Women’s Night of Dance for women to dance their experiences.
You can add your name to the waiting list for my 💃Online Education The Art Of Being Feminine and you will get a notification when registration to The Art Of Being Feminine will be opened.
And there is also a 💃Divine9Dance Therapy Training Instructors in Amsterdam starting soon.
Boussa (kiss in Arabic),
🧡😘
Kaouthar
Dear Kaouthar,
Thank you for what you do. This honest message of dealing with winter (or any) depression, is the message I needed to hear today.
Your TED talk about honoring the feminine was brilliant and astounding—- to see the way you got men and women off their seats and start moving.
You courage, unapologetic femininity and magnetism is inspiring. Your devotion to establishing community for women to be free is of utmost importance to free all people- men and children included. I hope to learn more from you and embody this fully one day.
I resonate so deeply with you because I’ve been a lifelong dancer who only knew how to feel so free when I was moving. I worked with children and then started a monthly workshop group in 2018 called Women’s Night of Dance. It’s a 2 hour community group for women to share openly, safely and vulnerably and then dance through their experiences.
I share this because I want you to know you are pushing me to dig deeper and maintain my practice as I bring this work to my community.
If it’s possible for you, please consider opening more spots for your online workshops/ classes etc. I want more! 🙂
With gratitude and respect
Dear Sandra,
Your words of appreciation in general and for my TED Talk -which one? “Dare To Be Feminine For Guts Sake” or “Thank God For Our Vagina”?- warm my heart 🙏🏽.
As a lifelong dancer you know about the benefits of healing dance, and beautiful how you started the Women’s Night of Dance for women to dance their experiences.
You can add your name to the waiting list for my 💃Online Education The Art Of Being Feminine and you will get a notification when registration to The Art Of Being Feminine will be opened.
And there is also a 💃Divine9Dance Therapy Training Instructors in Amsterdam starting soon.
Boussa (kiss in Arabic),
🧡😘
Kaouthar
Dear Kaouthar,
Thank you for sharing this video and your knowledge.
I’ve followed your example and feel so much better and happier in the
start of my day.
My body loves it and rises up by itself.
I restore the balance in my body and my mind is a bit upset, but now on
the third day it’s a lot better already.
I love it to have acces to the wisdom of my body, let go of the
negative thoughts and put al the voices in my head on second place.
You’ve inspired me with a set of exercises to keep my fysical health
and improve my mental health.
Thank you very much.
Petra
Habibti Petra,
Merci & most welcome.
The wisdom of the body indeed.
To rise like a phoenix from the ashes bigger and grander than before!
On your feminine flight!
Boussa (kiss in Arabic),
🙏🏽💋💙
Kaouthar
Dear Kaouthar,
Thank you for sharing this video and your knowledge.
I’ve followed your example and feel so much better and happier in the
start of my day.
My body loves it and rises up by itself.
I restore the balance in my body and my mind is a bit upset, but now on
the third day it’s a lot better already.
I love it to have acces to the wisdom of my body, let go of the
negative thoughts and put al the voices in my head on second place.
You’ve inspired me with a set of exercises to keep my fysical health
and improve my mental health.
Thank you very much.
Petra
Habibti Petra,
Merci & most welcome.
The wisdom of the body indeed.
To rise like a phoenix from the ashes bigger and grander than before!
On your feminine flight!
Boussa (kiss in Arabic),
🙏🏽💋💙
Kaouthar
And even more, the other message was from the beginning of this week. During the week I woke up every morning with the gift of an other dream about how I feel low or negative about myself. So ‘food’ to face my fears or thoughts that make me feel smal. And after my practice the feelings and thoughts where gone, I started my daily routines with a smile. It feels like my whole being is fed up with the circle of smal making thoughts and helps me during my dreams to bring them up. So I can face them and have a life the rest of the day.
Thank you!
Dear Petra,
Cleaning and clearing the small making thoughts, a process that continues even in your dream state, that is way to go. A lighter you is arising!
Boussa,
💃🙂😘
Kaouthar
And even more, the other message was from the beginning of this week. During the week I woke up every morning with the gift of an other dream about how I feel low or negative about myself. So ‘food’ to face my fears or thoughts that make me feel smal. And after my practice the feelings and thoughts where gone, I started my daily routines with a smile. It feels like my whole being is fed up with the circle of smal making thoughts and helps me during my dreams to bring them up. So I can face them and have a life the rest of the day.
Thank you!
Love you beautiful Kaouthar!
Thank you so much to remind me, and all of us, to the precious tools you transmit
to us! (can’t help it , but need to hear it again and again …)
All mouvements and the squeeze and release are so great and so helpful to come back home in our body, in our heart, in our womb, to come back home to the feminine woman we are in a beautiful, wild and sensual playful way!
Your vidéo is just what I needed today with this snow-storm and dullness all day long.
Warm hug
Habibti Judith,
Merci for your beautiful words full of grace.
Our body is our temple, there is so much wisdom, feminine gold in us. We have to remind ourselves about this and go back to our inner source of wisdom with the help of a friend: the Divine9 Dance :-).
Warm hug & boussa back to you,
💃💚🤗
Kaouthar
Love you beautiful Kaouthar!
Thank you so much to remind me, and all of us, to the precious tools you transmit
to us! (can’t help it , but need to hear it again and again …)
All mouvements and the squeeze and release are so great and so helpful to come back home in our body, in our heart, in our womb, to come back home to the feminine woman we are in a beautiful, wild and sensual playful way!
Your vidéo is just what I needed today with this snow-storm and dullness all day long.
Warm hug
Habibti Judith,
Merci for your beautiful words full of grace.
Our body is our temple, there is so much wisdom, feminine gold in us. We have to remind ourselves about this and go back to our inner source of wisdom with the help of a friend: the Divine9 Dance :-).
Warm hug & boussa back to you,
💃💚🤗
Kaouthar
dear kaouthar!
thank you for sharing your experience and how you face your depression! I have to deal with depressions, too. and first of all it is so good, to hear from a person, who really knows, what she is taking about. and to hear it from a person like you – a little bit famous ;), so beautyfull and so strong – makes it even more important.
for me the biggest challange over and over again, is to do the first step, to start moving, dancing…when i wake up in the morning, i often feel so tired ore sad or lost (or somthing else of this things you feel or think when you have depressions – and i hate to feel it!) that i hardly can find the power or the courage to face all this and do believe, that it will getting better…even if i experienced it so often, that this things will change, when i start moving. well, there is no other way, than to start and to move and to go through it, but i really wished, that it would be easyer to get into it!!!
love you and your work and your energie and beeing so feminine and strong and hounest and yourself!!! yes, the world needs more of this, of us!
Dear Sabine,
Merci beaucoup for your vulnerable, honest sharing which contributes to opening the way for others to do the same.
Yes, after the first step it goes more smooth.
Think of taking a small step -a baby step- in moving and visualise also you do this.
Going up and down on 2 feet with the Trance Shimmy and using your voice (can also be humming) is also a way to get the energy flow.
Give your beautiful you lots of self-love & self-compassion,
🌹💜 💃
Kaouthar
dear kaouthar!
thank you for sharing your experience and how you face your depression! I have to deal with depressions, too. and first of all it is so good, to hear from a person, who really knows, what she is taking about. and to hear it from a person like you – a little bit famous ;), so beautyfull and so strong – makes it even more important.
for me the biggest challange over and over again, is to do the first step, to start moving, dancing…when i wake up in the morning, i often feel so tired ore sad or lost (or somthing else of this things you feel or think when you have depressions – and i hate to feel it!) that i hardly can find the power or the courage to face all this and do believe, that it will getting better…even if i experienced it so often, that this things will change, when i start moving. well, there is no other way, than to start and to move and to go through it, but i really wished, that it would be easyer to get into it!!!
love you and your work and your energie and beeing so feminine and strong and hounest and yourself!!! yes, the world needs more of this, of us!
Dear Sabine,
Merci beaucoup for your vulnerable, honest sharing which contributes to opening the way for others to do the same.
Yes, after the first step it goes more smooth.
Think of taking a small step -a baby step- in moving and visualise also you do this.
Going up and down on 2 feet with the Trance Shimmy and using your voice (can also be humming) is also a way to get the energy flow.
Give your beautiful you lots of self-love & self-compassion,
🌹💜 💃
Kaouthar
A M A Z I N G !!!
Dear Andrea,
Merci beaucoup.
Boussa (kiss in Arabic),
💃💚🤗
Kaouthar
A M A Z I N G !!!
Dear Andrea,
Merci beaucoup.
Boussa (kiss in Arabic),
💃💚🤗
Kaouthar