Moving together

Moving together in our own true way,

each side of the body with something to say.

One finds ease, the other resists,

a dance of contrast that still coexists.

We shed the weight of steps not our own,

letting go of what’s overgrown.

Grateful this body has carried us here,

gathered in motion, grounded and clear.

With open hearts, we claim this space,

where souls shine bright beyond embrace.

Our worth’s not measured by what we lack,

but in the courage to keep coming back.

Here, we soften, nurture, mend,

draw from each other, rise and bend.

-Julie Stagner -

We Move Anyway

Adapting movements

reshaped by pain,

learning to honor

what remains.

Blissfully distracted

by a familiar beat,

feeling the rhythm beneath our feet.

The body moves before the mind,

shoulders roll, hips fall in line.

Lyrics return, steady and calm

a circle of friends, a gentle balm.

Music, like medicine.

Frequency breathes.

Together, we move anyway.

Julie Stagner

To my class

In this circle, we gently flow,

Moving where our bodies go.

Each breath a bridge, each note a guide,

Together we find strength inside.

No step too small, no stretch too slight,

Each movement holds its own soft light.

Through music’s warmth and hearts that share,

We rise above what we can bear.

This space we hold, a sacred place,

Where joy and courage interlace.

Thank you for the love you bring,

For every moment, every swing.

Julie Stagner

Essentially You 

Movement like handwriting,

shifts as we age
Surrendering control
As ink shakes on the page.

We must thank it, embrace it.
Find motion that soothes -
the kind that grounds us,
and carries us through.

We acknowledge the pain,
give thanks for what was,
and step towards wholeness,
held gently by love.

Julie Stagner

Sacred Yawns

Yawns were shamed and frowned upon
So I held them in,
Suppressing my body’s ache for air.
Stifling breath in polite discomfort,
sacrificing instinct for acceptance.

Now I know my need to breathe
isn’t a shameful inconvenience 
but an empathic pull of
mirror neurons synchronizing us 
across space.

Gold star for yawns 
a loving contagion of peace.
Mindfully inhaling this polyvagal gift, 
Fully exhaling: you are safe. 

-Julie Stagner -