What is Qoya?

I'm guessing you have some idea what Qoya is since you're on my website, but if you haven't been to a class yet you still might be a bit fuzzy on it.
 
First, there is no "U" in Qoya because its not an English word. It comes from Quechuan, an ancient Peruvian language that means Queen. It means Queen as an empowered, embodied woman rather than as royalty. Fun fact, "quoya" is a genus of flowering plants from Western Australia also known as saltbush foxglove!
 
Qoya was developed by Rochelle Schieck, an American woman who lives in upstate New York. I'll let Rochelle tell you herself how she got the idea for Qoya: "I grew up as a dancer, was a yoga teacher for many years. I got really inspired by women's empowerment and Goddess studies and the divine feminine. Which led to embodiment practices like belly dancing and pole dancing and was really passionate about all of them, but craving a way that they would come together. Not knowing until one time I was in a women's group and a woman raised her hand and said, "basically, everyone is telling me I need to get out of my head and into my body. And I have no idea what that means."
 
And so the seed was planted for Rochelle to find a way to help women to move the way they wanted to without caring what it looked like. To ditch the "no pain no gain" exercise mentality and instead enjoy the feeling of moving their body just for the sake of moving it. The structure of Qoya came to Rochelle through various dance and embodiment practices she had done and experienced during her extensive travels around the world. Her first class on 1 March 2019 was called Inspired Movement and women flocked to it.
 
The beauty of Qoya is that it encourages you to feel in to your body and see what particular emotions feel like without over thinking it. Just taking a deep breath and asking the question "what does it feel like when... " And once you have that answer, breathing again and asking "where in my body do I feel it?". Taking those feelings and without thinking about them, without choreographing just moving the way your body wants and needs to move with the music.
 
I have danced with emotions that I had long kept buried, felt them, cried with them and then shaken them out. Being able to truly move through your feelings is incredibly empowering and satisfying. You feel as though you could move mountains afterwards. You did it! You danced with the shadow and the light and you are still here. And more than just being here, you are enlightened, strengthened and inspired. You can feel your own power and strength. Just from one 90 minute  lil ol' dance class.
 
I hope that this has given you a bit more of an understanding about Qoya and if you have any questions or comments, I'd love to hear them below!