Movement Medicine Mandala

The Movement Medicine Mandala is a symbolic map of the teachings that make up Movement Medicine. It's made up of 21 focuses, which we call "gateways." Each gateway opens up a landscape of ongoing enquiry for the work of embodying soul in all aspects of your life. As you discover more and more of the inherent medicine of who you are, the gateways become like barometer of how you are evolving and developing throughout the different developmental stages of life.

The Movement Medicine Mandala functions as a kind of compass, providing you with a powerful orientation system for your life journey. It offers a rich territory for ongoing embodied enquiry, discovery and growth.

History of the mandala

The Movement Medicine Mandala emerged at the beginning of the new millennium, a few years before Movement Medicine was launched into the world. Susannah & Ya'Acov had been working intensively with Gabrielle Roth and the 5 Rhythms for 18 years and knew it was time to move on. Their own work was coming through in stronger and stronger ways.

“We asked ourselves: "What really helps?." At that point we'd already had 20+ years of working in the field of embodied human development, healing and transformation with 5 Rhythms, Gestalt Psychotherapy, Family Constellations and Shamanic practice and we wanted to weave together what we had learnt in a way that made sense to us, whilst honouring the incredible teachers who had guided us along the way. Ya'Acov had received the vision of the mandala through the culmination of a 13-year journey with his ancestry who had died in Auschwitz. Later he was told during our Apprenticeship in the Amazon that it was up to us to crack the code of the mandala and discover its meaning. At the same time, Susannah had received the name of our work in the most powerful dream she had ever had.”

Ya'Acov & Susannah

So what is the suffering, the dis-ease of our culture which Movement Medicine addresses? One way to name it is disconnection. Disconnection from the sensation and wisdom of our own bodies, from our hearts, from each other, from the earth, from the sacred nature of life, from our own sense of belonging, of purpose, and from the mystery, awe and gratitude of being alive at all on this extraordinary blue green planet.

THE 21 GATEWAYS

In Movement Medicine the Mandala and the 21 Gateways give us a way to attend to this pain and find the most creative approach to healing and re-connection. Movement Medicine supports ecstasis, the wild and tender surrender to the beat that movement brings. Through practice, we discover and develop our sense of being, belonging and contributing, as we learn to stand up, grow and play our role fully in life. Let's go through the mandala one section at a time.

why the phoenix?

Because nothing says transformation like a bird that bursts into flames and is reborn from its own ashes. The Phoenix is not just mythical creature, it’s a powerful invocation. Why? Because to live fully, we must learn to let go. And the Phoenix as medicine and as a symbol reminds us that everything is born, rises and returns to ashes. And in the shamanic context, we consider that there are many times in life when this process happens and we call these times initiations. So to learn the dance of rising, shining and returning to ashes is an excellent way to prepare us for these initiations which are part of life. Rise, fall, return to ashes and rise again. And again. And again...

The Phoenix is the part of us that refuses to stay stuck in old stories, even when those stories are soaked in sorrow, shame, or centuries of silence. It also represents the element of ether (the 5th Element) or the universal force of Love that holds the whole universe together.

Now, here’s how Phoenix flew into the mandala.

Years ago, Ya’Acov stood in Auschwitz, doing deep ancestral work in a place blanketed in horror. There, amid the silence and the shadows, something profound stirred. He faced the fire of grief, rage, and unspoken sorrow, his own, his ancestors’, the collective. And in the aftermath of that burning, something unexpected rose: a flicker of life. A glimmer of what could come after. Not denial. Not forgetting. But the possibility of transformation rooted in truth.

And then came the dream.

In the years before Movement Medicine came into being, Ya’Acov dreamed of the Phoenix Festival—a great celebration of rebirth. In the dream, people whose people carried ancestral trauma or their own, from all walks of life gathered, to work, to listen, to hear each other's stories, and to heal. The festival became a celebration of life. And from their movement, light and colour and joy emerged. From that dream, and the work that we had been doing already for nearly 20 years, the invocation at the centre of our work was born:

“Every human being, given enough love and resource, can rise from the ashes of their suffering and create a new story. We can become embodied life artists, taking the raw material of our experience and creating something that aligns with our soul purpose—to become part of the change we wish to see, and to pass something of value on to our descendants.”

That’s why the Phoenix is at the centre of our mandala. It’s not a decoration, it’s a commitment. To the truth that we can transform. That we are not defined by what has happened to us, but by how we respond. And that our healing is not just for ourselves, but for the generations to come.

Finally, the Phoenix represents the Great Mystery itself. And just as the Tao says:

From the One came the Two.
Unity gave birth to polarity; yin and yang, light and dark, inhale and exhale.

From the Two came the Three.
The dance between opposites called forth the Yun; rhythm, the breath, the dynamic space, the Tao moving through form.

From the Three came the Ten Thousand Things.
Life unfolded. Countless forms, beings, stories, and mysteries, all expressions of the One, playing in the many.

yin, yang & yun

We have used these terms because they are much better suited to how we work than masculine and feminine. We acknowledge the wisdom of the Yin - Yang symbol known as Taijitu. The symbol first appeared around the Song Dynasty in China (960–1279 CE).

It was popularized by Zhou Dunyi, a Neo-Confucian scholar, who used it to illustrate the cosmic evolution from the Tao to yin and yang, and on into the ten thousand things.

Yin in Movement Medicine

In Movement Medicine, Yin isn’t passive, it’s powerful. It’s the root system, the listening field, the quiet intelligence of the body that doesn’t push, doesn’t strive, doesn’t need to prove anything. Yin is the part of us that knows how to receive, how to rest, how to yield without giving up.

We dance deep to know the difference between Yin's shadow and essence. In shadow, the loss of ground, the collapse into passivity, becoming fog not depth, inertia not rest. In shadow, Yin subsumes, avoiding directness, and controlling through withdrawal. Passive aggression: the unspoken no, the pseudo-softness that manipulates instead of yields.

In its essence, Yin invites us to slow down and drop in. To soften the edges. To meet gravity like a long-lost friend. To feel what’s really going on under the surface. Yin movement reveals the more subtle truths. It opens the door to embodied presence and connection. Imagine being so rooted in the depth and intensity of Yin, that you can welcome and ground the intensity of Yang. An invitation not a demand. Yin says: “Come, bring it all.”

Yang in Movement Medicine

In Movement Medicine, Yang is the spark of action, the courage to show up, express ourselves clearly, stand tall. It’s direction, expression, focus. We dance to know the difference between the shadow Yang - out of touch with Yin, hard-edged, controlling, dominating - and Yang as it is - conscious, protective, the active principle that makes space for Yin to flower. The kind of power that builds bridges, dances with purpose, and protects what it loves.

As an inspiration for movement, Yang calls us to expand. To take up space. To be precise. It’s the the warrior heart, the clear 'No!' and the clear 'Yes!' It’s hips pulsing, feet pounding, voice rising. It’s doing in service of being.

Yang is what moves the dream into action. It’s the dance of determination, clarity, momentum. The will to create. To build. To say: this matters, and I’m here for it.

yun - the fruit of the dance

Yun is what’s created from the dance of Yin and Yang; how they meet, love, hate, how they make love, how they fight, how they make newborn, always evolving movement artistry int he now.

In the shadow, Yun becomes distortion: confusion, control, disconnection, war. Yin and Yang cancel each other out, push each other away, twist around each other in power games and silence. We all know that dance, it's been around a long while. It runs in our blood.

But there’s another way.

When Yin roots and Yang rises in right relationship, Yun emerges as something luminous. A felt sense of harmony. A clarity of purpose. The shimmering third thing that wasn’t there before. It’s the essence that reveals itself after the storm; the unique flavour of emerging soul expressed through embodied presence.

Yun is coherence. It’s the very real outcome of responsible honesty, mutual respect and upholding. It's the foundation of what most people are seeking - a passionate peace where opposites create life rather than destroying it.

tHE 4 ELEMENTS AND DIRECTIONS

We are elemental beings and we are literally made of what we call the Unbroken intelligence of these elements. Learning to move as these elements do is a never-ending journey that gives us more ground (earth), passion (fire), fluidity (water) and spaciousness (air). To return to them time after time is an ongoing education for what resources us every second of every day of our lives.

THE 9 Upper GATEWAYS

The branches of the tree of life

The 9 Upper Gateways represent the branches of the Tree of life. They are divided into 3 groups of 3, from left to right. They represent the ongoing journey of human development. They are not a linear journey but more of a labyrinthine adventure.

1. the journey of empowerment

Sometimes referred to as The Vertical Axis, the Journey of Empowerment invites us to stand tall and align ourselves with the natural flow of life. The three gateways; Body, Heart, and Mind, form the foundation of this ongoing invitation to ‘Stand Up’ inside yourself. It’s about straightening up and becoming a clear and grounded channel that connects the Earth below and the Sky above, linking the three realms through the Tree of Life within you.

Lower World
The deep, primal realm of the Earth. It’s the space of ancestors, intuition, transformation, and the unconscious. Where we tap into our roots and the fertile darkness.
Our everyday reality. The realm of action, relationships, and human experience. It’s where we create, connect, and manifest, grounding us in the present moment.

Middle World
Our everyday reality. The realm of action, relationships, and human experience. It’s where we create, connect, and manifest, grounding us in the present moment.

Upper World
The realm of higher consciousness and spiritual wisdom. It’s where we access inspiration, clarity, and guidance from the divine, expanding our awareness and purpose.

By aligning Body, Heart and Mind, we become an embodied channel, linking all three worlds: earth, sky and spirit, through the Tree of Life within.

2. the journey of responsibility

Sometimes referred to as the Horizontal axis, the Journey of Responsibility bridges the Arc of Time, inviting us to work consistently and creatively with the 3 Gateways of Past, Present and Future. It’s the journey that encourages us to grow up in the most loving, empowering way.

The Past: Everything at Our Backs is Our Potential Strength
Our past, every moment, every experience without exception, can become as a source of wisdom and strength at our backs. All of it, even the difficult parts, can encourage us to live fully in the present. The stories of our ancestors, the lessons learned, the resilience cultivated through challenges: these are our roots, and they nourish us to stand tall, bringing us strength as we move forward.

The Present: Where Life Actually Happens
The Present is where we stand now, rooted in all that we’ve experienced. This moment holds the power to transform. It’s our opportunity to take responsibility for the choices we make today and live from a sense of chosen, resonant purpose. Here, we have the ability to act, to heal, and to make conscious decisions that align with who we are and who are becoming. It's that place where we answer life's call to dance with creation and make our offering.

The Future: Watering the Seeds of a Vision Worth Living For
The Future is in part, shaped by the seeds we plant today. The challenge is to balance acknowledging the very real challenges we face AND, to move beyond fear and apocalyptic thinking. When we dance past what we know into the arms of the unknown, we can open the doors to what is possible, a very different perspective to what is probable. and nurture a world where humanity finds its true place within the web of life. Can you imagine and work for a world where we, humanity, lives in balance with each other and the biosphere that sustains us?

Perspective:
Like in many other traditions and perspectives, in Movement Medicine we see the Arc of Time not as linear but cyclical. The past can change from being a burden, to being a source of strength and inspiration. The wisdom we carry from our ancestors, the challenges we’ve faced, and the stories that have shaped us all then serve as fuel for the journey ahead. This perspective encourages us to take responsibility for the life we live now, not to change the past, but to change ur relationship to it and the meaning we make from it.

3. the harvest: playing your role

The Harvest is the culmination of our journey, where we gather the fruits of our labour and step fully into our roles in the web of life. These three gateways; Fulfilment, Interconnection, and Realisation, are the invitation to Play Your Role.

Fulfilment
Fulfilment is a process, not just an endpoint. It’s the ongoing journey of aligning our actions with our soul’s purpose or blueprint, finding as much joy and satisfaction as we can in the steps we take along the way. Fulfilment arises from living in harmony with our values and purpose, and is not only a final destination. Each moment of living fully brings us closer to the essence of who we are.

Interconnection
Interconnection is the natural result of fulfilling our soul’s blueprint again and again as we evolve. As we step into our true selves, we recognise that we are part of something greater. Our relationships with others, nature, and spirit deepen, revealing the interconnectedness of all things. Every act of fulfilment strengthens our ties to the web of life, weaving us into the collective whole.

Realisation
Realisation is the moment of deep clarity, where we move past our separate sense of self - rather like the drop of water becoming the ocean. It's the way we 'die whilst our hearts still beat,' as old stories and identities turn to ashes to make space for what is more true now. Realisation also talks of completion and endings. In this gateway, we are invited to let go and let God. All in the dance, held by the rhythm and the melody and as Gabrielle Roth used to say so often, disappearing in the dance.

Play Your Role
Together, these three gateways invite us to step into the fullness of our being. Fulfilment, Interconnection, and Realisation are the harvest of our growth, and the invitation to play our role in the ongoing creation of a thriving world. As we continue to fulfil our soul’s blueprint, we come closer to our true place in the dance.

The 5 Lower Gateways

the roots of the Tree of life

These five dimensions of relationship are the roots of our work—deeply embedded in the soil of life itself. Just like a tree needs strong, interconnected roots to thrive, we need these dimensions to grow, evolve, and live in harmony. From the foundation of Self to the expansive reach of our relationship with the Great Spirit itself, they ground us in who we are, how we relate, and the world we inhabit. They’re not just concepts; they are the living pulse that fuels our work. In understanding and continuing to pay attention to these five dimensions of relationship, we tap into the very essence of life and become part of a larger, ever-evolving dance. The 5 Dimensions of Relationship are the root system that holds us steady as we reach for the stars. In the dance, we are practicing the art of relationship as spiritual practice.

Who are we?

How do we bring who we are into our 1-1's and evolve our capacity to be better friends, lovers, companions, and uplift each other to be who we can be?

What is our relationship to community? What is our sense of belonging? WHat do we give back?

How can we develop the embodied power of imaginations and relate to the imaginal world? What does it mean to have our ancestors at our back? Who are your guides? What is your guiding star? What is the spirit of the dance?

And what is your relationship to the divine? Not what should it be. But what is it? And how can you develop an honest and living personal relationship to a greater power?

1st Dimension: Self - The Spirit of the Dance Dances Us

The dance is not just something we do; it’s something that does us. In this dimension, we recognise the patterns of relating to ourselves that we have developed and give the dancer permission to help us to evolve a deeper, more soulful relationship to who we are. The spirit of the dance is our guide. It's a process of acknowledging and stripping away the layers that obscure our true essence, our conditioning, our stories, our roles. It involves shadow work, creativity, patience and commitment. When we become the dance, and surrender to the movement of life inside us, we return to our raw, authentic self, free for a moment from the distractions of past learned identities. The Spirit of the Dance takes over, moving us in ways that release us and transform us, reminding us that we are both the dancer and the dance itself. This is the endlessly fascinating dance of knowing who you are.

2nd Dimension: Others - The Mirror of Our Companions

We don’t exist in isolation. In this dimension, the people around us are mirrors, reflecting parts of ourselves that we might not see on our own. Relationships become the space where we face our shadow and our light, where we grow and evolve through connection. In the dance of life, each person is both a teacher and a student. By looking into the eyes of others, we can see deeper truths about ourselves; our desires, fears, strengths, and vulnerabilities. True co-creation happens here, where we let go of the need to be "right" and instead come together to create something far greater than what any one individual could manifest alone. What would your relationships be like if you were deeply committed to taking responsibility for your part in the inevitable challenges of long-term relationship?

3rd Dimension: Community & Environment - The Circle is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts

This dimension invites us to step into the larger web of life. It’s a reminder that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. Just as a cell functions within a body, our role in the community is integral to the wellbeing of the whole. It’s the circle where every individual’s contribution enhances the collective energy and vice versa. When we come together with shared purpose, we amplify the aliveness of the group, and the environment around us nurtures this interconnectedness. This is the wisdom of the circle: that the sum of our collective energy is far more powerful than any one of us alone. In this dimension, we also become more and more aware of our relationship to the non-human world that we are also part of. Belonging to community through the strength of your own sovereignty - giving what's yours and receiving from the circle.

4th Dimension: Ancestors/Descendants/Spirit World - The Imaginal Realm

In this dimension, we step outside the linear boundaries of time and enter the imaginal realm, where we are in contact with our ancestors, our descendants, and the spirit world. Our ancestors speak to us through dreams, visions, and inherited wisdom, guiding us to navigate the present with awareness. The future, too, is ever-present, reminding us that our actions today ripple forward into the lives of those yet to come. This space is where we meet the unseen realms, where spirit, energy, and intuition converge to help us make sense of our journey. In this dimension, we recognise the power that the stories we tell have on our perception of life. There is so much to learn!

5th Dimension: Our Relationship with The Great Spirit - Within and Beyond

At the heart of this mandala and at the heart of all that is, there lies the Great Mystery, the evolving presence and becoming of what we call the divine. Here in the roots, the 5th Dimension is about our very personal relationship to this mystery. There are a thousand names for the unnameable and we have settled on the Great Spirit.

This 5th dimension of relationship cannot be taught and our relationship with it is sacred and should not be interfered with. In the way we hold this relationship, it is dogma free. We would not dream of defining what the Great Spirit is or what your relationship to it should be. Movement Medicine does not require you to believe. It invites you to experience what is true for you.

Our relationship to the Great Spirit is something we can enquire into and from there, develop a relationship. Unlike the Great Mystery at the centre of the mandala that exists with us or without us, this place in the mandala invites discovery. As the years have rolled by, we have come to see that in some ways, our experience of this relationship with the Great Spirit is exactly and precisely who we are.

As this relationship deepens, many things may unfold. We may experience that feeling of oneness with existence. At times, the boundaries between the self and the universe may seem to dissolve. Words are inadequate here but making the effort to name what we experience is part of how we own that experience. Ultimately, this is a space of refuge, a perspective that is wide enough and strong enough to hold all polarities and keep the gate open for what has not yet been imagined.

Dancing through the gateways

Now that we've been through the 21 Gateways in words, please watch this short video by Kata Mathe. Imagine yourself as the dancer at the centre of this mandala, dancing through all the gateways again and again, deepening your embodied experience of each one and therefore of yourself.

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