We recently connected with Hannah Kinderlehrer and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Hannah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents raised me an environment that nurtured connection, relaxation, and kindness. At the dinner table, we laughed until we fell off our chairs, infused Jewish rituals with spirituality and meaning, and ate off each other’s plates with our hands. I was raised to voice my appreciation out loud, without hesitation, and to love whole heartedly, and to make everyone feel welcome, especially those who needed it most. This has led me to extend a loving hand to all people who come my way, professionally and socially, and to share what I see in individuals- how specifically and uniquely magnificent we each are. I know how to show people how lovable they are, because I feel it, and reflect it back. I also bring the sacred into the profane and imbue the ordinary with ritual, with irreverence and humor, without making it precious, because the ordinary is extraordinary! This is also the gift of growing of in a Jewish household with three unruly daughters and parents who understood we would inevitably toast our challah bread on the Shabbas candles and spend Shabbas morning watching cartoons in our pajamas. Above all they loved me, deeply, and from this well of love, I am able to give it, effortlessly, and profusely.

Hannah , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My body is a theme park of toxins and bacteria. I have lived with Lyme disease, heavy metal and mold toxicity, co-infections, parasites, divergent brain chemistry, chronic pain and more fun and interesting pathogens and symptoms for most of my life, and yet, I am one of the happiest, most regulated humans I know! People kept asking me, how are you the way you are?
And I realized it was through the path of mindfulness, dance, Hakomi therapy, Shamanic Journey work, community, nature and emotional regulation, that my life felt rich, meaningful, and joyful.
Now there are certainly times of deep suffering and pain, I am very human, but my baseline is joy, and for that, I am beyond grateful.
For years as I was raising my son, teaching dance, but not truly knowing what my path was, people were pointing other chronically ill people my way, asking if I could support them in getting the help they needed. After meeting with many friends of friends, this naturally developed into a coaching practice. Over time, I realized I could be of much deeper service if I added in the things that had served me the most, so I became a Certified Hakomi Practitioner, studied emotional regulation, and grew my practice. I now offer movement classes based in mindfulness that explore ecstatic dance and the wisdom of the body, 6 month women’s groups focused on belonging to self, each other, and the earth, nature practice, Shamanic Journeying, polyvagal embodied regulation practices, nutrition, health support, and more.
I no longer only serve people with chronic illness but rather those in search of a regulated, healthy, balanced, joyful existence.

Our health and wellness are dependent upon our state of being physically, emotionally, and mentally, and in fact, I find it nearly impossible to parse out the three. We are wired for connection within and without, and when one system is depleted or disconnected, we are out of balance.
We must be nourished in all ways to move from surviving to thriving. That’s why my practice is called Rise & Thrive. After spending years face down on the floor when I began my Lyme treatment, I have learned to thrive through treating myself and being treated on all levels. Not because I was broken, but because there were ways my system was not living into its wholeness! So I treat the bacteria and I spend time in nature, I get supportive nutritional IV’s and I rewire my limbic system, I take supplements and I laugh with friends, same same. We are continually growing into our own wholeness, may we always do this! But sometimes we need support and direction. That’s what I’m here for.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Almost nine years ago, I thought I was at the peak of my dance teacher career. After struggling to build up class numbers, I had finally arrived at full classes! I no longer entered the studio, afraid of who wouldn’t come, and how would I carry the energy for those who did? Every class was full of smiling faces and we all left full of energy and endorphins. I had developed a mindfulness based ecstatic dance class, Awaken The Dance, but it had yet to really take off. It didn’t have the outer appeal of being shown what to do through choreography, it asked more of the dancers, to go inside and listen to the inner movement of your own body’s wisdom. At this time, life was also heating up in various ways, I was over scheduled and committed and I promised myself I would SLOW down after this trip to the East Coast for a good friend’s wedding. On the second day of the trip, despite being warned of the slippery steps, I fell and fractured my back. I spent over a month in physical therapy and rest, barely moving, unable to put on my shoes, let alone teach choreography. When I tried to take class with my substitute teachers, it was all too apparent, I would never return as a the teacher I was. This part of my career was over.

I moved to only teaching AwakenThe Dance, which I returned to after only two weeks, with my walker, instructing with my voice, barely moving but still nourished by the music and community. This form has helped dozens of dancers, including me, deepen our relationships with our inner wisdom, freedom, and empowerments, in ways I never thought possible. I have trained 15 teachers worldwide in this modality, I have taught in Mexico, Costa Rica, at workshops, seminars, conferences, and have had a weekly class for over ten years. I have danced since the day I was born. Breaking my back felt like a huge ego death, but from it, something much more profound was born.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I believe to succeed in the field of Coaching and movement/dance facilitation, trust in everyone’s unique wisdom and process is essential. As soon as I get hooked into believing that someone’s journey or progress is up to me, I’m sunk. Everyone’s journey of wholeness looks different will unfold on their own time and their own way, and when I lean into that, the journey is effortless and beautiful. When I try to make something happen, arrive at a goal, or take responsibility for their healing, I feel depleted and am of very little use to the dancer or client.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.riseandthrive.care
• Instagram: @riseandthrivecoaching
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riseandthrivecoaching
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riseandthrivecoaching
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfIc5_Epr2fqp5cwh2-I3QQ
• Other: https://riseandthrive.sellfy.store

Image Credits
Jewel Afflerbaugh