top of page
IGNITE WIX event page.png
Awakened Connection
IGNITE

Power and Passion in EveryBody

A Movement Journey Toward Radical Embodiment and Connection

Nov 14 - 16, 2025

The Finnish Hall, Berkeley, CA

In a world burning with division and disconnection, IGNITE is a call to remember: we are not just minds; we are breath, bone, spirit, and story. This is not your typical movement workshop. This is a revolution of rhythm, a fierce celebration of difference, and a soul-stirring dive into what it means to truly inhabit your body, whatever body you’re in.

Led by Douglas Drummond, a dynamic 5Rhythms teacher known for his deep, inclusive approach to embodiment, and Dr. Victor Pineda, a global force for disability justice and human rights, this experience welcomes every body and every story. Together, we’ll burn through the barriers that keep us separate and dance into a new kind of belonging.

Two incredibly gifted musicians Sanga of the Valley and Nick Ayers, will bring heart-pounding live music into the room. Sounds that move like water, fire, and wind; layered rhythms you can feel in your bones. A living conversation between movement and sound that will seduce you deeper into the dance.

Scroll down to meet the whole team.

[ a magic moment of the crew attuning sounds, instruments, and space ]

[ Sanga and Nick drumming in Esalen ]

— WHAT TO EXPECT —

Redefine Embodiment -
Blow open the narrow definitions of what it means to be “in a body.” In powerful conversation and practice, we’ll reclaim embodiment as something wild, diverse, and deeply human.

Move with Fierce Freedom -
Through the primal, liberating maps of the 5Rhythms, we’ll move beyond judgment, beyond expectation. This practice meets you exactly where you are—whether you’re rolling, swaying, stretching, or still. Every movement matters. Every presence is power.

Speak Your Truth, Hear the World -
This is a space for real stories. Raw, honest, human. Through guided sharing and deep listening, we’ll dissolve assumptions and open to empathy—one breath, one beat, one body at a time.

Ignite Compassionate Power -
We’ll cultivate tools not just for self-love, but for collective care. Together, we’ll learn how to hold space, how to witness, how to show up—not just in this room, but in the world that desperately needs us awake and alive.

 

Build a Brave, Fierce Community -
No spectators here. This is a gathering of seekers, misfits, warriors, healers—movers who know the dance floor is a sacred place for radical inclusion and change. Come as you are. Leave more of yourself than you thought possible.


This is your invitation to ignite.
To burn through shame and silence.
To move like you mean it.
To rise, shoulder to shoulder, wheel to foot, laugh to cry, in a room where EveryBody belongs.

— MEET THE TEAM —

Douglas Drummond.jpg

Douglas Drummond

Douglas is a leader, husband, and father. He has been involved with the wellness movement for over 20 years. His professional passion is aligning impactful projects with like-minded individuals, supporting them in creating lasting teams that become global ambassadors for the future. Douglas has been a conscious movement facilitator for over 12 years. He is a certified 5Rhythms® teacher. Douglas currently serves as the founder & CEO of the Weaving Waters Collective; an organization dedicated to creating healing and reconciliation centers for living beings. Personally, his greatest passion and inspiration is his love for his family and time spent in pure nature. An avid surfer, diver, forager and play-date for his young daughter, Douglas is at home in the streets of NYC and equally so in his current home-base of Big Sur, California. https://www.weavingwaters.com

Dr. Victor Pineda

Dr. Victor Pineda, a renowned global advocate for Inclusion and Innovation. He's a dynamic social development scholar, urban planner, filmmaker, and dedicated disability rights advocate, leads a life devoted to fostering inclusivity and empowerment. With international education roots in Venezuela, Dr. Pineda inspires as a global speaker, collaborator with governments and organizations, and catalyst for inclusive innovation across society. His impactful journey includes policy advancements, as the youngest government delegate in drafting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Through the World Enabled Global Initiative and the Pineda Foundation, he fuels change and empowerment. Dr. Pineda's legacy spans urban planning, human rights, and development, echoing through his substantial academic contributions. https://www.vpineda.com

Sanga of the Valley

Sanga of The Valley was born in Trinidad and began playing African drums at an early age. In the early 1970s, he moved to New York City, where he became a student of Babatunde Olatunji and one of his lead djembe players. Sanga of The Valley spent 25 years with Olatunji and his band, Drums of Passion. Throughout his career, he collaborated with notable artists such as Carlos Santana, Nina Simone, The Grateful Dead, the Neville Brothers, and Stanley Jordan. In 1989, he began working with Raven Recording and Gabrielle Roth. In 1993, Sanga of The Valley, alongside Babatunde Olatunji, participated in the first-ever educational video on djembe drumming, titled African Drumming. In 2003, Sanga of The Valley and Village Drums of Freedom released the album Historic Travel: Cultural Rhythms. Following Olatunji’s passing in 2004, he led a tribute performance at the A Great Night in Harlem benefit concert held at the Apollo Theatre.

Nick Ayers

Nick Ayers is a professional musician and dancer with over 27 years of experience. He has witnessed the immediate effects of music on both psychological and physical well-being. Described as “a musical savant” with talents across various disciplines, Nick remains a dedicated student of global music, rhythm, and culture. He believes that when individuals gather as a group, their authentic selves are vulnerably witnessed, allowing for profound and lasting healing to occur. Currently, Nick is on a mission to heal through music, utilizing his invention, the Wavetable—a vibroacoustic sound bed that delivers healing frequencies directly to the body’s tissues through musical compositions performed on a diverse array of instruments. Nick asserts that every frequency serves as a nutrient, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a well-balanced sonic diet. An Esalen massage therapist for the past six years, Nick resides in Big Sur and travels along the California coast and the world, sharing his unique musical massage techniques and teaching roller skating.

​​

— LOGISTICS —

LOCATION: 

Berkeley Finnish Hall

1970 Chestnut St, Berkeley, CA 94702
 

DATES & TIME: 

Fri, 11/14/2025: 7pm - 9pm (OPEN TO ALL)

Sat, 11/15/2025: 10am - 3pm

Sun, 11/16/2025: 11am - 4pm

THE COST:

 

🔥 Come with a friend, use code IGNITE15 for 15% discount of Full Admission for you both! 🔥 

A.   11/14 Friday Evening only: $30

B.   Full Admission: $395

 

C:   5Rhythms® Teachers: $295  (25% off)


* No one gets turned away for lack of funds.
All work-exchange spots are taken. Feel feel to reach out still to explore other possibilities. 

 

* This workshop qualifies for a Wave Map workshop toward the 5Rhythms® Teacher Training path.

Cancellation Policy:

  • Refunds minus $95 will be issued if canceled prior to Nov 1st, 2025 (PST).

  • Refunds minus $150 will be issued if canceled prior to Nov 8th, 2025 (PST).

  • No refunds but transfer credit available after Nov 8th, 2025 (PST). 

@2022 - Qibei Shen's Integral Healing and Coaching. All Rights Reserved.
bottom of page