Chi Center

Hamid Martin

Class: Inner Rhythm - Thursdays at 7:30-9:30p.m.

After life moved him on from an intensely passionate semi-professional snowboarding career 13 years ago, Hamid began his search for the ultimate movement form. 10 years ago, shortly after completing massage school in San Diego, he took his first creative movement 'dance' class at Cabrillo College.

"Having grown up in an athletic family and surf culture, taking a dance class was quite a stretch for me. This experience blew my whole world wide open." As his surfing and snowboarding experience inspired his movement on the dance floor, he found more freedom of expression than he ever thought possible. While more interested in expanding his movement vocabulary than learning others choreography, this new passion led him to study various dance styles including Modern, Jazz, African, Hip Hop, and Ballet. And, more significantly, he pursues a movement study known as Axis Syllabus. Additionally, as he realized he had begun a dance journey of self discovery, he began to explore dance and art as a therapeutic process. This led him to attend workshops at the Tamalpa Institute in Marin, whose foundation is 'Movement Based Expressive Arts Therapy'.  Later, while living and practicing massage in Big Sur, he had the opportunity to study dance at Esalen Institute for a month with Vinn Martí, designer of Soul Motion™. Hamid also spent several months dancing with Vinn on Maui and has attended many of his workshops in California and Oregon. Also included in Hamid's dance explorations is the 5Rhythms™ practice developed by Gabriel Roth. While dance has been a very significant avenue for his life learning, this avenue has been greatly complimented by 8 years of diligent committed study with Leonard Jacobson of the Conscious Living Foundation. Hamid was born and reared in Santa Cruz. He surfs and dances every day.

"When I surrender to my own inner rhythm, and allow myself to be moved, I am always amazed at what I find."