You hold a lot. You’re the one everyone leans on — and you’re damn good at it.
You’re also bone-tired. The kind of tired sleep doesn’t touch.
Tonight is yours. Not for the ones you hold. Not for the room you’re always reading. Just movement, music, ritual, and a circle of women who don’t need you to be okay — and who won’t flinch when you’re not.
You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.Mary Oliver · Wild Geese
Three hours of being fully in it — hips loose, hearts open, a room where nobody’s performing. The kind of night that reminds you how good it feels to be in your body, in your joy, in the company of women who already know.
And the integrity of your sacred kNOwing.
Through movement, we remember what we’ve been holding — and what we’ve been holding back. We are still wild-hearted, still in our own bodies, still knowing what we know. Your body is not a problem to be managed; it is the source of your holy hell yes and the seat of your sacred kNOwing. The music is curated to the themes and rhythms of feminine movement.
First-timers, welcome. There is no way to do it wrong.
Your knowing doesn’t have to justify itself. It’s witnessed, trusted, felt.
Come with something you’re ready to release. Come with something you’re ready to claim. The fire knows what to do with both.
You came in holding a lot. You leave with the kind of joy that lives in your body for days.
The seasons of our bodies. The seasons of the Earth. The seasons of our relationship to spirit.
The Wheel of the Year is ancient — eight turnings a year, eight invitations to pause and make real, with ritual, what our bodies already know.
This spring, we gather at Bealtaine: the cross-quarter day that marks where spring tips toward summer. The word translates to bright fire. On Bealtaine eve in Ireland, every household hearth went dark. A single communal fire was kindled. Every woman carried flame home to relight her own.
Ancient practice, rhythms of returning.
One source.
Sliding scale $45–$75 · Pay what feels true.
We value safety, mutuality of care, and every woman’s embodied knowing. Every woman is respected, valued, seen, and celebrated in their diversity and unique gifts.
Sisterhood for women, femmes, and gender-expansive folks. Every body, every race and ethnicity, every sexuality, every ability, every age. Trans women, nonbinary, gender-fluid, gender-nonconforming. You belong.
Qoya is a Quechua word meaning “Queen.” The practice flows from the Q’ero people of Peru, shared with permission and blessing through Qoya Inspired Movement.
Therapist · Qoya teacher · Writer
Licensed clinical marriage & family therapist, soul coach, and Qoya teacher. Erin is a sacred space holder for women — holding events in the DC area, plus retreats and soul coaching for wild-hearted women from around the world. Her work is holistic, embodied, and playful: helping people solve practical problems and dive deeper into the mysteries of the heart and spirit. She writes about all of it.
Erin's work →
Therapist · Lifestyle medicine · Advocate
Licensed therapist since 2010 and a Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Her practice weaves a whole-person approach — movement, nutrition, rest, and social connection — with warmth and grounded expertise. She co-facilitates the Maryland Chapter of Chamber of Mothers, advocating for parents at the state and federal level.
Lauren’s work →Come stir the pot with us.
Saturday, May 16, 2026.
Six to nine in the evening.
Unity Dance & Movement
4853 Cordell Ave, Bethesda, MD.
A yoga mat, a journal and pen, a water bottle. Clothes you can move in. An open heart.
Twenty women. On purpose. A portion of proceeds goes to House of Ruth.
The evening is body-led. Please eat before you arrive. Light snacks to share between Qoya and circle.
An altar sits at the heart of our circle. Bring something to add if you’d like — a flower, a stone, a photo, anything that holds meaning.
There’s a public parking garage directly behind the building on Woodmont Ave., and metered street parking on Cordell that’s free and easy after 6 PM. Bethesda Metro on the Red Line is a five-minute walk. Full directions arrive in your confirmation email.
From past Qoya circles
“Erin joyfully embodies this exuberant movement process, facilitating a circle that feels safe and connected. My usual self consciousness went out the window and I was able to connect to a soulful, wise and empowered part of myself that I had not previously felt.”
— Laura Reagan, LCSW-C
“Qoya offers just the right balance of intuitive free movement as well as structure and support to keep you grounded and connected to your intention. If you’re nervous about dancing in front of others, or worried that this is a dance class where you won’t know the steps — know that this is so very different.”
— Hannah Wilson, LCPC
The base covers our venue and snacks; anything above $45 goes directly to House of Ruth Maryland to support survivors in our community.
This is a community gathering. All women are welcome. If cost is in the way, write to Erin — we’ll work it out.
After you register, you’ll get an email with everything you need — payment, logistics, what to bring.
Questions? erinlneslmft@gmail.com