featured by Dreamwalker Dance Company
- in their newsletter Summer 2025
written by Andrea Nann
contemporary dance artist, arts educator,
founding artistic director of Dreamwalker Dance Company, and creator of Conscious Bodies Methodology
photo of Andrea Nann ©Dreamwalker Dance Company
We are thrilled to feature Sahara Morimoto and her practice of the Ilan Lev Method (ILM).
Sahara offers her practice through 1:1 in person treatment sessions, in person, online and recorded movements classes, and also shares via her YouTube series. As Sahara shares:
My approach is simple yet deep: I don’t assess or assume
- I listen, move, and together, we uncover something greater than either of us could imagine. Transformation unfolds in surrender to the unknown.
Our own Andrea has been supported in the physical, mental, spiritual and emotional realms by Sahara’s practice, opening pathways for flow, nuanced awareness, and building capacities for resilience and wellbeing.
Andrea shares:
"I had the sublime pleasure of dancing with Sahara for over 15 years in multiple works by dance artist Peggy Baker, and in Dreamwalker repertoire. I would say Sahara’s musicality is exquisite, her dedication to practice is unwavering (hence, her technical prowess is fierce), and she brings deep sensitivity to partnering work. Over the years I also witnessed Sahara rapidly absorbing choreography and information, often in high stress situations, and what became evident is that Sahara has extraordinary capacities to notice, and to move with clarity into action.
When Sahara shifted her career as a professional dance artist to become an ILM practitioner, I became a dedicated client, growing with her as she evolved from an ILM student to the fully expressive advanced practitioner she is today! In this past year in particular, Sahara’s ILM technique has blossomed into full expression and I feel in awe of the nuanced and growing collaboration between us as we ‘dance together again'.
ILM is not just for physically active people who are seeking to maintain states of wellness and flow. ILM treatment also supports injury and illness recovery and prevention. Sahara describes an attuning to the frequencies and vibrations that are present, and she works with these frequencies to create a dialogue between the client and herself. Sahara says, “The role of an ILM practitioner is to support individuals without diagnosing or treating specific conditions. We focus on the whole person rather than treating localized physical symptoms or medical conditions. In ILM training, the general guidance is to listen, lean (connect), and to let go, especially the effort. It is important that I drop all expectations and let go of personal ambition so I can have full capacity to be listening and responding when I’m treating."
Two years ago Sahara started to treat my then 92 year old Dad, Richard.
In the experience I learned so much from witnessing Sahara and receiving her post-treatment reports. Sahara always offered full presence and highly sensitized, skilled touch, while deeply listening. When she began treating Richard, although he was experiencing progressive dementia, he was still mobile and I witnessed their treatments supporting Richard’s self-confidence, balance, vitality and sense of well-being.
Last year, during Richard’s final year of life, when very little movement was available to him, Sahara continued weekly treatments and the impacts of their time together are immeasurable. Sahara celebrated the person Richard was in every moment, rather than focusing on his decline. Through ILM, Sahara attuned to Richard's frequencies and to gravity so he continued to experience the profound relationships between his physical and emotional body, his spiritual self, and the Earth. I truly believe this supported Richard’s willingness and ability to expand and surrender during his final passing which was completely natural, gentle and swift. He remained fully aware of his body, perhaps because he could so tangibly sense what he was letting go of…and what he was surrendering to.
I continue to see Sahara once a week as part of my ongoing self-care practice.
I highly recommend Sahara as an expert practitioner and ILM as a method to improve quality of life for everyone.
I believe that the body holds wisdom we often overlook. It's not about what we do, but how we move through life. I’ve found a way to listen to the whispers of the body, and I am here to guide others in hearing their own. -Sahara, from her website