Dancing the Crone: Rocking The Rhythm Of Your Elder Self - by Jan Russell

COURSE

Dancing the Crone: Rocking The Rhythm Of Your Elder Self

With Jan Russell

This course is about flowing into our older age with grace, humour, confidence, and inspiration, affirming the value and strengths of one of the greatest female archetypes, the Crone. The word Crone indicates a woman of substantial life experience, wisdom, and spiritual wealth. She is usually an older woman although this way of being can also appeal to younger women who feel like old souls. The Crone is certain of her place and comfortable in her boots, she is inspired and inspiring, and she is Everywoman. Over the length of the course, you will find ways to focus and build the positive aspects of older age in a rhythm that suits you. You will be encouraged to a level of self-acceptance that opens the door to living each moment with optimism and positivity, and to recognise and celebrate all that is possible as an older woman. This is the third in the Crone series here on Insight Timer. There is something quite wonderful about the older woman, and in the lessons in this course, you will affirm all that is fabulous and feisty within your depths. A crone is an elder, and as elders, roles change. The interactive exercises, affirmations, meditations, and brief discussions found here will support you to live dynamically, accepting shifts, indeed creating shifts when necessary. I will be your guide, sharing stories and inspirations to help you focus on what is possible, to live a full and satisfying older age. You will find ways to allow yourself to simply be, whether you are sitting in quiet contemplation, or whether you are dancing your way through life as if no one is watching. Each session is around 10-15 minutes, a mix of themes, interactive exercises, powerful affirmations, or meditations. It is perfect for daily practice. It will help you to have a journal or some means of recording important points for yourself as there will be parts into which you dive more deeply than others. As ever, the course will have a classroom attached and part of the joy is to come into the classroom and leave comments and questions, connecting to other listeners and to me. I look forward to you engaging with this course.


Meet your Teacher

Dr Jan Russell is an experienced old soul teacher on Insight Timer and author/co-author of several courses and meditations on the app. Her signature course is Rocking the Crone, a feisty, practical, and mindful programme aimed at women in their Third Age. Jan is a teacher, writer, and artist. She spent her career delivering transformational practices to individuals, communities, and teams, working holistically to integrate heart, mind, and movement. She taught Master’s level in Counselling and Coaching in UK Universities and is herself a lifelong learner. The mix of hands- on working with up-to-date knowledge keeps Jan current and creative in her style. She received a visiting Senior Fellowship which recognised her work and professional publications in the UK. She is a double certified trainer in Neuro Linguistics, has worked extensively with people in recovery from trauma, and people in seniority in business. Jan believes that all people are equal. Jan is an ordinary woman, a gran, a mum, sister, and friend, living each day as it comes, and appreciating its gift. She carries her scars acquired along the way alongside the triumphs in life. She embeds an outlook of positivity, hope and forgiveness, and a certainty that it is within our gift to create and choose our best responses to the cards we are dealt. As a mindfulness practitioner, Jan combines the ethos and practice of meditation, story, and the tools of evidence-based psychology. Her work is dynamic, practical, and spiritual, and she is passionate about what she does.

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9 Days

1.3k students

4.9 stars

12 min / day

Happiness

English


Lesson 1

Introducing the Rhythm of the Crone

Hello and welcome. In this opening session, you will hear a broad outline of what is being suggested by the rhythm of the Crone, illustrated by examples. The intent is for you to identify how rhythm impacts your movement through life, and to ponder how rhythm showed up in your foremothers. It is a useful modality through which to explore your personal path. We will then share a guided practice, the Butterfly meditation, to create a notion of how you would like to flow into and through your next Age, with grace, humor, and confidence, and to recognise your place in nature, as a woman of age and wisdom. This session is a short talk with examples and stories, followed by a guided practice.

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Lesson 2

The Magnificent Crone

Magnificence takes many forms. When we are Crone, we take our place as an elder, a universal figure found in all cultures through time and place. As elder, we can be as active as we choose, as sedate as we choose. Within, without or despite limitations, there is choice. The crucial thing is to find the energy of your authentic self and do so with heads held high, heart beating to the rhythm of your soul, feet pointing in the right direction. The session will complete through sharing strong affirmations to go large and claim your magnificent selves.

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Lesson 3

Unconditional Love, the Gift of the Crone

One of the joys of later years is the ability to share, a joyous gift, the capability to love, unconditionally. Unconditional love is a wondrous state to know, to live, to acquire and to share. As mature women, you have wisdoms to share, and the quality of unconditional love is a baseline from where you are most likely to be heard. In this session, you will explore what it means to share unconditional love, both to give to others and receive into yourself. This session is a reflection moving to full participative meditation.

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Lesson 4

Dancing to the rhythm of your drum.

Movement is an animal part of our being. Your personal rhythms, your pace, is reflective of who you are and enables or restricts the senses of authenticity and adventure. In this talk and interactive practice, you will be encouraged to find your own rhythm. You will distinguish the pace at which you like to live life, the preference, the variation. You will be invited t, literally or metaphorically move to recognise any small changes you may wish to make to your daily life to suit you better. The intention is to appreciate and maximize your personal energy flow.

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Lesson 5

Lighting up a Room

Sometimes, older women feel as if they have lost visibility, as if they are not quite sure ‘how’ they can show up in the world. In this session, you will explore how you wish to manifest your presence from the inside out and become comfortable to know and integrate your style as a daily habit. To celebrate your older self is to hold your head up high and to feel certain of what you wish to transmit from the inside out. Interactive session with reflection.

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Lesson 6

Calm and Convivial

There are times when all you wish to do is relax, rest the inner soul, slow down the heart and the mind, and chill out. As we get older, the benefit of relaxation becomes ever more important, and is a full part of celebrating who we are. Calmness and relaxation takes many forms, and the experience of flow leads into a certain peacefulness with self which lowers stress and increases happiness. This session will take the form of various gentle instructions to the mind and heart to help to feed the soul and encourage the convivial life. It is both interactive and meditative.

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Lesson 7

Ageing as a Zen like process

In this session, we reflect on what it means to be ageing, and what it means to adopt a Zen like philosophy, noting the compatibility. I will share some stories of my own insights, and invite you to reflect on how you integrate the notions of ageing as a continuous spiritual path.

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Lesson 8

The Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is a cross cultural metaphor through different ages, a beautiful reminder that we all come from roots, spread our seeds, and pass through the seasons. In this session, you are invited to create your own version of the Tree of Life relative to your presence and lifetime. This is an active talking mindful practice in which you are guided to draw whatever comes through as you listen to the words and ideas, and reflect within your being on the origins and legacy that you might enjoy.

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Lesson 9

The Glorious Potential of the Next Chapter

The future is both to be planned, yet always unknown. Some aspects are beyond our control, while it is within our gift to influence others. In this final session, you will gather the resources that are available to you and use them to draft the shape of the next chapter of your narrative. Focusing on what you can control, you will create the first mental steps for the next part of your life, aligning to your hopes, your wishes, your values, in a way which celebrates your future as a glorious opportunity. Thank you for enjoying this far, and wishing you well into your futures.

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4.9 (76)

Recent Reviews

Danielle

January 15, 2026

Thank you for the awakening. I feel the need to repeat the course. Thank you for your insight

Katherine

Katherine

August 12, 2025

So encouraging. Feel as if I'm starting the aging crone seasons so this felt like an opening to new views and also support for how I view elders in my past and present. Much food for thought and processing this life I've been given. Thank you!

Eileen

Eileen

May 1, 2025

I appreciated the course for opening my mind and heart to the ways aging can be a beautiful journey. The practical aspects, journaling and reflections were helpful. This is a course I will come back to again as I move on in my own journey growing older.

Kat

Kat

November 21, 2024

This was wonderful. Thank you for sharing your gift ❤️

Eileen🙏

Eileen🙏

November 12, 2024

Just finished for the second time and will go through again. Much thanks 🙏

Jeannine

Jeannine

September 7, 2024

This is one of the best courses I’ve taken on Insight Timer. Highly recommended! Thank you, Jan. 🙏🏻

Deneen

Deneen

May 11, 2024

Wonderful, life-affirming course! I especially valued the journal prompts and was amazed to see what they revealed to me. This was such a worthwhile exploration into the gifts of age and just at the time I needed to hear them. Thank you for sharing your talents and gifts with me! 🙏

Claire

Claire

November 27, 2023

Many thanks Dr Jan, as always such positive and helpful reflections. Feeling happy and excited as I age and continue to dance with life. Blessings to you. 🙏💚

Lisa

October 12, 2023

Excellent! Your courses have changed my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤️!

Crystal

August 20, 2023

This was a fantastic course. Thank you so much!

Dianne

Dianne

July 2, 2023

TY once again🌸

Annemarie

Annemarie

June 29, 2023

So inspiring and refreshing. Thankyou 😊

Michelle

Michelle

June 15, 2023

So much to reframe!! Thank you for this course. I’ve been listening to a podcast called Wiser than Me with Julia Louie Dreyfus where she interviews women older than herself. When I’m finished with an episode I am looking forward to my 80’s! 😂 This course leaves me inspired to create now the conditions I want then and anticipating what’s next. Thank you 🙏

Renée

Renée

June 14, 2023

Excellent! Thank you so very much! 💖

Kath

Kath

June 6, 2023

Wonderful course, thanks Jan

Heidi

Heidi

May 30, 2023

Thought provoking. Helpful for growing into the aging process.

Janno

Janno

April 30, 2023

Thank you for this wonderful course!

Mardene

April 7, 2023

Dr. Jan I love your courses! This one is so helpful and I love the exercises. They are thought provoking and deep. Thank you🙏🏻

Karey

Karey

April 2, 2023

I loved rhe visualizations, drawing, imaginations and reflection practices i. This course. I feel more at peace with growing into my oldness. And I see that I have much to offer this world still. Thank you.

Nikki

Nikki

March 31, 2023

Lovely and thought provoking.