Ecstatic Dance… I just love the sound of this. It feeds my soul just to say these two words together. That’s probably because I have done it many times, and every time I do it, it feels amazing to my body and mind. Not once have I gone to an ecstatic dance event and not liked it. There were plenty of times when I loved it and was, you could say, ecstatic.
Mind you, I was shy for most of my life (I used alcohol frequently to overcome this shyness). I could not sober-dance and be comfortable in front of other people. It was the biggest fear after public speaking! I even had formal training in Ballroom and Modern dance in my 20s, and still, dancing in public was not something I fully enjoyed. I was too self-conscious and just felt ugly in the way my movements were coming across.
I think it started with yoga. Doing yoga slowly gave me more confidence to move my body in a way that felt good. I started deviating from what the teacher was saying in little ways and doing more of what I wanted to do. Holding a pose longer. Modifying postures. Doing my own thing entirely for a minute or two. Thank you to an amazing teacher I had who allowed and encouraged me to listen to my own body!
And one day, I was blessed to be invited to an Ecstatic Dance event and even more blessed to have mustered the courage to show up. It was in Southern California, and there were plenty of other “weird” people who were willing to let themselves go. And I let myself go!!! I remember that moment - it was ecstatic. I could express my emotions through movement, and it felt so good to do so!! I was creating art with my body and releasing years of pent-up emotions while doing it! It was truly a miracle that I was waiting for all my life. Not a guy, not a girl, but this dance form! This was it! Sober. Raw. Powerful.
I have discovered an incredible tool that healed me more than any therapist could have. My body was healing itself with the help of the music and the movement it was naturally and intuitively generating. My body showed me that the techniques I had learnt earlier were useful, but were limiting. To let go of any preconceived notions of what the body should do to look like it’s dancing and to let it be the guide in the movement journey is a magnificent discovery. If you have a chance, give it a go!
Ecstatic dance while forest bathing? Coming soon!
