BLISS DANCE

MAIN PRACTICE:

FINE TUNE:

COMMENTARY:

1. Eyes Closed – You must dance with closed eyes. Dance is the body resonating with music. You start by listening to the music. Closing the eyes shifts our attention from images and thoughts, to sounds and body sensations. This opens the gateway to the ecstasy of dance. Shutting off visual input quiets the busy mind. Not seeing other people stops us from feeling self-conscious, eliminating the biggest obstacle to dance. I recommend wearing an eye mask to ensure complete darkness. The dark night is home to stillness and silence. From stillness, movement arises. From silence, music begins.

1. Abdominal Breathing – This is the start of your body’s dance. Feel deeply into your body by breathing deeply. Imagine breathing all the way into the ground, and then out of it. Notice the sensation of your belly rising and falling with each air intake. As you breathe deeply, scan your body from head to toe, and relax every muscle. Let go of all the weights you have been carrying, and all the tension you have been holding. Stay very still, feel the softness, lightness and aliveness of your being. At the beginning, you consciously regulate your breathing. Eventually you forget it. Your body breathes deeply on its own. You become your breath.

1. Feel the Music – Back into the mother’s womb, lovingly held in a dark, still and silent space, you listen to the music. Let the melody flow through you. Allow your body to vibrate with the rhythm. Tune into the sound. Feel the vibe. Let your body be filled with music. You become the music. When you feel so full of music that it is overflowing, then your body is ready to move. Maintain this connection with the music at all times. If you ever lose it, stop, listen, and let the music fill you up again.

1. Full Body Movement – Your body moves because it wants to, not because your mind tells it so. Trust your body’s instincts to move. Let go of the mind’s hold on the body. There is no right or wrong way to move. One way is not better looking than another. Dance is music expressed through your being. Start with slow and small movement. Tune into the music. Feel the resonance in your body. Then amplify it by gradually increasing the intensity and range of your movement.Feel the music in every part of your body. Every part of the body has its own unique movement. Explore the rich melody of your body by moving through each part. Wiggle your toes, tap your feet, knock your knees, lift your thighs, roll your hips, wave your torso, shimmy your shoulder, spin your arms, shake your hands, flutter your fingers, circle your neck, nod your head, twirl your hair… Learn the vocabulary of your movement language. Then mix them up, create your own musical phrases and sentences. Before long, you will surprise yourself at how effortless and enjoyable dancing is.As you venture further into your dance ritual, you will find your body feeling more alive, your heart oozing with love, your mind reaching new clarity and your spirit becoming more connected with the divine. This is the gift of dance, the path to bliss through movement. The dancer becomes the dance.

1. Dim Light – Draw the blinds, lit the candles! The absence of light enhances our sense of hearing. It helps us to get out of the mind, and into the body. Low light sets the mood for music and dance. Unable to see people and things clearly minimises mental analysis and judgment, opens our heart for love and connection.

1. Tribal Music – Dance is in our blood! For millions of years, our tribal ancestors roamed the Earth. When the night descends, they dance around a campfire. Mankind has since learnt to harness the power of the mind and build great civilisations, at the expense of losing touch with our instincts. Tribal music helps us to reconnect with our inner animal, wild and raw. Dancing to music from African tribes, Australian Aboriginals and the American Indians is an immensely grounding experience, connecting us to mother Earth.

1. Sacred Space – Create a space that invites the contemplation of the divine mystery. A dance circle is a celebration of life. Through the ritual of dance, we transcend the body, delving into the sacred spiritual dimension. Dance is medicine. When we surrender to the music, let our body’s instinct take over, healing takes place. Physical pain, emotional hurt and mental block may be spontaneously resolved.The physical space should be clean, tidy and free of clutter. Consider warm ambient light, calming music, candles, incense, statues, plants, art, sacred texts, etc. The interpersonal space should make us feel calm, safe, open, playful and loved. In a group, avoid talking during the dance. Before the dance, set an intention and meditate. After the dance, allow time for reflection and sharing.

30 Minutes Minimum – The duration of your dance ritual matters. It cannot be too short. It does not matter how slow you are dancing, or how awful you look. What matters is that you are relaxed, tuning into the music and enjoying yourself. Happiness is like peeing in your pants. Everyone can see it, but only you can feel its warmth!Dance for at least 30 minutes. Your eyes need time to adjust to the dark. Your breath needs time to regulate. Your mind needs time to settle down. Your body needs time to warm up and get in sync with the music. Your heart needs time to pump up its beating. Your awareness needs time to lose track of time. When you forget the time, forget the self, become one with the breath, the music, and the dance, you do not want to stop. You are in bliss. You are bliss.This is a 30-minute dance playlist:

Published by BlissRituals