I attended an ecstatic dance event last night. My host goes all the time and I was a little shy about dancing in front of other people (me, shy? Nooo) so it took me a little while to get up the courage to go. But I finally went, and what an experience!
The idea is basically that you come together with other people and you dance however you want, like you dance at home by yourself. The music is great for dancing (sort of trance/house/drumming) and it's like you are in your own little world as you just move however your body wants to move.
There is a rule that you can't talk to anyone while you are dancing; it ends up being like a moving meditation. Some people use it as a way to pray, de-stress, or just get exercise. There is even an altar off to one side where you can pull a tarot card as part of your process.
As I took off my shoes and walked onto the dance floor, I realized I had a choice: 1) I could be my usual shy self and constantly critique my dancing, or 2) I could choose to let go and dance however I felt like dancing (Like I do when I'm at home). So, I chose #2 and let go. The music flowed, I moved, and it was amazing!
I wore a swishy skirt and felt beautiful and wonderful. I've never had the guts to just dance however I wanted, even if it was silly or not perfect. It was practice for opening myself up; being myself in other parts of my life as well.
Yep, I didn't really feel like I could dance however I wanted to at those kinds of clubs - where people are watching you and there is a different purpose to being there. Ecstatic Dance is a very unique environment. You should try it out sometime and see what I mean. There are some events in Sac. Maybe I can take you :)
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