I recently attended a Dance of Universal Peace retreat. These Dances are based on meditative walk practices from various cultures and religions. This is a practice involving participation rather than presentation. Through the safety of the space and the engagement in mindful practice which invokes an embodied sense of unity, presence and compassion, the spiritual essence within ourselves can be experienced and explored.
This practice involved learning simple steps to chants or songs with a cultural background and spiritual basis. The meaning of each was explained, and provided the narrative behind the music, dance and chant. Each participant could interpret and express this meaning in the way that suited them best within the movement pattern.
The learning of each dance was relatively simple and accessible. There was no agenda in these dances, only the simple act of sharing a dance and chant with a simple underlying intention. The mindful practice of repeating the movements and chant in this group space allowed the process to settle into the mind and body through the rhythm and I found the felt intention behind the dance deepen and emerge.
The process of moving together, seeing and being seen in a processional dance or in dyads (pairs), as well as in the circle with the whole group achieved several things:
1) A sense of shared connection
2) Seeing and feeling the emotional energy of others
3) Feeling and being seen for the emotional energy of self in the practice
4) Building a shared sense of connection to the transcendant. That this is 'ok' and does not need to be a solitary practice. I think this is very important at a time in our collective where spiritual practice is often done alone, or only in traditional religious practices.
5) The voice and body are the locus of this spiritual connection, in conjunction with sharing this practice with others.
6) There was no right or wrong in movement, voice or expression. There was an acceptance of each other and no one person stood out as the authority or guiding light.
7) In moving to new partners and in seeing a large group move together, there is recognition of the many ways people present in this practice. I think this brings a sense of self empowerment and self acceptance in moving and singing, that does not rely on individual narrative, achievement or expectation. There really was a shared sense of collective connection that did not elevate one person above another, it simply allowed connection between people to arise spontaneously.
It was beautiful to harmonise with others and appreciate the beauty of what was being expressed in such a heartfelt way from each individual.
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