
Today I had the pleasure of participate in something new and unique – ChakraDance- a form of dance that increases your awareness of the connection between body and soul. Focussing on our individual energy centers, the goal was to integrate body, mind and spirit.
A few words to describe the experience include– liberating, flowing, grounding and relaxing. When I say the experience was liberating, I mean that it involved complete surrender to the music and the free flow of our energy. The best part? No dance experience necessary. Guided by music corresponding to the seven chakras, participants danced to the beat of their own drum, moving freely and expressively to the music. We were encouraged to keep our eyes closed and this lowered inhibitions and helped us to resist comparing our dancing to that of our peers. This was followed up by an opportunity to express any issues or emotions that came up for us in the process, in the form of drawing a mandala, or expressing that which was revealed in our exploration of this spiritual dance journey. In my personal circle, three individuals drew their mandala with their eyes closed. How fitting!
The class ended with an integration meditation, which gave us a chance to look at what came up for us and to reconnect with it in a deeper way.
Chakra dance is relatively new and making its deput in Surrey with Sonia Chernochan. The fearless leader of our dancing journey, she put forward the possibility of taking care of our spirit and feeding our souls in a dance that is not only fun but also healing. Disease shows up first in the chakras, and as stress is a huge concern, we realize the need to take better care of ourselves and one way to do this is through dance and self expression.
This program is now being adapted for children – called Storydance, it weaves together dance, music and imaginative stories. It purports benefits such as allowing children to follow their dreams, trust their intuition and embrace their own gifts and qualities. Stay tune for more on Chakradancing – no doubt, you will soon see this unique health opportunity in more fitness clubs very soon.