A Guide To Conscious Dance

Music moves us. It brings us closer together, propels us forward, keeps us in step, and creates shared emotions among listeners. There is no denying that music is a powerful force in our lives. Conscious dance takes this power of natural rhythm and puts it to work for us by creating connections, experiences, and insights that we may not have otherwise had.

What Is Conscious Dance?

Conscious dance is any type of movement with intent. It is the deliberateness and intention of the movement that makes it conscious dance. Native American Rain Dances are perfect examples of creating intent and purpose within dance and movement. Conscious dance goes by many other names. These include Trance Dance, Ecstatic Dance, Sacred Dance, Expressive Dance, Contact Improv, 5 Rhythms, Journey Dance, Prayer Dance, Soul Motion, Tribal Dance, Creative Dance, Activational Dance, and many others. Activational Dance refers to the intention and activation combined to stimulate a specific energy with your dancing.

Sacred Dance is a form of conscious dance in which connection to the Divine is the intent. Conscious dance is freeform movement with deliberate intent. It forms a connection between your inner awareness and your physical body by merging intention and activation. Conscious dance clears a path from the inner to the outer Divine.

Conscious dances can also be Circle Dances and other structured movements. The key factor is that these movements are dedicated to attaining a higher purpose, a connection with the Divine, an inner knowing, Oneness with the Universe, and private centeredness. The simple act of dancing increases one’s awareness of body, mind, mood, and soul.

Upbeat music can raise our spirits, soulful tunes can ease stress or help us through the grieving process, and dramatic musical thunderings can drive us to accomplish feats normally considered impossible. It is the conscious act of using dance to create these connections, shifts, and accomplishments. Being a creative art, dance also adds creativity to our lives. Consciously and deliberately choosing to dance increases the level of creativity in our daily lives. It also builds balance, coordination, and a stronger sense of rhythm.

The History Of Conscious Dance

Conscious dance has been a part of human behavior throughout all of human history. Ritual, celebration, worship, and entertainment have all incorporated dance. Conscious dance has been used as a means of expression, supplication, connection, and shared experience. Dance is a cultural universalism meaning it has been found in every human culture ever studied. Conscious dance has been used as prayer for bountiful crops, successful hunts, fertility, safety, love, inspiration, vindication, and safe returns.

Nearly every human aspiration, hope, dream, or need has been consciously expressed, sought after, and connected with through dance. Conscious dance takes this behavior one step higher by placing the selection of intent in the individual dancer’s control. Instead of simply participating in a tribal dance to
plead with the gods for food, shelter, mercy, or love, conscious dance teaches
the many benefits available to participants who can then consciously dance
for their own purpose.

The Many Benefits Of Conscious Dance

Conscious dance has a multitude of benefits. There are the obvious, physical benefits of simply being more active. Increased heart rate, better circulation, improved respiratory health, weight loss, reduced stress, greater flexibility, stamina, and balance are all relatively immediate benefits to regular participation in conscious dance.

In addition to the physical benefits of conscious dance, there are emotional, spiritual, and mental benefits. Mental benefits include the mental challenge of using different parts and sides of your brain than you would normally use. As both sides of the brain are activated, new channels of thought and perspective are opened up.

Conscious dance also helps unblock stagnant emotional energy. Unacknowledged rage, sadness, and even neglected joy can emerge during conscious dance, freeing us from issues we hadn’t realized were affecting our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Spiritually, conscious dance brings us closer to the Divine, both within and without.

As we forget about our outer body, our daily routine, and the millions of trivial distractions we face every day, the act of dancing for a conscious purpose connects us with the natural rhythms and the energies of the universe and makes a direct connection to the elemental forces of creation within each of us. The emotional and spiritual freedom and joy experienced as a result of conscious dance provide an uplifting sensation that goes far beyond the act of dancing itself.

Incorporating Conscious Dance Into Your Life

The best part about conscious dance is that it can be done anywhere, anytime, and under pretty much any circumstances. It is the act of choosing an intention, a purpose, a direction that creates the path for natural movement and joyful expression of you.

You can dance alone or with friends and family. You can participate in conscious dance gatherings, classes, camp outs, pretty much whatever your heart desires. You are limited only by your own imagination.

There are local community conscious dance events, online magazines, forums, and workshops, and formal classes available. Conscious dance can be performed by anyone interested in developing their inner awareness, improving their creativity, connecting with the Divine, finding more balance in life, or just to relieve stress.

You can begin your conscious dance practice in the privacy of your own home and with your stereo, or you can attend a training workshop or ecstatic dance event in your community. To start practicing conscious dance, simply put on some music, close your eyes, breathe deeply, and let your body start moving.

Consciously determine the focus and intention of your dance and stay focused on that intent as your body moves with the music. Very soon, through intention and activation, you will attain a heightened sense of consciousness, a state of mental and physical unity that transcends generally accepted Western thought. Professional athletes, successful business associates, and world leaders have used this and other methods to focus the creative power that resides within all of us.

Visualization, affirmations, and other mental focus exercises have been repeatedly proven effective means of creating and generating events, results, abilities, and situations. You can use conscious dance as a tool to direct the energies of your mind, your creative power, to build creativity, grace, stamina, strength, beauty, joy, love, and accomplishment into your daily life.