Dances of ecstacy part 3
At my meditation centre, we focus on... well, meditating. But surely on a contemplative path, there is room for movement as well. I know that some spiritual traditions have drawn on dancing - whirling dervishes for instance, and also Osho. And as described in the new book "Trance Formation", there is a budding spiritual movement among young people (and some not so young people) in rave and techno culture.
I have been to several events in the rave scene that felt more like a yoga retreat, or even a mass, than a nightclub or a giant party. And what I have experienced has been great - lots of connection, fun people, and open-hearted spirit. But I think we can go even further. While these ritualistic revelries make for a good time, and are far superior to the testosterone-and-silicon landscape of your typical discotheque, one important ingredient is lacking that I think could lead to an even more profound experience: wakefulness.
There is a certain awake intensity at meditative workshops and retreats. Sitting with your mind, learning how it works, and truly getting in touch with your egolessness allow you to live in the present and experience joy, deep peace, and faith. And there is also a certain vibrant intensity at spiritual rave events, which allow you to connect with others and to dance your hangups and blocks to exhaustion.
Could we somehow put these together? Could we start a dance party with a period of silence? Could we sit and recieve meditation instruction all day, perform rituals in the evening, and then dance all night in our hightened state of connectedness?
And if we did, how would we feel?
I have been to several events in the rave scene that felt more like a yoga retreat, or even a mass, than a nightclub or a giant party. And what I have experienced has been great - lots of connection, fun people, and open-hearted spirit. But I think we can go even further. While these ritualistic revelries make for a good time, and are far superior to the testosterone-and-silicon landscape of your typical discotheque, one important ingredient is lacking that I think could lead to an even more profound experience: wakefulness.
There is a certain awake intensity at meditative workshops and retreats. Sitting with your mind, learning how it works, and truly getting in touch with your egolessness allow you to live in the present and experience joy, deep peace, and faith. And there is also a certain vibrant intensity at spiritual rave events, which allow you to connect with others and to dance your hangups and blocks to exhaustion.
Could we somehow put these together? Could we start a dance party with a period of silence? Could we sit and recieve meditation instruction all day, perform rituals in the evening, and then dance all night in our hightened state of connectedness?
And if we did, how would we feel?
posted by Dr. J at 15:05
4 Comments:
Jason
In response to your question of why I stopped going to raves. I was in Los Angeles in highschool, most of the raves were in warehouses and the like all over the city. I moved to Olympia, WA and there was much less of a 'scene;, although a beach rave was great that I attended. Still, being surrounded by people mainly on altered substances rather than natural highs also made going to raves less appealing. I look back at that time fondly, as it was a time, coming of age. I haven't really gone looking these days. I miss dancing in high vibes with conscious people. Maybe it will come around again in a new way.
Jocelyn,
If you are still in Olympia, you could check out http://www.waves-studio.com/. They teach workshops similar to the one I described in my blog, based on Gabrielle Roth's "5 rhythms". Techno, dance, yoga, sober.
In Vancouver we also have "Just Dance", which is a bi-weekly drug-free intentional dance night. Also, a lot of rave communities are moving away from drugs and having more spirit-oriented events, such as the one organized by my friend Luna (see http://www.luminance2005.ca/). I'm sure the Seattle area must have similar events. You might want to check The Oracle: http://www.oraclegatherings.com/oracle/.
Jason
"Could we sit and recieve meditation instruction all day, perform rituals in the evening, and then dance all night in our hightened state of connectedness?"
What an interesting idea! Hmmmm.....
George,
I have been fascinated with the idea of combining meditation and rave culture for a while now. It would be a great way to bring some spiritual focus and wisdom to younger people. And it would also be a blast...
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