Ecstatic Dance has grown enormously over the past few years on Koh Phangan. With its community of wellness and spirituality here on the island, Ecstatic Dance serves as a way to enjoy a party, dance and listen to electronic music.
Typically, there is a ritual or sometimes meditation that goes with Ecstatic Dances. It is described as a chance to let go, be present and total and witness and relive what is going on in ourselves through dancing, screaming and movement. People use their bodies to connect with others and themselves.
It’s really not surprising that the Ecstatic Dance movement has taken off well on Koh Phangan. The island has high-frequency energy and beautiful surroundings which allow people to practice this type of dance in an open free-feeling way, more so than in a lot of other locations. Ecstatic dance is very connected to spiritual movements, healing and yoga and so it slots perfectly into many lifestyles here. Lots of individuals also love to party here and so it can cross over into the party scene but without the drugs or alcohol that you find in mainstream events.
You might now have an impression of tranced-out, incoherent dancers uncontrollably rolling their eyes and trembling. Many ex-clubbers are genuinely attracted to the ecstatic dance scene, seeing something even more real in its natural peak. The philosophy behind the ecstatic dance is that for shamans and gurus, a trance state of bliss can be felt.
As human beings, it is our right to encounter this feeling of pleasure, when our regular problem-solving beta brain waves chill out and allow our imaginative, transcendental theta brain waves to come to the fore. Ecstatic dancing, as well as the physical activity advantages, will improve energy and strength and decrease levels of stress. Driven by fantastic songs, you will actually "shake out" the stress and worries. Peel off the masks to find some of who you really are, let a little wildness out beneath your day-to-day politeness and niceness. But for ecstatic dance, there are all sorts of tastes. For starters, 5 Rhythms practice requires a 'stillness' component of the lesson.
You might get a little green around the gills if you give Sufi whirling a shot, but you may get a taste of divinity as well. Many ecstatic dance lessons provide a powerful sense of community and give you an opportunity to feel being embraced as you are, dancing exactly the way you do. Through your self-conscious times, you will let go of self-consciousness and even embrace yourself - all excellent preparation for the rest of your existence!
Ecstatic Dance can be a healthy body consciousness exercise, creating self-confidence, seeking independence, avoiding the mind, communicating to others in areas that otherwise would not be so easy to do.
You can experience a feeling of cooperation and union, of opening yourself to others and yourself. You may broaden your artistic preferences and enjoy numerous genres of music understanding that they can help you jump and access different feelings differently.
Overcome shyness, gain trust in yourself, avoid being judgmental and have open room to use things creatively to be more imaginative in life.
Moving thoughts and feelings of rage and grief, tapping deeper into the love of living, celebration, and knowledge, being surrounded by others with common intentions.
You're getting to grasp the body and how it should move.
And the sense that you have achieved something useful about yourself after that.
At first, Ecstatic Dance may look odd, you might be thinking "I'm not a dancer, or I'm not going to know anyone there, or what will people think about me". But we’d suggest to move outside the zone of restriction and relaxation and just try it and encourage yourself to feel it fully.
It is a safe space held by facilitators with visionary and intentional people. For you to feel comfortable and at ease, they build a space where you can feel comfortable.
It can be a fun way to communicate in new ways with people you might not usually meet, there's so much union after the dance, the mind has collapsed and you can tap into your true being like a kid dances without shyness or thinking.
When you look from the side at first, it might be intense to see what's happening there, just go and truly enter and allow yourself to a different life encounter, if you're up for the transition it will happen and it will improve your life.
7.30 pm - 10.30 pm Every Tuesday and Friday. They have 220 sq.m at Jaran's Yoga-Wellness-Eatery. With stunning mountain views in the heart of Koh Phangan, you can recover the complete force of nature, articulate and discover yourself, meditate and communicate with your body and mind. Join them on a natural high and let go of all the stresses, driven by music for your soul with a soul. Ecstatic dance at Jaran’s is to motivate each other, spark your light inside, and dance.
Every Thursday and Sunday, they have the dance from 11 am-2 pm. Doors open at 10.30 and there is an opening circle at 11. You should be confident that your Sunday morning encounter should not be skipped, always full of positive energy and fantastic DJs. Starting with a circle of meditation, you are then guided into a dance encounter slowly. While your body feels like dancing, they have a comfortable place for you to let go and feel the music and move.
These are the two regular venues that host Ecstatic Dance. There are often other events around the island as well as an entire Ecstatic Dance Festival! Keep your eyes open for events and please let us know if we should add anything.
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