We have already written about ecstatic dance here on Koh Phangan which you can read about here, this healthy way of dance and meditation is becoming increasingly popular with not just the spiritual community on Koh Phangan and so we discover more with Tikki.
Tikki was in a transformational period of his life and felt separated from the world, alone, disconnected and sensitive from the outside world when he became involved with ecstatic dance.
“Happenings who were too intense, I couldn’t dance anymore at parties or be around drunk and people who were high. Catching the vibes of others I felt drained easily around them”.
At that point Ecstatic dance just started to grow in Belgium where Tikki lived. He started to go every week to dance and leave, just for the sake of dancing and movement medicine, he then slowly allowed himself to be around people sharing the experience again and opened up to life.
“Slowly I started to connect to the dancers and organisers and started to volunteer and help out with setting up and breaking up after the dance. I started to feel again union and connection”.
Tikki enjoyed the space where he felt allowed to be natural and spontaneous, non judgmental and free.
He was already producing and djing and the call came to start organising and play at ecstatic dance events in India (Arambol) and later on Europe, Russia and Thailand.
“I could share with others what was for me such a opening to being and freedom through dance and movement”.
When was your first ecstatic dance?
I danced for the first time at Ecstatic dance in India around 2012 and felt so free in moving the body fully, without any need to amplify it with drugs or alcohol.
In a space where everybody just moves freely to all genres of music, discovering deeper layers, finding new ways of moving the body as it never happened at any party, and also connect with others in a playful way on the dancefloor.
After the first time I was so attracted to go again the next few weeks and kept on going everywhere that ecstatic dance events were happening. I was discovering more and more the freedom through movement and dance without feeling shy, or blocked and sharing the experience with others with the same intention, and freedom, inspiring each other and be inspired by the movements of others .
What do you enjoy about it?
Right now it has evolved to a deeper and different layer than in the opening up stage. I enjoy from the moment the dance starts to drop the mind, go into the body and move freely, dance into all parts of the body that are not moving much. Like a dynamic yoga or meditation practice, making space to clear the mind, and be able to connect in playfulness with other dancers without judgement or expectation,
Just meet and dance and enjoy and allow myself and the others to be who and how they are.
I like to listen to new music genres, and express myself without speaking and my mind feeling authentic and free.
And what are the benefits for people?
From my own experience I see now after a few years that there is so much more to benefit from than I first thought.
it’s a good practice for body awareness, building self confidence, finding freedom, stopping the mind, connecting to others in ways it is maybe not so easy to do otherwise.
You feel a sense of community and union, to open up for yourself and others.
You can expand your musical taste and appreciate different music genres knowing that they can make you move differently and access different emotions.
Overcome shyness, build self confidence, stop being judgmental and have free space of mind to use it differently and be more creative in life.
Move emotions and anger feelings and sadness, tapping in more into joy of life, celebration, and consciousness, being surrounded by people with similar intentions.
You learn to know your body, and how it can move.
And the feeling after that you did something beneficial for yourself.
I can say it will help you in finding yourself growing more towards a better and higher version of yourself.
How would you encourage first timers to join in?
Ecstatic Dance can look strange at first, with the idea of telling ourselves “I’m not a dancer, or I won’t know anybody there, or what will people think of me”. But I would say to just go beyond the limitation and comfort zone and try it and fully allow yourself to experience it. It’s a safe space and container held by facilitators and people who have a vision and intention. They create a space for you to feel relaxed and at ease.
It can be a nice way to connect to others in new places where you don’t know anybody, after the dance there is so much union, the mind has dropped and you can tap into your authentic beingness, as a child moves without shyness or thought.
It might be intense to see what’s going there at first when you look from the side, just go and join fully and allow yourself to a new life experience, if you are ready for the transformation it will happen and it will change your life...
Go for it! Visit Jaran’s on Wednesdays and Friday evening or the Pyramid Yoga center on Sunday mornings and Thursday evenings in Sri thanu.
And what do you think it brings to Koh phangan?
Phangan is a place where many people have already grown to the point of leaving something from the past behind, to explore something new.
Every week it’s full of people feeling the benefits of this practice. It expands the awareness and consciousness and union of the tribe and community even more. Gathers and brings people together.
It’s a place where no matter what you do in life or what you are, or where you come from... it makes us all feel like one tribe.
It’s inspiring for new travelers who come for the first time, and see the potential, and see how some people through the dance expanded and open up more and more, to be free in body, mind and spirit. 
What are your plans for the future?
Soon I will leave the island for a few months to go to travel around Europe to play at Ecstatic dance events in Europe and Russia. After this I will go back to India, where the ecstatic dance is blooming and expanding. Then I will return to the crystal island with its beaches, mountains, waterfalls, jungle, nature and the sometimes intense transformational energy the island has to offer. To keep the people dancing with my passion for dance and music.
Leave us with your life philosophy...
My philosophy about life is to be ordinary and simply happy and in tune to myself and existence and with what’s all around.
I’m waking up more and more to life and what life has to offer, living in trust and surrender to the flow of life without expectations.
Being open to receive the beauty and simplicity of life and be in peace with body, mind and spirit.
Being more than just physically healthy only. Growing in spirit and stability of emotion, ego, mind, and being present more and more.
Check out his music projects Tikki Masala and Darshan Atmopshere.
Keep updated with phanganist.com by following our Facebook page.
