Recently, I was given the opportunity to lead my first Yoga Trance Dance workshop! I planned for weeks ahead of time, practicing vigorously, making a lesson plan to last two hours (the time frame the Yoga Studio wanted me to use), and making a corresponding soundtrack that would accompany my workshop to the note, each new song beginning at each new phase of elements.
At first, I was so nervous - more nervous than I get teaching my academic classes for some reason. But, I was so excited too - so thrilled to share this joy with others - I feel like a born again with Trance Dance - it has truly awakened something in my life and in my yoga practice that is just indescribable.
We began with some introductions - I like to circle to get to know each other briefly since it's such a connective practice - and then I led them through about 15 minutes of meditation and energy work, followed by about 25 minutes of prana yoga - swaying of hips, flowing pigeon (I love that one!), rocking the spine like "calligraphy", the "jackson polluck" of hands like seaweed, painting the floor. The music intensifies and soon we are deep in the "fire" element, twisting rhythmically to the rapid tribal beat, our breathing heavier and quicker, the heat rising within us. Now we are doing kundalini yoga - repetitive movements to get that heat going and our energy soaring.
Then, the drums get louder and the music shifts - we instinctively break off out of our spots, put away our mats and free form dance around the room. We stomp our feet, lift our hands to the air, sway and swing our arms, turn and twist and curve in every direction - up and down, diagonally, to the earth, to the sky, in circles. As I'm sure anyone teaching this class would be, I was worried, "What if they don't get into it? What if they think I'm a crazy loon leaping around the room?" But, there was no reason to worry. Soon, they took the reigns and got into their own rhythms, their own stories, their own releases. Some cried, some roared, some smiled and beamed. But, we all danced. We all danced and danced with the emotions, with the rhythm, with the drums, and with each other. It was magic.
We brought the intensity to a climax with a repeated session of the kundalini "woodchopper" - a prana move of bring the arms overhead and then with a big exhale and "Ha!" pulling them down to the floor or between the legs. We did this, roaring with each bend, bringing the energy down through our hands and fingertips and as the music stopped, we roared in the contrast of the silence, smiles and release all around.
Bringing it back down to slow movement meditation and then chanting - Om Namah Shivaya, everyone sat and rocked with their energies and then we went into a very deep yoga nidra, relaxation, followed by breathing and sitting meditation. I love this contrast after the intensity of the Kundalini Yoga and free form dance - the power of the roaring tribal intensity - and then the quiet silence of relaxation. It is never more powerful or effective for me than after this particular style of yoga.
Afterwards, I received many smiles, hugs and several questions of "When can we do this again?" I was over the moon. This was not just a yoga class, but an experience in connection, in creative flow, one that I am so grateful I was able to learn from Shiva Rea, and now to be able to share with others as well.
I can't wait to do it again!!!
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