Spirit-Body

“It’s always a spiritual thing” – DJ Deep

Dancing offers direct experience of spirit: the invisible aliveness of the universe.
When we move and dance and sweat, we awaken as living bodies and remember how this energy – or presence – is right here within us. The dancefloor is a place to liberate ourselves and re-ignite this consciousness – at any time.

We’ll be using the maps of 5Rhythms, Movement Medicine and The Way of the Dancer to explore how movement is a gateway into full aliveness and grounded awareness – on the dancefloor and in the day-to-day.

What is embodied spiritual practice in the 21st-century?
How can dancing, as a meditation, help us ground and cultivate resilience in turbulent times?
And how can our spiritual practice be culturally respectful, socially aware and ecologically sound? 

Bringing together the inspirational threads of dance, music and conscious practice, we’ll move with these questions and more. We’ll explore how spiritual connection is rooted in practice, and also in culture, land and the wider field of living nature.
On day 2, we will open a ceremonial sacred space and dance as a way of making prayers.

We dance in the beautiful main hall at Colet House, home to the west London Sufi dervishes and over a century of meditation, ceremony and committed spiritual work.

This work is rooted in an intention of cultural respect, planetary awareness and creative celebration.
All bodies welcome.

What is an Immersion?
Immersions are a way to dive deep into the dance. They give time for experiential study of movement as meditation practice. They give space to the natural, healing and creative process that unfolds on the dancefloor. And they ignite the possibility of surrendering to the ecstatic experience that is dancing for long periods of time!

We dance solo, we move with others and we explore as a group.
We gather with a basis of respect and celebration of all bodies, expressions and ways of moving.
We use these protocols as a foundation for co-creating a strong, safe container.

The journey will include an invitation to prepare before the workshop, and resources to support you to integrate the experience into everyday life.

Maps:
We use The Way of the Dancer, Christian’s unique synthesis of 5Rhythms and Movement Medicine, with Taoist practice, animist perspectives and contemporary musical subculture.

Teacher:
Christian de Sousa is one of the pioneers of Conscious Dance. He has 20 years experience of teaching, DJing and holding spaces for people to go on deep dancefloor journeys. He trained with Gabrielle Roth, Ya’Acov & Susannah Darling Khan and has studied with Malidoma Somé, Supraptop Suryodarmo and Jean-Claude Audergon, among others. Born in Switzerland with Swiss, Portuguese and French roots, he grew up in England, lived and worked in London for many years. and is now based in South Devon. More bio here.