The basic Structure of an Ecstatic Trance-Dance Class is based on the “orgasmic reflex” in which there are 5 stages:

• Preparation
• Excitement of Energy
• Surrender into Bliss
• Resting in Stillness
• Return to Normal State

In the class, this translates into the following format:

1. BODY WARM-UP (approx. 15-20  minutes) – a gentle awakening of the body parts using breath, awareness, movement and music. We start at the soles of the feet and work our way to the crown of the head. Every part of the body tells a story and in this warm-up we allow fluid movements and rhythmical breath to move stuck energy and to prepare us physically and mentally for the next phase of the class.

2. SHAKE (15 minutes) – here we allow the body to shake and tremble all over. With eyes closed and breath deep and relaxed, the shake is based on Osho’s Kundalini Meditation. It's purpose is to shake off stress and tension and to awaken our life-force which is often “sleepy”. The effect is refreshing, energizing and balancing.
It is also a preparation on physical, emotional and mental levels for the deeper let-go of the next phase of Trance-Dance.

3. ECSTATIC TRANCE-DANCE (approx. 45  mins) – this is the main part of the class and is done with the eyes closed. In this phase, we are ready to go deeper and to surrender to the dance. We ignite the letting-go process with a simple Breathing technique called the Breath of Fire. This technique oxygenates the body and brain so that we are fully energized, switches off the rational “everyday” thinking mind and facilitates a “whole-brain” activity which means we access deeper levels of being through the dance. The repetitive rhythms of the breath and the music also enhance synchronized brain activity so that we experience expanded consciousness states.

What this means:

• Stuck physical energy and emotions can surface easily to be safely released.
• Internal visions or dream-like states that give us insights and inspirations into our lives.
• A sense of self-empowerment.
• Relief from everyday worries and the general chatter of the mind.
• Clarity of thinking from a higher perspective.
• A sense of calm, peace, joy and bliss.
• A warm open –hearted state in which you feel connected and whole.
• A connection with the Divine /Spirit, a sense of Oneness and Wonder.
• An experience of ecstasy and liberation.

The more you can let go and surrender to the dance, the more the ego will get out of the way and the dance will dance through you.

4. STILLNESS – when the music stops, so does the dance and you simply drop to the ground in silence and stillness to allow the integration of energies and a deep relaxation.

5. GROUNDING – now we complete the process with a simple guided visualization to ground ourselves and come back to normal waking consciousness.

Other things to know about Ecstatic Trance-Dance:

• MEDITATION: Throughout the class, the emphasis is on “awareness” or “developing the witness”. Ultimately, this is a meditation method using movement, music and breath to go beyond “small mind”
  or ego. When participated in regularly, Ecstatic Trance-Dance is a powerful tool for personal transformation.
  
  “You are not the doer, you are the watcher. That’s the whole secret of meditation. What you watch is irrelevant. The quality of observation, the quality of being alert and aware – that’s what meditation is.
  The important thing is that you are watchful ... And slowly, slowly, as the watcher becomes more solid, stable, unwavering, a transformation happens. The things that you were watching disappear.
  For the first time, the watcher becomes watched ... You have come home.”
  (Osho, “Meditation: the First and Last Freedom”)
  

•  GROUP EXPERIENCE: Ecstatic Trance-Dance is very much an individual experience as it is done with the eyes closed and you are encouraged to “go inside” and be aware of your own energy and experiences. However, it is also very much a group experience in that when we dance together in this way, there is an unseen group energy within which we tap into an ancestral memory that joins us in our humanity. There is also a heart-opening that happens which connects us to each other.
  
  “Dance is probably the oldest spiritual path to wholeness known to humankind: at the beginning of time, when all we had was the skin we live in, what else could we do but dance? Dance is an expression of the natural rhythm of the body, an outward extension of the inner dance of male and female energies.
  Dance connects us with the rhythm of life, the cyclical patterns of Nature, the heartbeat of Existence.”
  (Amoda, “Moving into Ecstasy”)

• MUSIC: Music for the class can be either recorded or live. Either way, the nature of the music reflects the class in that it’s purpose is to facilitate a state of “let-go”. Recorded  music is chosen for its fluidity and rhythm whilst live music is always played by musicians skilled in the art of “let-go”.
  
  “Music can bring you into the moment, it’s an energetic experience for both the dancers and musicians.”
  Kavi Jezzie Hockaday
  

“I am standing, waiting for the music to begin, my eyes closed.  I am filled with anticipation, not knowing what to expect . . . this is my first time.  Then I hear the music . . . a soft, haunting melody and then the slow but steady rhythm of a drum.  I start the Breath of Fire, 2 breaths in and one breath out, my body is swaying gently side to side, the music builds up, my arms are creating patterns in the air, my head is rolling . . . music, breath and movement have all melted into one.  I am flowing, spinning, beyond time and space . . . I do not know who or where I am.  I am lost in a kaleidoscope of shapes, colours and sounds . . . it is beautiful and oh so profound!  Suddenly, bang!  A rush of energy like electricity shoots up my spine and right into my brain, my head explodes into white light and I am showered in sparks coming out of the top of my head.  I stand transfixed, rooted to the spot, my head tilted back, my whole body trembling with ecstasy.  I am bathed in love and light, the most sublime orgasm I have ever had!” Maria

“Beating drums and beating heart . . . I descend into darkness . . . I am in a cave and I am wild, ancient and free.  I am a bear searching in the dark, sniffing and sensing so many things . . . what is it I am looking for?  Something deep within me stirs and now I am a lion roaring loudly . . . out of my mouth comes a huge scream of pain, yearning, desire . . . I am stamping my feet to the rhythm of the Earth . . . now I am a barbarian slave dancing naked for the Tribal Chief, a dance of possession, seduction, fear and exhiliration.  I fade into nothingness, engulfed by pure blackness and then blinding light . . . now I am a huge bird soaring over mountains and forests . . . I see so far, so clearly.  I can hear the drums in the distance, they are getting closer now . . . I am back in my body as I know it, back in this large hall filled with so many people.  I open my eyes and look around . . . everyone is still here yet somehow something has changed . . . bodies are glistening, faces are serene . . . a tremendous peace fills me.” Sally