Ecstatic Dance & 7 Directions Qigong

Ecstatic Dance is a conscious movement practice that invites people to drop out of their minds and into their bodies to unwind and open to inner wisdom. Dance, Music and Cacao Medicine are the center point of these ceremonies catalyzing ecstatic states, where conscious mind limitations dissolve, opening the doors to the vast subconscious intelligence. It is an opportunity to connect deeply with self and others in fun ways words cannot express. A gracious experience to meet yourself as you are and open a space where you can see beyond who you think you are... It’s about you, freedom, joy and honesty. This journey will offer a space to develop self-awareness, be moved by deep emotions, expand your intuitive awareness and align your actions with your intentions. The session starts with an intention setting, followed by a set of somatic exercises used in shamanic practices to induce a state of relaxed awareness or trance and prepare for the dance journey. What kind of music is played? And what do we do? We play music that encourages movement. Our sonic journey is a fusion of world music, electronica, dubstep, tribal house, classic remixes and more! https://www.mixcloud.com/dancingfire/ecstatic-dance-connected/ In this space, all are welcomed into radical self-expression and acceptance. Do yoga, stretch, dance like no one is watching, or just chill and enjoy the music. - 6:30 PM - 7 Directions Qigong with Julia from Minds Ease - 7:00 pm - Opening circle – it’s a chance for you to get to know who is in the room and if you want to share a bit about yourself. If you don’t feel like talking, just pass the feather. - 7:20 pm - Warmup exercises - designed to bring comfort, relaxation and prepare you for the trance immersion. - 7:30 pm – Dance Journey - music starts in a low beat to give you the chance to ground into your body. The rhythm progressively increases once the room starts to move. It may reach a high energy several times during the dance and slow down to conclude with a smooth landing back to stillness at the end. - 9:10 pm - Music stops for a wind-down meditative moment. Depending on the event – there will be Singing bowls, Didgeridoo, Flute or other traditional acoustic instruments to help in this process. - 9:20 pm – Closing circle – we clap together three times and the fourth time back to the earth to snap out of trance an close the dance. - 9:25 pm – Non-verbal time is over - have a chat with the people you shared the space with during the dance. Arrive no later than 7:30 pm and leave whenever you want but be mindful not to disturb the other participants. Ecstatic Dance Agreements This is a Free-form Movement Temple To maintain ultimate freedom we agree to the following: 1. No talking on the Dancefloor (or at the Altar). - Please whisper off of the dancefloor only 2. No street shoes on the dancefloor. (Light dance shoes are OK). No showing up drunk or drugged, no pictures, video, or wearing of scent (please be clean). 3. Respect the Space - Others' Space and the Collective Space. When Approaching others: - Listen for a Yes (get eye contact first) - Respect any No (like when they are ignoring you) - Respect the Solo Dancers' Right to their Space - Hands in prayer at heart means: "I see you, and thank you for the dance (that just ended)." This is a Transformational Space for Healing, Prayer, and Freeform Movement. You will be asked to leave if you do not follow these agreements. Thank you! No dance experience required*** *** The Cacao Ceremony is scheduled on the first Friday of each month. Here is a sample of the music we are playing: https://www.mixcloud.com/dancingfire/ecstatic-dance-brisbane-20318-cacao-ceremony-playfulness/ About Julia, your Qigong Teacher: Julia has practiced Qigong and Taichi for over 15 years and loves teaching the unique flowing system that harmonises the energetic, emotional, physical and mental aspects. Drawing on the flowing health exercises of Qigong, an ancient Chinese Taoist system for recuperation and regeneration of health, Julia Chai offers beautiful classes to open, unblock your internal energy flows, & harmonise with those of the universe. In this session the focus will be on the shamanic animals of the 7 directions – turtle, bear, dragon, tiger, deer, snake, phoenix. The energy from the planets and stars flows through a human’s channels 28 times a day, and blockages in the external layers can lead to deficiencies in the inner layers. However by combining intent, attention and movement, any blockages can be released as easily as opening or closing a gate. For more information check out https://mindsease.com.au/qi-gong/ About the organizer: Adrian traveled and worked in a wide variety of places from the most alternative and unstructured to the rigid high end corporate and government environments for the last 19 years. From camp counselor in upstate NY and gardening in off the grid communities in Northern California to engineering telecommunication systems for the aerospace industry and Federal Emergency Management Agency. As an expert engineer, he taught technical classes for major corporations and the White House Military Office during the Obama administration. Living in such different environments required constant adjustments - pushed him out of the familiar, breaking habits and challenged his beliefs. This rhythm became overwhelming and his body started to lose vitality and get sick. During a trip to California, he encountered a great community of people that helped him reconnect with his inner wisdom using music, dance and Native American practices. He quit his job and moved to California for more than 2 years to learn how to live again. In 2011 Adrian encountered one of his most influential teachers Samantha Sweetwater at Burning Man Festival in the Nevada Desert and he started the Dancing Freedom Facilitator training shortly after that. He became a certified Dancing Freedom Facilitator in 2012, held classes in North California until the end of 2012 when he and his partner continued their journey to Australia. Since 2013, they are facilitating weekly Ecstatic Dance journeys and a monthly Cacao Ceremony in Brisbane. Looking for similar events? https://www.facebook.com/EcstaticBrisbane/events