Valerie Chafograck of Dance Sanctuary is a certified Movement Expression teacher, practitioner, and a DJ. She combines dance and expressive arts to joyfully and lovingly offer her services and talents to the community.

The word ecstasy comes from the Greek root ex stasis. It means "to stand outside oneself." Ecstasy is a feeling of joy, freedom. It is a deepened state of relaxation of the mind, a higher level of consciousness where we can let go of control and be in the moment.

Once you feel your heart opening, creative inspiration, physical and emotional release, you frequently carry the benefit into daily life. Dance, by its very nature, is ecstatic!

Dance is a healing art, connecting the mind-body-spirit in a holistic way. The ancient mystics—the whirling dervishes, Sufi dancers, Sacred Circle dances—all practiced ecstatic dance as healing ritual and more.

Dance is a spiritual channel as well. It is a way to get to the point where the body no longer stands in the way, but becomes a vehicle of the soul's expression. This is dance from the inside-out—a felt movement rather than a movement intended for observation:
"Man has no body distinct from his soul" (William Blake)

We at Dance Sanctuary seek to adapt this ancient practice keep it alive by experiencing it in a safe and supportive space in which healing can occur. Here we dance without feeling competitive, self conscious, or judged.

Dancers enter consciously, sensing the difference between the busy outside world and the sacred dance space. When used with such positive intentions, free ecstatic dance can bring peace, balance and communal healing.

Anna Halprin, founder of Tamalpa Institute, is one of the great pioneers of the healing power of dance as a community ritual and the leader of the "Planetary Dance." When I studied with her she often said, "In dance communities, everybody is there for one reason—to make sure that the dance does its job."

As in ancient times, group community dancing provided connection and collective participation. In our world of individualism, ecstatic dance allows participants from the group to unite with each other. The energy becomes contagious.

This union with one another and with the All, the Divine, causes the barriers of the ego and the fears of separateness and isolation to momentarily dissolve, leaving only a growing sense of community, of we are all one. As the community participates, no one is excluded any longer.

The sharing of movements, rhythms, sounds and breath unifies us. The uniqueness of free ecstatic dance is that it gives birth to your true self. It gives you permission to just be yourself with no need to impress or perform. There is no "right" or "wrong" way to do it—no dance experience is necessary—just Your own way.

The only discipline it requires is for you to show up and breathe fully to maintain your energy. Breath is your life force and your instrument to tune in. "To breathe little is to feel little." (Lowen, 1976)

Any part of your body may lead you to ecstasy—your shoulders, your hips, your hands. With practice, you'll learn to listen to your body, to surrender to the beat and tempo and there will come a time when you disappear in the dance—when the dance dances you.