![]() ![]() If your instinct is to bristle at the thought of dancing with wild abandon – even in your own home even with no one watching – you’re not alone. You might have noticed ecstatic dance cropping up more regularly these days, whether that’s in the wellbeing tent at a festival, at nature retreats like Waking The Wild Ones in Dartmoor or nestled down in Hackney Wick on a Sunday morning with Ecstatic Dance UK. ![]() The aim is to connect mind and body, enhance creativity and deepen connection. Though there are prompts and music, nothing is choreographed as dancers tap into the five rhythms: flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical, stillness, which altogether make a ‘wave’. ![]() In the 1970s, Gabrielle Roth drew on these ancient principles to create 5Rhythms, a dynamic movement practice that people continue to partake in today in locations around the world. It’s also long been a part of various indigenous shamanistic practices, where a combination of rhythmic drumming and ecstatic dance helps shamans connect to spirits. In fact, the ancient Greeks did it, as did the Sufi Dervishes. While the practice might sound like something Goop just made up, it’s actually been around for centuries. What you’re trying to do is let your body move in this free-form way so that you can find a level of freedom and release that comes naturally when we allow our bodies to move in a way that we’re not controlling.” Ecstatic dancing has been around for thousands of years “Your body is in charge instead of your mind. “With ecstatic dance and ecstatic movement, you’re allowing the body to take over and move to the rhythm of the music, rather than choreographing anything,” explains Emma Marshall, whose Movement Is Medicine hour-long classes (taught via Zoom and in-person at The Lodge Space in London’s Canada Water) are split between meditation and ecstatic dancing. For starters, you don’t need to learn a single step. You build stamina, balance and full-body strength – building muscles from your calves to your shoulders.Įcstatic dance has all of those benefits, and then some. You may also like You only have to run, walk or dance for 15 minutes to get the mental benefit of exercise, a new study confirms What is ecstatic dance?ĭance, in its many forms, is recognised for its cardio benefits as well as being a great way to have fun and let loose. Ecstatic dance doesn’t have to feel super cringe. This holistic approach to fitness is gaining momentum, but perhaps the most visceral example is the growing popularity of ecstatic dancing.īefore you click off, imagining that scene from Peep Show when Jez and Mark attend Rainbow Rhythms, let us explain. Don’t take our word for it: London’s first ‘mind gym’ has just opened as a space for nurturing mental wellbeing, while classes that incorporate meditation and HIIT are popping up everywhere. In 2023, it’s clear that the future of exercise is all about the relationship between mind and body. A rave experience, minus the hedonism? Finding connection – with yourself and others – without saying a word? Here’s why ecstatic dance is exactly what everyone needs right now. ![]()
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