Tantric Dance

tantric danceI have so much appreciation for this practice that came into my life not too long after my divorce when I was rediscovering who I was as a woman! I found my teacher or perhaps she found me one day at a local workshop here in Southern Oregon. She was sitting in the corner of the room during our break and a ray of sunshine was pouring down on her. She was surrounded by 3 or 4 women and there was a lot of laughter and positive feminine energy radiating from all of them! So much so, that I went over to introduce myself and meet the woman at the center of it all! In our meeting I asked her what her livelihood was and it was then that she told me about a weekly dance class at her home on Tuesday nights. I asked her what the “dance” was because I am not a dancer, and never have considered myself to be a dancer but that didn’t seem to deter her from handing me her card and telling me to come and “experience” the dance for myself because it was difficult for her to explain it.  “It needs to be experienced”, those were her words.

Spiral CenterThat occurrence was in 2001 on Mother’s Day and I went to my first class and never really stopped going. It helped me understand a lot about how my body moves. How my emotions move through my body (or don’t..if they get trapped). It helped me understand women better and myself with women better. I continued to attend and meet weekly with 6-8 women once a week from that time forward. This dance was a support group, a way to move in my body, a way to express my feelings which were being held or bottled up. It was a “safe container” created by a woman…for women, in order to support each other. It was a place to be transparent and not risk having that information be used against me. It was a place where women could agree to be confidential with each other. A special place to hold each others hands and hearts very close. A place when I could be strong for another woman who was feeling tender and the next week have that be just the opposite!

So when I say that The Tantric Dance of the Sacred Feminine may sound like a big scary, mysterious name, I am also saying it is very transformative to those who are ready for this type of an experience!

TantricDancer_2The logistics are simple…we meet in a group of “women only” for two and half hours one day per week. We sit in a circle and do a verbal “check in” at the beginning of class. Each woman might hare a word or two (or sometimes a little longer) about what is “up” for her right now, right in this moment. The other women in circle are her eyes and ears, listening to what’s on her heart. We are coached that we are only there to be a witness for her, not fix her or offer suggestions. After all the women have shared, a piece of slow, rhythmic music is put on and each woman does her own form of slow, intentional movement to the music (as her body responds). It could be stretching, it could be shaking off some energy, lying or sitting down in stillness for the first time that day. Whatever the body wants to do! This “dance” is all about listening to our bodies and moving from that impulse and learning from that! After about 15 minutes of group stretching, the women all sit in a half circle facing one dancer. The dancer closes her eyes, goes inside and listens to her body. A 3-4 minute piece of music is put on and she “dances” her own dance while being “seen” by the group. This might sound terrifying to those of us who are not dancers or who are “shy” but it is so empowering and transformative that it really has to be experienced to feel it. It’s as if you wanted to try yoga but you only read a book.

But don’t just take my word for it, really…please come and have the experience for yourself.
Class times vary through out the year. 541-941-9014