Madtown Ecstatic Dance: Om Shanti

Monday, April 6, 2009

Om Shanti

Last weekend, for our birthday celebration, we played a CD from the summer with the 30-minute Om Shanti chant by Layne Redmond. (Yee-ha!)

Several people have asked What does Om Shanti mean?

I looked it up on the internet (so it must be true):

Om has no literal meaning. Some say it is the sound of the universe, infinity, the divine, or something like that. “Shanti” means simply “peace.”

Om Shanti
Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world, Peace for all beings.

And speaking of peace, many heartfelt thanks to Thistle for singing her beautiful peace song in our circle. All dancers are invited to bring a song or poem or reading to share for our dance. We build this magic together.

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"Each week I am surprised by the gift that Ecstatic Dance gives to me. I come just wanting to dance. But as we share our intentions with the group, I gain clarity into what truly matters to me and what I really need. Then, as the music starts and my body is moved by all of the intentions and energy inside of myself and the room, the magic starts. Effortlessly, insights about confusing questions and life challenges come to me, power and energy recharge, determination and confidence grow, and peace and joy flow. Suddenly life seems like nothing but an effortless dance overflowing with pumping energy and abounding happiness-a gift I am nothing but thankful to take part in." - Colleen

What is Madtown Ecstatic Dance?

Madtown Ecstatic Dance was started March 2008 by community member Thistle (www.thistlespace.org). The group has unfolded in a sychronistic and magical way since its beginnings. Every week is a delight and a further strengthening of community.

Presently a small team of us facilitate the dances and mix the music. We hold an open invitation to anybody else who would enjoy facilitation, altar building, and music mixing.

Our Sunday space has abundant natural lighting. We build an altar each week upon which any member of the dance community can place an offering, something representing themselves, or some item that we may wish to charge with the energy of the dance.

We warm up for a song or two and then gather in circle to introduce ourselves and set an intention for the dance. Although many of us set a spiritual intention and experience these dances as an act of devotion, one need not hold to these tenets. Ecstatic dance is just one great workout!

We dance to a pre-mixed CD of recorded music of many genres--world fusion and groove, R&B, rock, hip-hop, funk, and folk, to name a few.

And at the end, because we are Midwesterners, we gather in circle again for food and sharing.

We look forward to dancing with you!