
TRANCE DANCE



Shamanism
Shamanism is the oldest known spiritual practice on earth by far. Originating over 100,000 years ago, it is a healing tradition and a belief system based on our connection with Mother Nature and the world of the Spirit. The visible world is pervaded by the invisible spirits. It is practiced among indigenous and modern tribes who recognise Shamans and the Spiritual world. Using different methods such as drumming, chanting, dancing and more, shamans mediate between the spirit world and our reality to perform soul retrievals, healings and more.
What is Trance Dancing?
Trance Dance is an ancient Shamanic practice that invites the Spirit to embody us, to heal us through spiritual ecstasy. For over 40,000 years, indigenous people worldwide used this method to make lost parts of our souls return home, causing them to experience the ecstasy of spiritual wholeness. Significant memory of this life and past events of pre-human form are brought to life through Trance Dance experiences. We dance from inside out. We see and experience ourselves through the eternal senses, absent of the conditioning and limitations of ordinary reality. Anyone can do Trance Dance because there are no steps and no external expectations. Spirit knows the steps, and once awakened, it takes over. Our bodies move beyond normal reality in ways that empower us to relieve and gain an understanding of these events. There is no right way to Trance Dance. It is your dance, unique to you, and therefore not an external presentation. Trance Dancing has nothing to do with the expectations of others and all to do with revealing our timeless existence. Trance Dance is relaxing and energizing and it heals one emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. Everyone has his own rhythm and movement.
To discover yours, create time to do Trance Dance alone or do it with others.
How to do Trance Dance
The most important advice about Trance Dance is to trust the process. Your initial fear will soon transform into excitement, revealing experiences - known and unknown - beyond the limitation of time and space. Trance Dance does not need a great deal of space to be practiced, because the dance happens within.
First: Stand with your feet parallel to your shoulders and allow your body and mind to let go and relax.
Second: Close your eyes or, better, wear a bandana or blindfold over them so that your eyes only see the vast "inner landscape" of your consciousness.
Third: Become aware of your breathing and inhale and exhale deeply, filling your entire lungs. Do this for 3 to 5 minutes: this will awaken your energizer within.
Fourth: Relax and allow your body to move to the rhythm. Soon you will feel a vibration or energy moving through your body. At this point, the dancer will disappear and become the dance. The energy within will awaken and you will experience profound emotions and a peaceful connection to your immortality. This will all occur within 30 to 45 minutes.
Fifth: When the music ends, take 5 to 15 minutes to be still and integrate your experiences.
Trance Dance is
a shamanic ritual
The word trance, as defined in the dictionary, is a ‘half-conscious state
that is characterized by an absence
of response to external stimuli’.
Trance dance traditionally comes
from the African San community
who regard it as a ‘healing dance
for the individual and the community’.
This dance is performed in many
ways but the most common feature
that this dance involves is fire. Women
sit by the fire, sing songs and clap with
a rhythm while a healer, particularly
a man, dances around this fire with
rattles tied to his ankles until they
enter the state of trance.
Move your Body free your Mind
Close your eyes. Begin the 'Breath of Fire'. Relax and let your body move to the rhythm of the music.
Start to dance and to let go. The dancer disappears and you become the dance ... You are the universe ...
And your soul travels, absent of the limitation of time and space…
Here is your opportunity to experience trance dance as shamans and indigenous peoples have done for thousands of years. This transformative and healing technique is powerful and it will awaken power and energy inside of you. Call the Great Spirit and ask to get guided in your journey. Now start to move.

Intention
& Trust
We will start the ritual with getting clear regarding your intention. Why are you doing this ritual? You might choose an intention before starting your ritual. For instance, you can dance to receive an insight or to process some emotion, something that needs to be healed in your life or other issues. By choosing an intention, you give purpose to your dance - which is very important - and give a clear direction to your inner journey. You also need to clarify your trust in what we call the Great Spirit. You are never alone. We - as humans - are immersed in something bigger than us.
Blindfold
& no Object
In shamanism, most of the rituals are done when darkness comes, at night. In the Trance Dance rituals, we wear a bandana: this creates an absence of judgement - no one is looking at you, and so you can really let go. Another important reason to wear the bandana is to recreate darkness, so that there is no distinction between yourself and the surrounding world.
You can feel your breath while time and space change. You can lose control, and this is something so important: losing control, becoming one with the dance beyond the limitation of our identification with the self and the body.

Breath
of Fire
Breath of Fire is a breathing pattern that helps us to let go of the rational mind and get more in contact with the part of us that is able to travel beyond time and space, to be intuitive and visionary.
We breathe in the first part of the ritual so we help us alter our consciousness in a natural way while we put more quantity of oxygen than normal in our body. It also awakens energy in your body and gives you the strength to go through the ritual. Breathing is what connects us to the Spirit, to the magic of life, to the invisible. Breath connects us all. Breath of Fire is our original creation, thanks to Frank Natale.
Music &
Movement
Dancing is one of the great pleasures of life, a true gift when done naturally - absent of the need to control and guide movement. When we dance beyond any expected form or style, we spontaneously create the dance by exploring and releasing our natural flow of feelings. When we do Trance Dance we move our consciousness into spontaneous healing: Trance Dance is an invitation to Spirit to embody us. When Spirit accepts, we dance from the inside out. Without music we will not have Trance Dance. There is a specific kind of music for Trance Dance, not all music is the best for this purpose. Music is one of the essential parts of Trance Dance.

Healing
& Magic
When we do Trance Dance we actually move our consciousness into spontaneous healing: spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. We can heal tensions, stress, and past traumas; release emotions and sadness; and get insight and clarity about our lives. The body feels better; it awakens energy, removes blocks and much more. Trance Dance is an ancient way to heal and restore your vital energy and to awaken who you really are. Change is superficial. Transformation is deep.
It alters our perception of reality, and therefore it causes everything in our life to shift. Transformation is what happens when we live our life fully rather than analyze it.​​
Ecstasy
& Silence
Our ancestors used to do Trance Dance in order to alter their consciousness and to get to a state of ecstasy, in which a person feels one with the whole universe. Beyond duality they recognized that this is our natural state of being. Silence, very low mind activity, connection with nature and the universe were considered normal. No separation. Spiritual ecstasy takes place in silence, in stillness; it brings you beyond the mistaken identification you are lost in and it awakes your true nature. It connects you with a different reality; you are in a different space.
After Trance Dance you feel grounded, awake, relaxed and here-and-now.


Sharing
At the end of the dancing you will sit or lie down and rest while starting to integrate your experience. After a while you will sit in a circle - if you are in a group of people - and if you feel like you can share your journey. This is the completion of the ritual.
Make sure you are ready to come back to normal reality before getting back to your daily activities.
More...
SPIRITUAL CONSIDERATIONS
The roots of trance dance are based
on ancient spiritual practices and belief systems, contemporary trance dance
has no particular religious orientation
and does not need to be seen as competing with the views of religion.
Be aware, however, that many trance dancers report experiences that have spiritual meaning for them. Typically
these experiences include an increased appreciation of one's higher power and recognition of one's spiritual nature. Many dancers come to trance dance seeking these types of experiences.
TRANCE DANCE
AND ENDORPHINS
The theory as to why trance is induced,
at least initially, has to do with endorphins.
Endorphins are neurohormones,
substances highly similar in structure
and function to opiates. They are
generated by the body and are released under various conditions, such as pain, stress, acupuncture, sex, endurance
running and trance dancing for long periods of time. Within contemporary science there is a theory on endorphin that suggests that they are released through
states of spiritual embodiment and
high-energy dancing. In the 1980 conference on "Shamans and Endorphins"
it was reported that both hypnotic
and endorphin-based analgesia result
from drumming and dancing activities,
and that the powerful visions, or dream states that occur during Trance Dance,
can activate both hypnotic and
endorphin-based analgesia.



Trance Dance
it's not for everyone
Trance dancing comes easier to some
people than to others and for those who are overly rational, it can be extremely difficult.
PRECAUTIONS
It is always a good idea to request
the certificate of good health to be signed
by the participants as well as a disclaimer
of responsibility for one’s health
and behavior during the ritual.
Beyond cultural considerations, there are some physical considerations that can clearly limit your involvement in Trance Dance: I wish trance dance was
for everyone, but it's not:
I. EPILEPSY
People with epilepsy are discouraged from engaging with Trance Dance, given the tendency towards attacks, which is generated
by certain music and certain movements.
II. CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS
Individuals with serious cardiovascular problems are discouraged from engaging with Trance Dance because energetic,
fast-paced dancing can aggravate
their condition.
III. PREGNANCY
Women in the first trimester of pregnancy are advised to postpone the practice
of trance dancing. In any case, loud music,
the fact that someone can release emotions, and vulnerability and sensitivity of the fetus are elements that make me suggest
to avoid group practice. It can be practiced alone or with specific music.
IV. MENSES
Women in the first days of the menstrual cycle should be warned about increased flow and the possible stun that can
occur during Trance Dance.
PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Trance dancing is not recommended for individuals with borderline issues or serious psychotic disorders. On the other hand,
if you have experienced mild depression, and if you are neurotic like the rest of humanity, then trance dance will work...
If you have great difficulty letting the control go and allowing the unconscious
to flow freely through dance and free movement, there are other techniques,
such as meditation, massage, breath work pranayama or any other form of relaxation.
