Years ago, on a the last PAT IV, I asked John-Roger how I could more consciously Soul Travel. He told me to “Do sit-ups and chant your sacred tone.” Well I did that for years and it opened up a new world for me. What I found is that doing the physical movement while focusing inwardly in spiritual exercises eventually translated to my becoming more aware of the Spirit while I moved through my life. I began to be aware of how I could use movement to expand my attunement to Spirit and then move out of that attunement.

I love to dance but felt (still do!) incredibly clumsy in regular dance classes so I rarely went. Eventually, I went to a free-form dance class where the steps didn’t matter and I found my groove. Yet, I wanted my dance to be more connected to the Traveler, to the Spirit. I used to be a DJ and did sound for many MSIA trainings so when Mark Harradine suggested I start a dance class at Prana I thought he was grossly overestimating me but I agreed to try it. Thus Soul Dance was born. I wanted to do something for J-R so the “price” of the class was a seed for J-R. Now almost every class has at least a few people who have barely heard of MSIA so we don’t do the seed as a group anymore but ‘old-timers’ still do it on their own and that’s always appreciated. Soul Dance has been going strong for three years now.

For the first class I just played a wide range of uplifting music which was fun but I sensed we could take it to a deeper level. I started adding “Soul” or “Convergent” Moments in which we would dance and then pause, while attuning as deeply as we could to the Spirit and then move back to the dance. I played the music in intervals (fast, medium, fast, etc.) and kept the Soul moments fairly brief to maximize fat burning and heart pumping so it was truly exercise. To borrow a phrase, we ‘sweat our prayers.’ I added a Closed Eye Process at the beginning to assist folks to let their day go and come into an expanded identity of their Divine nature. I added a bit of poetry and some J-R quotes interspersed through the dance.

And now, on Thursday, July 7th from 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Peace Labyrinth & Gardens in Los Angeles, CA, you can move to Live Cello, Drums and DJ at a special Soul Dance Class. Dance to a place of deepest peace as you gently move to live electric Cellist, Peter Ludwig. Then mix it up with God as he’s joined by incredible drummer, Mark Samuels. Live music will be interspersed with CDs, poetry, brief meditations and spiritual quotes. Cellist Peter Ludwig, aka Mystic Pete, has performed at many prominent Los Angeles venues, has had several live radio appearances, is the producer of world music band Tonehenge, and has an album of solo cello and chanting called Deep Self.

Soul Dance Classes are ongoing the first Thursday of every month at Peace Labyrinth & Gardens at 3500 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA (upcoming classes: Aug 4, Sep 1, Oct 6. Nov 3 ). For more information please e-mail Alisha Hayes at akhayes@charter.net. We’ll see what Spirit has in store. May you dance though your days in the arms of God.

Sharings on Soul Dance from others:

I started losing weight, but movement was still in the category of “unpleasant obligation.” Then, the Soul Dance class with Alisha started. In the beginning, it was dancing and connecting with my center, visualizing the Light and adding movement. After that, we started with stretching, and pretty soon I was on board. In class, sometimes I connected to my innocence, other times with my feelings and affections, other times I had healings, or I was gathering information. So it all seemed quite multidimensional. Lately I am very aware that I connect to the awareness of my Spirit, and I honor my Spiritual being by lovingly moving and dancing. I go through my ups and downs, however, I am aware of the benefits that I can build up, and which also fade away if I do not practice…I can improve, be gentle to myself, love myself through this process and therefore integrate this in my Spiritual life. I am very grateful to Alisha, Mark and Berti and to J-R and John Morton whom, in a way, are always present at some part of the class. I love dancing for myself, for my Soul, and for them.
– S.G.

Moving in the grace of the Light of your guidance and the Divine influence frees the body, heals the soul, allows me to reach closer to God.
– A.R.

It’s a blast to be in this room (Brentwood at 2101) not sitting in a chair!
– J.K.

It’s a great way to dance your worries and concerns of the day away and come to a place of peace.
– E.R.

I loved the Soul Moments and the pure fun I had dancing.
– R.K.

God gave us Soul; we gave God thanks through the movement of our Souls’ own rhythm.
– S.

For me this is like a dancing prayer communion as we focus on the Spirit flowing through our bodies and radiating from us to everyone else.
– L.R.