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Bellydance, Sacred Dance and Tantra by Christina Sophia Bellydance is an ecstatic celebration of feminine power, creativity and sexual energy. If you pay close attention you will feel this powerful charisma emanating from an experienced dancer. The energy she is running through her body as she dances is healing for herself. And even her audience can experience healing as she helps create the space for the clearing of negative energy and programing we have all been carrying regarding our bodies and our spiritual connection to them. Men are also taking up bellydance as a way to reclaim their feminine side and enjoying the same creative, joyful outlet for their sexual energy in the process. Bellydance has survived in the Mid-east and is thriving around the world as more women discover its liberating effects. Bellydance can be considered a sacred dance as it has historical connections to the sacred dances of India, ancient Goddess worship and the birth process. It celebrates the Goddess in all women and the human capacity to bring forth life through the physical body. Sensual, snakey, muscular movements are grounding and remind us of our connection to the earth. The subtle abdominal and pelvic movements do indeed hasten and ease the birth process. Expressive, graceful arms and skyward movement including spinning acknowledge our connection with spirit and ground our spirit selves into the body. Practiced as a sacred dance bellydance helps us invoke and express our sense of oneness with God/Goddess and our reverence for this relationship. As in other sacred dances of the world focus on the divine within and without brings forth healing and grace. Some bellydancers are conscioulsy embodying the sacred art in the spirit of the ancient Tantric traditions expressing the wisdom that our bodies and sexuality are a vehicle to our spiritual realization and evolution. Belly dancing may be beautifully choreographed and technically impressive, or it may be improvised and spontaneous, bringing through a profound quality of divine inspiration in the moment. Dance in many traditions around the world depicts, implies, or is about relationships, including our relationship with ourselves and the divine. Bellydance, performed by a solo artist may portray the relationship of the dancer to her own emotions, body and senses. Some movements in the dance artistically imply female orgasm. In fact, it does move sexual energy through the body and has the potential to stimulate ecstatic states, including full body orgasm. Dance is one of the arts mentioned in the Kama Sutra, the classical Indian book on the Art of Love. It is suggested that men and women alike should be well versed in these arts. Tantric ritual involves a weaving together of these arts into an expansive, ecstatic experience. Ancient ecstasy teachings recognized the harmonizing ability of sacred dance. Natural movements and gestures mirrored by the partners engaged in a sacred dance can harmonize mood and overcome the sense of separation and the limitations of personality. Sacred-erotic dancing is a highly sensual dance with spiritual intent. It may be done alone or with a partner. Partners engage one another with loving and passionate intent for the purpose of harmonizing their mood as well as the pure pleasure of moving sensually and creatively together. Natural movements are ones which express your attraction, affection and desire for your beloved. Eye gazing and synchronized breathing quickly align the energies of two into one and opens the way to deeper ecstatic experiences. You may wish to try sacred-erotic dance with your partner or on your own. After setting the mood and your intention for the ritual, put on some "sacred-erotic°® music that especially moves you. It can be very fun and enchanting to begin your ritual this way adding touch and eye gazing if partnered, to your movement. I've discovered through interacting with my partner this way in performance and private ritual that we have become attuned to one another in many subtle ways. Dance is an opening into uncharted, multi-dimensional realms of communication, connection and expression which are truly ecstatic!  About the Author: Christina Sophia has been dancing since the age of five. She has studied western and middle eastern dance forms. As a follower of the Tantric spiritual path she has developed a unique style of teaching and performing bellydance which she calls sacred-erotic bellydance. She teaches this in her Spiritual Bellydance workshops.E-mail Us: dancingdeva@tantradance.com or williamflorian@aol.com (707) 524-7898 Sebastopol, California |