I tried Spirit Dance, the new meditation trend for people who can’t sit still

The class

When I enter the class at my local David Lloyd gym, there are already four other women in the room, barefoot, in their gym equipment and eagerly waiting for something to happen… We start by putting on a pair headphonesthe teacher explains that we will hear the music, the beats and also her voice to guide us through the meditative dance – it is like a silent rave. The class starts gently, we spread out around the room and stand on our feet, relaxing with deep breaths and light meditation; the teacher tells us to close our eyes and begins to move our awareness to each part of the body, starting at our feet and working up to our facial muscles, with the aim of relaxing the entire body.

So far so predictable.

While still standing, we are told to breathe more deeply and sway gently, slowly increasing the movement. The teacher guides us through the dance with instructions, affirmations and words of encouragement; “Take deep breaths, let that energy move”, “Where can you feel tension?”, “Can you release that..?”

The aim of the class is to feel into your body, release your inhibitions and feel ultimate freedom. Once I found the rhythm in this slow movement, I began to move into a full-fledged freestyle dance, encouraged and guided by the teacher, who began to vibrate, move and spin around the room.

We wave our arms, sway our hips, bend the elbows, extend our arms, the fingertips glide through the air, our knees bent and jerk forward and back, eyes closed, with a little peek every now and then to make sure we aren’t. in each other’s space.

The teacher sings, “Can you go a little deeper?”, “Can you move a little more?”, “Don’t think, just move,” and if we weren’t moving, shaking and spinning enough, we are now .

At first I feel foolish, ashamed, afraid of what the others in the class think of my crazy moves. But once I start to feel the rhythm and stop giving up*, the shyness or shame disappears and I melt into the movements. Eyes closed, eyes open, slow or fast, I strangely feel like I am in control and have more power.

How are you feeling?

Music has a huge effect on us mood and emotions, Spirit Dance taps into this through binaural frequencies (a type of music that consists of two tones of different frequencies and simultaneously creates an illusion in the brain to promote relaxation and meditative or creative states). The music of Spirit Dance consists of varied tempos, rhythms and melodious moods; deep percussion, tribal beats and animal sounds; such as birdsong or primate sounds, tailor-made for the lessons, by Ibizan artists from Six15am.

I liked the music so much that I asked for the playlist.

Finally, after what feels like at least half an hourr (who’s counting when you’re dancing like a maniac in a room full of strangers) we unwind in a spoken meditation by the instructor, to calm our energy and release any remaining tension. The purpose of dancing is to release stagnant energy, to open up the energy chakras to let this energy move through your body and then let it all go, let go and feel a sense of relief and renewal.

The best part? Everyone can do it. Whether you are young or old, coordinated or clumsy.

We end with a moment of silence where we all take a few calming breaths.

When I left I have mixed feelings, but overall it’s a high, feeling like I accomplished something good and had the courage to come out of my shell and do a crazy dance in front of complete strangers. My confidence and mood soared and I found myself smiling as I walked onto Fulham Broadway.

Spirit Dance was empowering, liberating and so much fun for me. I’ll definitely be back for another dose!

For more information about membership of David Lloyd Clubs, please visit https://www.davidlloyd.co.uk/. *Membership required