What happens when the power of movement, the depth of psychology, and the wisdom of chakra healing converge? This question lies at the heart of Chakradance, a transformative practice that emerged from one woman’s journey of self-discovery and healing. Born out of a yearning for change and a passion for connection, Chakradance invites participants to explore their inner worlds through music, movement, and energy. Dive with us into this story of inspiration, transformation, and the evolution of a global healing movement.
Can you share what inspired you to combine dance, psychology, and chakra healing to create Chakradance, and how did your background influence the development of this practice?
Creating Chakradance is not something I set out to intentionally do. It’s an organic unfolding of all my passions and studies coming together. At first I thought it was just for me. It wasn’t until friends kept asking me what I was doing (as they could notice the difference in me) that I decided to share it with them. They then wanted to invite friends and so I decided to hire a hall. It grew very naturally (and quickly) from there.
The journey began when I felt very uninspired by my corporate life. I was running a recruitment agency in London (for 7 years) and had worked in advertising for a few years before that. My health was deteriorating, I was burnt out and I knew things had to change. A chance encounter led me to hear about The College of Psychic Studies. Walking through the doors of the college was the day my life began to change. I began studying at night – psychic development, guides, chakras, and went on to train as a Spiritual Healer (leading to being a working healer in the College’s Clinic). I became fascinated with the chakras and wanted to study more. This led me to discovering Jungian Psychology (as Jung was one of the first Westerners to work with the Eastern map of the chakras). I then set about the deep training of becoming a Jungian Psychotherapist. My spiritual healing and Jungian Psychology both led me back to my childhood passion of dance and music (I trained as a dancer when I was younger but had lost touch with it). I searched for alternate dance classes and tried out lots of different classes but eventually I started a daily practice of choosing music that I loved, lighting a candle, closing my eyes and dancing. This became my meditation.
One night after I had just taught a beginners workshop on the chakras at the College, I came home to dance, and that night something different happened. I’ll never forget it. I was 30 years old and this was the day my life changed forever. As I was dancing I began to experience the music in a whole new way. Perhaps it was because I’d been working with chakras all day, but I began to feel that different parts of the music were stirring different chakras. I could feel the energy literally pulsing in my body. More than that, I could sense that the images in my mind’s eye and the feelings surfacing were directly related to the chakra being stirred by the music. In that moment, I heard the name Chakradance. My instant response was “Yes!” I knew absolutely that I had just found what I needed to create the life I had been yearning for. I needed to dance my chakras. And so the journey began!
I realised very quickly that the key to Chakradance is the music. Initially I began sourcing music that I could find to resonate to the chakras but I knew in my heart that I needed to have the music composed to truly create the deepest healing. I’ve now been working with our beautiful Chakradance musician for many years and we now only offer classes using this specially composed chakra-resonant healing music.
In the early days of Chakradance, you noticed that the class format evolved over time. What was the key insight that led to the creation of the nine-week cycle, and how did it enhance the experience for participants?
Over the last 25 years, I have experimented with many class formats and structures. We now have live workshops, retreats and virtual e-courses. The 9 week cycle sits at the core of both the live and virtual courses. In week one, we introduce our clients to the 7 chakras and dance, meditate and do mandala art to connect in with the whole chakra system. We then explore one chakra each week through the practice, before completing the cycle with an integration week.
I have found that this structure is deeply healing as it gives our clients the opportunity to immerse themselves into a specific chakra each week. Chakradance is not just about what happens during the dance. As we step into our lives afterward, it’s as though we experience the world through the lens of the chakra we just danced. Issues directly relating to a chakra tend to present themselves so we can transform them. For example, dancing the heart chakra may immediately bring to the forefront a relationship that needs healing. Issues around our sexual lives may surface after dancing the sacral chakra. We may find ourselves needing to finally speak our truth after dancing the throat chakra. The 9-week cycle is a powerful way to integrate deeply healing.
Since Chakradance has always been inclusive of people from various life stages, how do you ensure that the practice remains accessible and beneficial for such a wide range of participants?
Chakradance really is for everyone. For our adults’ classes, I’ve worked with teenagers through to people in their 90s, people in wheelchairs or with disabilities, pregnant women, people in corporate environments etc. Chakradance is held in sacred and supportive safe and each person finds their own unique dance. There are no set steps or routines, it’s about expressing the energy of each chakra. Each person can therefore work within their own limits, making it accessible for everyone.
As well as adults, we have our Chakradance Kids programs, with tailored programs specific to different age groups.
What have been some of the most profound experiences or feedback you’ve received from participants throughout your years of teaching Chakradance?
Over the last 25 years I have witnessed some remarkable transformations in people. Chakradance has been credited with helping people heal their addictions, eating disorders, post-natal depression, anxiety and so on. It also helps people improve their lives. Here are a few examples of some stories my clients have shared with me ..
For Nadine, Chakradance rekindled her relationship with her husband. As soon as she started dancing the sacral chakra, magical things happened. She felt so much more sensual and feminine in her body and heart. Her husband started noticing her transformation shortly afterwards, and his attitude began to change. Their relationship improved exponentially as a result. She felt a new energy in the house she couldn’t explain, but it wasn’t like she was a teenager, experiencing her first thoughts and feelings of sexuality and sensuality. She was opening to a deeper level of herself and allowing those she loved to witness it too.
Tracey had been experiencing pain in her groin and hip. When she danced the sacral chakra, she found herself softly saying, “Welcome back, wild woman”. She received the message to find more time for pleasure in her life. As she moved, she felt the wild and dark parts of herself dancing with soft love and light. The physical pain she’d been holding on to dissolved, and she began to cry—not a sad cry, but a thankful and releasing cry, knowing she would no longer deprive herself of pleasure.
When Suzanne danced the solar plexus chakra, she was in the midst of tough negotiations with her business partners. She realized she was being pushed around and hadn’t established any boundaries. She felt as though her understanding nature was being bullied and taken advantage of. As she danced, she was reminded to step into her power, realize her worth, and not allow others to treat her in a condescending or patronizing manner. She then danced with great strength, seeing herself with bows and arrows, strong and independent, riding on a powerful horse. Her inner warrior princess was back on her game. She took this energy into her meetings with her business partners, and it made a significant difference with her negotiations.
When Edie found Chakradance, she’d been estranged from her mother for many years. She had every reason to never speak to her mother again given what had happened in her childhood. Through dancing the heart chakra, Edie found some forgiveness for her mother, but it was the work on her throat chakra, and her communication skills, that really helped bring healing to their relationship. A few months into her Chakradance practice, Edie’s mother called to talk. Instead of brushing her mother off and rushing to get off the phone, Edie found herself having a real and honest conversation with her. She managed to share with her mother how she’d felt all these years, and she shared this from a loving and kind place. She couldn’t believe how easily she was able to communicate the pain and suffering she’d been through, without placing blame on her mother or falling apart while talking. They talked for hours that day, and Edie knew that her mother truly heard her. Her mother apologized for hurting and failing her. It felt like a true miracle. They now have lots of talks that are filled with laughter and love.
There are hundreds more stories like these and results vary in alignment with what each individual needs on a soul level. For example:
- Gwen and Rebecca both healed from childhood sexual trauma and reclaimed their vitality and personal power.
- Helen was able to grieve the loss of her sister in a healthy way and move forward with her life without the inner burden of unexpressed emotions.
- Cynthia’s work with the throat chakra gave her the courage of a lioness to express herself creatively again.
- Silvia reclaimed her authenticity, took off all the masks she’d been wearing, and released the pressure of ‘being perfect’. She now shows up in her authentic fullness and no longer feels exhausted, lonely, or sad.
- Doreen released self blame for her first husband’s alcoholism and death and reclaimed her capacity to feel freedom, happiness, and joy.
- When Zabeth danced the sacral chakra, it made her realize that she longed for intimacy in her marriage. She had a long conversation with her husband after this experience, and they’ve now improved their sexual relationship.
- Patty reclaimed her connection with her italian ancestral lineage and her gypsy spirit, releasing patterns of alcoholism from future generations and embracing the innate joy of the gypsy spirit.
- Claire recovered from chronic fatigue and reclaimed her personal power.
- Leslie recovered from recurring strep throat and learned how to speak her truth. She shifted from feeling silenced in her relationships to feeling heard.
- Judy released perfectionism, workaholism, and a need to control everything, and she now hears the whispers of her soul and trusts completely in her purpose.
Looking back at your journey with Chakradance, how has the practice evolved from that first workshop in 1998, and what do you envision for its future growth?
Chakradance has been and will continue to be an ongoing evolution. Some of the growth so far has been:
- More programs including Freedom, Heal Your Life, Goddess, Alchemy, Rituals, Mantra.
- All of our music is now fully composed
- We now have over 1000 Facilitators across 70 countries and a training more each year
- We have tailormade e-courses for the virtual world
- Millions of people have now experienced Chakradance globally
- We have Chakradance Kids running in schools around the world
Our future growth includes
- Growing and supporting our tribe of Facilitators.
- Taking our Chakradance Kindy program into childcare centers
- Releasing our Youth programs and Facilitator training
This is my life’s work and passion and I will be sharing the medicine of Chakradance for as long as I’m on this planet.
