Welcome, to Health & Wellbeing Magazine’s Spirit Keeper monthly column.  This is the place where you will discover tips and practices for creating, developing and maintaining a personalised self-care practice as a Spirit Keeper.  If you are new to this month’s Spirit Keeper column, I recommend reading past articles to find out what a spirit keeper is and subjects already covered around self-care practices.

Since July 2025 I have been expanding upon different exercises (rituals) which are spirit centred, mind centred and body centred.  Each month comes with a monthly challenge.  The idea is to prove to yourself and your own clients’ the power of specific exercises (rituals) in integrating mind, body and spirit.  After all, in order for there to be change within the world, we need to be the ones who are embodying it and grounding it.

Next month is the last in the series of the spirit, mind and body centred practices. This is what you can look forward to next month.

• Body centred practice – body and nutrition

In this month’s column we will be focusing on the focusing on the body centred practice of dancing and spiritual connection.

 Metaphorical Story Demonstrating the Power of Dance as a Spiritual Practice

Yasmina, her spirit a tangled skein of questions, embarked on the Path of Whispers, a winding trail up the mist-shrouded mountain. It was said that only those truly ready to listen could find its trailhead, where the wind carried not just rustling leaves but fragments of ancient wisdom. Her destination: the grove where Dhrona, the reclusive sage, made his home in a simple, unadorned cabin.

Dhrona, whose eyes held the calm of deep forest pools, greeted Yasmina not with words, but with a gesture towards a cleared patch of earth beneath the ancient oaks. “You seek to know the Great Current, child,” he rumbled, his voice like stones rolling in a riverbed. “Many try to grasp it with their minds, to pin it down with thought, like catching mist in a sieve. But the Great Current cannot be thought; it must be felt.”

He handed her a strip of woven cloth. “Bind your sight. When the eyes are quiet, the soul may begin to see.”

Yasmina tied the blindfold, plunging her world into soft darkness. Dhrona then whispered, “What burden do you carry, what seed do you wish to plant in this moment?” Yasmina silently breathed her intention into the space, a yearning for clarity and for release.

Then, the first beat thrummed, deep and resonant, from a hidden drum. It was like the slow, steady pulse of the mountain itself, the very heartbeat of the earth. This was the Flowing and Grounding music. Yasmina felt her body respond instinctively, swaying, softening, as if she were a sapling gently rooted in the soil, her frantic thoughts settling like dust motes in still air. The constant chatter in her mind, the Beta rhythm of daily life, began to dissipate, replaced by a deeper, more ancient rhythm, a gentle descent into the rich, dark soil of her own being and a feeling of being deeply relaxed.

The rhythm of the music then shifted, becoming sharper, more punctuated, like the crackle of a brushfire. This was Staccato and Fire. Yasmina found herself moving with newfound precision, striking the earth with her feet, carving the air with her hands. Each movement felt like a defiant declaration, a shedding of the emotional static which clung to her mentally, emotionally and physically. She felt pockets of stagnant energy, old anxieties, begin to loosen and break apart, released into the mountain air.

Suddenly, the drum exploded into a frenzy, a wild, tumultuous cascade of sound which threatened to overwhelm her. This was Chaos and Release. Yasmina’s body took over completely. She shook, she spun, she stumbled and recovered, her limbs flailing without grace or thought. Each stomp was a declaration; each turn a release of old burdens.  It was a beautiful, terrifying surrender, a dismantling of control. Tears streamed from beneath her blindfold, not of sorrow, but of pure, untamed release. She wasn’t dancing; she was being danced, purified by an invisible storm, as the last vestiges of her mental grip dissolved, pulling her fully into the theta state  –  the realm of dreams, intuition, and profound relaxation.

Just as her muscles threatened to give out, the cacophony softened, transforming into an ethereal melody, woven with flutes and gentle voices. This was Lyrical and Bliss. Yasmina felt a lightness, an almost weightless quality to her movements. She drifted, she soared, her body now a vessel filled with pure, unadulterated joy. It was here, in this liminal space, that she felt it – a profound, undeniable connection, as if the very essence of the Great Current had flowed through her, merging her individual droplet with the vast ocean of existence.

Slowly, imperceptibly, the music dissolved, leaving only the sound of the wind sighing through the pines and ancient oak trees.  Dhrona’s voice, now incredibly gentle, guided her. “Now, stand. Breathe. And feel the roots.”  This was the Return to Stillness. Yasmina stood, breath heaving, body tingling, her mind utterly silent.

Yasmina visualised, deeply and clearly. From the soles of her feet, shimmering roots of light extended downwards, plunging through the earth, past rock and soil, until they found purchase in the boundless, nurturing heart of Mother Earth. She felt anchored, connected, utterly present.   When she removed her blindfold, the grove seemed to shimmer. The trees were greener, the light softer, and the air hummed with an invisible energy.  Yasmina felt her body had become the prayer, the song and the answer.

Yasmina understood Dhrona had not merely taught her a technique; he had shown her how to become the path, to embody the spiritual journey rather than just ponder it. She had not found the Great Current in her thoughts, but had become a living conduit for its powerful, transformative flow.

“You are not limited to this mountain, child,” Dhrona said, a faint smile touching his lips. “Anywhere you can move, anywhere you can blind your eyes to the world and open them to your spirit, there you can dance the Great Current home.”

Dhrona also explained to Yasmina, that when she danced with others, this connection amplified, their individual currents weaving into a powerful, collective river of shared spirit, creating an unspoken, unbreakable bond.

Yasmina thanked Dhrona for showing her how to feel embodied with the Great Current and to feel the connection with the Divine.  Waving goodbye to him, she began her descent down the Path of Whispers and back to her home village within the valley below.

Trance dancing is an ancient practice found in nearly every culture, from the whirling dervishes of Sufism to the shamanic rituals of the Kalahari San. As a spiritual practice, its primary goal is transcendence.  By using repetitive, rhythmic movement to bypass the “ego-mind” it accesses a non-ordinary state of consciousness.

Here are the core spiritual and psychological benefits of trance dancing.

Connection & “Collective Effervescence”

When performed in a group, trance dancing creates a powerful social bond known as collective effervescence.

• Mirror Neurons: Moving in sync with others activates mirror neurons, which increases empathy and reduces feelings of isolation.
• Tribal Belonging: It mimics ancient human rituals which forged community through shared rhythmic experience, providing a deep sense of belonging.

Direct Experience of the Divine

Unlike “static” spiritual practices (like silent meditation), trance dance is all about feeling embodied and connected to the divine through movement. It shifts the focus from thinking about spirituality to feeling it.

• Unedited Movement: By moving without choreography or judgement, you “empty the mind of itself,” allowing the spirit to inhabit the body.
• Union: Many practitioners report a sense of “oneness” where the boundary between the dancer, the music, and the universe dissolves.

Emotional & Energetic Catharsis

Trance dance acts as a “pressure valve” for the psyche, helping to move energy that has become stagnant.

• Chakra Balancing: Rhythmic movement stimulates the body’s energy centres. For example, foot stomping can ground the Root Chakra, while fluid hip movements can unlock the Sacral Chakra (creativity and emotion).
• Shadow Work: In the safety of the dance (often performed blindfolded), repressed emotions like grief, anger, or fear can emerge and be released without the need for verbal processing.

Shifting Brainwaves (Neurological Transcendence)

The repetitive beats used in trance dance (typically 4–8 Hz) help shift the brain from active Beta waves (day-to-day thinking) into Theta waves (deep relaxation).

• Natural High: The practice triggers a neurochemical cocktail of endorphins, dopamine, and anandamide (known as the “bliss molecule”), creating a natural state of euphoria.
• The Theta State: This is the same state reached in deep meditation or REM sleep. It is the “gateway” to the subconscious, where visions, intuitive insights, and “downloads” often occur.

Spiritual “Soul Retrieval”

In shamanic traditions, trauma is thought to cause “soul loss,” where parts of our essence retreat to survive pain.  In modern psychology this would be known as disassociation.

• Ancestral Connection: Practitioners often feel they are tapping into an “ancestral heritage” of human emotion, connecting them to those who have danced the same rhythms for millennia.
• Wholeness: Trance dancing is often viewed as a way to “dance the pieces back home,” weaving the self-back to wholeness through the healing power of rhythm.

How to Begin a Simple Practice

You don’t need a ritual space to start. You can try a “Blindfolded Trance Dance” at home:

1. Set an Intention: Choose one thing you want to release or invite in.
2. Use a Blindfold: This shuts out external judgment and forces you to “see with your heart.”
3. Use Rhythmic Music: Look for “Shamanic Drumming” or “Ecstatic Dance” tracks.
4. Move Without Rules: Let your body lead. If it wants to shake let it shake. If it wants to be still, be still.

Sound, Music, Rhythm

To help you build a “trance dance” session, it is useful to look at music through the lens of “The Wave”.  This is a structure popularized by Gabrielle Roth (5 Rhythms) which guides the nervous system through a complete cycle of release.

Here is a curated list of musical genres / artists and specific sounds organised by the “energy” they bring to the dance:

The Opening: Flowing & Grounding

Goal: Connect with your breath and the earth. Movements are fluid, circular, and slow.

• Artist/Genre: Byron Metcalf (Tribal-Electro), Deuter (Zen/Ambient), or Desert Dwellers (Downtempo).
• Sounds to look for: Cedar flutes, deep didgeridoo, and slow, steady basslines.

 The Build: Staccato & Fire

Goal: Define your boundaries. Movements are sharp, rhythmic, and intentional.

• Artist/Genre: James Asher (Drums on Fire), Highlight Tribe (Natural Trance), or Afro-Beat (like Fela Kuti).
• Sounds to look for: High-energy djembe, clear wooden percussion, and 4/4 “heartbeat” rhythms.

 The Peak: Chaos & Release

Goal: Total surrender. Shake the body, let go of the head, and move without thinking.

• Artist/Genre: Medicine Drum (Tribal Trance), 1200 Micrograms (Psytrance), or heavy Japanese Taiko drumming.
• Sounds to look for: Rapid drumming (over 140 BPM), complex polyrhythms, and high-frequency synthesizers.

 The Integration: Lyrical & Bliss

Goal: Weightlessness. The “work” is done, and now you are simply being danced.

• Artist/Genre: Deva Premal (Mantras), Ayla Schafer (Medicine Music), or Poranguí.
• Sounds to look for: Chanting, acoustic guitars, and lighter, airy melodies.

 The Return: Stillness

Goal: Deep meditation. Move very slowly or sit in the vibration of the music.

• Artist/Genre: Marconi Union (Weightless), Liquid Mind, or Tibetan Singing Bowls.
• Sounds to look for: Drones, soft rain sounds, and minimal melody.

Pro-Tips for Your Session

• Blindfolding: Using a “Blindfold” or a simple scarf is highly recommended for the “chaos phase” to prevent self-consciousness and deepen the internal vision.
• The 432 Hz Factor: Many healing practitioners prefer music tuned to 432Hz (rather than the standard 440Hz), as it is believed to be more in harmony with the natural frequency of the body and sounds found in Nature.
• Shaking: If you feel “stuck” at any point, simply shake your hands and shoulders. Shaking is the fastest way to break the ego’s control over the body.

Shaking as a Spiritual Practice

Shaking as a spiritual and somatic practice is often referred to as “shaking meditation” or “therapeutic tremoring”.  It is a powerful tool for energetic hygiene.  Shaking is rooted in the observation that animals instinctively shake to discharge “survival energy” after a stressful event, preventing trauma from becoming “stuck” in their systems.

Here are the specific benefits of shaking to clear energy blocks within the physical body and aura:

 Clearing Stagnant Energy from the Aura

Your aura (or biofield) can act like a magnet for “energetic debris”  –  stress from others, environmental overstimulation, or your own lingering negative thoughts.

• Breaking Up “Armoured” Energy: Shaking disrupts the static layers of the aura, breaking up dense, slow-moving vibrations and allowing your field to become fluid and bright again.
• Shedding External Attachments: It helps “shake off” energetic cords or the heavy feeling of being in a crowded, high-stress environment.
• The “Moving Fan” Effect: Think of shaking like a moving fan; “dust” (stagnant energy) cannot settle on a surface that is vibrating rapidly.

 Releasing Trauma from the Physical Body

In somatic therapy, it is understood trauma is often stored in the fascia and nervous system as incomplete “fight-or-flight” responses.

• Detoxification: Rhythmic shaking stimulates the lymphatic system, which doesn’t have its own pump, helping the physical body flush out metabolic waste and toxins.
• Nervous System Reset: Shaking moves you from a sympathetic state (high alert/stress) to a parasympathetic state (rest and digest).
• Neurogenic Tremors: The practice can trigger natural tremors that release deep-seated muscular tension that “talk therapy” or sitting meditation often cannot reach.

Spiritual & Energetic Benefits

• Unblocking the Chakras: Much like shaking a snow globe, the vibration helps loosen “sludge” in the main energy centres (chakras), allowing Prana or Qi (life force) to flow more freely through the central channel.
• Raising Your Vibrational Frequency: Low-frequency emotions like shame, guilt, and grief are heavy and “slow.” Shaking physically increases your internal “RPMs,” naturally shifting your state toward higher vibrational frequencies like joy and vitality.
• Spiritual Grounding: While it seems active, shaking helps drop your awareness from a “noisy” mind down into the physical body, creating a profound sense of being “anchored” to the Earth.

How to Practice “The Shake”

If you’d like to try this, you can do a simple 10-minute session:

1. Stage 1 (Shake): Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent to start with. Take three large breaths and relax the body. Begin to bounce gently from the knees, letting the vibration travel up through your hips, shoulders, and head. Let your jaw hang loose. Do this for 5-8 minutes.
2. Stage 2 (Stillness): Stop abruptly. Stand in total silence for 2 minutes. Feel the “sparkling” or tingling sensation in your skin and aura – this is your energy moving.

Summary & Conclusion

Trance dance as a spiritual practice is really suited to kinaesthetic auditory learners.  This is because it involves movement and sound.  However, using shaking as a means of clearing energy within the physical body and aura are just as important as a self-care practice.

Monthly Challenge

If you are an active practising healing practitioner, I would recommend using shaking as a way of clearing your own energy between each healing session.  Give yourself 2 minutes to shake before seeing another client and observe how the next session goes.

Next month …

In next month’s column we will be focusing on the body centred practice of nutrition as a spiritual practice.

Until next month. From one kindred spirit to another – be safe, be well, be authentically you.

In gratitude

Kathleen