Conscious dance has been a transformational practice for me. As someone who is regularly caught up in the invisible world of my thoughts, conscious dance practices have invited me to return to the wisdom of my body and the moment. On the dance floor, I find my way back to joy through connecting to the music, to my feet, to my breath, and to community. The experience of dancing without drugs and alcohol while holding the intentions of healing, play, and meaningful connection, has been a blessing for me.

Omar Aena, founder of Dance Lab in Brooklyn New York, rejoins the podcast to discuss conscious dance and share a special DJ set he created for this episode. Omar and I have a conversation about what we mean when we say "conscious dance," and explore the defining features we value about it. Omar shares the ancient history of the practice and his uncomfortable initial reaction when he was first introduced to 5Rhythms. We also discuss how consent and listening play a critical role in creating transformational dance experiences. At the end of the episode, Omar plays an Original DJ set that will support you to experience conscious dance wherever you are in the world.

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iCOGg2f59YM

If you enjoyed this episode, don't miss my first interview with Omar Aena about his journey to the Middle East to reconnect to his roots and family: https://youtu.be/itL0wxwWUfY

Link to the Crowdfunding Campaign for the documentary about Rumi & The Whirling Dervishes:

LaunchGood.com/semadoc

Link to DJ sets on Omar’s SoundCloud

https://soundcloud.com/omaraena

Follow Dance Lab on IG @dancelab_nyc or on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/DanceLabCommunity/

Learn more about the Four Gardens at https://www.fourgardenspodcast.com/