There are many kinds of meditation, and probably the most common is sitting, closing one’s eyes and breathing deeply or following a guided meditation exercise. Indeed, the common meditation is meditating while the body is still.

There is, however, another kind of meditation called movement meditation. There is the so-called walking meditation, which the spiritual Buddhist teacher Thicht Naht Hanh has widely promoted. There is also the mindfulness meditation, which simply calls for awareness and mindfulness in any situation, no matter what you are doing – whether you are sitting, waiting in line, doing the dishes, or working in the office. And yes, there is also dancing meditation – dancing while in a meditative state.

Dancing, as a meditation is no ordinary dance – here, the state of mind or consciousness is more important than the actual movements made.

Before doing dance as a meditation, it is important to “prep” the mind and the body. One way is to take several deep breaths and pay attention to each breath as the air comes in and goes out. Then, after relaxing considerably, tune into your body and observe the sensation in each body part. You can do a sweep from head to toe. And, as you sweep through your body, observe which body part has the strongest sensations. You may begin to move the body part with the strongest sensations.

Dance with no particular step in mind – just follow your body’s sensations. Be mindfully aware of each movement you make, and as much as possible, breathe in time to the movements.