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.

Pangalay’s movements greatly resemble the movements of the Asian martial art “kontaw silat,” which is particularly practiced in the Malay archipelago. Pangalay calls for dexterity and flexibility of the wrists, elbows and shoulders. The dexterous movements of these body parts are particularly seen as appealing to the male gender.

A typical Pangalay dancer wears a Joloano costume and a janggay, the metal fingernail extensions, on all fingers. Samal’s variation of the dance makes use of bamboo castanets instead of fingernails. The Pangalay dance is mainly performed in festive occasions or celebrations like weddings.

More than just a dance for celebrations, the Pangalay is incorporated in the Tausūgs’ culture and way of live. Children at a young age are taught and expected to master the Pangalay – doing so is a rite of passage for these children.

Scholars say that Pangalay may have been a remnant of the Balinese and Samal culture because of the dance’s slow movements, which are suggestive of the abundance of birds and fish in southern Philippines.

There is actually a male version of the Pangalay, the Pangasik, which has more martial art movements as dance steps, while Pangiluk is a dance that features both male and female dancers.

There is now a modern version of Pangalay, which has become popular among the people of Sulu and Sabah. The dance is called Pakiring, which emphasizes hip movement rather than upper body movement. Pakiring is danced to modern, electro versions of traditional songs and is now even danced during weddings.

Trance dance, though, is not necessarily related to trance music. In fact, trance dancing can be done even without music. There are many trance dance practitioners and teachers, thus, leading to many versions of trance dance, but what these have in common is that trance dancing indeed puts you in a trance – or at least, an altered state.

Trance dancing was actually practiced by shamans in indigenous tribes as part of rituals or as communication with the divine. In such an altered state, Divine Wisdom becomes readily accessible to the shaman.

Today, anyone can practice trance dance – you need not be a shaman. But you have to have an open mind and a ready consciousness for it – after all, trance dance is about entering an altered mind state.

Trance dancing usually requires blindfolds, as a blindfold helps in getting rid of distractions and allowing you to just focus on your body. Blindfolding can also help release inhibitions. There is also usually a specific breathing practice for trance dance to help the dancer move into an altered state. Usually, a trance dance facilitator guides the entire process. The dance music can be healing music or even just plain drumbeats to awaken the body’s rhythm.

Trance dancing has practical benefits like healing, better mental clarity and improved intuition.

Inner dance can be said to be a form of intuitive dance. While it has many variations, in one variation, the person who will be doing the inner dance should be blindfolded or at least close his/her eyes. He/she can then make whatever movement feels natural. The movements need not be normal dance movements – they can be as simple as an arm raise, a flick of the hand, or even just walking around. And there may be times where the person may not move at all, since what is natural for him/her at that moment is to be at rest.

In some cases, an inner dance practitioner can help a person who is doing inner dance for the first time. The practitioner does this not by guiding the steps of the newbie, but by dancing himself/herself around the latter. The practitioner may briefly touch certain chakras of the newbie “activate” them, to help the newbie move.

Practicing inner dance is about listening to your body and gradually becoming more sensitive to its signals. An inner dance practitioner may opt to stop eating certain foods or refrain from certain habits because of his improved awareness of his body.

An inner dance practitioner may also find his/her intuition improving, as indeed, practicing inner dance is about practicing intuition. And intuition is really about listening well to what is happening within.

Your song is your true nature. Indeed, some people have translated this song inside into an actual melody – they sing their song to celebrate who they are, and to remind them of their strength in times of trouble.

Your song can be manifested in different ways – and not necessarily in a melody. You can bring out your song by doing work you love or by making art. You can also bring your song to life by dancing it. And by dancing, it does not mean dancing with carefully planned steps, but rather, dancing intuitively, making movements that feel right to you but which may not make sense.

When dancing your song, it is best to dance to no particular music, so that the music won’t particularly influence your movements. Drumbeats, particularly beats with no melodies, can help bring out your natural movements.

Just dance – move without thinking, and you might be surprised what your body will do.

No need to worry – you are a dancer. Everyone is. Your body has a natural rhythm and grace, and you don’t need to know the waltz, samba or any kind of known dance for you to be a dancer in your own right.

So what can you do if you have no confidence in dancing?

1. Dance alone. Dancing by yourself will also allow you to move without inhibitions. And you do not need to know a particular formal dance to do this. Just play music with a lively beat or one of your favorite songs, take a deep breath, and then do whatever movement feels natural to you.  Don’t think – just move!

1. Move even if the movement does not seem logical or graceful in the usual sense. Doing whatever movement feels natural will help bring out your body’s natural rhythm and grace, no matter how long you have held them back.

This is free form dancing – dancing without any particular set of steps or choreography, but it is dancing nonetheless.

Free form dancing is helpful in releasing inhibitions and unleashing creativity, as the dance steps are all natural and spontaneous.

For you to achieve the best results, practice free form dancing every day. It is best to set aside a particular time for it, so it becomes like a daily ritual for you.

Over time, you might find yourself more natural, more fluid in your movements.