CHAKRADANCE™ teachers Douglas Channing and Natalie Southgate at their dance studio at the Rocks in Sydney. Picture by Bob Barker.

It could be described as yoga's long lost cousin, but relative or not, Chakradance is the latest alternative therapy to hit Australia.

CHAKRADANCE™ is described as a creative dance therapy which works by stimulating the body's seven major chakras (centres of spiritual power) through music and dance.Teacher Douglas Channing says CHAKRADANCE™ works in a similar way to yoga in that it creates energy flows through the body.

"There are no specific steps that you are doing, you are just guided by the music,'' he says. "Each type of music is resonating to each of the chakra's frequency. It's almost like a dynamic form of mediation.''
CHAKRADANCE™ was developed eight years ago by an Australian, Natalie Southgate, who wanted to combine her work in psychology and chakra healing with her strong interest in dance.

Channing first became involved when he was looking for a new way to help him cope with the stress of a job in advertising.

"I initially just wanted to dance to de-stress but it just opened up so much for me,'' he says. "I realised that I wasn't really fulfilling my higher purpose and I wasn't happy in my job, and all these issues came up while I was dancing.''

Four years on and Channing is now teaching Chakradance.
People interested in becoming a CHAKRADANCE™ teacher ideally should have a background in natural therapy or healing, Channing says, although he adds, "It's not essential. It really does come down to the individual.

There are current teachers who had no background in this at all but were just the right type of people.''
He says people who can relate to other people and have empathy toward others and are passionate can make great teachers.

After an initial interview, Channing says teachers are put through a three-month training program which covers insight into the principals of the chakras as well as the healing aspect and the psychology.
They are then trained in the practical side of running a class
as well as group leadership.

CHAKRADANCE™ has 14 teachers across Australia, as well as Hong Kong and Singapore and they are hoping to recruit more teachers.

How to be....
a CHAKRADANCE™ teacher
A background in natural therapy or healing is an advantage.
More information, 02 9810 0644 or chakradance.com

By Erica Watson, The Daily Telegraph, December 10 2005.


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