About the experience:
Join us every Thursday night on Chapel St for a journey with Ecstatic Dance and Cacao. As the weekend draws near, we gather as a tribe to shake off any emotional or physical blockages to letting life move. We will open our hearts through a Cacao ceremony, and then let the music lead our bodies to let go of whatever we are holding on to, and dance ourselves into a new way of being.
What is Ecstatic Dance?
An ecstatic dance floor is a place where you can be you, all of you, exactly as you are. A safe space to take a journey of self expression, and to surrender to the flow of life, through the music and through your body.
Ecstatic dance is a form of creative expression, with no dance experience required. Be ready to free yourself from any conceptualisation of how you should move and allow the music to move you, letting go of the mind's attempts to control - you can’t get this wrong.
The invitation is to open yourself up to explore the full spectrum of emotions, as we dance as one tribe.
Ecstatic Dance guidelines to support our community experience:
Be Present (no phone)
Be Clear (no intoxicants)
Be Embodied (no talking during the dance)
Be Respectful of Others (consensual contact only)
What is Cacao?
Cacao is a heart-opening plant that has been used in indigenous societies for thousands of years to connect with nature, spirit and our hearts. It is the plant that has been used to make chocolate, but before this it was used as a sacred way to connect with the Gods (the scientific name Theobroma Cacao actually means food of the Gods).
It can support in deepening sensitivity to any unfelt emotions, and it can also fuel our heart’s desires to dance and connect. How the plant dances with you is a personal experience that each person will discover through building a relationship over time.
It is a form of plant medicine, although Patty personally prefers the term plant magic. On the evening, he will guide you in connecting with the plant and with your hearts, and opening up to allowing the plant magic to support you on your journey.
This particular Cacao is from a recent journey Patty took to Guatemala, where he connected with the Mayan families that have been growing and serving Cacao for generations. It is an honour for him to be serving this culture and this plant.
About your guide - DJ ESHARO @Phillip_Lionel
ESHARO creates epic dance floors through an eclectic selection of hand-picked tunes. From reggae, bass music, organic, disco house, and more, ESHARO loves music so deeply and is fulfilled by sharing the highest vibe beats for dancers to liberate their mind and get into their body. ESHARO is a conjoined word meaning ‘fire warrior lion’ in both Hebrew and ancient Egyptian. Having been trained from some of the forefront ecstatic DJ/Producers such as Temple Step, Scott Nice, ATYYA and Mose, ESHARO is primed to ignite one of your most memorable dance floor experiences.
About your host - Patty McDonald (aka Chakaruna) - @pattymac.truth
Patty is passionate about helping people open their hearts and find bliss in the full spectrum of the human experience. Chakaruna means "Bridge Person" in the Quechua language - this journey is here to provide a bridge for you into new ways of connecting with your self, with each other and with the world around you.
An experienced leader and coach, he recently doubled down on music as an even purer vehicle to deliver transformation, and spent a few weeks in Guatemala dancing with and learning from some of the world's best organic music producers such as Mose, Scott Nice, ATYYA and Melbourne's own Temple Step Project. He also was humbled to learn about Cacao plant magic whilst in Guatemala and is honoured to be holding a space for Cacao and Ecstatic Dance to be shared with our community.
Things to note:
Ticket cost is $40.00 if purchasing at the door on the night of event.
Centre of You has plenty of bolsters, blankets, and cushions for you to get cosy with. We recommend wearing comfortable, loose clothes to enable deep breathing and sitting/laying upon the floor with ease. A journal and an eye mask is recommended as are any familiar personal items that will aid you in feeling grounded (crystal, teddy, scarf, etc).
Arrival: Endeavour to arrive between 6:15pm - 6:30pm. To preserve the experience for all involved, doors will close at 6:45pm. Truly, it breaks our heart to have to turn latecomers away yet the disruption to the whole group experience by virtue of lateness does require management. We ask that you find understanding and consideration for the timebound nature of the container and make every effort to arrive on time.
Driving: Know Centre of You is on Chapel St and ample time to find a car spot is best to be factored into your plans. Park direct on Chapel St (spots unmetered after 5pm) or in Anchor Place, the open-air parking lot in the side street that runs opposite Centre of You (unmetered after 4pm).
Public transport - tram: Both the number 6 tram & 78 tram stop on the corner of High St/Chapel St. This is stop 31 on the number 6 tram (Moreland/Glen Iris) & stop 45 on the number 78 tram (North Richmond/Balaclava).
Public transport - train: Both Prahran & Windsor stations along the Sandringham Line will get you walking distance to Centre of You.
Finding Centre of You: Centre of You is nestled within the arcade that Chapel St Bazaar is in (217 Chapel St). It is up a flight of stairs with a wide landing at the half-way-point. Unfortunately, this current version of Centre of You does not have a wheelchair-accessible lift. If you could use support in getting up the stairs or would like to discuss ways to make your experience at Centre of You more comfortable, please reach out via grace@centreofyou.com.au or via DM over on Centre of You Instagram.
Accessibility: At COY we aim to ensure our community and events are inclusive and accessible while upholding the needs and responsibilities of our business and partnering facilitators. Should you be in a time of financial challenge and unable to pay the full ticket price comfortably, please be in contact via grace@centreofyou.com.au. Together we will find a way.
Ticketing T&Cs: We get it, life happens, therefore we will gladly refund you up until 24hrs before the event start time. After that, we have a strict no refund/no transfer to future events policy. If you are no longer able to attend and wish to pay forward your ticket to someone within the community, be in touch via grace@centreofyou.com.au or via DM over on Centre of You Instagram.
Questions? Email grace@centreofyou.com.au or reach out via Instagram DM.
Tickets: $33.00