Unveil your feminine mystery! Join senior Agama teacher Monika on a magic carpet ride into the sacred movements of belly dance bliss, where you will discover new dimensions to your femininity.

Beyond just belly dancing, this workshop weaves Tantric theory, chakra energy work, and meditation to create a unique and inspiring Shakti experience for all women, regardless of dance level. Let body and spirit unite as you learn the mystical and ritual aspects of belly dancing!

What is the mystical aspect of this belly dance workshop?
Dance expression is an ancient art and through conscious movement and invocation, you can awaken the Divine feminine within. Belly dance is a language of sacred symbols and a dynamic method to experience the energies of the Universe. Tantric theory on the chakras, including meditations and visualizations, are incorporated to go deeper into the mysteries of this dance. The approach to the course is unique and holistic – from the secrets of energy work, to the role of dance in female rites of passage, to embracing fully your feminine potential -- it is all here for you.

What is the dance part of the workshop like?
The course breaks down the basic movements and isolations of belly dance and expands on this through combinations and full choreographed routines. Some highlights include learning veil and drum solo technique, dancing with light, North African trance and blessing dance, Bollywood-Bellydance, Egyptian cabaret, temple dance, and performance methodology. Beautiful rituals and invocations, modern fusion, and group improvisation are other favorites that are covered.

The workshop is designed for the complete beginner to the intermediate level dancer – no previous dance training is required. Women with no experience finish with a fantastic foundation on which to continue their dance exploration, and both newcomers and more advanced dancers alike leave with a broader and deeper understanding of the complex facets of this joyful art form.

From a dance perspective, the advantage is that this course introduces far more techniques, styles, and historical background than you would encounter in a “regular” weekly class series, but all in a very accessible, clear, and highly pleasurable manner.

As a special highlight, on the final night of the course, you have the option to participate in a dance “offering” at the Agama Yoga school. Going beyond being a mere performance, this will be a highly transformational opportunity for you to apply the theories of transfiguration and to allow the Divine to radiate through you. The dances are rehearsed and showcased in a very supportive group environment, and even beginners with no previous experience look like the goddess-come-to life on stage!

Who is the teacher?
Monika has been performing and teaching belly dance for 12 years in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Her dance training includes extensive studies in the classical Egyptian cabaret style with Yousry Sharif, Serena Wilson, and Ibrahim Farah. Monika spent many years dancing professionally on the night club circuit of New York City, performing in large stage shows and cultural events worldwide, and she has been featured in countless magazines and television programs, including MTV.

Monika is also a senior teacher with Agama Yoga and is co-founder of the Agama branch in Dharamsala, India. She has led the Agama Shakti groups and school-wide rituals at the Agama headquarters in Thailand. She began her Agama studies in 2000 and has completed 42 months of formal study with Swami Vivekananda. She is profoundly grateful for her experiences with Agama, which led her to develop the Mystical Belly Dance approach. She is best known for her ability to unite Yoga, Tantra, and dance into a complete Shakti celebration.

Monika’s love of dance and Yoga, combined with a passion for teaching, keeps her globe-trotting; in the past year alone she has held workshops in Thailand, India, Turkey, Belgium, Ireland, France, England and the Czech Republic. Her students unequivocally agree that her courses are inspirational and for many, life-changing.

What will the schedule look like?
We will meet approximately 5-6 hours per day (sometimes longer J). The typical core hours will be from 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., plus additional dance and lecture times. The specific daily schedule will be listed closer to the workshop start date as we will try to accommodate Agama students who are also participating in the regular Yoga courses and Teacher Training Course. It’s a full schedule, but the intensity will help accelerate your evolution! We devote the majority of our sessions to dancing, and balance this with meditations, theory, and special exercises corresponding to the day’s theme.

Additional details…
Bring comfortable practice clothes. A flowing skirt and hip scarf are helpful. You are encouraged to wear anything that particularly inspires your inner and outer feminine spirit. Veils and candle props will be provided.

If you plan to formally perform with the group, we will adapt the sparkly clothes you already have into a belly dancing costume. Inexpensive costume pieces will be on sale, and some participants even lend their extra items to fellow dancers.

Here are some comments by past participants:
“Inspirational, high energy, I just loved the whole experience!”
“…this course really changed me, I am more in touch with my feminine side…”
“I loved the spiritual aspects…I feel renewed...”
“The Goddess is alive…in us all! Thank you for the inspiration.”
“Great teacher. More, more, more, please!”
“Exceptional. You made it easy and fun to learn.”
“Beyond W.O.W. You are the kind of teacher I was waiting for…”
“This is the best thing I have done for myself in a long, long time.”
“I felt so supported by you and the whole group of incredible women.”
“This is so exciting! And there’s so much to practice – truly fabulous!”
“I am so happy and grateful I learned belly dance through you. There are a lot of classes out there, but none of them covering the mystical…”
“I’ve been traveling for a while now, all over Asia, and this is definitely the highlight of my journey. My partner couldn’t believe the changes in me.”
“I am a former model, but to be honest, this is the first time I’ve really loved my body.”
“I can’t capture in words what this workshop has meant to me.”
“When are you coming back?! I want to do this everyday!”
“What a deep way to connect with my ‘true’ self. I’m grateful for this gift.”
“I learned and received so much! All of the background and explanations were so fascinating and have given me a whole new perspective on dance and being a mystical woman in modern times.”
“This was an exceptional and completely effective way to put all the Tantric theory into practice.”
“Thank you so much for your patience, wisdom, and inspiration. It has been an amazing journey learning with you – you have so many gifts and share them so generously.”
“I think these were the best four days of my life!”

Fees and contact
Workshop tuition is 6,000 Thai Baht. Payment should be in cash (Thai Baht or US dollar/Euro equivalent) and paid in full by 8 March; Registration takes place 8 March 14:30-16:00 at Ananda Resort. Space is limited to 24 spaces so please reserve early. Email monika@agamayoga.com for any additional workshop or dance-related questions or info@agamayoga.com for venue and logistical questions. Schedule and location assignment will be announced within a week of the workshop start.