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The Circle Dance Paneurhythmy -
a Gateway to the Garden of Paradise
THE PANEURHYTHMY - A NEW TYPE OF YOGA
FOR THE EPOCH OF AQUARIUS
The Divine origin of the Paneurhythmy (as a living message brought down by a great spiritual Master), the organic synthesis of music, words, colours, movements and the richness of its many interpretations which activate different types of energies make the Paneurhythmy a very effective spiritual practice suited to the coming new epoch. We could even define the Paneurhythmy as a new type of Yoga, appropriate for the epoch of Aquarius. The dance helps us to open our spiritual centres (chakras), to ascend to higher spiritual worlds and to achieve complete self-realisation - the main aims of Yoga practice for thousands of years.
The Paneurhythmy, however, comes not to replace the Yoga tradition which inspires millions of people but rather to complement it. The essence of the new epoch is the actualisation and revival of all spiritual paths and the blossoming of all spiritual traditions. At the same time, the new cosmic season offers new forms of spiritual practice in accordance with the stream of energy of the spiritual Spring.
The main difference between the classical Yoga tradition and the new spiritual practices given by the Master lies in the direction of the flow of the cosmic-spiritual energy. The Hindu tradition was developed in accord with the involutionary path of humankind when the macrocosmos projects itself into the microcosmos causing the individualisation of the human being. This is why the spiritual techniques have an introverted, individual orientation. The new epoch of Aquarius comes in the evolutionary stream of cosmic-spiritual energy when, on the contrary, the microcosmos projects itself into the macrocosmos and the human being becomes a cosmic-spiritual entity living on all levels of Creation simultaneously. (Let us remember that Jesus Christ was the Divine Master who turned the wheel of involution into the wheel of evolution and this determined the type of spiritual practice in Christianity.) In accordance with the new stream of evolution, the Paneurhythmy emphasises the collective principle - it is a collective dance capable of including hundreds, even thousands of people dancing together - and focuses on the extraverted spiritual activity.
When performed properly, the Paneurhythmy awakens at least four circles of living energy: within the human being, between the partners of the couples, around the entire circle of participants, and between the Paneurhythmy circle on the Earth and the higher spiritual worlds in Heaven.
The first living circle of energy is activated within the human being. Then the chakras open, all of them or some, completely or partially. The Kundalini energy starts to flow within the human body and this is the first living 'Paneurhythmy circle'. In contrast to Yoga practice, the chakras are not opened directly by focusing on them, but indirectly through a connection with the outer world, by focusing on our contact with Nature, with the Sun and the Earth, with the other participants and the whole human society. Because we are micro-models of the Universe (the structure of which is 'coded' in our chakras), by connecting with the various planes of the outer world, we spontaneously open our chakras even without conscious awareness.
By dancing the Paneurhythmy and coming in contact with the various realms of Creation, we are 'projecting' ourselves into the whole structure of the Universe and in so doing we build our light bodies - i.e. our etheric, astral and mental bodies which in turn affect our higher causal, buddhic and atmic bodies. It is interesting to compare the orientation of the spiritual practice in the Yoga tradition with that of the Paneurhythmy. The yogi concentrates his attention on his chakras as points of entry into the higher worlds, and consciously opens all the channels of Kundalini energy within the body. From this perspective his being becomes a whole, minutely detailed microworld, and through this he realises himself as a micro-model of the Universe and dissolves into the whole of Creation, achieving complete self-realisation. In contrast, the participants in the Paneurhythmy concentrate their attention on the various planes of the outer world and by establishing a living, spiritual contact with them, they understand and penetrate the whole structure of Creation. As a result of this, they spontaneously open their chakras and ultimately understand the mystery of their own existence as micro-models of Creation, reaching complete self-realisation. So, the final goals and results of both practices are the same, but their methods are different, reflecting the processes of involution and evolution.
As an example of the attention to the outer world, we can look at the three levels where the participants in the Paneurhythmy focus their attention. The first is the physical world. Here one of the main aims of the Paneurhythmy is to establish contact with Nature, the Elements, the Earth and the Sun, and to feel the unity of life everywhere. 'The Paneurhythmy is a conscious interchange with the forces of living Nature' (The Master). As a result of this interchange, we rejuvenate our physical body, strengthening it with energy, health and life, and we purify our etheric body filling it with prana. On the second level, by dancing the Paneurhythmy, we link with the angelic world behind Nature. Through this contact we feel the Divine beauty, harmony and spiritual essence of the whole of Creation and thus we enter into the world of the Universal Soul. In this world we begin to blossom as Divine souls, emitting the fragrance of all human virtues. On the third level, through exercises like 'Thinking', 'Aum', 'The Rising Sun', 'Square' and others, we are able to reach even the highest Divine world. Then, in a very natural, spontaneous and joyful way, we develop as cosmic-spiritual beings and start to live with our physical body on Earth, with our blossoming soul in the angelic world, and with our awakened spirit in the highest Divine world. Through this we open all our chakras allowing the Kundalini energy to circulate within us and to complete one of the most mystical circles of the Paneurhythmy - that within ourselves. Therefore, in the dance of Paneurhythmy we have an original spiritual practice corresponding to all stages of the Yoga path, but in accordance with the evolutionary, ascending cosmic-spiritual stream of energy. For this reason, even based on the first living circle of energies, we can define the Paneurhythmy as a new type of Yoga for the epoch of Aquarius.
This understanding is reinforced by the second living circle of energy in the Paneurhythmy - the exchange of energies which takes place between the partners in the couples. The Paneurhythmy is performed in pairs, preferably men and women. All male or all female couples are natural too because the Paneurhythmy is a dance of souls, but the exchange of energy between men and women is the most complex interchange and influences the entire structure of the human being.
The second circle of energy activates a new dimension in the life of the human being - the other, the representative of the opposite sex, the partner, the friend. During the dance, an intensive exchange of energy takes place between the partners which affects the whole structure of the human being - his or her physical, etheric, astral and mental bodies, as well as the higher bodies, the causal, buddhic and atmic. The prupose of dancing the Paneurhythmy in pairs is to share feelings, thoughts, subtle psycho-physical sensations, and spiritual experiences. Thus, we enter into a qualitatively new process - forming the dyad.
The activation of the second circle of energy brings a harmonisation of all polarities within the human being: the masculine and feminine, electric and magnetic, intellectual and emotional, rational and intuitive. There is a special movement in the Paneurhythmy, Weaving (13), where the partners dance in harmonious coordination and frequently exchange places. As a basic movement, this exercise can have many levels of interpretation - for instance, by harmonising their thoughts, feelings and actions the partners are weaving a beautiful 'life- tapestry' - but from an energy point of view it represents a very powerful interchange of energies within the couple.
By harmonising the polarities within us, due to the exchange of energies with the partner, we are moving towards our most cherished goal - becoming a complete, self-realised, perfectly balanced person, with the spirit and the soul (animus and anima) in ideal harmony. As a result of this balance, we are able to overcome the identification with our sex, the main 'stamp' of our incarnation as earthly beings, and to be reborn in higher spiritual worlds as celestial souls.
The culmination of this process and the activation of the second circle of energy come in Acquaintance (22). In this movement, for the first time, the partners hold hands; they look each other in the eyes and acknowledge the Divine nature in the other. All preceding exercises lead to this culmination which can become a turning point in our life as man or woman. It provides us with a Divine opportunity to see each other as heavenly souls and to overcome the vibrations of sexual polarisation. This mystical union between souls brings us back to the state of consciousness before the Fall when Adam and Eve saw each other as celestial beings. Thus, the harmonious activation of the second circle of energy brings us back to the higher state of consciousness - that of Adam and Eve before the Fall - full of light, love, friendship, innocence, joy and subtle etheric vibrations. Reaching this point, we are free to go beyond the world of polarities, but hand-in-hand with our partner, towards complete self- realisation.
Again, it is very interesting to compare, from this perspective, the Yoga tradition and the Paneurhythmy path. They reflect different cosmic-spiritual streams, but they reach the same goals from opposite directions. One of the main rules for yogic self-realisation is to practice brahmacharia, which is to refrain from intimate contact with the opposite sex. In the Paneurhythmy, through very subtle, friendly and spiritually intimate contact with the partner, we balance our energies and together become able to move beyond the world of polarities.
All the exercises after Acquaintance (22) are performed by couples and involve touch of the hands (prior to Acquaintance none of the exercises involve touch). This arrangement reflects the qualitatively new type of relationship between the partners after achieving the state of the New Adam and the New Eve. Other combinations of pairs (men-men, women-women) resolve different spiritual tasks in the context of spiritual friendship and collaboration but, ultimately, they also transcend to the level of relationship between celestial souls.
By dancing the Paneurhythmy regularly with different partners we cover the rich spectrum of relationships with the other. Thus, the Paneurhythmy realises in a beautiful way one of the most important dimensions in human life and opens up the path for an initiation into the mystery of the New Adam and the New Eve. For this reason the energy of the second circle is very important and complements perfectly the awakening of the first circle of energy within us.
The first and second circles of living energy are closely interconnected. They are two dimensions of one and the same reality. The third living circle of energy activated in the Paneurhythmy introduces us to the third dimension of human life - the spiritual community, society, human culture, even humankind as a whole. This third living stream of energy is activated around the whole circle of participants dancing the Paneurhythmy. It creates a powerful collective spiritual space where the ideas of the new solar culture and the unity of all humankind grow and blossom. This circle of energy combines and reinforces tremendously the radiation of each one of the participants. It acts as a great 'nuclear accelerator' where the vibrations of everyone are increased many times. At the same time, each participant contributes individually to the creation of the spiritual space. His or her spiritual emanation is unique and tangible, and adds a beautiful scent to the overall fragrance of the spiritual group. The third circle of energy has such a great power because it expresses the very essence of the Paneurhythmy - openness, welcome and collectivity. The simplicity of the movements allows everyone to participate in the Paneurhythmy without any preliminary preparation. When entering into the circle, each person immediately feels the welcome of the group, the warmth and friendship of the collective spirit.
The number of participants in the dance can vary from two or four persons to more than a thousand people. In the time of the Master, up to a thousand people participated in the Paneurhythmy simultaneously, in dozens of concentric circles of couples, with an orchestra of ten to fifteen musicians playing the Paneurhythmy music in the centre of the circles. This large number of people included participants of all ages (from three or four to eighty years), all social and ethnic groups, with different religious backgrounds. The Paneurhythmy is truly one of the most universal and all inclusive dances in the entire history of human dance culture.
To underline this all inclusive nature of the Paneurhythmy, we could compare it with another spiritual dance, Eurythmy, introduced by Rudolf Steiner. Both were given in the first half of the twentieth century and both come from higher spiritual realms, but their tasks and features are different. The learning of Eurythmy requires a minimum of two to three years study; it is performed before an audience, so it has the structure of a cultural spiritual event, realising the communication between 'actors' and 'spectators'. It is normally performed in an enclosed space - theatres, halls, schools or other public places. In contrast, the Paneurhythmy does not require any preparation, it is performed in the open air and goes beyond the structure of a cultural spiritual event, making all participants active performers. In their polarity however, the two dances complement each other and provide a great opportunity for expressing the most subtle impulses within the human soul (as in Eurythmy) and for the blossoming of the human soul in all participants (as in the Paneurhythmy).
It is very significant that such a universal dance as the Paneurhythmy, where each one of the participants blossoms and makes a spiritual contribution, came at the dawn of the epoch of Aquarius. The sign of Aquarius itself is connected with the collective energies of humankind (from an astrological perspective Aquarius is in opposition to, and complementary to, Leo - the sign of personal individuality) and it will dominate for the next two thousand years, bringing the new culture of humankind. Referring to the dawning of the new epoch of Aquarius, the Master said:
A new epoch is approaching which will represent a cosmic Spring. The earth and the whole solar system are now entering a new cosmic region which presents good conditions for the awakening of the beautiful nature of man.
A new solar culture is approaching.
Because we are now in the moment of conception of the sixth race, the Paneurhythmy is being placed on a new basis. It is an expression of the new culture which is approaching. The ideas of the sixth race are implied and implanted in its music and its movements. And when the latter are performed, the forces and ideas of the new culture are aroused in man and sent into the world. The participants in the living circle of the Paneurhythmy awaken these new forces in themselves and become like a radio broadcasting centre which emits these forces and ideas into the world. They, on their part, affect all souls and find a response in them. Through these movements, the living circle of the Paneurhythmy sends forth a beautiful call to the world for renewal, uplift and ascent. The sixth race which is coming will be an expression of the Paneurhythmy. The fifth race is the race of objective knowledge, of the external study of nature - the race of the intellect. The sixth race is the race of Love. The number six relates to Love. The forces and ideas implanted in the Paneurhythmy will be a reality in the sixth race. The Paneurhythmy is preparing the way for the coming of that race.
Some of the characteristics of the new solar culture are described in Step Eight - The Transformation of the Earthly Culture into a Celestial Culture. It explains the process of the transfiguration of the earthly life and the ascent of humankind to higher levels of Being. Many features of the Paneurhythmy in themselves constitute a shift in the energies of the contemporary 'moon culture' to the new 'solar culture'. Now most of the collective cultural activities (theatres, cinemas, concerts, entertainment, group meetings, prime-time television broadcasts, etc.) take place in the evening, often lasting into the night. In contrast, the Paneurhythmy is performed early in the morning and links us with the energies of the rising Sun. These spiritual morning gatherings activate completely different collective energies and create the space for the dawning of the new solar culture.
The energies of the new solar culture are coded throughout the whole Paneurhythmy and are especially emphasised in movements like Aum (15), The Rising Sun (16), Early in the Morning (26) and others. The whole second part of the Paneurhythmy, 'Sunbeams', represents the pulsation of light beams from the Sun and their deep symbolic, mythological effect on all human life and especially on human culture. The last movement of this part, 'This is a Paradise', activates the spiritual vibrations of the new solar culture where all participants in formations of rays, each composed of five couples facing the centre, stand in meditation and sing a hymn of the new life on Earth.
The spiritual space created by the Paneurhythmy is so powerful that in essence it is a great Divine laboratory for the development of the new human race of Love. This race includes people with open blossoming souls, with spiritually transformed sexual energies, returning as the New Adam and the New Eve to the Garden of Paradise and having a tender relationship with the living forces of Nature and the Earth. These people are the core of the new humankind who bring the reality of the Kingdom of God on Earth. Everyone who enters into the circle of the Paneurhythmy comes into contact with these spiritual energies of the new culture. Hence, the Paneurhythmy becomes a great spiritual school introducing the celestial vibrations of the new culture and the new types of relationship inherent in it.
The importance of the Paneurhythmy as a great creative laboratory of the new human race and the new solar culture is determined by its essence, not only as a dance, but as a friendly spiritual gathering also. Often the Paneurhythmy comes as a culmination of a larger collective spiritual event: before the dance the participants may gather to go to an appropriate place for the dance; after the dance there may be joyful feasting or an excursion. This contributes to the creation of the spiritual community and makes the Paneurhythmy a most natural form of collective life.
During the dance itself the third circle of energy, in harmony with the other circles of energy, forms the collective spirit of the community. The spiritual atmosphere created by various groups in each performance of the Paneurhythmy is different. It is a result of the collective creativity of the participants as they weave, by their thoughts, feelings and radiations, a unique spiritual atmosphere. This is one of the most characteristic features of the new epoch of Aquarius: forming a multitude of different collective spirits where each has its own individuality and uniqueness.
The Paneurhythmy acts as one of the best catalysts in the process of creating the spiritual identity of a community. At the same time, the activated third circle of energy has a very special function: it broadcasts a living message to other spiritual groups all over the world - a message of hope, love and friendship, a call to the world for renewal, uplift and ascent. Thus, the circle of the Paneurhythmy becomes a means of establishing contact, in an invisible but powerful way, with various spiritual groups and societies, forming an etheric chain within the Universal Brotherhood.
In comparison with classical Yoga, the Paneurhythmy emphasises the collective approach to the spiritual goals. The yogi reaches cosmic superconsciousness and unity with myriads of light beings through his own spiritual practice. The Paneurhythmy reaches this goal through a common collective work carried out by all the participants. In accord with the spiritual orientation of the Hindu tradition, the yogi looks back to the eternal values of the past Golden Age, while the Paneurhythmy circle looks forward to the coming new Golden Age. The Paneurhythmy circle becomes like a spiritual messenger who proclaims the Good News about the new solar culture that is approaching.
If the first and second circles of energy are connected with the micro-cosmic level of the human being (the process of self-realisation of the human monad and the formation of a perfectly balanced dyad), the third circle of energy (the 'third dimension') works on a collective socio-cultural level. It affects human culture and humankind as a whole. The fourth circle of living energy - between the Paneurhythmy circle on Earth and the higher spiritual worlds in Heaven - opens a new, 'fourth dimension' and activates the macrocosmic level of Being which embraces all planes of Creation.
The circle of the Paneurhythmy is a symbol of the great universal wheel through which flows the energy of cosmic life.
The Paneurhythmy is the external aspect, the physical expression of something Great, or a Great Reality. It is through the Paneurhythmy that one comes in touch with that Reality. (The Master Peter Deunov)
Through the Paneurhythmy we enter into the great cosmic-spiritual circle of life. We become able to communicate with the Elements, with Nature, with higher invisible worlds, and with the whole spiritual hierarchy. Often, when the sky is covered with clouds, the Paneurhythmy circle is projected into the sky, clearing a beautiful circle of blue above. One can feel, even see, a powerful column of light rising up from the Paneurhythmy circle and connecting it with the higher spiritual worlds. This is a column of living light which we can describe as the heavens opening and angelic beings descending and ascending. It is a normal occurance for many participants to establish a direct contact with the higher spiritual worlds and to receive messages, inspired thoughts and impulses from above.
The Paneurhythmy circle links us with the Solar Logos and becomes a subtle instrument for channelling and transmitting Divine Light, Life and Love. As already mentioned, in one of the movements, 'Aum', we merge with the energies of the Sun and the Earth and participate actively in the great metabolism of energies within the solar system. The circle of the Paneurhythmy becomes a living focus of cosmic-spiritual energies, hence fulfilling the mediatory function of humankind between the Solar Logos and life on Earth. The participants purify the etheric layer around the Earth and raise the spiritual vibrations of the kingdoms of Nature.
The prime objective of participation in the fourth circle of living energy is to become a channel for bringing down the reality of the Kingdom of God on Earth. In their mediatory function between Heaven and Earth human beings fulfil their sublime purpose. The third and last part of the Paneurhythmy, 'The Pentagram', is a very powerful, 'magical' movement in which formations of rays, each one consisting of five couples, depict a dynamic pentagram which symbolises the cosmic-spiritual being with head, outstretched arms and legs. This living, enacted pentagram symbolises both the cosmic-spiritual image of the human being printed in heaven and the cosmic-spiritual image of the human being actualised on Earth, ready to bring down the reality of the Kingdom of God.
Here again, in comparison with the Yoga path, the process of self-realisation has a different unfoldment. Through participation in the collective figure of 'The Pentagram', we reach the understanding of all humankind as one integral cosmic-spiritual Being and only after this do we realise ourselves as individual cosmic-spiritual persons, carrying the potential of all humankind and called to fulfil our Divine mission on Earth. In the Yoga path first we realise ourselves as individual cosmic-spiritual beings, and only after this do we 'print' our Divine image in Heaven and join the myriads of heavenly beings.
With the completion of 'The Pentagram' the Paneurhythmy finishes the hour and a half spiritual journey made on the wings of the dance. So, the fourth living circle of energy culminates in 'The Pentagram', having embraced all planes of the Universe and performed the mediatory function of humankind.
As a whole, the four circles of living energy cover the entire structure of human life from the micro-cosmic level of existence of the individual human being and his or her relationship with a partner of the opposite sex, through the socio-cultural, meso-cosmic level comprised of the spiritual community in particular, and humankind in general, to the macro-cosmic level of Being including all planes of the Universe where humankind has a divinely predetermined role as a mediator between the worlds. Each circle constitutes a different dimension in human life and activates the particular energies necessary for building up the whole structure of the human being. Thus, we have a four-dimensional living spiritual space where the human being develops as a cosmic-spiritual person and a micro-model of the Universe.
All the circles of living energy are closely interconnected, mutually interpenetrating and overflowing, forming a beautiful and organic wholeness. The connections, the harmony and the rhythm between the four living circles are amazing to contemplate. The Paneurhythmy represents a wonderfully balanced stream of polyphonic harmony between the circles of energies where each one, in absolute unity with the others, has its own line of unfoldment with its culmination. They all start to flow simultaneously at the beginning of the Paneurhythmy, accumulating energy and power for unfoldment. Then, the first circle of living energy culminates with the movements of Aum (15) and The Rising Sun (16). These are the last movements of the second series and are connected with the opening of the chakras in the human being. The second living circle of energy culminates in 'Acquaintance' (22) - the mystery of the New Adam and the New Eve. 'Acquaintance' is the first movement of the fourth series and it comes after the third series which has prepared the space for the New Earth and the New Heaven. Almost all movements after 'Acquaintance' to the end of the first part of the Paneurhythmy include exercises where the couples hold hands and move together. The third living circle accumulates power and energy during the whole first part of the Paneurhythmy and then culminates in the second part - Sunbeams - a symbolic poetic image of the life of humankind in Paradise. Finally, after realising the great exchange of energy between the participants and Nature, the Elements, the Earth and the Sun, the fourth living circle culminates in the third part of the Paneurhythmy, The Pentagram - the apotheosis of the Divine power of humankind, capable of bringing the reality of the Kingdom of God on Earth. Meanwhile, all the circles continue their unfoldment at different paces and altogether form a subtle counterpoint of great harmony and beauty. As a result, the Paneurhythmy becomes a dynamic micro-model of the harmony of life in the whole Universe.
Even from this short explanation of the four living circles of energy, it is obvious that with the Paneurhythmy we have a new type of spiritual practice born from the evolutionary cosmic-spiritual stream and adequate for the new epoch of Aquarius. It complements perfectly the traditional spiritual practices, especially Yoga, and enriches in a very beautiful, harmonious and artistic way the treasury of spiritual methods and techniques of humankind.
