The Sacred Dance Paneurhythmy and the Peace Process in Northern Ireland

I was very happy when I was approached by friends from Northern Ireland and invited to lead a Nine-day Paneurhythmy School for teachers of Paneurhythmy. In my own spiritual journey, the sacred dance Paneurhythmy has played a very important role. Through Paneurhythmy I opened my heart chakra and entered into the reality of the Universal Soul.

To fulfil this task, I had to summarise all my knowledge and experience of the Paneurhythmy and to write it down for the use of the people, especially the participants in the Paneurhythmy School in Northern Ireland. I asked my friend Mary-Susann to help me with this project and she agreed happily.

The Sacred Dance Paneurhythmy Booklet

The word Paneurhythmy means high cosmic rhythm. It was created by the great Bulgarian spiritual Master Beinsa Douno (1864 - 1944). In the spiritual legacy of the Master the Paneurhythmy plays an extremely important role. It is the focus of his whole Teaching. The dance represents an organic synthesis of such important celestial components as spiritual music, colour rays of light, sacred words, basic movements and archetypal ideas related to the dawning of the cosmic-spiritual Spring. Performed in the context of the appropriate style of life of the spiritual disciple, the dance aims at the blossoming of the human soul and becomes a path of ascent and transfiguration. The Paneurhythmy in its wholeness follows the stream of the evolutionary ascent of humankind in the cosmic-spiritual Spring and could be considered as a new, original form of yoga practice, created for the Age of Aquarius.

The Paneurhythmy was created between 1928 and 1932 with the enthusiasm and appreciation of the spiritual community of the Master Beinsa Douno. It is performed from March 22 until September 22 (in harmony with the outward-flowing energies of the spring and summer seasons of Nature), in the morning, in the open air, by a group of people in pairs. It takes about one hour and a half to perform and consists of three main parts.

The first part, the Paneurhythmy in its essential form, takes forty-five minutes and includes twenty-six different movements with their own music and text. The first part finishes with a breathing exercise and a prayer-formula: 'May the Peace of God and the pure Joy of God live in our hearts forever'. The second part is called 'Sunbeams' and is a dance reflecting the radiation of the sunbeams from the centre of the Source of Life. In contact with the Source of Life, we obtain the freedom of our souls and fly as birds in the celestial worlds. The third part is called 'The Pentagram' and it is performed by groups of five couples, each forming a living pentagram in movement which symbolises the cosmic-spiritual being (with a head, two arms and two feet) on his or her endless path of evolution.

The movements of the Paneurhythmy and their synthesis with music, light and words offer many possibilities for the interpretation of each movement and the whole sequence of movements. The richness of music, light, words, basic movements and their interconnections already suggest a tremendously wide spectrum of spiritual ideas and levels of interpretation. The Paneurhythmy is the focus of the whole Teaching of the Master Beinsa Douno and consequently we can interpret its exercises with at least three different keys:

- as a celebration of the relationship between the spring season in Nature and the cosmic-spiritual Spring, which provides Divine opportunities for the blossoming of the human soul and ascent into higher spiritual worlds;

- as a spiritual journey in the life of the disciple, aimed at the opening of the chakras and the experience of life on Earth as a great spiritual school;

- as a celestial action on Earth aimed at bringing down the reality of the Kingdom of God and the purification, transformation and transfiguration of the whole Earth.

If we choose one key of interpretation, we can explain the entire series of exercises and give a beautiful and rational understanding of each individual movement of the Paneurhythmy. If we choose another key, we can have a different chain of interpretations of the same movements, activating other ideas and symbolic pictures. So, we can have many possible and reasonable interpretations of the movements in the Paneurhythmy co-existing together and expressing the richness and diversity of spiritual life in the epoch of the cosmic-spiritual Spring. The Master himself spoke on many occasions about the magic power of the Paneurhythmy as a dance capable of influencing Nature, the planet Earth, human civilization and even the destinies of cultures and nations.

The Nine-Day Paneurhythmy School in Northern Ireland was consecrated only to the first part of the Paneurhythmy. I chose the second and partly the third key for its interpretation. The results from the work on the Paneurhythmy booklet with Mary-Susann were very inspiring and uplifting. The Paneurhythmy became a dance-spiritual journey, dance-meditation and dance-trans-figuration of the environment and society.

The Nine-Day Paneurhythmy School in Northern Ireland

The Nine-Day Paneurhythmy School in Northern Ireland was held close to Coleraine in the house of Clive Culbertson. We gathered about eighteen people. Interestingly, half of the participants were from Northern Ireland, the other half from the Republic of Ireland. There were two guests from England as well. Clive was a very hospitable host of the School and provided perfect conditions for the learning process. We had our activities in a big comfortable hall, danced the Paneurhythmy in the courtyard and in the fields around.

The format of the School was starting at 10.00 o’clock and working until 18.00 o’clock. The booklet, developed with Mary-Susann, helped me to introduce the main aspects of the Teaching of the Master Beinsa Douno, the history of the creation of the Paneurhythmy and to start the process of gradual learning of its movements and their meaning. The nine days provided enough time not only to learn this first part of the Paneurhythmy, but to perfect each one of the movements and to go deep into their meaning. I also paid special attention to the energies which each one of the movements activates. Thus for us the Paneurhythmy developed as a ‘New Type of Yoga’ for the epoch of Aquarius. This was a very interesting, creative moment in teaching the Paneurhythmy and deserves explanation.

When performed properly, the Paneurhythmy awakens at least four circles of living energy: within the human being, between the two people in the pairs, around the entire circle of participants, and between the Paneurhythmy circle on the Earth and in the higher spiritual worlds in Heaven.

The first living circle of energy is activated within the human being. This brings about the opening of the chakras, 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'.

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 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 — causal, buddhic and atmic. The purpose 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 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, inclusivity and cooperation. The simplicity of the movements allows everyone to participate in the Paneurhythmy after a short preliminary preparation. When entering into the circle, each person immediately feels the welcome of the group, the warmth and friendship of the collective spirit.

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 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 in 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 Master Beinsa Douno)

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 unfolding. 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 unfolding 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.

In Coleraine the friends were very happy with the Nine-Day Paneurhythmy School. Some of them even shared that this was one of the best times in their lives. No wonder because for nine days we danced Paneurhythmy outdoors, in Nature, linked on a soul level and established wonderful relationships.

On the last day we decided to dance Paneurhythmy on a special picturesque hill, known from history as the place where the kings kept their hostages. At this time there were two hostages in Lebanon – one from Northern Ireland, the other from England. I received an impulse to consecrate our last Paneurhythmy to the liberation of the hostages. We started at 12.00 o’clock exactly, saying a few prayers and then performed the Paneurhythmy. Afterwards we embraced each other and finished our Nine-Day Paneurhythmy School. To our great amazement, the next day, August 24, the hostage Brian Keenan from Northern Ireland was released! Unfortunately, the other hostage from England was released only after nine months. Definitely, we appreciated the release of Brian Keenan as a little miracle, possibly as an answer to the prayers of thousands, our prayers and the dance of Paneurhythmy.

Here it is interesting to mention that the Master Beinsa Douno considered the Paneurhythmy as an instrument for peace and raising spiritual vibrations. During the Second World War he saw clairvoyantly that if the Paneurhythmy was introduced in the schools, Bulgaria would avoid the coming tragedy of war. Unfortunately, the corrupt Government of Bulgaria did not introduce this sacred dance and the consequences were catastrophic.

By coincidence, or maybe not, soon after the Nine-Day Paneurhythmy School in Coleraine the peace process in Northern Ireland started and now we are enjoying its results. Of course, the work behind doors started much earlier but the fact that in our Paneurhythmy School we were half from Northern Ireland and half from the South and spent the time very harmoniously perhaps contributed to the launching of the peace process. Another interesting coincidence is that one of the most difficult days in Northern Ireland is July 12 and July 12 is the birthday of the Master Beinsa Douno!

The Nine-day Paneurhythmy School in Northern Ireland was the biggest Paneurhythmy event in Ireland. We danced the Paneurhythmy in many other places (Donegal, Dowth, Glendalough, Tara, Slane and Dublin) and it contributed to the spiritual vibrations of all these places. It is amazing how rich and multifunctional the sacred dance Paneurhythmy can be. For instance, the first Paneurhythmy dance in Ireland (on Grianan Ringfort) revived the old sacred site and ‘erected’ a beautiful ethereal temple above the ruins of Grianan. We danced the Paneurhythmy in Dowth, and Slane with a similar function.