For those who want something different for Halloween this year, they can join yoga and meditation teacher Ekayani for a performance of what she calls “Yoga on the Dance Floor” and a Halloween costume party at JivaMukti Yoga School, 171 Newark Ave., on Oct. 31 from 8 to 11 p.m. There is a $15 charge at the door, and the event will include door prizes including a 1 month unlimited yoga membership. The night’s theme is gods, goddesses, and yogis from the Indian Pantheon.
While most Halloween events around the city will have their own ghosts and goblins, Ekayani – with her seamless integrative meditation and concert and dance party with global rhythms – hopes to arouse people’s inner spirits.
Ekayani said her intense meditation creates an atmosphere where everyone feels free to dance their inner spirit. She creates the feel of a dance club performance as she attempts to weave what she calls “an enchantment.”
Her self-described guided “meta mix” is designed to move her guests from meditation into the heart of yogic dance and transcendent ecstatic expression, as she intones ancient texts and lyrics in Sanskrit, Bengali and English, and aims for a deeply moving connection to the divine and, perhaps, enlightenment.
“You may not be religious, but the music is so powerful and the expression is so hopeful, you can’t help but feel good being around it.” – Ekayani
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She said this is unique, but it evokes the sexy feel often evoked by a musical performance by Prince.
“Only this keeps going, and there are not breaks,” she said. “This keeps picking up momentum, and people get the feeling they are on a musical journey.”
Sanskrit, an evocative, poetic language
A student of meditation, she said she has brought this to the public in an entertaining way. She started out in Philadelphia, where she learned the traditions from the bottom up, and uses music and poetry, to convey spiritual messages.
“I was born in Manhattan and lived in Brooklyn,” she said. Her album was recorded in Brooklyn, but she performs throughout the metropolitan area. She comes to Jersey City frequently, but “Yoga on the Dance Floor” evolved out a meeting with the owner of a yoga school in Manhattan who had a satellite school in Jersey City.
“We struck up a conversation and talked about a Halloween and costume party that did not involve people drinking until they were blind,” she said. “Instead, I wanted to provide people with a very happy and ecstatic experience, a safe haven for people who don’t want to spend the holiday drinking. They can even bring their children. This is a family-friendly event. This is spiritual, and plugs into happiness. No drugs are required.”
She compared it to a gospel service where there is a lot of music and dance.
“You may not be religious, but the music is so powerful and the expression is so hopeful, you can’t help but feel good being around it,” she said.
She said she tries to bring people in and that transmission is part of the old meditational wisdom and spiritual science. Some of the songs date back to the 15th century.
“But I don’t have to try very hard,” she said. “Music is universal mover. You don’t even have to understand it. If a song is very good, you don’t care what they say. If the beat is good and uplifting, you can’t. What I’m bringing turns old tradition on its head and is very much like contemporary club music. No experience is required.”
She said she wants people to dress up and come on time.
“So we can all lift off together,” she said. “I wouldn’t want them to miss the first part. I want people to have a good time. It makes me happy to see people connect.”
Her most recent video and music release is called “Money to Burn,” and is available for download on most music sites such as iTunes, Amazon Juno Download, eMusic and others
For more information about the performance call (201) 993 – 1110
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.