Levity events are uplifting

Lord Roberts

When I signed up for an evening of breathwork and ecstatic dancing, I envisioned a New Age rave with a Dionysian vibe.

Instead, I walked into a large room in Harrow United Church, where yoga mats were arranged in a circle under a canopy of sparkly lights.

Kat Hay and Keeya Malenfant, the two-woman team behind Levity, welcomed participants and encouraged us to get comfortable on our yoga mats.

At 7 p.m. sharp, we were given an overview of the evening – breathwork, ecstatic dance, a meditative sound bath and then tea.

They also established ground rules, such as turning off phones, no talking, and averting gazes away from those dancing to prevent participants from feeling self-conscious.

From Hay’s nasal-breathing exercise to Malenfant’s ecstatic barefoot dance session and a sound bath with live musicians, the evening transported me far outside my daily life, leaving me with a fresh perspective.

Levity’s mandate is to fuse healing modalities and host events that serve communities. In addition to leading breathwork and ecstatic dance community events and private sessions, they have collaborated with therapists seeking supplementary therapeutic modalities to complement talk therapy.

They do, however, shy away from the jargon-laden language of the wellness sphere that some people may find off-putting.

“First and foremost, we want to keep it light and for people to enjoy themselves,” said Malenfant, a trained ecstatic dance facilitator. “Our motto is to lighten up, feel well, and be in community.”

Levity is hosting another event at Harrow United Church on Dec. 19 at 7 p.m., but for the first time, they are lifting their usual ecstatic dance guidelines and making it a social event.

“We describe it as a ‘conscious club’ or a sober club-vibe fusion. It’ll be a space for mingling and meeting new friends and dancing,” Hay said.

Just after 7 p.m., Hay will lead a 20-minute breathing exercise based on the ‘oxygen advantage’ method. Malenfant, a.k.a. DJ Mudlilly, will kick off the dancing, spinning world beats that will keep the crowd grooving.

They encourage guests to wear something bold or playful and welcome dance props such as LED poi, ribbons and flow toys.

Visit levitydanceandbreath.com to register for the event. They offer a sliding price scale.