Episode 48 - Awakening Your True Essence Through Movement with Virgílio Beatriz

🐚Topics covered

• Virgílio’s journey into music, DJing, and holding space for ecstatic dances, gatherings, and circles, is what fuels his passion for this field.
• A deep dive into what ecstatic dance is, including its history and the influence of Gabrielle Roth.
• The benefits of ecstatic dance and why Virgílio recommends people try it.
• How community, gatherings, and ecstatic dance can serve both women and men and Virgílio’s insights on its impact on men.
• Final wisdom and insights shared by Virgílio.
• This format provides a clear overview of the topics discussed during the episode.

About Virgílio

Virgílio’s life purpose is to awaken the true essence within himself and others, a mission he has passionately pursued since 2006. He creates spaces where individuals can discover their potential, express their authentic selves, and elevate their energy and environment.

In his retreats, gatherings, and sessions, Virgílio incorporates a rich blend of traditions and practices, including Shamanism, Psychology, Sufism, Neuroscience, Music, Dance, Voice, Tantra, Active Meditations, and more— all aimed at helping individuals awaken their true essence.

Since 2009, he has facilitated over 130 retreats and workshops, primarily in Portugal, and also in Brazil, India, and the Czech Republic. Currently, he regularly leads:

 • Purpose & Vocation Retreats/Workshops (since 2010)

 • “Ecstatic Dance Portugal” in Lisbon, Arrábida, and internationally (since 2014)

 • “Mantras & The Healing Voice Awakening” (since 2016)

 • Ritualized Retreats and Large Gatherings (since 2016)

Virgílio resides in a windmill house in the Arrábida Mountains of Portugal, surrounded by nature’s abundance, where he finds the inspiration and energy to continue creating spaces for “awakening the essence.”

Where to find Virgilio

Website: http://www.virgiliobeatriz.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virgilio.beatriz/ 

More about Iris

💬Come say ‘Hi’ on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cycleseeds/

🎓Check out our training

https://www.instagram.com/hormone.cycle.coach.training/ https://cycle-seeds.mykajabi.com/hhcc-20242025

Chapters

• 4:56 Virgílio's journey from advertising to facilitation work
• 10:24 Origin and explanation of ecstatic dance and its history
• 11:16 Gabrielle Roth's contribution to movement as healing
• 13:46 The structure of the ecstatic dance "wave" experience
• 15:11 Key guidelines and principles of ecstatic dance practice
• 17:52 How ecstatic dance differs from conventional club environments
• 21:50 Creating a safe and respectful space for authentic expression
• 23:16 Reeducating the nervous system through movement practices
• 28:09 First-time experiences and overcoming intimidation
• 33:56 The four healing questions from shamanic traditions
• 36:00 The importance of maintaining a regular practice
• 43:13 Implementing small, sustainable habits for wellbeing
• 45:26 Gender dynamics in personal development and dance spaces
• 53:20 The medicine of losing sense of space and time through movement
• 58:16 Resources for finding ecstatic dance communities globally

Transcript

[00:00:00] Iris Josephina: Friends, this episode, I really enjoyed sitting down with Virgilio. I feel really honored that we found the time to sit down and talk about a topic that inspires us both so, so much. So let me first introduce Virgilio and then I'll share a little bit more about what we spoke about and then we'll get into the episode.

[00:00:23] Iris Josephina: So, Virgilio's greatest purpose in everything that he does is really supporting, awakening the essence in people. And he has been doing this since 2006, and he really is all about creating spaces where people can feel safe to discover their own potential, express their own being, and raise their vibration and kind of like take that home and support their communities with that.

[00:00:49] Iris Josephina: And he uses different knowledges and tools in his retreats, in his gatherings, in his sessions, he focuses on shamanism, psychology. Sufism, neuroscience, music, dance, voice, tantra, active meditation and other knowledge in order to awaken the true essence of each and every one of the participants in his workshops and gatherings.

[00:01:14] Iris Josephina: And since 2009, he has led more than 130 retreats and workshops, mainly in Portugal, but also in Brazil, in India and the Czech Republic. At the moment, he facilitates purpose and vocation retreats and workshops. And since 2010, he has been offering aesthetic dance Portugal, mainly in Lisbon and the HA habitat, but also internationally.

[00:01:39] Iris Josephina: And since 2014, he has been offering mantras and the healing, voice awakening. And since 2016, he has been offering ritualized retreats and bigger gatherings, and he lives in the Aha Habitat Mountains in Portugal, in a windmill house where he can be in contact with the abundant nature, where he finds all the energy and magic to create these spaces, to awaken the essence within.

[00:02:07] Iris Josephina: So, and I, we met here in Portugal, and I've been so honored to be able to join his facilitated gatherings and dances because, the way that he facilitates the room and the way that he makes people feel safe is unparalleled. I highly recommend if you ever in Portugal, ever in the ability to join a gathering with him, please do it.

[00:02:32] Iris Josephina: And so we really sat down to talk about, you know, what it means to awaken this essence and also where aesthetic dance comes from. Because in a lot of. Spaces people are not really aware and are not honoring the origins. And I think where he and I really connected was about honoring these origins of ace dance, I'm not gonna share about that.

[00:02:56] Iris Josephina: You know? So listen to the podcast for that. And so we just had a beautiful heart opening conversation about how we can support people to awaken their truth essence. And I hope you really enjoy the episode. And I also would love for you to join an aesthetic dance gathering if you are able to do so.

[00:03:16] Iris Josephina: There is aesthetic dance gatherings all over the world, in all major cities, for sure. And if you do, please let us know how it was for you. And for now, enjoy listening to this episode.

[00:03:32] Iris Josephina: You are listening to the podcast of Iris Josephina. If you are passionate about exploring the menstrual cycle, cyclical living, body wisdom, personal growth, spirituality, and running a business in alignment with your natural cycles, you're in the right place. I'm Iris. I'm an entrepreneur, functional hormone specialist, trainer and coach, and I am on a mission to share insights, fun facts, and inspiration I discover along the way as I run my business and walk my own path on earth.

[00:04:03] Iris Josephina: Here you'll hear my personal stories, guest interviews, and vulnerable shares from clients and students. Most people know me from Instagram where you can find me under at cycle seeds, or they have been a coaching client or student in one of my courses. I'm so grateful you're here. Let's dive into today's episode.

[00:04:25] Iris Josephina: Welcome, Virgilio 

[00:04:26] Virgilio Beatriz: Hello. Thank you so much for this invitation. 

[00:04:31] Iris Josephina: So I'll get to hug you, and I'm really excited to be talking about this beautiful topic. So you are a DJ and a musician, and you hold incredible space for people during aesthetic dances and gatherings and circles.

[00:04:48] Iris Josephina: And to start, can you maybe share your story with us, like how you got into this field and why you are so passionate about it? 

[00:04:56] Virgilio Beatriz: Okay. So, yeah, saying that I am a dj, I don't feel so much, I feel more like I'm a facilitator. No, it's also interesting because I'm a facilitator that came and enter in this world of music and DJing and creating, but my base, it's more facilitation.

[00:05:17] Virgilio Beatriz: And there's a moment. I, in 2009, I was, running, an advertising agency. This was my work. And in 2009 I participate in a retreat that changed my life, like the typical and classic story. But there's always, a moment of, the switch, no, the life changing. And this was totally, for me, it was like a 10 days retreat training with different kind of, content, but like psychology coaching, NELP, shamanism meditation also.

[00:05:57] Virgilio Beatriz: Wow. Was so much things in 10 days. And then I came from there like, wow. I was like, I don't know. I feel like I think was the first time I feel the infinite, that I am infinite, you know, with so much energy. And one of the insights for me was that I was, I love to create strategies, planning, creativity.

[00:06:22] Virgilio Beatriz: And then I felt that wow, I was really a lot in the mind and using the elements of the shamanic know, like I was very in the air. Air fire, always very fire, air. And as a good mental person. Mental, no, I'm sorry. Using a lot of the brain. No. I was like, okay, so I need to find a new strategy and then I start to enter in this idea of like, I want to integrate water and the earth element in me, so what can I do?

[00:06:54] Virgilio Beatriz: And then I come to dance. 

[00:06:56] Virgilio Beatriz: You know, like, okay, this is perfect because I will go to the body and I will also connect more with my emotions and flow. Opening the space of flowing energy. And then I start to explore a lot of different kind of dances. Za was the first, and then contact dance. And then I enter in a company of dancing.

[00:07:19] Virgilio Beatriz: They were really amazing with sessions, regular sessions, the connect chi with a dance. Yeah. So on. And also I discover ecstatic dance. And then that moment I was like, wow, ecstatic dance. It's really my thing because dancing in the very free way without nobody guiding me, and I just dance in my body will just show what needs to show was a big switch also for me in, in, in my life.

[00:07:49] Virgilio Beatriz: So I come to this worlds as, because I need no, it's my, like, my therapy and as, oh, you say, oh, you say meditation, start with your body. And I really like this. This idea, you know, like, and he brought a lot of the active meditations, you know, like dancing and shaking and breathing to the accidental, to the western world.

[00:08:15] Virgilio Beatriz: So for me, ec exotic dance, the way I came here, it's, yeah, I really need this space. And then I start as already facilitator because I was facilitating different kind of retreats, more with the purpose and vocation. I was helping a lot of people do a transition from their professional the moment they are not happy and they want to go to other thing more meaningful.

[00:08:39] Virgilio Beatriz: So I was a lot of years working with this. And then in that moment I was like, okay, I will facilitate one exotic dance. Why not? And then starts my journey here and I learn how to do transitions with music to produce as well. I. But again, I feel like in this world of ec exotic dance people come or from the DJ scene or come from the personal dev, human development scene as a facilitator, you know, and I'm one that, I'm more a facilitator.

[00:09:08] Virgilio Beatriz: Not saying that I cannot DJ good or do transitions, but I feel technically, I'm not, like, this is not like my thing. If someone invites me, that a lot of people invite me to do DJ set for a party, even if it's a conscious party that there's no alcohol or drugs, I'm, I don't feel to, to do, you know, because I really like facilitate.

[00:09:32] Virgilio Beatriz: It's not even if they're paying me a lot of money or like I just say sorry, but it's not my thing. What I really love is to facilitate and create that space for people to be their selves. 

[00:09:46] Iris Josephina: Yeah. Beautiful. And I really feel that like you're a really good facilitator. You know how to hold the space and make sure that.

[00:09:54] Iris Josephina: It's safe for people. I think that's very important. If you are like holding big groups, and I'm sure that you know, there's people listening and they're listening to us and maybe they're thinking like, oh, ecstatic dance. What is this? Could you maybe explain a little bit what that is? And I also feel that when you start the journeys, you always also take like a little bit of the history and with Gabriel Rock, could you share a little bit about what is ecstatic dance?

[00:10:24] Iris Josephina: What is the history? 

[00:10:26] Virgilio Beatriz: Of course? Yeah. This is always in my script for every opening of the circles in ec exotic dance. So it's very easy. So exotic dance in this new form because ec exotic dance, we could come also more for the history. It's like all the tribes were dancing in ecstatic way, like entering in trends.

[00:10:47] Virgilio Beatriz: With their movement. It's a way for us to connect with the divine, to connect with the earth. So for sure, it comes from here. But in, contemporary, more concept of this ecstatic dance comes from Gabrielle Rock that is inspired. It's, ec exotic dance. It is inspired by the work of Gabrielle Rock, that in the seventies she understands that she was a dancer and a choreographer.

[00:11:16] Virgilio Beatriz: And in the seventies she understand that dancing was much more than showing a performance or like going to stage and dance. And she understand, wow, dance can really be tical, no, like, can really be healing because as she, she brought that concept in the seventies. And also now for us, it's very normal.

[00:11:38] Virgilio Beatriz: this concept that we have a lot of tensions, a lot of things that we feel that we are already. That are already solved in our minds. And maybe they are in our minds like, okay, these tensions of the week working and now okay, but now everything will flow, will be good. Or a relation that didn't work well.

[00:12:00] Virgilio Beatriz: And we are like in the process of grief or whatever it comes, but it normally in the mind we try to solve the things, but maybe, and normally they are still, this tension is still present in our bodies and they are living in our bodies. It can be a tension that is in your shoulder. It's a tension maybe that is in your leg.

[00:12:24] Virgilio Beatriz: And this comes also for the somatic work that a lot of people also, connected now. so what Gabrielle Rock brings is this idea if we move our bodies in the way that we never did before, and moving all the parts of our body when we are dancing, we start to dissolve these tensions. And maybe will come Emotions and emotions are all kind of emotional.

[00:12:51] Virgilio Beatriz: You can start really laugh a lot because you just had a, a tension that is totally dissolved and you're like, ah, wow, you feel so I don't know what's happening. Or maybe you are crying because you feel in that moment to release this emotion. So Ec Exoticness comes from this work inspired by this work of Gabrielle Rod in the end was, some students of Gabrielle Roth that create this.

[00:13:18] Virgilio Beatriz: And Gabrielle Rod was doing as a lot of people, other teachers now doing follower work, doing her five rhythms, sweat your prayers that it's other ways ec exotic dance, but it's guided. Again, it's with a guidance and EC exotic dance was created with idea, no guidance at all. Two hours dance and. That passed by seven stages of a wave as we call a wave.

[00:13:46] Virgilio Beatriz: It's a set, a musical set that is in a form of a wave. Why? Because we start very slowly with no beat, connecting with ourselves, maybe with an intention, and then the music will start going up and up in the bits, in the rhythms, different colors of musics, different styles, and then we go up, up until we go to a really big bit.

[00:14:14] Virgilio Beatriz: fast bit can be trans music, can be techno high, techno like speed can be whatever. It comes also for people to release and then starts going down and down passing again with different kind of emotions until we come to a space of totally stillness peace, calm. And this is when the healing happens.

[00:14:44] Virgilio Beatriz: It's this two hours of a wave with different kinds of stage and in the end we are just like in silence. And with the, this sense of void or connection with something higher, that is just people that really do it, know it. No, it's like we need to try to understand. So in the end, exotic dance, I could say that.

[00:15:11] Virgilio Beatriz: Is this like the contemporary exotic dance? Of course there's always before this wave, normally there's a warmup for people to connect and in this moment there's some guidance like for us to connect with our body or maybe with the group. And then there's these two hours of no guidance, no voiceover, just music and yourself expressing whatever you feel dancing like in the way you want to dance.

[00:15:39] Virgilio Beatriz: Of course in my way, each one brings their own topics. I always bring this idea of, for the warriors or people that really like the party that when comes, the musics that are more calm or more feminine for us to express this in our body. So also it's an invitation for us to express our feminine, our moon movements.

[00:16:06] Virgilio Beatriz: how can you dance with this, melody, you know? And also for the others that really just want to be more in the shunty kind of musics and more relaxed and they just really want the end of the wave. Also, this invitation of like, when starts the big beat, just release. If you don't like this kind of music, just jump, jump and release the, all the kas, all also the rage that is inside whatever you need to bring on.

[00:16:39] Virgilio Beatriz: And this is really the way, if we are expressing all the sides of ourselves. Now of course after this, we will feel very aligned because we open all the gates and then yeah, of course there's also some guidelines. I would say it's also important. One is like people don't talk in the dance floor. This is something amazing and very important because if we start talking, we will lose the journey.

[00:17:05] Virgilio Beatriz: Know it's like, hi, how are you? So how? Yes. Oh, the work and okay, you already lost. You are in the mind again. The second is like we don't use any kind of alcohol, drugs, any kind of things. Exterior, external medicines. We just use our breed and movement and dance and we will reach a higher state just with that.

[00:17:29] Virgilio Beatriz: The third is about we are dancing with our bare feet. We don't use shoes. The fourth is we don't use, mobile phones. We don't take pictures, not even do the stories for Instagram. It's like totally present in the moment. And the last one is about interaction. Just like always have this active listening and understanding if the other person wants to dance with you or not.

[00:17:58] Virgilio Beatriz: Not like entering in the space of the other, like in the very hard way. Yeah. And basically is that it's like, yeah, it's a big experience. I would say in the beginning also when I was as a participant was like, wow, I, yeah, you are used to it. Or some people, or our generation or also the new generations go to the disco, you know, like drinking alcohol.

[00:18:25] Virgilio Beatriz: So we are not really dancing there. No. There are some people that dance, but. It's not so normal, we are just looking and talking. It's more a get together social, and then there's the music in background and here it's a totally opposite experience and that's why a lot of people that also are, or were very addicted to the nights and to the clubs when they come here to exotic dance, they were like, wow.

[00:18:53] Virgilio Beatriz: And it's like also friends of mine and they're like, wow, I never felt this. Like, wow, I not, I'm not drinking anything. And I'm like so high and my energy is like, it's, yeah, it's crazy. Also for DJs, I also have this, also this, this feedback when I was organizing Exotic Dance Lisbon and I was inviting, we were inviting other DJs, all these different DJs and then like DJs that are really amazing DJs from clubs, you know, like good clubs in Lisbon and also in Europe.

[00:19:27] Virgilio Beatriz: And in the end they were almost crying in a very emotion way, but very blessed, you know, because they were like, wow, I never saw people dancing my music one and second. There's no people coming to me like, oh, can you put that music? And like totally drunk, you know, like, no, people are really there. They are present.

[00:19:51] Virgilio Beatriz: In the end they will hug the dj, you know, like, oh, thank you so much man. Wow was such a journey. And for them that are from this world of the club know that is can be tough, you know? Like lots of drugs, alcohol is a big tension energetically than energy. And for them was like wow. So a lot of them also switch and they start to do the, to do this.

[00:20:16] Virgilio Beatriz: It's very interesting to see. 

[00:20:20] Iris Josephina: I can imagine that. And also the reward that you get as the facilitator of the music. When you get this feedback of your people, like it makes you feel so rooted and blessed and grateful. Cool. I can imagine it's very different like I used to be that way. I used to be this girl going to like clubs and dancing, in the, clubs.

[00:20:42] Iris Josephina: And as a woman, obviously when you go to a club and you want to dance, you always get attention that you actually don't want, you just want to dance. And that's what I really love about aesthetic dance. It was my first experience where I could just express the way that I want to express without people coming to me or touching me or coming too close.

[00:21:04] Iris Josephina: And it's just a very respectful space. And it was the first time that I experienced that and I knew in the back of my mind somewhere, this must exist somewhere on the planet, but I just didn't find it yet. And yeah, I found it in ecstatic dance and it's very liberating, especially I think from a more.

[00:21:25] Iris Josephina: Like feminist perspectives, like first also for women's liberation and liberation of all. Like coming together to dance. Just to dance and to all feel in the same frequency. So we all are in an energy of love that is so beautiful for me and it's created every time during every exotic dance. We are like harmonizing our energy.

[00:21:50] Iris Josephina: It's so beautiful. Yeah, 

[00:21:53] Virgilio Beatriz: totally. I agree. Totally. Yeah. 

[00:21:55] Iris Josephina: Yeah. And we spoke about, you spoke about it a little bit, like what it can bring people, how we can experience aesthetic dance. And I wanted to ask you like, are there any more things that this can bring people? Like, okay, the experience itself is a nice experience during these two hours, but obviously it can trickle out.

[00:22:20] Iris Josephina: In people's lives? could you speak to that for people who are like trying to understand like, okay, what can this bring me? 

[00:22:29] Virgilio Beatriz: Yeah. So first I would say also for us to understand how we work now, like in this moment, I would say that the major part of people are vary in the brain. we come from like a e era, know of age, of, like, okay, we need to work, we need to be fast with our minds.

[00:22:51] Virgilio Beatriz: We need to be very intelligent, smart. And so the minds, and it's very, it's the most important, you know? And it's a fact the last years, it's all about this. And I would say that this kind of work, and not just this one, I will also bring other topics here, but it's like, how can I reeducate my system?

[00:23:16] Virgilio Beatriz: And especially my brain, that the brain, it's a part of my system. It's not the system. No. And this is, I think it's very important. There's a lot of people, and maybe people that are listening to this now, they feel sometimes headaches know, like, and tired. And the tired. It's not about the body. Normally the tired comes from the mind because we had a lot of meetings.

[00:23:42] Virgilio Beatriz: We are with a lot of tasks. We need to do this and that. Our brain, it's like, oh, I need to send the email. Oh, I forgot this. Oh, I need, it's like, it's so much activity, so much energy that we need to find ways to empty our minds and how can we empty our mind maybe can be a very panic zone for a person that is not used to meditate to, okay, meditation.

[00:24:13] Virgilio Beatriz: it's a way, it's true. It's a big tool. But the passive meditation for some people will be like, okay, I will sit down and I will be there. And there's so much thoughts. And then maybe after five minutes you are like saying, okay, I don't want to do this anymore. I need to send the email. I need to, you know.

[00:24:32] Virgilio Beatriz: So I would say that an active meditations are really important for us to, connect with a way of, again, reeducation of our system and the movement and the dance is for sure one of them. So when we find this and using the exotic dance or other tools that are, they were planned, and the exotic dance, if people do also the wave, because I think it's very important the wave, not like starting just with the bit and, with the bit it, this will not be the same thing.

[00:25:10] Virgilio Beatriz: it's as this beginning and the end with different kind of musics that slow down our system. We come to a space of meditation after the ec exotic dance. I don't need to say like now, we'll be in a silence for a moment because people cannot even speak, you know, and your mind is so slow in a good way.

[00:25:34] Virgilio Beatriz: You know, you don't, you forget totally about the emails and your, all your tensions and the things that you need to do, and, you know, like, oh, I have laundry to put out, or whatever. You know, it will not, this will not, it's not in your mind anymore because you are totally connected with the moment there. So I would say for people that never did, I would say, and if you feel also that your mind, you are using your mind too much and you need to come to the body, I would say definitely this is something that you could try.

[00:26:08] Virgilio Beatriz: But as also I did, I try different kinds. You know, I try different kind of tenses. I try different kind of ways for me to connect more with the present and with myself. So of course in this moment I would say it's more, it's easier. And also it's the way we were educated, like how can you slow down your brain?

[00:26:34] Virgilio Beatriz: Normally people what they think, okay, I will have a glass of wine. 

[00:26:38] Iris Josephina: Yeah, 

[00:26:39] Virgilio Beatriz: I will drink a beer. It is, but this is the major part of people. It is because you just push a button and we are very used to push a button for everything. If I'm not feeling good with my throat, oh, I feel a little bit, okay, I will push a button.

[00:26:55] Virgilio Beatriz: I will take a pill. Yeah. You know, so we are still very here in the like, push the button. I have this problem. Push the button. You, we, you don't sit with what you have or what you need. You don't put an effort to discover different things that are much more healthier to you and can really Yeah. Shift your being.

[00:27:18] Virgilio Beatriz: No, so it's not like, something very shunty or like, oh, ecstatic dance. I dunno, I'm afraid and people are hugging. no ec exotic dance. You can be yourself, you hug if you want. There's a lot of people don't hug nobody. It's okay. They're coming to dance. So it's not like, I don't feel there is a, panic zone there.

[00:27:44] Virgilio Beatriz: Of course, there will be some discomforts in some, moments. In the beginning, especially you are dancing, there's a lot of people dancing as well. But in the end can be a very individual thing or can be also a collective thing. You choose. So this is something that also I feel that is easier for every kind of people to try it.

[00:28:09] Iris Josephina: Yeah, I completely agree. And I also have seen that when people come for the first time and they have never in their lives experienced anything like that, they've never been to a yoga class, they've never been to a dance class, it can be a little bit intimidating because what you see is all these people who are so free in their body and you're not, and then you're standing there and you're like, my God, like these people are also free.

[00:28:36] Iris Josephina: Like how do I access that? How do I come there in my own body? I remember with some friends, I took them to exec dance in the Netherlands, and they are like in the corporate world, they are in their minds behind their computers in a suit and they were really like, oh no, we're not gonna dance. We're just gonna stand here and look at people.

[00:28:57] Iris Josephina: I'm like, but it's, really okay to dance. Like you don't have to like stand because they were bringing their like cafe and club mindset to the aesthetic dance. But then obviously it was awkward for them to be standing on the sideline looking at other people because nobody is doing that. So it was a very sweet experience, but now they're going all the time, they're completely like switched and they felt like for the first time in their lives, like, wow, I can really come to my body and I don't need alcohol or cigarettes or like you explained.

[00:29:34] Iris Josephina: So I think it's really an underestimated healing modality of our time. And I remember when I was living in Malta, I was organizing ecstatic dances with my friend Tom and his neighbor was a psychologist and she was like wildly obsessed with his stories. And she said, can I come to observe and see what happens to people?

[00:30:01] Iris Josephina: And she came like as an observant psychologist in our space to come and I told her like, okay, you can't just sit on the side, but you really have to be a participant observer. Like an anthropologist. You have to be participating, but as you dance and participate, you can observe, obviously. And she was so like, so inspired and so beautiful and she started bringing her clients to the ecstatic dance.

[00:30:28] Iris Josephina: She recommended some of her psychology clients because she felt like, okay, I can talk to these people, but these people need to do something with their bodies. So she first wanted to observe the space and how it is, what are it, like a safe space for her clients. And then she started to bring her clients to the dance and it was incredible.

[00:30:48] Iris Josephina: And she said, these clients made so much more progress than the people who didn't come. So it's such a beautiful, you know, such a beautiful modality. And I always feel like when more people in society would come to exit against society would look very different if more people would, you know, would come.

[00:31:08] Iris Josephina: And also, if we would bring children to these kinds of spaces from very young age. Have you ever experienced that? That people like bring their children and what that does? I mean, I've seen it as well in, in your space. 

[00:31:25] Virgilio Beatriz: yeah, for sure. First, yeah. I totally agree. what you said about the children.

[00:31:30] Virgilio Beatriz: Totally. The children, what they bring to the space. It's like they, they don't have this conditioning that we have, so they are just there. Free dancing, playing. So there's this energy I think normally can open more the group for to, okay, why not to explore times. The children will also like this kind of.

[00:31:54] Virgilio Beatriz: Adults chasing the children, like, laughing, oh, I'm gonna get you, you know, we don't talk there, but there's this energy and just this can open something and other people also do the same. And then, yeah, it's like, I would say that, children can bring a lot, but also bringing this message to adults and especially the adults that are more in their masculine energy, just saying, man, I would say that I understand that a lot of people are more like pragmatic in like, okay, no, I'm, I choose a sport.

[00:32:30] Virgilio Beatriz: I will do whatever, like a sport that I feel more like, okay, a martial art or a surf, or, and for sure each one needs to find their own obs. If, if it's nurturing yourself, amazing. You know, when bringing a compassion. It's like, I would say this kind of work, ecstatic dance or similars, it's like it's a sport.

[00:32:56] Virgilio Beatriz: You will for sure, burn some fats and calories, not because you are dancing a lot. You have like, so, such a different energies. You will express your young energy, your masculine for sure if you want. And like with music very like you are jumping and you're like, wow. And also what I think it's the big ads, it's that you also can leave and it can experience more something connected with your heart, with your feminine and with your calm.

[00:33:30] Virgilio Beatriz: I think this is the big difference. That's why I think it's so complete in the way was created again, if the wave followed this seven stages, if the music followed this. Yeah, it's very complete, you know, so there's these, words that I really love and I always bring also to my retreats. It's from the book.

[00:33:56] Virgilio Beatriz: it's in the book of Gabrielle Roth, the Maps of Ecstasy. That is a book that I think all people should read. And there's a part that say like, in many shamanic societies or tribal societies, if you come to a medicine man, women or a shaman, the doctor of that tribe, if you come there and saying like, wow, I'm not feeling so good, my energy, or I feel like kind of depressed or without energy, or I'm also with problems, physical problems, and I need to heal.

[00:34:34] Virgilio Beatriz: This person would always say, would always do this question first is when you stop dance. When did you stop dancing? Second. When did you stop singing? Third, when did you stop to listen to the stories? And fourth, when you stop to rely in the sweet territory of silence. And this is amazing. And I feel this is also very the base of the shamanic healers.

[00:35:08] Virgilio Beatriz: And in the end, the shamanic, just to explain, it's like people that are very connected with the earth and with the elements. That's it. they don't connect with the God is earth, the sun, the wind and the water, the four elements. And they bring this. And for me, this is like very clear for me as well, because when I dance, when I sing or when I receive a story, I.

[00:35:35] Virgilio Beatriz: That I'm like, wow, I feel very enchanted with this story. And can me, can inspire me so much? You know, this is pure healing. No, because we'll switch your energy. And the same with silence. We are also with so much noise around us know, and also our brain. Again, it's always like, so coming to places to silence.

[00:36:00] Virgilio Beatriz: It's like, wow, no. Like there's something, your system, this is explained scientifically as well, but it's like your system just comes to a calm state, comes calm, you know, like this is very important in the life that we are living right now. So fast, especially in the cities or around the cities.

[00:36:26] Virgilio Beatriz: Everything is very fast. So for me, these four medicines are really like ar. One of my guides. Even also for the retreats I create, I always think about this and as you know as well, the singing and like these kind of mantras or medicine songs like repeating, the Voice. It's also for me, a way amazing, another active meditation that's in the end.

[00:36:54] Virgilio Beatriz: I would say that I connect much faster with the singing. if I start singing like five minutes, I'm already like, my brain is already like the emails, the tasks, the things are like totally out of my brain. So I feel that is faster. But not saying that one is better than the other, it's like just each one, it's still also fine.

[00:37:17] Iris Josephina: Imagine doctors would ask these four questions when people came. Like, I was just thinking when you said that I heard these four questions before and I was just thinking like, imagine. We would ask everybody this question if they're not feeling so well or they come with, come to you with a problem. It's actually also simple, isn't it?

[00:37:38] Iris Josephina: Like, it doesn't have to be so hard 

[00:37:41] Virgilio Beatriz: in the end. It's very basic, I would say. 

[00:37:43] Iris Josephina: Yeah. 

[00:37:44] Virgilio Beatriz: Also like this practice now, like again, the body practice can really help us know. I remember I have a big friend that is an amazing facilitator here in Portugal, I would say one of the facilitators of retreats. 

[00:37:59] Virgilio Beatriz: He's very connected with Shamanic and there was a moment he was not feeling good in his self know with problems, relations, da. And then he, there was a moment he said like, no, I really will go to a psychotherapist. I really need to, I feel to go and was amazing. And he came to one that was also a little bit holistic in a way he can integrate different kind of things.

[00:38:24] Virgilio Beatriz: And then he came to him. Hi. Okay, so explain what, what is your problem? He said, what was his problem? And the psychotherapist said the question was, what is your practice? Practice? Yeah. Your regular practice. And he then he said, thank you so much. I don't need more session. Thank you. You know? And she was like, yeah.

[00:38:50] Virgilio Beatriz: So I'm the facilitator bringing this practice to people and he was not doing, he was not drinking their own medicine, you know, his own medicine. So he start to do his practice again, and yeah, of course everything changed. It's like, it's very clear if we are not doing the maintenance of our system, even if we are facilitator or not, if we know about this or not, if we are not doing this maintenance, of course.

[00:39:19] Virgilio Beatriz: Welcome the problems. When comes, the problems you are without resources, inner resources to solve them and deal with them. If you are working with your levels of oxy dopamine, you are dancing, you are doing your morning practice, even if it's yoga or sheik or whatever. The walking or running, the things that you know that are important for you to start a day, of course will come a moment that you will be, healed.

[00:39:50] Virgilio Beatriz: it's, basic level zero of medicine and quant medicine. because yeah, if you are stuck there, your resource is going low and low. You don't do nothing for that. In fact, it's worse. Normally people will be more overwhelmed, like, my brain is so tired and I will drink a coffee to continue work. This is like, no, my.

[00:40:17] Virgilio Beatriz: You need to rest. You need to go to the nature walk, do your practice, sing for five minutes or whatever. But we need that. This is basic. So for me it was a big inspiration when he brought this story that was like, yeah, the practice in the regular practice are the key. 

[00:40:38] Iris Josephina: Yeah. And our body loves rhythm and repetition with our practices.

[00:40:43] Iris Josephina: Well, the body just loved it when we are doing something multiple times because it also maintains our, like connections in the brain. I don't know exactly how it works, but when we keep up a practice, our body gets, you know, in a state of like peace because the body is familiar with a practice and it feels peaceful.

[00:41:04] Iris Josephina: Yeah. 

[00:41:05] Virgilio Beatriz: That's it. And also this coming from the NLP and coaching psychology in the end and the neuroscience in the end, it's like, how can we. When we are aware of some patterns that we have and then we don't want, we need to this program, no. This program, this, this patterns. But also we can also create new patterns.

[00:41:30] Virgilio Beatriz: And this is also a very basic knowledge, but like we just need 21 days to create an abt. Yeah. 

[00:41:37] Iris Josephina: We 

[00:41:37] Virgilio Beatriz: just create 21 days to take out an abt. So this is also something interesting for us. I remember this morning practice that I'm doing like now from since 10 years. I'm not saying that I'm not, some days I'm not doing Yeah, of course.

[00:41:54] Virgilio Beatriz: And sometimes I'm not doing alpha an hour. I do three minutes. It's okay. But major part of times I'm doing since the last 10 years. But in the beginning was like, oh, you know, like with a lot of energy, this kind of New Year's resolutions, like, yeah, let's do it. And then after three days you are just like, okay, no, I'm hearing the bads.

[00:42:16] Virgilio Beatriz: Oh, I don't want to go. I would just go directly to the shower and not doing my practice or whatever. And this knowledge brings something that it's like kind of association with things. It's like you, when you brush your teeth, you know, there was a moment that you start to brush your teeth and now you cannot go out of your house maybe for general of people, if you don't brush your teeth because then you are out and you are like, oh, I forgot to brush my teeth.

[00:42:45] Virgilio Beatriz: You know, it's like, it's something that is already in the system. So it's also possible for the practice, for the morning practice for me, I feel this. I cannot take a shower now. if I don't do before my practice, you know, it's like, oh, it's missing something. It's like, it's, you know, so I did this from 21 days.

[00:43:05] Virgilio Beatriz: Very discipline. Now virtually you can do it and then after that, yeah, it's already there. 

[00:43:13] Iris Josephina: That's so beautiful. And I think it can also encourage people to implement like small new habits in their lives that make them happy and that are easy. That's what I always say to people, like, if you're gonna do a new habit, make sure it's something that you like generally like and love, and that is easy for you to implement.

[00:43:31] Iris Josephina: Like, don't expect yourself to do like a three hour difficult yoga session every day because it's not gonna happen. 

[00:43:39] Virgilio Beatriz: Yeah, that's it. Even if we start with one minute, it's already amazing and then we grow. 

[00:43:45] Iris Josephina: Yeah. I, for myself, I always have to dance to one song every day, one song. That's what I need to do with myself.

[00:43:54] Iris Josephina: And that's, yeah. 

[00:43:58] Virgilio Beatriz: I just want to say one thing also, it's like the, your morning practice can be also, you know, you can renew for some, times now, like normally one per year I'm changing it, you know, and it's like, or even in six months, because I need a new energy for something or I need to open more of my heart.

[00:44:19] Virgilio Beatriz: So I will find exercise, I exercise to open my heart or I need more cardio because I feel that I need to, whatever. It's more physical or spiritual or emotional, you can add. And you can also create your own morning practice and it's much more meaningful than copy just something or go online and go to YouTube, you know?

[00:44:41] Virgilio Beatriz: Just saying it's also a way that it's a suggestion for people to explore. 

[00:44:47] Iris Josephina: Yeah. That's beautiful. And that makes it also like very unique and individual and something that truly like fits you. Yeah, I think that's really beautiful. So I also wanted to ask you, because it's something that I have personally observed when being, you know, at your events and I was also at the big gathering at the New Year's last year and I see a lot of women at your events and I'm curious what your view is on how community and gatherings and aesthetic dance can reach more men.

[00:45:26] Iris Josephina: Because I feel that so many men, and you spoke about the masculine and being like very masculine, very rational, very much in the mind. And that's a quality I often see both in women and men. But then it's a lot of women who like take the step to like go to the event. And I have a lot of friends, actually female friends who have partners who would benefit like so much from AEC exotic dance, but they never come.

[00:45:53] Iris Josephina: They say like, oh, it's your woman thing. And we're like, no, it's not a woman thing. It's really not a woman thing. And then they say, oh, but I can't dance. I'm like, too stiff. And how do you feel that these types of like movement practices can also serve men? And how can we help them or guide them or invite them so that they can also experience like this blish, this gift?

[00:46:19] Iris Josephina: Because I'm always like, you guys deserve this maybe even more than we do, because we easily, as women, we can connect. we are like in community, we're in closeness. And I'm always like, ah, you know, if all the men would come, like, they would like be so nourish in their heart. And I'm curious how you feel about that as a man in this life.

[00:46:41] Virgilio Beatriz: Yeah, totally. First, totally agree. No with this. I would come first like with kind of a little story in my family, you know, like I feel my father is very open, like whatever I feel to do. He was always supportive. My mother as well, but my grandfather that was very Capricorn and like the king of the family, you know, like kind of, he was always like, okay, Virgil, what you, yeah, you have an advertising agency and when in my time of advertising agency you have an amazing bank, information because he was very, you know, like about money.

[00:47:17] Virgilio Beatriz: Everything's about money. But then there's a moment I start to be facilitator and then I start talking about dance. And he was like, oh, okay, but now you will be a dancer teacher. Is that what you want? Or you know, for him in his box it's like, what the fuck you are doing? You are such a genius and you will do this in your life.

[00:47:41] Virgilio Beatriz: You know, like. I'm bringing this because it's like what I feel it's, this is a metaphor, you know, like of, men and women, or I can say more the masculine energy or the feminine No. And major part of man in my perception, they have more possibilities to have more masculine energy and the opposite. So what I feel with me and other facilitators, we already talk a lot, so much this in the last years, in the last 14 years, I'm in this debate.

[00:48:13] Virgilio Beatriz: It's like that, it's always happening here in Portugal, in other places. Always. There's much more women in all human development environment dot I never see, never saw like an event that there's more men than women. I'm like, no. Like in the human development area. Human I, I don't see, you know, and I think it's really about this.

[00:48:40] Virgilio Beatriz: It's like. The masculine energy, it's very in the box and can be very also judgmental. And I know because I have a lot of masculine energy, you know? And I feel like, oh no. Oh, I don't go to this. For me, I had a lot of resistance to go, when I did the first Be dancer session, I was like laughing inside of myself.

[00:49:01] Virgilio Beatriz: Like, Virgilio, how you came here? What the fuck are you doing with your life? You know? And then there was my feminine energy inside of me, like, rg, you give some permission, allow yourself to experience the discomfort zone. Why not? Let's do one other session and another one, let's give a try. You know? And I feel this can be a big cliche, but yeah, women or people that are, have more feminine energy, they are more, totally more evolved than the others in this area, like in the area of discovering themselves.

[00:49:40] Virgilio Beatriz: To connect with also the body and the hearts. You know, like I feel them much more available and open to surrender to the mystery. And people with more masculine energy, it's very difficult for them. They will come with a lot of resistance inside of them, unless they can get something with that. And now I'm coming here because there's a lot of people then they understand that it's not possible.

[00:50:10] Virgilio Beatriz: But there's also a lot of men that comes to exotic dance or za or like, okay, there's women there. No, there's this girl there. I will go, you know, like with this gold, you know? And then maybe it's a way, you know, like for people to, okay, let's see. And it's true if there's also a social part of this kind of events, I.

[00:50:33] Virgilio Beatriz: But it's not for sure a hunting place. No, but what I'm saying is, yeah, I'm just bringing totally direct. But it's also, some people come maybe with this energy and then they surrender totally to the environment and they're like, wow, this was really amazing. So I was coming here for something and now I understand, no, what I need is other thing.

[00:50:56] Virgilio Beatriz: I don't know. I don't know if we will switch this thing, you know, like have an equal room with men and women. I don't know. I don't know if it's, if I'm alive, still alive in that age. But also you, maybe you are also. For sure, and a lot of people that are listening us, they are aware. There's a lot of women circles and men's circles.

[00:51:22] Virgilio Beatriz: But I would say for 10 women's circles, there's one men's circle. Yeah. And this is with my experience, because I'm also part of man circles. And I remember to talk with amazing friends. They were like, brother, you want to go to the Young Gathering? It's a gathering that I'm organizing with other facilitators and it's just for us.

[00:51:42] Virgilio Beatriz: It's not like a public event. And they were like saying like, brother, you want to come And like, yeah, one weekend. It's amazing. We share a lot in the, around the fire. It's very beautiful. And then we laugh a lot like kids as young mans that like we are and childs, you know, like laughing and playing, create a lot of music.

[00:52:03] Virgilio Beatriz: This is our way. And they, in the beginning they are always like, yeah, of course. But then there's their mind comes always like, that will be all one weekend. Just with band first, it's the first thing that comes, you know, it's like, ah, this kind of awkward or weird. Or. I would maybe have another social moment instead, or maybe with, there's some girls or there's, you know, or with my girlfriend, it's always about, or something like about football or whatever.

[00:52:37] Virgilio Beatriz: But then when they go, they're like, whoa. It's like, because you feel such a brotherhood. It's like such a crazy, amazing energy. But again, yeah, like it's step by step. I would say it's step by step, but definitely I can surrender to that. Women are much more open to these kind of things. 

[00:52:58] Iris Josephina: I just keep hoping with you that maybe in our lifetime we see things shift and change hopefully.

[00:53:05] Iris Josephina: And before we close off, is there any other wisdom or stories that you'd like to share with us or specifically for people who have never tried aesthetic dance? 

[00:53:20] Virgilio Beatriz: No, I feel, again, coming a little bit to the medicine. I feel this is really medicine in this way. Again, just bringing this maybe can be a little bit abstract where I will bring, but it's like I feel that the real medicine, it's when we lose the sense of space and time.

[00:53:42] Iris Josephina: This 

[00:53:42] Virgilio Beatriz: is a real medicine. It's when you can reach as well the alpha states in your brain when you, like you are in deep connection also with yourself, you can sense much more. Also, everything is around, but you are very clear in a more void space, in a space of emptiness. And bringing also some comparisons for people that never reach this in this kind of things like dance or singing.

[00:54:16] Virgilio Beatriz: I can bring something that a lot of people, for sure, I hope, have this experience that is making love with someone that you really love. And when you are making love with someone that you really love, you are in such a deep connection. It's like, wow. In that moment you forget totally everything. You are just there with yourself and with the other person.

[00:54:42] Virgilio Beatriz: And it's such a presence. Know, it's like such a moment. And after you're making love, you feel in, a, state of like, wow, there's such a bliss, there's such a void. And now I can describe all the words that I describe after doing an ec exotic dance, or after doing a trans circle of singing full on.

[00:55:07] Virgilio Beatriz: And after I'm like, I really don't know where I am now. It's like. And I think for all of us, we really need this. We really need this deep connection. And that's why maybe again, we are finding in other ways that are not so healthy for us and using what I was using. Also the sex Bs versus love, and not saying that everything is not possible, but of course it's much more like you making love.

[00:55:37] Virgilio Beatriz: It's much more meaningful. You can run for a top of the hill and like running, no, I need to run. And your brain's still there thinking about everything. Or you can have a dance or a moment more meaningful in the way you are active, your body as well. So this is a comparison that it's a little bit abstract, but I, bring also for all of us, it's like when something is really connected and can bring connection to yourself, this is pure healing.

[00:56:07] Virgilio Beatriz: Totally making love can be an act of. A cure of healing in a moment that you are with such a tension in yourself. And after making love, you are like, wow, this tension released, I released this. Yeah. Or after dancing or after singing. Wow. It's like, whew. So for me, if I would choose what is the ultimate medicine, the, things that you, in a healthy way, you lose, the sense of, space and time.

[00:56:46] Iris Josephina: Yeah. That's medicine. That's beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. And it also made me think of how you close your circles. You always ask people to share one word, and it's always one word that people share because there is no more words to utter when you forget time and space. The words that come. Are always a high vibration.

[00:57:09] Iris Josephina: It's gratitude, it's bliss, it's love, it's pureness, it's healing. Like people come with these kinds of words and we all know these words say enough when we share them in circle. So I'd say to all people who are listening have never done an aesthetic dance. Go find one in your neighborhood because this is a global movement.

[00:57:33] Iris Josephina: If you Google aesthetic dance, you can find it in nearly every single big city all over the world. Like you'll find it. And if you travel somewhere because it's not in your area, you go to in different country, go look for aesthetic dance. Like that's how I always traveled when I landed in a new place.

[00:57:50] Iris Josephina: The first thing I searched for was aesthetic dance, because I know it's gonna be the people that are like-minded and like-hearted, like what I've always done. And it's beautiful, especially if you live in various places when you connect with the aesthetic dance community. You can almost be sure that those are people that you will be able to connect with that will.

[00:58:12] Iris Josephina: Yeah. Thank you so much for 

[00:58:14] Virgilio Beatriz: Yeah. 

[00:58:14] Iris Josephina: Coming on to share your wisdom. 

[00:58:16] Virgilio Beatriz: I would add, an information. It's like if you go to extract dance.org, you will find it's a website created Byt Tyler, one of the creators of Vixa dance. And it's like, you have all the dances, not all, but I would say 80% are there. So you can find a new city in your place.

[00:58:36] Virgilio Beatriz: Yeah. 

[00:58:37] Iris Josephina: Yeah. Amazing. And where can people find you? 

[00:58:41] Virgilio Beatriz: me? Yeah. I'm, in Portugal. No, I'm doing major times in Portugal, sometimes India or Czech Republic. But I feel much more being just in Portugal 'cause I really love this country. But if you go and, put ecstatic dance and voice Portugal. In Instagram, you can find my work and my schedule or what I'm gonna do.

[00:59:08] Iris Josephina: Amazing. And Virginia also does bigger gatherings. If you're interested in that a couple of times a year, highly recommend. Thank you so much for coming on, for sharing your wisdom for the work that you do in this world. I feel it's really important and I feel that you're one of like the people who are lifting the vibration and raising the energy in Portugal, so thank you for that.

[00:59:31] Virgilio Beatriz: Thank you so much.

[00:59:37] Iris Josephina: Okay, this wraps up today's episode. Thank you so much for listening. Want to know more about me? The best way to reach me is via At Cycles Seeds on Instagram. And if you heard something today and you think, oh my God, wow, I learned something new, feel free to share the podcast on your social media and tag me or leave a review of rating.

[00:59:58] Iris Josephina: In this way. You help me reach more people like you. Thank you so much.