Name: Metta Dance Party! with Tasshin
Start: 2025-02-22T19:00:00-08:00
End: 2025-02-22T23:00:00-08:00
Location: The Berkeley Alembic

This event brings together loving-kindness meditation (or mettā) and dance.
About this Event

Imagine dancing your booty off with others, radiating love towards yourself, each other, and all beings everywhere with music that’s specifically created for this purpose. You can feel the room pulsing with love, and you feel happy. Welcome to a Mettā Dance Party.

This event brings together loving-kindness meditation (mettā) and dance. Loving kindness, or mettā, is a meditation technique where you intentionally cultivate positive, happy, loving thoughts and feelings: thoughts of good will towards yourself and others, feelings of happiness, unconditional love, joy, and care.

“The metta dance party was freakin’ wonderful. I found it so fun, and so powerful to come together with the shared intention to both dance and be more loving.”

While you can practice loving kindness in formal seated meditation, you can also practice it while moving your body, dancing to excellent music, in the company of friends, loved ones, and friendly strangers.

The event will begin with an introduction to loving-kindness practice, with a talk and seated guided meditation. From there, we’ll transition into practicing loving kindness while dancing to trance, deep house, and mettāwave (dance music that’s specifically created for practicing loving-kindness while dancing).

Start with Seated Loving Kindness Practice ------------------------------> Transition to A Rockin’ Metta Dance Party

We’ve hosted several Mettā Dance Parties in locations including Washington, D.C., Asheville, NC, Brooklyn, NY, and the San Francisco Bay Area. You can check out the sets from prior Metta Dance Parties here.

“You’re practicing metta, with a big smile on your face and a feeling of warmth and joy in your heart. You look around, and it looks like most everyone else is too. Maybe some people are just dancing and enjoying the music – that’s fine – but it looks like everyone is happy, smiling, and wishing each other and all beings happiness. In any case, the music is bangin’, and everyone’s having a grand old time.”

Schedule

6:45pm - 7:00pm: Arrival & Settling In
7:00pm - 7:30pm: Talk (also streamed online)
7:30pm - 8:00pm: Guided Meditation (also streamed online)
8:00 - 9:30pm: Mettā Dance Party (in-person only)

FAQ

What if I’ve never practiced loving kindness before? No problem! This event will introduce you to the formal practice of loving-kindness, with a talk and guided meditation.

Is this an Ecstatic Dance? They’re similar, but different! While many people outwardly dance similarly to an Ecstatic dance, everyone at a Mettā Dance Party is holding the intention to practice love while they dance. Inwardly, we are sending love to ourselves, our loved ones, and all beings.

What does it cost? This event is offered in the spirit of generosity. It is a pay-what-you-can, by donation event. The suggested donation is $30.

What should I know about this practice space? This event is a devoted time to joyfully cultivate love together. Talking and conversation can be distracting for those that are practicing mettā and cultivating love. If you would like to have a conversation with someone at the event, there will be a dedicate space for doing so, away from the dancing. We invite you to cultivate love through connection and conversation there if that feels good!

What should I wear? There are no dress code requirements. We want you to be comfortable, so please wear clothes you will be comfortable moving and dancing in!

Who’s hosting this event? This event is led and organized by the Love Department of The Service Guild.

What’s the drug and alcohol policy? This will be a drug and alcohol-free event.

Who can come to this event? There are no age requirements or restrictions. Please feel free to bring children!

Do I have to sit on meditation cushions? No, we will have chairs available for those that would like to use a chair for the seated portion of the event.

There is ample, free parking at the Alembic.

Doors will close at 7pm so that we can begin the talk and meditation together. Please be sure to give yourself enough time to settle in before the evening begins.

Refunds are available until 24 hours before the event begins

If you would like to volunteer for this event, please fill out this form.

Bio

Tasshin is an extremely online pilgrim wandering this precious world for the benefit of all beings. He has three main endeavors: spreading love, following his curiosity, and empowering others.