What is spirit? The word comes from Latin spiritus literally meaning breath, and spirare to blow or breathe. When we breathe we literally inspire ourselves. The word logos mentioned in the Bible includes in its meaning sound, breath and intelligence. Our spirit is the real us- the vital energy- the body but its garment. When our vital energy is attuned with our body we become "light".

Living in spirit is about love rather than fear. We are in continuous learning and remembering about love. The breadth and depth of its meaning evolves for us as we mature. Even still, most of us live most of the time and most of our lives as fearful people. It is possible, if we are willing, to live from love and compassion and discover the riches of our true wisdom and power.

Sages and Wisdom Keepers from the past have shown to the world that spirit can be embodied. We have many examples of those who have revealed their true essence as spiritual beings. Who are those people who have been inspiring to you? What are the qualities they embodied?

Once we recognize spiritual characteristics in others, we can begin to imagine them within ourselves. We can begin to ask ourselves which qualities are we willing to claim. What am I willing to accept what is possible for myself?

Each of us makes choices moment to moment. Whatever we think, believe and vision becomes an instant pattern of energy we send out into the world. Like the butterfly whose fragile, flapping wings can have an affect on the other side of the planet, it is literally up to each of us to decide how we create our life, and how we want to influence others.

Spirit and Soul have a connection. My Body, My Soul and My Spirit are facets or dimensions of who I am. The power and wisdom of Spirit is tapped by creating a space for its essence and vitality to live inside the....

Research shows that dance was the first form taken by worship. It is the oldest, most elemental form of spiritual expression. Teachings were composed in verses repeated as incantations while people walked or moved in specific ways. Dancing is an elemental, eternal form of human expression. Movement, our first language, touches centers of our being beyond the reach of vocabularies of reason and thought forms. In its sacred form, dance is a language that reunites the body, soul and mind.

As Prema Dasara, my dance teacher says, "The Praises of Tara remind us of our potential, that we are worth of honor, capable of greatness, wise in the ways of heaven and earth. As sacred dancers we train ourselves to open to the energy of our possibilities, to make the connection with the wisdom beings that empower us through their compassion.

Women in central Texas are invited to participate in the Mandala Dance of the Twenty-One Praises of Tara. Through retreats, workshops and pilgrimages, we dance for the empowerment of communities around the world. Our goal is to learn the dance as taught by Prema Dasara (refer to history here) by understanding the qualities of the goddess deity, and by practicing movements and chants that guide us as we begin to embody those qualities for the benefit of all beings.

How I met Tara

Every moment in our lives is but a small dot in the unfolding of our truest essence. My introduction to Tara was in Salt Lake City in the winter of 1999 when I accepted the invitation to participate in a Tara Dance Retreat and community dance offering. Before this event, Tara was but a distant myth with no reality in my life.

Through the week-end retreat I found a process that has taken me on an inward journey and given me a specific way to express my "goddess within" through dancing the qualities of Tara. The impact has been especially profound because of the dedication embodied in my teachers, Prema Dasara, the initiator and designer of the dance offering, and Anahata Iradah, the gifted musician who co-creates the dance teaching. Prema and Anahata are my on-going teachers and mentors. They have each entrusted me the gift of teaching and dancing with an evolving global community.

The dance has introduced me to a community of practitioners around the world. My vision for this work is that a dance community will evolve into three circles of dancers (66 women). We will invite Prema Dasara and Anahata Iradah to Texas to lead us deeper into our practice and offering.

We are currently gathering quarterly as we begin our collective practice. When we are ready we will practice monthly as we each dance individually. To order tools to aid you in learning and practicing the Tara Mandala Dance, click here. A CD, prayers and meditations on tape, and prayer flags are available through The LifeWorks Institute.

To learn more about the Women's Sacred Dance Project, click here.