The Dance That Changed My Life

Elizabeth A Burnham
Nov 4
2 min read

Updated: Nov 5

I didn’t realize this weekend would end up changing my entire life.

I first experienced ecstatic dance at a three-day conscious, substance-free retreat in Austin, Texas (think Hippie vibes). I went by myself and didn’t know anyone. It was just something I felt pulled to do, like a deep knowing in my body that I needed to go.

I had become a new mom the year before, and it was the first time I had danced sober since I was fifteen.

Before that, my life looked really different. For over a decade, I drank heavily and used substances. I told myself I was just a fun party girl and that it was normal, but what I didn’t see then was that I was using it to cope with pain, emotions, and the parts of myself I was suppressing, including my queerness. I was deeply unfulfilled in my marriage and my career. I was working long hours in a high-stress corporate job, ignoring how unhappy I was, and drinking kept me distracted.

The first night of the retreat started with a sound healing. We were invited to curl up on the floor, like being inside a womb, and turn our attention inward. As the music built, the facilitator guided us to start moving however our bodies wanted to move.

At first, I felt awkward. My mind kept asking, “What am I doing? Do I even belong here?” But I stayed with it. Eventually it started to flow more naturally. I felt warmth rising in my body and a smile on my face. The energy in the room grew and I started to feel connected to the people around me. At one point it felt primal, like we had tapped into something ancient. When the music slowed, we lay on the ground for another sound healing, and I could feel the vibration of the drums and the earth in my bones.

Me at the ecstatic dance retreat - 2022.

That experience changed me in a few big ways.

I started reconnecting with my body and the emotions I had been holding down. That led me to healing childhood trauma and the beliefs that kept me stuck.
I built confidence by going somewhere alone, dancing sober, and letting myself be uncomfortable.
I chose sobriety after connecting with an intuitive sobriety coach and I’ve been sober ever since.

Three years later, I’m happily divorced, have my own home, and I’m doing work I love as a Somatic Coach and Reiki Practitioner. I’ve embraced my queerness and feel more fulfilled and alive than I ever have.

That’s why I co-created DayDream: A Daytime Drum, Dance and De-Stress event happening November 23 at Zen Loft Collective. I wanted to bring this kind of experience to our community. A fun and supportive space to connect with yourself and others through movement, sound, and energy.

You don’t need any dance experience. You don’t have to “know how.” You can move as much or as little as you want. You can just be.

If this speaks to you, I’d love to have you there.

Event Details DayDream: Drum, Dance & De-Stress

Sunday, November 23, 2025 | 1–3 PM

Zen Loft Collective

Includes: