We recognize and celebrate the God-given right of every human being to be free and sovereign in their unique expression of holiness.
My body is my temple. Movement is my religion.
A dogma-free experience where Breath, Movement, and Music are our sacred pathways to the divine.
Origins
Movement emerged from a desire to address the traumas and divisions caused by the 2018 volcanic eruption combined with the global pandemic that followed on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Founded in January 2021, it set out to be a unifying force that transcended race, religion, and cultural barriers.
When the rest of the world was shut down during the lockdowns, we formed Movement Church so that we could claim our right to live a sacred lifestyle, gather community together, and keep dancing.
The first Movement event held during the pandemic at Hawaiian Sanctuary.
Unity and Strength in Adversity
We discovered that our physical, emotional and spiritual wellness depends on this – the ability to gather and dance.
The church’s initial Sunday services at Hawaiian Sanctuary was an innovative and holistic experience, combining elements of yoga, cacao ceremony, ecstatic dance, breathwork, farm-to-table meals and botanical elixirs to foster spiritual growth, exploration, and community.
The Sunday service began with a yoga warm-up to center the body and mind, preparing attendees for the transformative journey ahead. This was followed by a cacao ceremony, a ritual that fostered connection and intention-setting.
Direct, Transformative & Dogma-Free
The main event was a two-hour-long ecstatic dance session, where participants were free to express themselves through movement and connect with their inner realm.
As the ecstatic dance wound down, Movement Church members transitioned into a guided breathwork session, which helped them process and assimilate the powerful experiences they had just shared. Through this practice, participants felt a profound sense of integration, bringing closure to their spiritual journey and leaving them with a newfound sense of inspiration.
Following the ceremony, attendees were invited to partake in a farm-to-table meal, savoring the flavors of their local community and nurturing their bodies after the intense emotional and physical experiences. Botanical elixirs were also offered, further supporting their physical and spiritual well-being.
One of the defining features of Movement Church is our commitment to a dogma-free environment.
Instead of adhering to strict religious doctrines, our church prioritizes direct personal experience and exploration, allowing individuals to forge their own spiritual path.
Breath, movement, and music are the modalities of transformation, offering an innovative and immersive way for people to connect with their spirituality, to deepen their understanding of themselves and the world around them.
This fresh and inclusive approach allows for all people to experience on their own terms the transformative power of Movement Church’s unique ministry.
A New Experience for All People
As the church evolved, it introduced HoAloha, a nighttime event inspired by the Hawaiian concept of ‘beloved friend.’
This event further emphasized the church’s mission of unity and spiritual growth, providing a warm and welcoming space where attendees could connect and strengthen their bonds in an atmosphere of loving kindness.
This time of shared nourishment and celebration provided a beautiful opportunity for community members to connect, reflect on their experiences, and forge new relationships. In this way, Movement Church not only fostered spiritual growth and exploration but also cultivated a vibrant, supportive community grounded in a sense of wellness.
At the heart of Movement Church lay the idea that the body is a sacred temple and movement a form of spiritual practice.
This transformational approach resonated deeply with the community, redefining spirituality and transcending traditional boundaries to create a unique path of unity, exploration, and connection.
Core Values
Discover the guiding values behind Movement.
Inherent Divinity
Honoring Indigenous Wisdom
We hold deep respect for our indigenous elders, appreciating their unique relationship with the land and the wisdom they share. We actively seek to learn from, preserve, and integrate their sacred practices and teachings, including the recognition and protection of spiritual landmarks.
Unity in Diversity
We celebrate the richness of our diverse community, ensuring inclusivity and welcoming people from all backgrounds, ages, genders, and ethnicities. We believe that every individual’s journey is unique and worthy of support and respect.
Elemental Preservation
We are dedicated to preserving and honoring the Holy Five Elements, as they are essential for the thriving of all life. We practice sustainability, regenerative farming, clean energy, and mindful stewardship of our planet’s resources.
Regenerative Vitality
We believe that our innate vitality is a sacred gift from the divine, and our highest potential is realized when we embody and share this vital energy with all living systems. We reject synthetic shortcuts, embracing instead the mindful and reverent use of natural elements to support vitality.
Embodiment of Meta-Emotions
We foster a spiritual path centered on cultivating trust, safety, empathy, compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, awe, wonder, reverence, oneness, and responsibility. Our worship services aim to generate tangible, supportive energetic fields through these meta-emotions.
Practices that Ignite the Soul
We embrace practices that connect the body, mind, and spirit.
Breathwork
Guided sessions to deepen your awareness and integrate spiritual insights.
Sacred Movement
A free-form, meditative movement experience that allows you to express yourself fully.
Music
Curated playlists featuring uplifting and transformative music, along with live drumming, designed to resonate deeply with the soul.
Sacred Inspiration from History
We credit Rumi as being the originator of this kind of Sacred Community Ecstatic Movement Practice. The 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi mystic Jalaluddin Rumi is widely revered as a spiritual pioneer whose teachings transcended dogma to celebrate divine union through movement. His poetry and practices laid the groundwork for ecstatic dance as a sacred communal ritual, most notably through the Sema ceremony of whirling dervishes.
Movement Church is a new expression for modern times of this ancient idea.
“Only dance, and your illusions will blow in the wind. Dance, and your veils which hide the Light shall swirl in a heap at your feet.” – Rumi
Community Movement Process
Here's the process all of our events follow.
Opening Guided Movement Practice
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Circle & Community Ritual
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Freeform Community Movement Practice
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Integration & Meditation
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Guiding Principles
Borrowed from the ancient Greeks, and even more relevant today, with reverence for the deep level of insight that they carry. These three pillars form the foundation of our personal spiritual exploration.
Praxis
Praxis is the practice of ethical action in daily life, where good deeds and mindful habits shape character and connect the body with purpose. Rooted in Aristotle’s philosophy, it emphasizes learning virtue through repeated action—like kindness or courage—rather than abstract theory. By viewing movement and work as sacred, praxis transforms routine tasks into spiritual growth.
Ekstasis
Ekstasis (“stepping outside oneself”) describes transcendent experiences achieved through communal rituals like dance, prayer, or music, fostering unity and dissolving ego. Ancient Greek Dionysian rites and Rumi’s whirling dervishes used rhythm to awaken collective joy and spiritual connection. Modern ecstatic practices prioritize safe, inclusive spaces where individuals lose themselves to rediscover belonging.
Gnosis
Gnosis is direct, personal insight into truth, bypassing dogma or institutions to awaken inner wisdom. Greek philosophers like Heraclitus saw it as intuitive knowledge of life’s hidden patterns, while Gnostics viewed it as liberation from illusion. Today, it manifests in mindfulness and transcendent experiences that reveal self-understanding beyond words.
Meet the Team
Jami Deva
Creative Director
Jami – The Gatherer, Deva – Angelic Soul
Jami is a Vibrational Architect, designing potent life-changing experiences for tens of thousands worldwide in live workshops, breathwork empowerments and ecstatic dances since 2005.
He believes that Music, Breath and Movement are the keys to unlocking human potential and returning to the natural frequency of True Love.
Jami has dedicated his life work to the expansion of consciousness.
From Jami: “We are at a unique time in human history where the human race is waking up. We are realizing our true potential as vast and infinite spiritual beings. We are at this moment undergoing a transformative process of becoming who we truly are. Dissolving illusions of separateness and limiting belief structures, rebuilding our world view, our relationships, and our connection with Nature and the Divine.”
Megan Cannon
Women’s Ministry Leader
Megan – Pearl, Cannon – Official of the Church
Megan is an advocate coach for women’s health and empowerment, conscious communication and sacred ritual arts.
With over 20 years experience in leading Movement-based Spiritual Practice, Megan blends her passion for dance and yoga into an embodied ecstatic Vinyasa flow.
From Megan: “Being a Waldorf educator and student of Rudolph Steiner, I realize that this second awakening that Humanity is now going through is one of the Christed Heart. Through deep listening, daily prayer, breath and movement practice, I am dedicated to holding the frequency for Women to come together aligned with their Soul purpose in sacred community.”
Marika Nicole Ripke, PhD
Funding Development Director
Marika – Angel & Star of the Sea, Nicole – Victorious, Ripke – Bright & Powerful
Marika is a published author, educator/researcher, ceremonial dancer, yogini, soul surfer, and dance choreographer/facilitator.
She holds a PhD in Human Ecology, the study of the relationships between human beings and their environment, including how cultural/social values and practices influence human-environment interactions. Through her service with Movement, she combines her formal education and research with her direct experiences of how music + movement can positively transform lives and communities.
Marika has been involved in movement artistry her whole life. She has practiced yoga for 25 years and has been guiding yoga, dance, and meditation classes and workshops for 15 years. She has also been dancing professionally and ceremonially for over a decade. Her dancing is powered with intention and inspired by love. Her movements are embodied prayers.
From Marika: “Music, dance, ceremony, and celebration have been important values and practices of healthy communities throughout human history. Movement and breathwork have been transformational in my life for discovering joy, celebration, prayer, healing, love, guidance, and connection with myself, others, and our ancestors. I love helping others discover these powerful keys to transformation within themselves.”
