Some personal experiences:

Way back, in my previous life being a town planner in Germany, I clearly remember:
every time I worked in a new job and was really involved (including deadlines and stress), I thought, how lovely it would be to have more time for myself. And after the project was over, the job done and I was jobless again, I was anxious about the future and finding a new job. After around my 5th job had released me into joblessness again, I realised: the grass is always greener somewhere else (but when I am there, not any more). So I decided to use my time, when I had it, travel, and invest the earned money in attending personal growth seminars. And once I had my next work, I decided not to complain about the loss of time but make the best of it.

After the Oneness Project lost their funds (for DUP) in the Bernard L. Madoff investment crash on the 12th of December 2008, the Latvian “Dancing Heart Camp” organisers were quite disturbed: they had hoped for grants for their camp… So it was arranged, that one evening at a certain time all would meditate on this problem and see what would come up.
Being one of the invited DUP leaders, I participated. To my surprise I relaxed intensely, leaned back and began to smile. ”Don’t worry, all shall be well!” was the main thought coming to my mind. The others had similar positive experiences during this meditation.

So: don’t worry - be happy!

The ecological aspect of the credit crunch:

Our society is based on growth, expanding markets, exports, consumer goods. In a way our economic system is like one of these pyramid systems, where your profit comes from the many people under you, down the line. But: the number of people and the resources on this planet are limited! So sooner or later any growth based system is bound to reach its boundaries. Many of us live a lifestyle, which uses far too much energy and is not sustainable (if we all would live like an average US citizen, we would need 6 planets earth to provide enough resources!).

Thanks God for this economic recession, because it makes us think - and review our life style!

Some people try to live for a Pound a day (and get quite a bit of media coverage). One woman wrote an article about her experiences with zero spending for a week: apart from having “saved” £260, she reports a highlight, which was baking pizza at home with her son and his boyfriend instead of dining out. And after 5 days, when she began running low on food at home, she decided to keep the leftovers and make soup from them for the next day. Of course this is common sense, but some people seem to need to learn it the hard way.
It is little things, which can change life, and usually they are connected with becoming creative.

The emotional aspect of the credit crunch:

Especially when loosing a job or savings, existential fears are triggered and people easily feel desperate. These fears are fed daily by the media, who live from selling catastrophes and who paralyse us into addictive consumers of their news.

Free yourself from being in the addicted role of a victim of circumstances. Do not read any papers, don’t watch TV or listen to the radio, unless they make you laugh or at least smile!

Listen to your friends, and cheer them up. Sometimes we can’t see the wood for the trees, and feedback from a third person can bring new hope, ideas or inspiration.

The spiritual aspect of the credit crunch:

It is always when people are troubled and in despair, that they remember God and suddenly remember their church. The current credit crunch forces people affected to review their life and life style. When people are forced to review their life because of economic pressures, chances are high they try something new.

Why do people go on a pilgrimage? They focus on a goal - they renounce cosy comfort - it is an effort - they see new places, meet new people and get inspired… The current economic downturn throws quite a few people into a new situation; this could be a pilgrimage, a shake up / wake up call…

I’ve seen articles in tabloid newspapers recently: a lot about how to cope with the credit crunch, including an article about how to be happy (surprise! The outcome was that money doesn’t bring it, but we need to change the way see things).

In these times of crisis - or better said: opportunities! - when people begin to question their current situation and seek for new ways, chances are high they discover the DUP - and like them.

The Dances of Universal Peace:

We are an international dance community; the Buddhists would call it Sangha. The DUP are open and welcoming for everyone to join - you don’t need to be a member. Forming a circle, is an expression of a non hierarchical and peaceful togetherness and co-operation. The individuality of the dancer, the “I”, can evolve into a group awareness during the dances. People's worries gently dissolve while dancing and singing. The physical contact through holding hands in the circle, looking into each others eyes and sometimes embracing each other give comfort and stability. The re-connection with life energy strengthens us. Moving our bodies in harmony is an expression of our creativity. Singing with our very own voice is empowering. Connecting with and opening the heart fills us with love for ourselves and others. What else do I need to say?
Truly the Dances of Universal Peace have the potential to bringing us closer to God; they help us to become aware of our real Divine nature.

Dancing is so much more satisfying than any retail therapy, because it is more real and closer to our being.

There can be much more to the DUP than meets the eye:
I know two people, who recently had an amazing spiritual opening experience: while hugging each other after intensive peace dancing, their chakras opened one by one, they felt the energies flowing and had profound experiences later on many levels.
The DUP have changed many people’s lives. Unfortunately most people having these intensive spiritual awakenings neither make it public, nor talk about it.

The DUP are a blissful and uplifting spiritual practice, and they do work with us on more than one level. In troublesome times they seem to be just the right thing to do. The Dances of Universal Peace can be a perfect path towards inner harmony and subsequently outer peace, an ideal way to grow into the global rising consciousness of mankind and our planet.