Frequently asked questions
Everything people ask us before their first session, immersive day or course, answered simply, with a link to the page that goes deeper.
In short
Dreamwave at a glance
Dreamwave is a practice of facilitated, embodied sound experiences. It is rooted in innerdance and is offered through sessions, immersive days, online courses and in-person trainings.
- Led by
- Ahilan Sundaralingam and Fanny Lemieux, both practising innerdance since 2017
- Formats
- Sessions (in person and online), immersive days, online courses, immersive trainings and a facilitator path
- Where
- Based in Canada and Germany, and offered worldwide online. In-person events in Germany (Berlin, Cologne) and Belgium (Bornem)
- Languages
- English, German and French, announced per date
- Who it is for
- Anyone curious. No previous experience, preparation or intention needed
- Contact
- hello@thedreamwave.org
The basics
What is Dreamwave?
Dreamwave is a practice of facilitated, embodied sound experiences, led by Ahilan Sundaralingam and Fanny Lemieux. It is rooted in innerdance and offers sessions, immersive days, online courses and in-person trainings. You do not need any previous experience: curiosity is enough to begin.
What is innerdance?
innerdance is a facilitated listening experience founded by Pi Villaraza. Participants lie down with their eyes closed and are supported through an intentionally designed sound journey. The process gives the body and nervous system space to express, reorganize and integrate, without the need to analyze, control or perform.
Do I have to dance?
No. Despite the name, innerdance is not a dance class. You usually lie down with your eyes closed and listen. Spontaneous movement, gestures or complete stillness may arise on their own, but nothing is expected of you.
What happens in a Dreamwave session?
A session has three parts: arriving together in a circle, the experience itself (usually lying down with your eyes closed while a sound journey unfolds), and a closing circle with space to share. In person a session takes about two hours, online about 90 minutes.
What might I experience?
Everyone experiences it differently. People describe sensations and vibrations, emotions, memories, images, shifts in thought, spontaneous movement, deep rest, or something that is hard to put into words. All ways of experiencing are welcome, including a quiet session where little seems to happen.
Do I need previous experience or an intention?
No. You do not need previous experience, preparation or an intention. Come as you are. Dreamwave welcomes people at every stage of exploration, from the first curious step to years of practice.
Safety and who it is for
Is innerdance safe?
Sessions are held with care and attention. Dreamwave welcomes people as they are, and the session always offers what you need. Your experience stays your own, and your facilitators are used to being present with many kinds of experiences.
Who can take part, and is there anyone who should not?
Dreamwave is open to people of many backgrounds and with many kinds of conditions. The session meets you where you are. If you are living with something severe, or you simply feel like talking before you book, please contact us beforehand and we will gladly listen with you.
Can I take part if I am pregnant?
Yes, pregnant people are welcome. If you have questions about your own situation, you are welcome to contact us beforehand.
Is Dreamwave therapy or a medical treatment?
No. Dreamwave is a facilitated, embodied experience. It is not a medical or psychological treatment, does not diagnose, and does not promise specific outcomes. The experience is guided, but always self-directed: what arises is yours.
Do I need to believe in anything?
No. There is nothing to believe, join or become. Dreamwave invites direct experience, and what you encounter is yours to make sense of in your own way.
What does the facilitator do, and is there touch?
The facilitator holds the conditions for the experience through presence, attention and responsiveness. Depending on the session, this can include instruments, voice, scent, movement or intuitive touch, and the sound journey may be prepared in advance or created live. If you have wishes around touch, tell your facilitator beforehand.
Sessions
How long is a session, and where does it take place?
In-person sessions take about two hours and take place in Berlin, Germany. Online sessions take about 90 minutes on Zoom. Dates, places and languages are listed with each session.
Does an online session work as well as an in-person one?
Online sessions follow the same three parts: arriving, the experience and sharing. Find a quiet, comfortable place where you can lie down undisturbed. Some people prefer the privacy of their own space, others the presence of a room. Both are real ways to experience Dreamwave.
What should I bring to a session?
Bring your own yoga mat, comfortable clothing, water and an extra layer for the resting part of the session.
Is a session a group or an individual experience?
Both exist. Group sessions add a shared atmosphere while every person has their own experience. Individual sessions offer a more personal space and are arranged on request, in person or online.
How do I book a session and what does it cost?
Dates, places, languages and prices are listed on the Sessions page, where you can book directly. If there is no date that fits, you can ask for an individual session or be notified when new dates open.
Immersive Days
What is an Immersive Day?
An Immersive Day is a full-day Dreamwave experience, usually from 10:00 to 17:00. It combines two facilitated sessions, a shared exploration of a topic such as the nervous system, brainwaves, sound, perception or consciousness, pauses, and time to share and integrate.
How is an Immersive Day different from a session?
A session is a single facilitated experience of about two hours. An Immersive Day offers two sessions with time to pause, eat, learn and talk in between, which creates more space to experience, notice what is changing and return with fresh awareness.
Where does it take place, and what should I bring?
Immersive Days take place in Berlin and Cologne, with the language announced per date. Bring a yoga mat, comfortable clothing and water. People new to Dreamwave and people who already know the practice are both welcome.
Courses, training and the facilitator path
What is the Inner Intensive?
The Inner Intensive is a nine-week online course with eight modules and eight live calls on Zoom. It combines science-informed perspectives on the body, nervous system and perception with guided experience and practice, and it begins with your own experience. It is offered in English, German and French.
Who is the Inner Intensive for, and do I need a professional background?
No professional background is required. People come as beginners, as experienced innerdance practitioners, and from fields such as therapy, wellness, education, coaching and organisations. You can join for your own exploration, whether or not you ever plan to facilitate.
What is the Live Playlisting Course?
The Live Playlisting Course is a five-week online course with five live calls on Zoom. It is about designing sound journeys and playing them live, for people who want to deepen how they work with sound in a session.
What is the Immersive Training?
The Immersive Training is a multi-day, in-person training in a small group. It integrates the practice of innerdance with neuroscience, somatic awareness and facilitation skills, and offers knowledge in dialogue with lived experience. Current dates and places are listed on the training page.
How do I become a Dreamwave facilitator?
The facilitator path combines the Inner Intensive, an in-person training, the Live Playlisting Course, monthly Zoom calls and real practice facilitation. You can take the parts together or one at a time, in any order, starting with what calls you.
The people, where it comes from and the science
Who is behind Dreamwave?
Dreamwave is led by Ahilan Sundaralingam and Fanny Lemieux. Ahilan has practised innerdance since 2017. Fanny brings a background in process consulting and has facilitated in Asia, Europe and Canada. Together they have facilitated sessions and trainings across Europe and Asia since 2019.
Who founded innerdance, and how is Dreamwave connected?
innerdance was founded by Pi Villaraza and is practised by facilitators worldwide. Dreamwave remains connected to the global innerdance community, and the story of how Ahilan and Fanny came to this work is told on the Dreamwave page.
Is there science behind it?
Dreamwave is an experience first. Alongside it, we explore science and philosophy, from the nervous system and brain states to perception and consciousness, as ways of understanding what people experience. These are open questions we stay curious about, not claims.
How is it different from breathwork, a sound bath or meditation?
In breathwork you follow a breathing pattern, in meditation you direct your attention, and a sound bath is usually received as relaxing instrument sound. In Dreamwave you lie down and listen, with no technique to follow. An intentionally designed sound journey, held by a facilitator, creates the conditions for your own experience to unfold.
Practical questions
Where is Dreamwave based, and where does it take place?
Dreamwave is based in Canada and Germany and works worldwide, online and in person. Online sessions and courses are open to people anywhere. In-person sessions and immersive days currently take place in Germany (Berlin and Cologne), and trainings in Bornem (Belgium), Germany and internationally. It is offered in English, German and French, announced with each date.
How do I hear about new dates?
Sign up for the newsletter on the Experience page, or use the notification option next to any session or course that has no date yet. You can also follow Dreamwave on Instagram (@thedreamwave_org).
How can I contact Dreamwave?
Write to hello@thedreamwave.org with any question, whether about a session, a course, your own situation or something you are unsure about.
Still have a question?
Write to us, or step into a session and experience it for yourself.
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