My work, Rise Up with H’ART, focuses on SPIRITUAL EMPOWERMENT through DANCE and ART to inspire loving action for healing and radical culture change.
I’m Erika Merz, a visionary artist, energy worker, avid ecstatic dancer, prison abolitionist/revolutionary and I love facilitating and holding space for powerful transformation.
I love deep conversations, spontaneous ceremony, and am actively involved in cultivating inclusive, alternative communities. Born, raised and rooted in the unceded territories of the Duwamish and Coast Salish people, (aka Seattle,) and I love to tour/travel with my work as well.
Check out my art, “energy dance” and workshop offerings!
Photo credit: Aliko Tree
I'm always been drawn to mystical and spiritual ideas from a young age.
I believe strongly in the infinite power of Source energy and am passionate about re-learning and teaching practices for spiritual empowerment.
I've participated in countless workshops, classes and online summits over the past 15+ years which surely calculates to an unofficial degree in spiritual studies ;)
I’ve had the humble honor to learn from many indigenous people in activist and ceremonial spaces about how to live in right relationship with this earth and all our relations.
8+ years ago I began learning Reiki and quickly wove it into my dance practice which has evolved into countless, profound spiritual experiences and prayer, hence my passion for facilitating Energy Dance Ceremonies!
A passion for equity and justice from a young age.
10+ years of radical grassroots organizing focused primarily on immigrant justice, prison abolition and indigenous led environmental justice.
Extensive education, self-work and organizing around unlearning internalized white supremacy and colonization, life-long learner of what it means to carry various intersecting privileges in this sick, oppressive society and how to use my positionally to bring tangible change to the world.
In 2012 began supporting countless direct actions, protests, blockades, and encampments as well as friends who are in immediate need of support and physical resources.
Extensive learning from my 8+ years of organizing with CARW (Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites) including parallel campaigns and fundraising for BIPOC led grassroots orgs and facilitating anti-oppression trainings for self-identified white folks.
Let's reclaim the POWER of embodied spiritual practice as a key to wielding tangible change in the world.
With a foundation of 15 yrs training and teaching Aikido (and other martial arts) holistic, grounded and harmonious embodiment practice has been deeply ingrained in my bones from a young age.
12+ years of dedicated ecstatic (free-form) dance (over 1,000 hours!) has taught me what I call "Energy Dance" as a powerful, spiritual practice.
Energy Dance is a practice combining free-form dance, energy work, visualization, intention, resonance, music and rhythm that allows me to go into deep trance states to channel infinite Source energy to wield it for healing, prayer and radical culture change.
Profound spiritual experiences through dance are a weekly occurrence for me. I'm passionate about sharing these wisdoms and holding space for others to experience their own journeys of spiritual activation and transformation through Energy Dance!
12+ years of a profound healing journey has taken me deep into alternative healing knowledge.
Countless 1-1 sessions with intuitive, cutting edge, alternative health practitioners have taught me about the underlying spiritual, emotional and mental layers of health, the impact of internalized beliefs, trauma, and the power of spiritual/energy healing, and the wisdom of the body.
My personal healing journey has taught me so much and I continue to heal deeper layers within myself and support many people in their healing as well.
15+ years of facilitation and curriculum development in many different situations from non-profit work, volunteer activism, community and life, with all kinds of humans of many ages, cultures, identities and life experiences.
I’m a well respected leader and voice in my communities, an open minded, inclusive and grounded space holder who facilitates with compassion, spiritual wisdom and finesse.
I tend to instigate deep, meaningful conversations and uplift, empower and celebrate the humanity, divinity and purpose of those who cross my path.
From a very young age art has been a natural talent.
Years of witnessed people have profound, transformative experiences with my art helped me see my creativity as a highly effective way to have a meaningful, transformative impact on the world.
My art invites people to embody the power of energy and remember their interconnection with all that is. It serves as a portal to the divine and is experienced by many as spiritually activating.
My art has been shared at many festivals and events including art-altar installations, and uplifts many people from their altars and water bottles!