But for 13 years, Aalen, now of Salt Lake City, has been kicking off his shoes to participate in and even lead Dances of Universal Peace - meditative, multicultural circle dances that incorporate sacred music and chants. It's a practice the marketing researcher, who was raised Catholic, looks forward to each month.
"Metta, Karuna, Mudita, Upekkha," he says in the Buddhist scripture language of Pali, calling for boundless loving kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. As a group of 20, clasping hands, joins him in the chant, he reminds everyone, "We're building peace and harmony in this room and hoping it'll spread out to Salt Lake and Utah."
That's the whole idea behind Dances of Universal Peace, born in 1968 San Francisco, the brainchild of Samuel L. Lewis (or Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti) - a Jewish man who became a teacher of Sufism, or traditional Islamic mysticism, and a Zen master. By eating, dancing and praying together, people of all faiths and cultures can achieve harmony, the sometimes-dubbed "Sufi Sam" said.
What began with a menu of some 50 dances has grown into a list of about 500, all of which are swapped on the Internet. Groups the world over gather for regular dances led by trained leaders. Together, they celebrate the spirituality of everything from Christianity and Sikhism to Goddess and Islam.
"Let's start walking around, planting our feet - get in touch with our breath," says Bhakti Banning, 66, who was raised Quaker.
The Granite School District employee, and former Californian, wears flowing black and turquoise clothes. Around her neck is a Winged Heart pendant, a symbol of the Sufi movement.
Like Aalen, Banning's one of the dance leaders in the Salt Lake area, and on this Saturday night at the Inner Light Center, she welcomes the group. There are first timers such as Steve Wyatt, of Salt Lake City, who says "my wife made me come." And there are veterans such as leader Allisone (as in "All Is One") Weiss, a hospice volunteer wearing a traditional Lebanese dress, who was raised Jewish but says she observes all faiths.
Over the course of a couple hours, the group moves to bongos and guitars, praising Allah, singing in Hebrew, praying in Aramaic and reciting in English poetry from a Vietnamese Buddhist monk.
"May I take peaceful steps upon the earth," they sing, facing their partners, before pressing their palms together and bending forward. "I bow to you, a flower."
In the stark-white carpeted room, there are Utahns of other faiths, including at least one nonactive LDS Church member and a Bahai family. Colorful flag banners, draped along the windows, further emphasize a commingling of traditions. Among the symbols: the Sanskrit om sign, the Native American medicine wheel, the Taoist yin and yang.
For Dee Saunders, 52, and dressed in a Muslim tunic and prayer cap, finding Dances of Universal Peace was a blessing. His wife learned about it online, and ever since, the Salt Lake City resident has been coming back for more. The draw for him has been "the idea that it's all inclusive," he says.
"When I come here, I feel such a peace, such a oneness with everyone."
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* JESSICA RAVITZ can be reached at jravitz@sltrib.com or 801-257-8776. Send comments to the religion editor at religioneditor@sltrib.com.
