I had a beautiful experience last year at a workshop with Amrita Choudhury, a Montreal-based dancer who teaches sacred dance from her Indian tradition. I highly recommend her workshops, listed on her website.
http://www.ananda-amrita.com
I attended a session she offered in the Laurentians and found an incredible connection with my past sacred dance experience in the evangelical church, despite being from a completely different cultural and religious tradition. It was very meaningful to learn chants and dances that give expression to your heart and I am very thankful to the friend who introduced me to Amrita.
Keep dancing.
Tuesday 28 June 2011
Wednesday 22 June 2011
Body talk
One of the most curious things for me is learning whether other people find their bodies speak to them the way I experience it. Maybe some of you wouldn't say it is your body talking but rather your soul, your restful mind, your heart. Here is how it works for me.
A couple of months ago I arrived at a dance event feeling good and ready to move. I warmed up and had nothing in particular on my conscious mind. The warm-up ended and the facilitator asked participants to remember that stillness was also important and to pay attention to it, not just moving. Something immediately responded in me and I started to settle my body and my mind.
I had just become still when my body said "My spinal cord is tired". I thought that an odd thing in its wording, "spinal cord", as opposed to "spine" or "back". I practice giving my feelings and intuitions a voice, so specific words are important to me. I began to roll up and down slowly, feeling if my back was sore but that wasn't it. I continued to follow this line of thought and movement and not too much later I understood that in fact I was zoning in on my nervous system.
I had been through a busy spring and an emotionally difficult experience at work. My nervous system was asking for a rest and I spent the rest of the session dancing gently, meditating on stress leaving my body.
Share an experience you've had and please don't give up if I don't seem to reply or connect with you... I'm still learning about how blogging works and I may not have these settings right!
A couple of months ago I arrived at a dance event feeling good and ready to move. I warmed up and had nothing in particular on my conscious mind. The warm-up ended and the facilitator asked participants to remember that stillness was also important and to pay attention to it, not just moving. Something immediately responded in me and I started to settle my body and my mind.
I had just become still when my body said "My spinal cord is tired". I thought that an odd thing in its wording, "spinal cord", as opposed to "spine" or "back". I practice giving my feelings and intuitions a voice, so specific words are important to me. I began to roll up and down slowly, feeling if my back was sore but that wasn't it. I continued to follow this line of thought and movement and not too much later I understood that in fact I was zoning in on my nervous system.
I had been through a busy spring and an emotionally difficult experience at work. My nervous system was asking for a rest and I spent the rest of the session dancing gently, meditating on stress leaving my body.
Share an experience you've had and please don't give up if I don't seem to reply or connect with you... I'm still learning about how blogging works and I may not have these settings right!
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