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Posted September 13, 2011 12:00 AM

Get Real and Get Down

I have always, always been a mover and shaker. From a very young age I danced and tumbled. In fact, one stunt that I loved to pull out during family gatherings was my 100 somersault manifesto. With everyone’s attention I would take off and do 100 somersaults continuously, back and forth, back and forth. I had a special way of turning at the end of a somersault that would literally catapult me right into the next one. I didn’t get dizzy, only outrageously happy. And, well, the folks watching didn’t seem to mind so much either. In fact, I’m pretty sure I impressed most everyone with the stunt. If only someone would have videotaped me. I’m sure I could have been a youtube sensation!

Our bodies can be experienced as a joyful place. They are the vessel in which our essence—that part of us that is divine and connected to All That Is—expresses through. But sometimes our vessels get clogged-up. Sometimes we forget that feelings are meant to be felt. We repress and suppress them instead. Hurt, pain, sadness, anger, guilt, shame, all built up on the inside, blocking our expression of truth, light, beauty, and ecstasy. We get stiff. We get sick. We become diseased. Our bodies no longer feel like home. We disconnect from them and checkout.

We suffocate inside of ourselves.

Dancing to me is one way to empty out. To dance is to express, mobilize, and clear out whatever I’ve accumulated that is not me. To dance is to liberate the energy that I’ve refused, denied, blocked, and rejected. To dance is to remember that my body is alive, intelligent, powerful, creative, and always changing—always changing.

In the 5 Rhythms workshop we dived into the rippling waves of Fluidity, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, and Stillness. My body danced generously, sometimes for hours at a time. Sweaty, tuned-in, and expanded-out; it was delicious and much needed therapy for my body and mind.

You see, we are all dancing through life. But we forget sometimes that the body and the mind are connected, intertwined, reflected in one another. A stressful thought vibrates throughout the body. The body responds and contracts. And then, depending on our relationship with ourselves, we practice self-care and clear out the stress (possibly through dance, yoga, or conscious relaxation). Or, we hold onto it, make it our base line, and then continue to layer more of the same right on top of it. The later is why some people have a lot less fun in their bodies then others. This isn’t a judgment, but it is an observation that I have made from over ten years of working professionally in the field of health and wellness.

People who engage in movement regularly (of any form) for the pure joy of it tend to be happier. It’s just the facts. Their bodies are less tense, blocked up, and diseased and this is reflected in their state of mind. They have an outlet for the negativity that we all come in contact with on a daily basis. They empty out and as a result, even if it is short-lived, can relax and maybe even experience their bodies as the divine vessel that it is.

I know some people claim that they can’t dance. But, I don’t buy it. The truth is, all it takes to dance is the ability to feel. And everyone, I mean everyone, feels.

Put on some music that you like. Turn it up loud. Close your eyes. Relax. Breathe. Tap your toes to the beat of the music, sway a little side to side. That’s it, keep going . . . Yes! You are now dancing. Was that so hard?

Now, for those of you who hands down love to dance, take it to the next level. Dance from the inside-out. Don’t tell your body how to move, allow your body to move as it wishes. This again requires you to “feel”. As you feel your arm you will become aware of your arm’s desires. Allow your arm to express and move in such a way that its desires are fulfilled. As you feel your spine you will become aware of exactly what your spine desires. Allow your spine to fulfill its desires by moving as it wishes. As you dance, whatever you do, don’t judge your body, don’t censor it, and definitely don’t tell it that it looks silly. The body is intelligent. Trust it. It understands exactly what it needs to come into balance. It knows how to move to release blockages and restore health on all levels of being. In this kind of dance ask your mind and all of its preconceived ideas about what you “should” look like to take the back seat temporarily. Get real and get down. You won’t regret it.

And then, this is the best part; remember to bring your dance to life, in the real world. Sometimes you’ll be dancing your joy. Sometimes you’ll be dancing your anger. Sometimes you’ll be dancing your struggle, grief, or contentment. Every dance is beautiful. It’s all art in its own way. Especially if you remember that it’s all a dance.

Can you bring this to life? Can you dance on your way to work, while having that argument with your partner, or when you’re paying your bills?

Let your life be art. Dance.

Oh, and if this blog post made you drool you’ll definitely want to mark your calendars for an upcoming Dance Santuary at One Yoga Studio on Friday, November 10th from 8-10pm. Come to bust a move and groove to world beat mixes that will help you empty out and come alive!

Ahhhhh,
Amy