dancing madly this morning...the above is my garb -- essentially barefoot in my pajamas with headphones attached to my head with a headband ... I'm listening to the brilliant dj-ing of Robert Kochka Jr danced this first at an Asheville Movement Collective Wave more than a year ago-- find his waves on soundcloud... was gonna share the one I... Continue Reading →
Dance and movement has been one of my most important tools for healing. Dancing is living well. We can do it seated or even laying down if we have to. Just move to the music and feel it.
Ecstatic dance is awesome in the literal sense of the word and I consider it a body oriented mindfulness practice as well. I've also referred to it as self-directed body-work in conversations with friends. Sometimes my "dance" is about moving and stretching my body in some really odd ways to get at something that is tightly held in the body and needs release. Dancing can sometimes be me not moving at all (on the surface) while the music courses through my body and my cells and neurons DANCE. ...
Dancing is a practice and discipline. The ecstatic aspect can be light or dark. People might cry either in despair or in joy on the dance floor. Anything goes. You can curl up in the fetal position in a corner and cry or leap as high as you can while running in circles. I have spent time sitting cross-legged in meditation or laying on my back with my feet up the wall. Feeling the vibrations of dancing feet and loud music while lying flat on the floor is quite nice too. The practice involves letting the body do what it wants to do. ...
The process of learning to find that dance involves listening to the body and watching how it interacts with the environment. Listening and then responding to the music and our surroundings. In time there is no thought, there is only emptiness as the body moves seamlessly in union with the music and the energy of the room filled with other dancers. In doing this practice one learns how to bring the dance off the floor. All life is a dance, we see. …
I find that when I tell people about how I love to go to ecstatic dancing in my community that some number of people are intimidated at the thought of letting loose among strangers. I have personally found it the most comfortable way I can be with people right now, but I understand that for many dancing is a somewhat scary thing. What I like about the groups I dance with here is that it's as acceptable to sit against the wall and meditate as it is to dance. I often meditate or do yoga in corner when I'm not up to dancing the whole session. It's truly a safe space for me and I love it. ...
'And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.' -- Friedrich Nietzsche Yesterday I went for a walk in the wooded mountains near where I live. I had my iPod with me and I decided to listen to one of the Waves (a mix of dance music audio files) that one of my fellow 5 Rythyms dancers mixed and shared with me. Once I started listening to the music I couldn't help but turn my walk in the woods into a dance in the woods. ...
Take five minutes to let loose! Get up and move. 😀 … [click on title for the rest of the post]
I've gone to several 5 Rhythms Waves now. They are the most joyous and wonderful moments of my life right now as I continue to rehabilitate. When one surrenders to the energy of these waves one is swept away in the energy of the room, dancing from this trance state is a miracle every time as your body leads the way doing things you didn't even know it could do. … [click on title for the rest of the post]
I watched these lovely women dance with joy as I recognized my own journey in their dance. Music/moving both are profoundly healing. … [click on title for the rest of the post]
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