The Contrast of Movement and Stillness
Reflecting on the night I danced away my grief; I realized that the healing journey didn't end with the last step of my dance. That healing journey seemed to be a part of a more significant dance at play… one that wasn’t so linear. It was in the moments of quiet that followed, when I sat in the aftermath of my breakdown, that I found a different kind of release.
These moments, devoid of physical movement yet filled with the rise and fall of my belly, an internal motion—the stirring of past memories leaving my body, the shifting of perspective, the quiet acknowledgment of energy in motion in my body - this all dropped me even deeper into The Now. I found myself only able to focus on my breath and the feel of the floor holding my little body. In that stillness, I found gratitude.
Life often feels like a continuous dance, moving us seamlessly from one moment to the next. But it's in the pauses, the quiet intervals between the “bigger moments,” where we often find the most profound insights. Just as a dancer values the minute pause before the next step (often to create a clearer picture), I’ve come to appreciate quiet interludes.
Venturing into Mindfulness
Excited by the peace I found in moments of post-dance stillness, I began to explore the world of mindfulness. This wasn't about leaving movement behind but about complementing it with the reflective depth that comes from meditation. The absolute presence and dance with The Now.
It was here that I encountered a different form of movement—Delving deeply into the sensations of the present moment, I connected with an energy far more powerful than anything I had previously encountered. This profound energy physically guided my movements and led me through an extraordinary dance of existence where nothing mattered to my awe of what was.
I hope to articulate this one day as beautiful as the experience was.
This journey into stillness taught me that the dance of life isn't just about the physical steps we take and the internal movements that happen when we're still. Like our breath… the pause before and after your exhale must exist for the inhale and exhale to exist.
Adding mindfulness to dance created a meditation that showed me how to navigate the internal landscape with the same grace and fluidity I aim for in dance. They allowed me to sit with my emotions, observe them without judgment, and find peace amidst the turmoil. Now, my work is to take that dance into my daily life.
Forward Step by Step
As we progress, I invite you to join me in exploring stillness as a complement to movement. Whether your release comes from a vigorous dance or the stillness of meditation, it's the journey inward that often leads to the most significant shifts. In our meeting, we'll explore how to integrate these practices into our lives, not as a dichotomy but as complementary forces that guide us through our life’s journey.
