Inspirations & Practices
Embody the rhythm that pulses within your chest, the beat of life beginning.
Embody the rhythm of your breath,
of the moon waxing and waning,
of the ocean tides flowing
in and out… in and out… in and out.
Embody the rhythm of the seasons changing,
the cycles of life repeating,
the rising and the setting of the sun.
Embody the rhythm within,
beyond the beat of the drum.
Practice Offering 1
Give yourself the length of one song.
Choose a song you enjoy.
For the length of the song,
feel into the sensations of your body.
If your body wants to lie still, lie still.
If your body wants to roll around, roll around.
If your body wants to jump and flail and thrash around, do that too, just make sure you have plenty of space around you so you don’t get hurt whacking a limb.
If your body wants to dance and sway like a graceful fish, be a fish.
If your body wants to seriously get down and groove, let it looooose!
Just the length of one song, that’s all you need.
Listen to your body and respond to what it’s asking for, just for the length of the song.
And if you find benefit from it, give yourself the length of a song again tomorrow (or play another song).
How your body wants to move (or be still) may be entirely different from day to day, week to week.
Befriend your movement, one song at a time.
The song is just a timekeeper,
your body is always there.
As an embodied mover and teacher, as well as someone engaged in justice work, I often feel the effects of emotional and mental stress in my body. It is a constant practice not to disassociate from the wisdom of our body’s messages. Our pain shows us when we can’t take any more and need a break, more rest, or to release by weeping or exerting. We’re able to move with more wisdom and clarity when we make time to listen to our body. Moving with care for our own wellbeing it can be as a prayer, intention, or an energy for all bodies that are in need of healing and justice.
Learn more about my Inspirations in the 2023 Practice Live Artist Feature
Practice Offering 2
We don’t always need music to be moved to dance.
Sometimes I’m alone with only the sound of the humming earth when I hear a familiar rhythm that makes me want to play.
The sound of the wind might invite me to spin or swirl or leap like I’m five years old again.
The feel of the ocean tide might inspire me to sway like sea grass just below the surface.
I invite you to explore the freedom of moving to the sounds of nature, without music to respond to.
See if you can move again like children do, free and unencumbered by “doing”, and instead exploring, playing, feeling… responding with the body to the textures around you.
Feel the texture of the ground beneath your feet, the surface of something smooth or prickly against your skin.
How do the sensations make you want to move?
How does it feel to explore movement guided by physical sensation, instead of by the mind’s choice or expectation?