Shake Your Tambourine

Together, we shall dance. Let us hold our faces to the sun even when it’s hidden behind the clouds. May we step into the sea and trust that it will part and not swallow us whole… and if it does, then at least we will know that we are whole, living whole-heartedly and following our dreams. Our dreams flying in the wind like streamers on a tambourine.

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rooted in dance?

This morning I am catching a few brief moments to jot down some thoughts from my recent list. Even as my feet are tired from an unplanned long walk in not the best shoes ☺, I turn to the topic of roots and dance.

When I think of being rooted and dancing, I have little movies that seem to run across my mind. I recall the first time I placed my head onto the ground resembling a Muslim form of worship. It was during a class on creativity and I did not recognize it as worship at the time, but there was something akin to an electrical charge that went through my body and I felt like I could stay in that position forever. I remember thinking at the time that I could see why part of Muslim prayer is to place the forehead onto the ground. This movement has carried over with me as I have become more active in my yoga practice (i.e. attending classes a little more regularly). Whenever I have the opportunity to go into “child’s pose” (see photo) I always noticeably relax. I have considered whether or not this is just a relief from the more strenuous poses and I imagine that is a bit of it. However, there is something innate in me that feels the groundedness and connection with the earth, with God, with life when I am in this position. Hmmmmm.

But on with the movie…I see trees swaying in the wind as Tess suggested in her comment to this post. I am reminded of a woman in the park I saw the other day. She was standing very still next to a huge tree. I did not want to stop and stare but I cannot get this image out of my head. It was like she and the tree were one. I sensed a gentle swaying in her alongside the mammoth oak. It was as if they were dancing and praying together even though their movement was almost unrecognizable. They were both grounded and dancing.

Shortly after I wrote this post, I was sent an e-mail that spoke of the root chakra. When I did a little research I found many more interesting connections between this “root” and dancing. This little piece really resonated with me:

“Dancing is very good for grounding. In the summer, go barefoot. House cleaning and cooking is also grounding. Hug a tree, take care of your plants.”

In my NIA (no impact aerobics) class, we are advised to do the class without shoes because this provides us a greater ability to feel the earth (or in this case the gym floor), which again enhances that sense of being grounded. My favorite little vignette in this current movie happened the other day near the end of class when we were able to move with our own rhythm throughout the room. For a few brief moments, I felt very beautiful and light and flowing (as opposed to the often clunky and cumbersome feelings when trying to follow the graceful teacher ☺). It was as if I were floating just above the ground. I was truly dancing to the rhythm of my own soul and, paradoxically, even in this ‘floating’ there was the strong sense of connection to everything. Grounded, methinks. ☺

Many many more thoughts come to mind as I think of dancing and being grounded, but alas the day calls me to move forward for now. It is a glorious day with much to look forward. So, for now I will pause with these questions. Where are the places you feel most grounded? When are the times you want to dance? Do the two hold any connection for you?