A year or two ago I participated in a soul mapping exercise with Laüra Hollick. One of my compass points is "Appreciate Beauty Everyday"(the name of this blog). Another compass point is "Dance with Life".
For me dance = music + movement to the rhythm (not necessarily structured or choreographed). Music + movement are my keys to unlock how I feel in my body. As I dance intentionally I am energy in motion and feeling my e-motion. I notice any tension in my body, how it feels, where I am holding it. Sometimes I can just smile and shake it out. Physical and/or emotional aches and pains take a bit longer.
Ultimately, we can always choose how we want to feel. The first step is to be fully present to what we are feeling in our bodies right now (not the story in our head!). If it is a feeling that we would like to work through then we can choose our favourite way of expressing it through embodied action. We can dance through our feelings, walk through them, cycle through them, swim through them,etc. So many choices! I want to try the hula hoop and get back to serious roller skating! We can truly change the state of our feeling by the way we move our bodies (even just changing our facial expression and our posture makes a difference ). If the feeling is very strong it may be a slow process. We may need to take more time and gradually move through the feeling with more than one embodiment session. As I have practiced, I have found it easier to tune in to my body and move through feelings that do not feel good.
What are your reflections? Do you move through your feelings with a favourite embodiment practice? Have you discovered that it is easier to be in your body most of the time? I am not advocating being totally "out of our heads"- just letting go of the stories we create and rather feeling emotion with our bodies.
Please comment . I love the reflections you are sharing. You can comment here or send me an email colleen412@gmail.com or pm me on Facebook. Also you might enjoy some of my Pinterest boards https://www.pinterest.com/colleen2322/
Thank you for stopping by!
7 comments:
I love the wisdom in this post. A secret garden in which to dance and commune with nature sounds divine!
Thank you, Reba! I live in a place that fulfills my childhood dreams. My inner 8 year old is enchanted everyday!
Hello Colleen, I’m not sure I can call it embodiment practice, but I certainly get to grips with a lot of negative feelings while walking. I might start out feeling a little down or sorry for myself but within a short while the rustle of the wind through the trees or the bird's singing or any number of other small things are enough to lift my spirits.
Sadly, my garden is overlooked on all sides, and I would probably frighten the neighbours if I suddenly started dancing. Perhaps I should try doing a little jig while walking (first checking that nobody is watching!)
Hi Barbara! Walking the way you do certainly sounds to me like an embodiment practice. I can just see you walking in beautiful Somerset. I like the idea of doing a little jig while you walk.Anyone watching will be enchanted. It is a pleasure for most of us to see someone else having a good time, enjoying life! Keep me posted...
Lucky you to be able to fulfill your inner 8-year-old's daily dose of enchantment!
Hi Marcia! What does your inner 8 year old love?
Thank you for your lovely messages here and on my blog Colleen. I will look forward to catching up with your blog posts when I get back from my blogging holiday. It will be something nice to look forward to.
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