For as long as I can remember I’ve been dancing. As a kid your body naturally responding to the rhythm, knees bouncing, arms hovering, that excited and curious look on your face. You remember?
As a child, I tried ballet (too much structure for me), stepped into jazz and African dances as a teenager and had great fun dancing reggaeton, dance hall, hiphop, r&b and street in my 20s. Ok, and in my 30s. Ok, I still love it, despite the often not do PC lyrics.
I continued dancing in Tanzania where I lived for 4 years. Once or twice a week we would gather with friends to the rooftop an hour or so before sunset and be guided by the drummer and the dance teacher through the Tanzanian dances, their lore and intrinsic joy! I’m so grateful for those years of dancing on that rooftop!
Having lived in Australia for more than 6 years, I’ve experienced so many conscious, embodied and sober movement experiences, of which dance is a part. First time I experienced Yoga Trance Dance™ guided by Shiva Rea on the Gold Coast I was immersed in the experience and got to merely observe what my body was doing.
Many of these conscious movement meditation experiences have taken place in group settings where you can share the experience but also be completely with yourself. Your choice.
When was the last time you have become the witness, outside the body? As a student of flow, allowing yourself to surrender to the creative current pouring through you? Not trying to make anything happen but just witnessing it happen. How could I not want more of that?
Taru Tuohiniemi Yoga 