Over the years, I have noticed that the only time I reach moments of total stillness of mind is when I am dancing. Whilst I do engage in more traditional forms of meditation, it takes a lot of effort to get rid of the other things buzzing in my mind- thinking about what to cook for dinner, whether or not I'm going to my parents' house at the weekend, that song I heard earlier that will not get out of my head... By the time I've got my mind to stillness, I have less time to actually meditate.
When I'm dancing, those thoughts vanish. They vanish because, in order to keep oneself from ending up a tangled heap on the floor, one must let the body take over. Yes, movement can be complex- and that's when it's most important not to think about it. For example, for the last two weeks, I have been learning a particularly difficult routine in street dance crew rehearsals. And, by difficult, I mean really fast. As in one move per syllable fast. It's a lot to remember, but the moment I start thinking "left leg needs to cross over the right to execute the slide", my legs get tangled and I've missed half a bar of movement. I put all my trust into my natural instincts and my kinetic memory to get the movements right.
Don't worry, I'm not recommending you all rush out to your nearest dance class and learn some near-impossible routine for meditation purposes (although, if my posts on dance have made you think about attending a class, do go for it). If you have a clear space in your home or garden, this is fine- you don't need a dance studio, just enough space to move without knocking yourself out or stubbing your toes. And it's up to you whether or not you use music. Some love to use it as inspiration, some find it distracting. I personally prefer to meditate without music, because otherwise I drop into "choreographer mode".
Then it becomes as simple as letting your body take over and move. Whatever your body feels like doing- want to raise your arm and make little circles with your hand? Go for it! Make sweeping motions low to the ground? Lovely!
Alright, it's easy for me to say. I'm a dancer. Many of you who know me outside the internet will know I have a tendency to dance at random, whether music is on or not. Not everyone is comfortable with flinging their arms and wiggling their hips. Just as not everyone can sit and stare into space in traditional meditation. This is where focus points come in.
In traditional meditation, people use flames, mandalas, crystals, e.t.c as focus points to still their minds. We can do the same in dance meditation by using tools in our movement. One very effective one I actually discovered recently whilst doing a dance demonstration- fabric. I had a bunch of rhythmic gymnastic props to experiment with (and to encourage children to use to get them dancing) and among them were some pieces of crystal organza. Due to their thin, flowy nature, they float beautifully in the air and reflect light in an almost hypnotic way. I let go of the fabric and then used my arms (and eventually legs, head and back) to keep it in the air. It allowed me to move my body in ways I may not have explored without it, and I got to play with momentum, direction and levels. On top of all that, I was so transfixed on the fabric that those thoughts of "I'm tired, when's lunch? What routine should I teach later? I wonder what Mr Shanti will make for dinner..." disappeared.
It doesn't have to be crystal organza- any fabric will do- either keeping light fabric suspended in air as I did, or moving heavier fabrics around the body. Using a stimulus to guide your movement will pull you away from "what should I do next?" to focussing on the fabric and letting your body react instinctively.
Most importantly, don't feel like you need to be a movement genius to do this- we all start somewhere. And, really, dance meditation has very little to do with technical ability and more to do with utilising your body to still your mind (not to mention all those lovely endorphins that get released in exercise). You don't even need to use your whole body- don't feel as though mobility issues should get in your way. Stay seated and move your arms; wriggle your toes; gently move your head- even your eyes count! If you're experienced in working on the Astral, you could dance in the Astral. I've done that a few times myself- there I am much more flexible and acrobatic! Also, visualising yourself dancing is still very good for your body, as your brain still fires signals similar to those that actually do initiate movement.
Finally, never feel discouraged if you aren't successful the first few times (or ever). Trying something new is always an achievement, you're challenging yourself. If you did everything perfect all the time, there would be nothing to accomplish. Another example from my life- over the summer, I had some issues with a trapped nerve in my leg. It was horribly painful and it took a lot of strength out of my right leg- now I am having to retrain that leg. It's been really frustrating not being able to do things that I normally can do- my flexibility took a hit and I have been having trouble balancing on my right leg (although, bright side, my left leg is a lot stronger than it used to be). Yesterday, though, I managed to do a one-legged pose on my right leg in Yoga without falling or needing to stop earlier than everyone else. For me, that was an achievement- although not a big deal to someone else my age, or even myself before the trapped nerve.
My point is, dance meditation is completely 100% about you. Don't feel pressured by the word "dance" (or even the word "meditation"). Give it a go and see if this opens up a new level of practice for you.
If you want to share your experiences, please do! Either in the comments or the CoA forums. And, if you see me around at Witchfest, I'll be happy to hear your thoughts then too!
Blessings,
Shanti
xx