Spinning improves attitude
The desire to reach an altered state, to connect with something larger than ourselves is a common theme throughout human religion and philosophy. But the longing to reach higher states of being, or just to simply feel better is universal. Young children know how. One of the simplest methods of altering your present state is to spin for a prolonged period of time. My four-year-old daughter would do this, over and over, and after she stopped, while her eyes were still visibly spinning around in her skull, she would utter one single word: again. Not only is it exhilarating; it’s addictive.
The entire Sufi religion has been built on the foundation of using a spinning dance as a way to connect with higher consciousness. For thousands of years, Sufi dancers, known as Whirling Dervishes, have been spinning their way to ecstatic states, their full-skirted tunics flaring out around them, as if they are ready to fly.
You don’t have to be a Sufi to enjoy the benefits of spinning your heart out. Put on your favorite tune and spin away. You may not experience ecstasy (but then again, you may), but you might relive a few moments of childish exuberance. Who knows? It might just be the very cure you’ve been searching for.
Happiness First, For a Change
Recently, during a group conversation, each member was asked to describe what makes them happy. In Spanish. After all, it was a Spanish language group, although the response would have been the same in any language. My own answer came quickly to mind: salsa dancing. It has been an ongoing source of entertainment and joy for quite some time. Another thought soon followed: if certain things make us feel that happy, shouldn’t we do them as often as possible?
It can be difficult to find time to set aside for things that aren’t work or family-related, but if they are essential components for our ongoing happiness, then it seems like we can’t afford not to set some time aside. The reality is that there will always be a million excuses, a million reasons why not. Maybe it’s time to make a different mental list, a list that instead spells out all the reasons why.
Ask yourself simply, “What makes me happy?” and see what comes to mind. Follow it with the next obvious questions, “Am I setting enough time aside to do this activity?” and “What are some creative ways to add a little bit more of it into my week?” For instance, you may also be a salsa dance addict, and while it is not always possible to get dressed up and dance the night away, it probably is possible to blast your favorite tunes in the living room and dance your heart out.
Whatever it is that puts a smile on your face is important. A sense of happiness is important. Isn’t it worth putting happiness first?
Viva Salsa
Salsa has become the rage all across the country. In the Bay Area alone, a salsa aficionado can dance to live music seven days a week in a variety of clubs. But some people are afraid to give salsa dance a spin, feeling intimidated to even try. However, it really isn’t as hard as one might think; if you can follow a musical tempo and count to three, you’re good to go.
There is a good reason that salsa enjoys its current popular status: the music is infectious. It isn’t just the salsa beat, it’s the instruments themselves; they have cool names like conga, claves, timbales, and the guiro. And don’t forget about the good old cowbell.
Anyone can learn the basics of rudimentary salsa dance, which coincidentally is referred to the “basic step”. Beginners should start with music that has a slower tempo, to make it easier to keep time with the music. Although salsa music is played in a series of eight counts at a time, we only count in threes: 1-2-3 (pause 4), then 5-6-7 (pause 8). To keep things simple, start on the right foot, stepping it back and step right-left-right for the first set of three counts, then the left goes forward, left-right-left for the next set. Repeat.
That’s it for the first lesson, in a nutshell. Learning to hear the counts while simultaneously moving your feet is the most important fundamental to grasp, and it is a fun skill to acquire. Keep practicing until it becomes second nature, and then you can cut loose.
Viva salsa!
Walk Around the Clock
The way we walk in the world says a lot about who we are. Whether your walk is springy, shuffling, or swaggering, it is a statement. Some walk gently on tiptoe, others pound the pavement with splayed feet… but when working with children, teaching them to walk correctly and with confidence will help them move forward.
To work with walking in a class setting, begin by having everyone walk normally, in any direction they choose. Have students begin to notice their own walking styles. Do they move slowly or quickly? Heel first or toe first? What happens with their arms as they walk?
Next, try playing with some exaggerated walks. Walk slowly and carefully, placing the heel first, then rolling through the foot to complete each step. Kids can walk like different animals, such as ducks, horses, or frogs. Try taking huge steps with the arms swinging, and then contrast that and take tiny tiptoe steps. Walk very quickly, then very slowly.
Finally, encourage students to come up with their own variations, each person taking a turn at leading. Walk like an Egyptian, walk backwards, or try a kicking walk. Who knows what other funny interpretations might arise.
Walking is one of the first skills we develop, and one of the best forms of exercise. It’s also a whole lot of fun to explore the many different ways it can be done.
Pain is a message
Pain of any sort is a message that there is something requiring our attention. Whether it is emotional or physical pain, we have to stop, check in, and decipher the clues in order to come to full comprehension of what the pain is trying to tell us. If the pain is emotional, dance can be a wonderful way to release those feelings and experience catharsis. If the pain is physical, then we need to take a close look at how we are treating our bodies.
Every so often, students mention feeling pain after doing certain movements. My response is that pain is a very clear voice that is instructing us to do less, proceed more slowly and gently, or maybe not do a certain movement at all. The most common reason for physical pain is forcing. This might mean forcing the body too far in a certain pose, or moving too quickly or strenuously. Remind students that we have an ongoing dialogue with our bodies; they speak to us all the time, letting us know what is needed. For instance, when our body needs water, we feel thirsty. It is our job to listen carefully and take the very best care of our bodies that we can. They are containers for the mind and spirit; we only get one, so we’d better keep it happy and healthy.
Emotional pain is a different type of message, and dance can be helpful as a means of exploration. If we can approach dance as a form of moving meditation, allowing ourselves to simultaneously feel powerful emotions and explore their underlying causes, we can come to a place of clarity and release. It is quite amazing to experience the feet moving rhythmically and the mind circling in an ongoing state of inquiry, sifting through thoughts and ideas. If it is something you have never tried before, you might find it to be incredibly liberating and helpful. It can be incredibly beneficial to children to have a means of understanding, naming, accepting and expressing their feelings. It is an incredibly empowering tool they can carry for the rest of their lives.
Sometimes the “small, quiet voice” of our subconscious, or inner guidance system gets easily drowned out by the many other competing voices and projects. Pain, however, is not so easily ignored. Its message is clear; it is time to listen and adjust. It’s in our best interests to do so.
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Resting
Today is Sunday, which for many is traditionally a “day of rest”. Yet many of us have lost this fine art; resting is neither culturally encouraged nor appreciated, yet it is such a vital practice, and so necessary to our ongoing well-being. Other cultures such as Spain, for instance, have incorporated resting into the very fabric of society- it even has a special name, “siesta”. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? How different would our lives be if we all made an effort to include rest as a regular practice?
Because it is a forgotten art, today seems like a good day to give it a test drive. After all, the only way to improve at a given activity is to practice. Resting can happen so many different ways, and over time you will probably find your own personal favorites, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. Cloud gazing. Chances are that you did it as a kid but then forgot about it somewhere between then and now. However, it can bring just as much joy now as it did then, especially if you share the activity with your kids (or someone else’s). See what your imagination can find among the shapes.
2. Napping. Sometimes forty winks is all it takes.
3. Resting with your eyes closed. This similar to napping with a slight degree of difference. Turn off ringers, tvs, all electronics, and set a timer if you need to. Get really, really comfortable, close your eyes and… breathe.
4. Sit somewhere beautiful. Don’t do anything else. Just sit and drink it in with your eyes and your soul.
5. Float. In your bathtub, a hot tub, a pool, a lake, it doesn’t matter where you go, just as long as you can let your body fully decompress.
As a forewarning, relaxation can become addictive, but how many other addictions can claim to be so life-sustaining? Sunday is just as good a day to get started practicing the fine art of really letting go.
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Enjoy!!
Start With The Heart
The heart is the very center of our being, and the powerhouse of emotion. It is a muscle that keeps time, circulates oxygen-rich blood throughout the body, and holds the key to our ongoing emotional state. It is also the first place to focus our awareness, so that we can tune in to where we are at at any given time, on any given day. In a sense, then, it is the very core of where any dance begins. Dance can be used to examine and express our dynamic emotional state, and by doing so, our movement becomes a moving meditation.
Seeing often comes at the expense of tuning into to alternate senses. so in order to feel where your heart is at, begin by closing the eyes. Place your focus on your heart center and examine what is there. Does it feel tight or expanded? Warm or cold? Anxious or relaxed? No matter what the feeling may be, it is the starting point for self-expression in dance.
Once you have clarity about your present state of mind, begin to ask yourself how to translate this into movement. If the feelings are intense, then the movements will most likely match, being more staccato, sharp, angular. If the feelings are soft, then the movements will reflect that.
Every so often, we need an alternate emotional outlet for self-expression, and dance can fulfill that role. Consider using dance as a therapeutic salve, a means of moving energy out of the body, and a map to connect us with our higher selves. When we need a way to say something important, sometimes it’s easier to let our body do the talking.
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Breathing For More Power in Your Dance
Breath is not only life, it is also an important component of dance. Consciously linking breathing to our dance enhances each movement and makes them more powerful. Breath evenly also gives us another way to maintain a rhythm while we move.
The simplest way to test this theory is to begin with focusing on the breath, focusing our attention on each cycle of inhaling and exhaling. After following a few cycles, begin to move one way on the inhale, and a different way on the exhale. For example, rise on tiptoes with the arms reaching toward the sky while inhaling, and then bend the knees and let the body sag on the exhale.
As always, experimenting with a new technique will help you gain mastery. In general, inhaling makes us more buoyant, so this part of the breath brings more power to expansive poses, like stretches and jumps. Exhaling brings power to poses that involve contraction, or folding parts of the body together, such as bending, kicking.
To teach the technique to children, begin slowly and simply. Have them come into a standing position, and close their eyes so they can begin to focus on their breath. After a few breaths, have them open their eyes, and move the arms first, reaching them up to the sky, fingers spread wide while inhaling, then letting them float down to their hips on the exhale. From there, you can make it into an inhale/exhale breathing game. The teacher will be the first leader, showing one pose for inhale and a different pose for exhale. Switch leaders every few minutes until everyone has a turn.
Breathing brings oxygen to our muscles and power to our dance. Take a deep breath and begin.
Mirror Your Partner
Mirroring movements is a short, fun exercise to try whenever you have a few spare minutes. Just like in cartoons, it’s guaranteed to get a few laughs, but it’s also a great way to foster connection between partners. Connection is so much of what dance is about, anyway, whether it’s connection to our own emotions and experiences, connection with our Higher Selves, or connection with others. Watching a partner’s movements and mimicking them with our own bodies is a playful way to learn about focusing attention on someone else.
Each child needs a partner, so either have them choose for themselves, or divide the class into two lines, and pair up one child from each line. Next, partners face one another and decide who will lead first and who will follow. Initially, you may want to have them stand in one place and simplify the movements, using one body part at a time, such as the arms, legs, or head. Before starting the music, remind children to proceed slowly in the beginning, so the followers are able to keep up with the leaders.
Once they have mastered simple mirroring, begin to encourage them to explore moving multiple body parts, expanding their shapes, and moving around the room. In the spirit of equality, be sure to set a time limit for the leaders, such as five minutes, and then switch so that leaders will get a chance to be followers and vice versa.
Next time you need a quick break, or a simple exercise to fill in a few extra minutes, try mirroring; it’s guaranteed fun.
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Teaching is an Ongoing Experiment
It has been said more than once that great teachers are continuously in the process of learning. After all, it is only by evolving our knowledge that we will have things to share with students, and the way to come up with new ideas is to experiment. In other words, we have to walk the walk first to be able to demonstrate it later.
This means that if we are looking to share dance and movement exercises with children, the best place to begin is with ourselves. First, set the intention to incorporate movement experiments and play into your day to day routine, and then be sure to set aside time and space to enjoy and explore. The fact that you are simultaneously learning and doing something good for your body is a huge bonus.
Inspiring music that speaks to your heart and a little bit of floor room are the only required ingredients. It can be helpful to have a wall mirror to evaluate what you are doing from time to time, to see which shapes and movements work better together. Seeing your movements helps with remembering later on.
The best teachers are enthusiastic about their material, evolving dynamically in their own quest for ideas and inspiration. Setting aside some time for playful experimentation is a rich source of value for you as a teacher and for every student you meet along your path.
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