The Art of Listening

For the last few months my mantra has been "Listen". Practicing the art of listening in nature is magical. Birds, trees, bugs, neighbours, my own breath...there's so much to listen to! And then of course there is listening to others, my partner, students, friends, my little dog Roxy, my body, my intuition...

Listening is simplex. Its simple in the way that there is only one instruction, one focus...listen. Its complex because there seems to be many many distractions that can get in the way of really listening. My body sometimes wants to fidget and my mind tracks other stories of past or future possibilities.

To help in my practice of listening, I have been using Nia's RAW state of being as a way to drop into a deeper relationship with listening.

TRY IT!

Relaxed refers to the body, either standing or sitting, with an upright spine. Your chakra centers are aligned and open. Relaxed is marked by an absence of tension in your body.

Alert refers to the mind and means that while your body is relaxed, your mind is not sleepy. Instead, your mind is alert--not preoccupied with thoughts or opinions, but simply curious about the different sounds and spaces of silence that come and go.

Waiting refers to the attitude of your spirit. You are waiting in wonderment, open and curious to whatever arises in the music, rather than passing judgments such as "this isn't good," or "I can't dance to this." Waiting is a spiritual attitude of complete acceptance and open-mindedness. It keeps you centered and focused on allowing sounds to come, instead of seeking, thinking and judging.

(From Nia Newsletter)

Listening is key to any human relationship, and it is certainly a key to deepening into your relationship with music and the dance.

Here's a link to listen to Nia music online...for FREE! Use this link to continue dancing through the summer, and to practice the Art of Listening.

I also use the music of Andre Nobels quite often in class. His music is an instant "Heart Lock-in" and his smooth voice is so fun to ride with movement.

Enjoy!

Exercise: RAW

Sometime today or tonight, put on any piece of music and practice RAW. Sit upright, relax your body, keep your mind alert...and now wait. Wait for the magic to begin. You will be amazed at how you feel after you listen wholly, giving your complete attention to your music-muse.

Centering

Movements of the Week:

Body-centering exercises from the Nia Technique

Ex#1 Step-in Triangle Focus - This is an excellent movement meditation to begin any practice with. The intention is to practice the art of becoming body-centered. Consciously tune into what movement forms you will integrate (eg. Aikido) and what you will focus your mind and intention on during your dance. (eg. centering)


Ex#2 Slow-Clock Step- Imagine stepping into the center of a clock or compass. Then practice moving from the center, and returning to center with simple and precise foot work. Pay special attention to how the foot is placed in each of the directions. Once your feet know where to step, allow this simple movement meditation to become a dance!



This week we focused on "Centering" in our dance. We used the martial art form of Aikido to energize our movments. O Sensei, the father of Aikido would say to his students, "The only difference between you and me is that I return to center faster than you."
Center is a source of energy, creativity, and balance. Center is the place where you have access to both power and grace.

Although the main center of the body is the hara, located about one inch below the belly button and in the center between your belly and back, you can focus on many centers throughout the body. In our dance we found the center in our breath, our feet, the palms of our hands, and in our hearts.

Today, I am practicing a form of Self-Centering. I created a sacred space in the garden just for me. My intention was to connect with my center. My focus was my heart. First I cleared the space, raking away dead leaves and branches. Then I began to "altar" the flowers, playing with each of them and delighting in the song that seemed to be "singing me". Prrrimmmrossssesss...
The flowers danced into a heart shape, and in the center I placed stones in the 5 directions. Each of them representing aspects I am finding my own center in. As I practice the "slo-clock" movement meditation, I imagine blending into the space in each direction, and embodying the energy of the sacred stones I placed there.

Hummingbird came to dance in the sunshine with me, reminding me of the JOY I feel when I'm at peace in my center. Ahhhhhh....I am so grateful for the gifts of spring.

Choosing consciously to connect to and move from your own center is an excellent way to create the sensation of dynamic ease. This is what we'll focus on next week!

With JOY,
Missy