2021
Not going to lie, I am already missing being in 2020. Not for the events! But just because as a year it sounded so cool. Anyone else? Not that there is much point missing something as relentlessly changing as time! Whatever my emotions on the matter, time keeps going so I guess I will too.
"In Dance as in Life"
This is a phrase that came really early to me in my dance journey. And in my yoga practice as well. It tries to capture the idea that the way we move, the elements we find difficult, the things we find easy etc, are often pointing to parallel experiences in our wider life.
As an example, I have always found balancing very difficult. And in some ways it can be seen as an isolated part of my dance and yoga practice that I need to work on. But I can also consider that actually in life in general, finding my balance is something that I have found incredibly difficult as well. Balancing spending time with my family, loved ones, giving enough energy to my personal practices, developing in my non-dance career.
Quite often, we can use our application of how we grow in our movement practice to how we grow in life. In the case of balancing, recognising that all balances are a constant work in progress. The stillness of a balance being a complete illusion.
While at a superficial glance a balancing posture looks perfectly still and passive, it is in fact in constant incredibly subtle motion. You only have to watch ballet dancers' feet as they train on balance boards to see what an active practice balancing is.
Another perspective is the illusion of a clear distinction between balance and imbalance. Black and white. As if there is no in between, and there is no salvaging a balance once it is lost. Once again this assumes that to balance is a passive rather than active act. You either have it or you don't, you can have it for a moment and then it can be lost - hold your breath and hope for the best! But when you recognise that you can actually engage and adjust constantly, and that that's ok and actually very welcome... everything changes!
And I really feel like these lessons that we learn through our application to refining movement (or the apparent lack of!) can be applied to our wider lives. Finding a balancing point in our lives is not necessarily something we figure out once and then it's done. It is a constant work in progress, and that is ok! And some might find it easier than others - and maybe those that find it easier also find balancing poses easier?! (Please note this is not a tested theory)
I've honed in on balance as it's something I was thinking about yesterday, but this kind of thinking - of what is really happening in a movement, and what those movements represent if we try to find parallels in life - gives me so much constant food for thought and self development. And also I often find as I develop something in my movement world, it ripples out into how I approach my wider life.
Have you ever thought about these things? What did you notice and what parallels did you find? I'd love to hear from you!
New Video!
Some of you might have already seen, but I uploaded a new dance video onto my YouTube channel! It was filmed in September, I think in that last week of real heat that we had here in the UK... how I miss being warm and dancing barefoot on the grass! I really long for that sensation on quite a deep level really. Winter is hard for me (I'm typing this sat at my computer literally wrapped in a blanket).
It's a bit of all sorts; some yoga, some experimenting and some classical choreography. I hope you like it! You are welcome to subscribe to my channel as well 😊 More content is in the works!
Till next time...
Thanks as always for reading! And wishing you a happy rest of the month 😊
Warm wishes (literally!),
Maryam 🌺