DESCRIPTION

 We give lip service to standing in our own power…but what does that mean? One reason we find it hard to define is we rarely do it. In fact, we spend much of our time trying to avoid our emotions. In Heartbeat we partner with our emotions, welcoming them, dancing alongside and within them. We find out what it is they want to tell us and move with and through them.

Flowing is the home rhythm of Fear – Our essential fear alerts and awakes us. We know to drop down into our bodies, to listen diligently and to be receptive in order to gather information. Do we need to fight or take flight? We find our feet and use them as the gateway into this essential emotion as we walk; glide; and spin on the skin of the great mother. Our movements are round and introspective as we connect to energy of fear.

Staccato is the home rhythm of anger – It is clear and concise. An important boundary has been cross or and injustice must be righted. When we allow our dance of anger to be organic and without mental drama we can clear up residual anger that has no place in the present. We do this when we embrace clarity as let our hips guide our movement and we give expression to whichever authentic aspect of the self is appearing in that moment. This authenticity is a gateway to resolution and release.

Chaos is the home rhythm of sadness – sadness is the one emotion that is universally disallowed. The minute someone is sad it is our sacred duty as friends; lovers; mothers/fathers; to cheer the person up with kindnesses and false platitudes. Yet it is the path to our joy. It is here that the shape sifting begins. When we dance faster than we can speak (even working on the floor in the moments when we tire); when we tremble and shake; when we let the gateway for the rhythm, our heads, roll and trash on our necks, we release and restore. That sadness moves up and through us with every quake; tremor; and shake.

Lyrical is home of the rhythm of joy – This rhythm is the letting go of letting go. We let our hands guide our movement as we let go of all effort. The sweetness of life pours in as we embrace ourselves with and in joy. In this rhythm our dance becomes a sweet nectar of self-
acceptance.

Stillness is the home rhythm of compassion– This is where we recognize our profound connection with all that is. We are not separate or isolated. The pauses that we create in our dance allows us to step more deeply into the Sacred. We understand (perhaps for the first time) that the dance has and will always exist within us. This knowledge makes room for our personal, individual answers to appear to us. This is because we are now ready to tap into our bodies’ wisdom.