Dancing Into The Arms Of Harmony

By Monique Martineau

Char finds a place on the dance floor to stretch with the others. The music is calming – perfect after a long, hard day at work. She leans toward her toes remembering something her coach Toni said, "Setting high standards and then being hard on yourself when they're not met, creates stress. How about acknowledging yourself more and critiquing less?"

Gently twisting her spine, Char's jumps back in time, "You've come a long way, Baby." At 10 years old, her friend's older sister said she danced with a "cool" rhythm. She was shy knowing her body moved differently than others and didn't fast dance in public until after high school. In college, Char discovered dance class was the only time she didn't stress about grades and her beau. At the same time, she was disappointed that she couldn't kick her leg up to her nose or put her chest to the floor in second position, like real jazz and modern dancers. "Oops, I was critiquing!"

Char snaps back to the present as the DJ plays a song with a nice pulse, enticing them onto their feet. "Thank God for Sweat Your Prayers – freedom at last to dance my dance!" She acknowledged herself for her own magical way of moving to each of the 5 Rhythms. In another coaching moment, Toni said, "When people tell you they love to watch you move, receive it fully with the heart. You'll notice if the ego wants to make something of it. Even so, always be gentle with yourself."

"What a relief," Char thought, "I don't have to beat myself up anymore. I can just notice the innocence of ego and trust my wisdom to guide me from there."

Sure enough, some time passes, and Char wonders if she's being a little showy, she shakes it off with a little ragdoll dance, closes her eyes, and starts fresh. She listens carefully for the purity of what her body wants to do with the symphony of sounds. It feels beautiful. She asks herself, "Can I simply allow beautiful dancing to be here, without being showy or hiding?" She yields, "Yes, I think so."

The DJ pumps it up for Chaos, the third rhythm. The dancers are getting feisty, led by a few who are hootin' and hollerin'. No thinking now, just full on workout time – jumping, bopping, turning, twisting – letting it rip and staying aware so as not to get hit. Several songs go by while Char transitions from an inner to an outer dance. Her smiling eyes are an invitation to play. Open and receptive, many say yea! Men and women alike, mirroring each other and flirting a bit keeps it light.

Ah, the music shifts; time to bring it down again. Char's knees sink low as her snake-like arms swim slowly through the air. Another arm appears alongside hers. He presses against her forearm, rolling up to the shoulder... intuition takes over. Char flashes back, Toni's Tai Chi trainer said, "It's as though a butterfly is between you. If you press too hard, you squash it. If you lose contact, it flies away."

Their torsos bend and roll, changing directions without hesitation. Char's amazed they don't step on each others feet. Surrendering allows them to meet in a spontaneous moving meditation...butterfly in tact. With awareness and letting go, she notices harmony happening.

The song is over, the dance reaches closure. Lying back on the floor, arms out wide, Char is transformed. The stress of her day is far, far away.

In her coaching session a few days later, Char reports her delight of how higher awareness lowered her stress that night. Toni wraps it up, "Sounds like you were dancing in the arms of harmony."

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