Dancing Our Way
I once read a story written by an on-line friend about how she loved to dance to the song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly when she was young. She described it a tribal, psychedelic, wild, and wonderful experience.
When I was a teenager, we would dance to that song in the dance hall in the armory building. Dancing the whole 17 minute song was a challenge, but if you could do it, you could get into an altered state of consciousness. At the time, it just seemed like we were having fun, but dancing has long been a form of active meditation. The form that most readily springs to mind are the Sufi Whirling Dervishes, a spiritual dance that is over 700 years old.
The great Sufi poet Rumi said, “We rarely hear the inward music, but we're all dancing to it nevertheless.”
If you've ever had the opportunity to attend a drumming circle you know that it is very hard to stop yourself from dancing to the rhythm of the drums. It calls to us in a primal way, reaching back to ancient tribal cultures from all continents. I don't seem to have the talent to be a drummer, but when the drums begin around a bonfire, Grannysage will be up and dancing.
Michael Jackson 3D wall art - ad
Michael Jackson understood the power of dance at a deep level. I love what he had to say about dance and consciousness. “Consciousness expresses itself through creation. This world we live in is the dance of the creator. Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye but the dance lives on. On many an occasion when I am dancing, I have felt touched by something sacred. In those moments, I felt my spirit soar and become one with everything that exists.
I become the stars and the moon. I become the lover and the beloved. I become the victor and the vanquished. I become the master and the slave. I become the singer and the song. I become the knower and the known. I keep on dancing then it is the eternal dance or creation. The creator and creation merge into one wholeness of joy. I keep on dancing...and dancing...and dancing. Until there is only...the dance.”
This is a time in my life when physical dancing is difficult. I could give various reasons, such as back problems from my scoliosis, depression, or simply lack of space to move in my RV. Dancing for me seems to be a thing of the past. But dancing is not just a physical movement. It is also mental attitude. All of life is a dance. Our interactions with others and our environment becomes a dance. It is our choice whether to make it an elegant waltz, a joyful jitterbug, or a whirling dervish.
Go ahead and take a 17 minute break and dance your heart out.
I become the stars and the moon. I become the lover and the beloved. I become the victor and the vanquished. I become the master and the slave. I become the singer and the song. I become the knower and the known. I keep on dancing then it is the eternal dance or creation. The creator and creation merge into one wholeness of joy. I keep on dancing...and dancing...and dancing. Until there is only...the dance.”
This is a time in my life when physical dancing is difficult. I could give various reasons, such as back problems from my scoliosis, depression, or simply lack of space to move in my RV. Dancing for me seems to be a thing of the past. But dancing is not just a physical movement. It is also mental attitude. All of life is a dance. Our interactions with others and our environment becomes a dance. It is our choice whether to make it an elegant waltz, a joyful jitterbug, or a whirling dervish.
Go ahead and take a 17 minute break and dance your heart out.
Header image is from Pixabay and adapted by me.