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Dunya/Dancemeditation Enews, December, 2003
Seminars, Announcements, Practices & Pleasures
http://www.dancemeditation.org =================== In this Issue --->Quote of the Month
--->Seminar: PAINTING THE WIND: Mysticism in the Veil * Charlottesville, VA * 12/9
--->Retreat: WINTER MOVEMENT MONASTERY * 12/27, 2002 - 1/3, 2003 *
--->Practice of the Month
--->Real Fact of the Month
--->Reading Recommendations
--->Testimonial of the Month =================== Quote of the Month "As I began the opening sequence I fell into that peculiar comfort that practice brings. I think dancemeditators are a particular sort of beast. We need a time that is solitary and moves in a womb rhythm - a soothing embodiment encased in sound and sensation."
--Dunya Dianne McPherson, dancer, dancemeditation teacher, writer =================== Seminar: PAINTING THE WIND: Mysticism in the Veil
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
DECEMBER 6th, 2003 1:30-5:3pm
UNION YOGA LOFT, The Glass Building, 313 2nd St. SE The veil has easily recognizable symbolism but in this workshop we will focus more on sensation of the fabric, its drape, its metamorphosis possibilities, how it triggers the world of the unconscious and how it can draw us into transformative trance. We will also work with breath and fluid yoga to open the body as well as hip work, spinal wave and hand mudras as access points to the universal mind. Bring a mat to exercise on and a veil. REGISTRATION
$35 before by 11/30; $45 at the door
By Credit Card: through website http://www.dancemeditation.org
By Check: made to: ‘Dervish Society of America’
and mailed to:
Megan Morris
PO Box 5322
Charlottesville, VA 22905
INFO: 434-466-9484 =================== Retreat: WINTER MOVEMENT MONASTERY
DEC 27, 2002- JAN 3, 2003 **** Early Registration is December 1st **** This extended study periods encompass a variety of body-centered spiritual explorations and terrains. Fluid Yoga
Dancemeditation
Spiritual Bellydance
Sufi Healing
Writing from the body LOCATION: Margaret Austin Retreat Center, Chappell Hill, TX
Eight days. 10am -9pm. Food, housing & tuition included in fee.
Eight days (12/27-1/5)by 12/1, $650; after, $800
Five days (12/27-31) by 12/1, $450; after, $500
Weekend (12/27-29, Fr am thru Su 9pm) by 12/1, $250; after, $300
Single day: $100 (thru 12/31)
(Non-refundable fees: $250)
REGISTRATION
By Credit Card:
through website www.dancemeditation.org
By Check:
made to: ‘Dervish Society of America’
& mail to Dunya, 250 Elizabeth St. #7, NY, NY 10012
Information: Dunya 212-226-2114 MAC travel info: www.macenter.org 800-836-4757 =================== Practice of the Month Spine's Progress II This exercise continues from the earlier exercise Spine's Progress. It continues the integration of the spine and supports organ function through gentle nervous system stimulation. It may promote dreaming or early body memory. In a settled, clean, undisturbed room, do the sequence slowly at a relaxed pace. It has a watery, oceanic quality. Linger in the sensations, the feelings, the motions. Use easy-going, warm music. Lie on a well-cushioned but solid surface so the ground is there for you. (If you'd like to read guidelines about setting up an ideal practice environment, here is a link:
http://www.dancemeditation.org/contentDisplay.php?cntnType=Essay&cntnId=92)
It focuses on the upper body more intently and progresses into soft tissue stimulation and awakening. Bring your awareness the how the ground surface is connecting to you? Are your succumbing to the surface? Are your holding yourself off the surface? How does the surface feel to you? Supportive? Dragging? Irritating? Too hard, too soft, too unrelenting, too anything? Or does it feel like it rescues you? Or does it have a life of its own in relation to you? Here we are asking our bodies to let us in on what they are always doing which is to gather and respond to the environment. These questions can be asked at any time in the process of the next movement sequence. 1. Lying on your right side, bring let both arms drape on the floor to the right so you are facing them. You can support the head and neck with a folded blanket or cushion if you like. The legs can be twined as in the previous Spinal Twist (October enews) or lying one on top of the other. In this position begin a gentle wave the upper spine, a liquid undulation that can originate in the sacrum or higher up in the kidney area, or behind the diaphragm. Let the movement be soft. Let it meander into your neck and occiput so the head rocks against whatever it is resting, cushion or floor.
2. Extend the left leg down below your, away from your head. Now you are lying with the right leg bent in front of you and the left leg down. Let the right hip move slightly forward of the left so you are beginning to open the inside of the left hip. In this position continue the Spinal Undulation. There will be a new awareness in the spine and hip nexus.
3. Let the right hip slide more forward, the knee farther forward until you are nearly but not quite stomach down on the floor. The left armpit will quite open as the left arm slides out along the floor and the right arm will be under you on the floor the back of the shoulder blade with stretched. Continue the undulation and feel the left hip open and the right shoulder blade extend and open.
4. Slide all the way onto the floor. Here the right shoulder is in full extension. Continue the undulation. The left hip is full open. Be aware of how the floor massages the quadriceps. Let them go soft. Use the deep layer muscles to manipulate the spine so that the abdominals are simply riding the motion. You'll feel the abdominal wall pushing against the floor surface but don't use it to move the spine. Use the interior muscles to move the spine. This way the surface muscles and the organs are massaged and the deep layer support spinal muscles are engaged and strengthen.
5. Swing the left leg behind you and draw up onto your elbow so you sitting on your right hip. The legs in a swastika. With the left arm extending out from the shoulder in space to the left, Undulate the spine, again focusing on the motion motivated from the deep layer muscles, the psoas drawing the belly towards the spine.
6. Move into a deep concave curve in the torso, the mid-spine pulling back in space and the arm curving around in front pulling the opposite direction from the spine. This is an activated isometric pull.
7. Continue to curve the arm and deepen the torso curve until the arm laces between the supporting elbow and the hip and draws you over into a relaxed Twisted Pigeon. You will now be completely folded in on yourself with the back of the left shoulder in a deep stretch and the left leg extend beneath your with the front of the left thigh against the floor. Small undulation here to continue the unlocking and stimulation. If you are extremely limber you can take the right arm behind you so you are in a full open spinal rotation with your chest open to the ceiling.
8. Gently and gradually untwine yourself and come back to center. Rest and breathe and feel what is going on. © 2003 Dunya Dianne McPherson =================== Reading Recommendations Best anatomy book for movers/dancers!!! Calais-Germain, Blandine; Anatomy of Movement; Eastland Press, Seattle, WA, 1991 =================== Real Fact of the Month The foot contains 26 bones, 30 joints and 20 intrinsic muscles. =================== Bouns Real Fact of the Month The little stickers on fruits and veggies tell all. A label with four digits indicates conventionally grown food. Labels with five digits that start with an "8" indicate that the food was genetically modified. Labels with five digits that start with a "9" indicate that the food was organically grown. =================== Testimonials of the Month Celestial Body Weekend
Houston, TX * 11/2003 "Wow! This has been a wonderful experience. Truly eye opening. It has been an exploration of movement through various body parts - how we move through time and space and what it means to be cognizant of it all. How it makes us feel as well as what we may be expressing through these movements has been a deeper learning experience than most workshops have offered me. The workshop surpassed what vague expectation I night have had. I can't wait to come for a week or 10 days!" Kaye Goodrich, Baton Rouge, LA =================== And that is the end of our newsletter. Thank you very much! To UNSUBSCRIBE, please reply with 'Remove from List' in the subject line.
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