Week One: Session Summary
Part 1: Words of Wisdom: Relaxation and impulsiveness. Read more below.
Part 2: Follow Me: Floor Movement. This session we will be lying on the floor. Near the end, you will need a long veil or strap to loop around you foot and gently manipulate your leg’s the range of motion.
Options for the end of the video session:
- Movement: Either scrub the video back and use the flute music as you close your eyes and let your body move; or turn on your music, close your eyes, and let your body move…(I suggest 15 minutes on your own then 5′ rest.)
- Writing Cue: If you prefer writing… What comes to you with the word’ intuition’? Is it in your body? Your heart? Your thought? Is it sharp, or gray, or muted or incessant? Write freely. Anything that comes.
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About Relaxation
Here are my Four Rs:
Relaxation. Receptivity. Reciprocity. Rest.
Relaxation is the first. Our bodies hold a lot of stress. From not moving. From moving unconsciously. From moving inefficiently. From moving under duress or with engrained injuries. The best first stage for unwinding theses stresses–which are not only body stresses but stresses of our entire being–is to relax.
Physical Relaxation:
Use less effort. Move softly. Don’t grind. Don’t invite pain. Move with ease. Breathe fully. Take your time. We don’t need to be better or more brilliant or compete with who we have been or who we wish we were or who we imagine we are going to be. Come to what is happening right now. It is perfect. This is my version of relaxation. Coming to the present moment. Moving and feeling and sensing and breathing, aware of what you are doing.
Psychic Relaxation:
In the video I speak of impulsiveness and the desire to ‘get away’ from what you are doing right now. This is the holy grail of meditation: staying here, staying present. As we move and focus on what we are doing, we will inevitably run into moments of scattered thinking or feelings of discomfort. We may want to do anything other than what we are doing. These are all normal. These are our patterns of anxiety, and a great deal of it is habitual and automatic. Move and breathe and be relaxed as you watch these waves of impulsiveness come and go. Like little storms. The weather of the self.
Once you’ve gotten fluid with observing the approach and departure of your impulsiveness and anxiety, you can look a little more closely for the front edge of your storm. There is always a warning sensation, a place where your anxiety begins. It is usually subtle. Over time and with attention, it will be easier and easier to perceive this initiating sensation. It is often a body sensation. The importance of this subtle feeling is that it is the place where you can avert entering into the storm of anxiety, because the storm is a lot of disruptive biochemistry. It is hard on our bodies and beings to be flooded again and again with our same anxieties. If we can catch the storm before it bursts, and breathe and relax, we can avoid entering into the maelstrom of distressed and stressful biochemistry.
Next Week: Receptivity
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About the Beautiful Music
The music we are moving to in this series–‘Sufi Music of Turkey‘ by Kudsi and Suleyman Erguner–is classical, contemplative, deeply entrancing Sufi music. Ney is a Middle Eastern flute. Taksim means ‘improvisation.’ Erguner hails from a musical family. His father, Ulvi Erguner, and grandfather, Suleyman Erguner, were well-known players of the ney. In addition to what he learned from his father and grandfather, Erguner learned from the older musicians who often visited his childhood home. Erguner’s knowledge of Turkish classical music was enhanced through his studies of the Sufi tradition.
The art is profound and soul-connected. Sufis use music to enter the Present Moment, to be at one with the Divine. I can think of no better accompaniment for our pursuit.
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Why I Chose ‘Intuitive Flow’
In the March series I offered an array of topics for exploration. It was almost a survey course of movement mantras. A ‘book’ of body prayers.
‘Intuitive Flow’ is quite different. It is the central practice. It is simple in appearance. Move. Be present. This simplicity is the essence of Dancemeditation and the Sufi path. Unadorned, direct, it does not offer entertainment. It is purposeful. We pursue the Moment to be self-connected, where all healing comes from, and to be in Communion, where all Truth comes from.
My life at this specific juncture demands this work. I knew I could bring myself to this solace despite demand and frenzy and worry that has been my companion for the past few months. So that is why I offer it.
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Flower
Lilacs are in bloom in the northeast and the perfume is transporting. This scent stops time for me. What does the fragrance of lilacs evoke for you?
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Additional Links
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This session is for you. Thanks for not sharing.
(Of course please feel free to spread the word about how wonderful these classes are!
Next time your friends can join us.)
©2013 Dunya Dianne McPherson
I look forward to reading about your experiences with
your movement & breath & sensation and and and…
Please comment below!
Email me: dervish@dancemeditation.org
Thanks, Dunya. I have always resisted the Erguner music! but this time, once I managed to let go, I found it takes me into the bones of my bones. Only for moments, mind you, but that’s a start. Blessings, Mary
Lovely image, Mary. ~ The thing that came to me was how with some music we need to go beyond our hearing.
Mary, reflecting further without really knowing if this can be helpful, when I consider ‘hearing,’ I think of the music’s ‘volume.’ We live in an age of control of music; acoustic experience is rare. Hearing a live musician play acoustically usually gives us a natural auditory balance, but we mostly hear music from a device that narrows the signal, eliminating important wavelengths making the hearing experience harsher; it also leaves the issue of how loud or soft in our hands. Having the music at different volumes accesses different parts of us. This is a very simple detail but so crucial.… Read more »
soft flow . . . drifting away . . . and coming back
I’m loving this, Dunya. There’s a subtle shift of perspective on days that I do this (so far 5 out of 6). Amazing what 20 minutes can do… AND, I just bought a used copy of the music–couldn’t find my old one.
Love to you!
Dearest Dunya,
Loving this intention – thank you! Moving with you, at the pace of slowly dripping Molasses. Completely relaxed into the body, bones, muscles – unusual sense of security surrounds me now, as if in the womb ; protected, safe, nothing do, just be.
Great one! Lots of love to you – Aggie
Thank you, Mary & Aggie ~
It IS a lagoon with deep colors lapping around us…
That security, Aggie, — this is just coming to me — is you. The center of you…
Just so very beautiful, Dunya – your insight – looking forward to being together at the next session…