The dance within
"In order to understand the dance one must be still. And in order to truly understand stillness one must dance." - Rumi
An image that was used a lot during my Alexander technique training was that of a pot plant.
To the outside eye, it could of course seem 'still'. But, as we know, there is a lot of life and growth happening constantly in that plant. The roots pushing into the soil, the stem, leaves and flowers reaching for the sun. Without doing anything extra or unnecessary, it is the picture of vitality.
As a human, when I am still, for example meditating or waiting at a bus stop, it's a powerful and valuable exercise to connect to my roots going down and my head being led up to the sun.
But what happens when I move?
When the pot plant is moved from the table to the ground or vice versa, it's internal life remains the same. Roots down, everything else towards the sun. It doesn't matter where it moves in space, it's life directions remain.
As a human, when I move or am moved, both physically or emotionally, my internal life can easily be affected. I can lose my groundedness. I can stiffen around my neck, or any other part of me for that matter, not allowing the life within me to reach out and beyond me. I can be stuck in inertia and be physically pulled down.
And this is where the pot plant is so inspiring. How can I go about the simplest activity, maintaining my internal dance so that the stillest of movements can take place? The kind of movement that has nothing added to it. Efficient and artful, elegant and effortless.
For me, coming to stillness is the starting point. From the stillness I can connect to this dance of life. Nature is truly a constant source of inspiration.
Journaling prompts: When you are very quiet and still, do you notice movements happening within you? What are some of the unnecessary movements that happen in you when you make movements in your daily life?
