Rhythm and Balance
by Bryan Brewer, Producer, Self-Guided.com
During my recovery from minor foot surgery for the
past month I have been unable to get very much exercise.
I didn't realize how much I have missed it until I
noticed my excitement today about returning tonight to my favorite form of exercise --
ecstatic dance.
Not only have I discovered a great community of people to
connect with, but ecstatic dance is a wonderful experience of free-form movement
expression that liberates my body and soul. (For more details about this community
in Seattle, see www.ecstaticdanceseattle.com)
The magic and mystery of this experience for me is
beautifully expressed in the following quote from Joel and Michelle Levey's book Living
in Balance:
"Our need for and delight in
rhythmic, bilateral movement has its genesis in the rhythms we experienced in the
womb. From the first instant of our life, we are woven into form through the rhythms and
pulsations of our mother’s heartbeat and breathing; the rhythms of her walking and
talking, her activity and rest; and the changing balance of biochemicals that flowed
through our united veins. As our own heart began to beat, our form emerged as a dance
between the harmonic wave forms and pulsations of our own internal rhythms and those of
our mother, and of the environment in which she lived. From the moment of our birth, the
dance that is our life has continued to be woven on a loom of many rhythms."
"Consciously or unconsciously,
the balance or imbalance of our inner rhythms and outer rhythms work in harmony or
disharmony to weave the fabric of our lives. Is it any wonder that such miraculously
simple things as walking, sleeping, dancing, playing or listening to music, watching the
sun rise or set, or making love bring us such joy and delight? They ground us in rhythms
that carry us back to touch the wisdom and strength of our very source."
Best wishes for a wonderfully expressive, balanced, and
rhythm-filled week.
"Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get
up and dance. Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great
because of their passion."
--Martha Graham
Featured Product
Living in Balance
by Joel Levey & Michelle Levey
Conari Press, 1998
$17.95 + shipping
In these pages you will find a wealth of inspiration and practical
guidance, and strategies and skills for living with greater mastery and faith amidst the
many mysteries and uncertainties of your life, work, and relationships.
"Joel and Michelle have constructed a text of sheer brilliance. Every page offers
new insights and truth. No reader could be disappointed by this book!"
-- Caroline M. Myss, Ph.D.,
author of Why People Don't Heal and How They Can and Anatomy of the Spirit.
