Close to the end of Saturday’s class we went down to the floor (or deck as the case was), the Five Sensations showed up and we danced through each, separately, paying attention to the art of being in relationship with each.
Sensation of Strength – felt as tension; muscle wrapping – energy packing around bones; push-pull. Energy that is felt as contained and sustained. High energy output.
Flexibility – energy moving out along the bones; directional: extension, flexion, rotation; creating more volume and space around joints. Less energy output than strength.
Agility – the sensation of “start and stop”; distinct in beginning and end; clear, intentional, deliberate, decisive. Variety of speed.
Mobility – sensation of continuous movement; like Goldie Locks said, “Not too hard, not too soft – it’s just right!” Sensing a balance of strength and relaxation as you move.
Stability – “I choose to be here in space!” Relaxed without collapse, Energy moving in and out from all directions. An energetically harmonious combination of strength, agility, mobility and flexibility.
How do I sense the relationship between my bones and joints through the sensation of strength? Flexibility? Agility? Mobility? Stability? How does agility affect the relationship between my spine and the music?
How does mobility in my pelvis affect the relationship between my feet and stability?
In what way is my head in relationship with my movement? With the rest of my body? With sensation? How does where I put or how I hold my head influence each sensation in turn?
Are my attitudes and beliefs the same, after moving as they were when I began?
How has my mental energy been affected by this dance?
Connected in another way is moving what I sense and pattern (put movements together into patterns and into music), in relationship with only the music and my body as a compass. (“Only” speaking to the the fact that I have no students through whom to receive feedback.) I’ll save that for another post…
As exploration, to discover the answers to the questions I’ve posed I could not rely on my mental or thinking self. This had to be a physically experiential exploration. Only through my body could I receive this information. My mind later processes my experience into words and images, but not until my body and brain have the material for my mind to “convert” into the type of information I’m sharing with you now.
What are the possible benefits to this experiment?
Stimulates the body-mind connection.
Mind: Squishy Pig: Light, Soft, well – Squishy, Bumpy, Jiggly
+
Body: Sensations of Light, Soft, Squishy, Bumpy and Jiggly in my body.
= Connection
It has expanded my movement vocabulary.
Moving like a “string of pearls” gave me a concrete example of how connecting the dots (one movement into the next) looks and feels in my hands.
It interrupted my movement habits.
“Tried and true” increases the potential for overuse injuries and is not the stimulation my brain (and yours) needs to stave off premature decline, dementia and Alzheimer’s.
It stimulated my imagination.
How does Squishy Pig move?!
It made me giggle, which helped to encourage relaxation.
Neuroplasticity.
The ability of my brain (and yours) to change, physically, in response to stimulation (new stuff! how do I do this?) and activity (dance – considered one of the best ways to keep body and brain healthy).
ReCap:
Body-Mind Connection
New Moves
Awareness of old ways of movement
Creativity
Brain Games
(For more information on the Five Sensations, click on For You, then Learn and Five Sensations and the Art of Sensing.)
Movement Alchemy 