“Knowledge is only a rumor until it lives in the muscle.”
(a proverb of the Asaro tribe of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.)
Brene Brown, the Ted Talk phenom who went viral with her talks on vulnerability, in her recent book, Rising Strong: The Reckoning, The Rumble, The Revolution, reviewed some distinctive traits of the most influential people whom she had met. Included in the top four was: they all had a physical practice whereby they integrated the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual learning through movement and exercise and creative impulse.
Brown comments: “We move what we’re learning from our heads to our hearts through our bodies. We are born makers, and creativity is the ultimate act of integration — it is how we fold our experiences into our being…
Our expressions of spirituality are as diverse as we are. When our intentions and actions are guided by spirituality — our belief in our interconnectedness and love — our everyday experiences can be spiritual practices. We can transform teaching, leading, and parenting into spiritual practices. Asking for and receiving help can also be spiritual practices.” (adapted from www.BrainPickings.org, Maria Popova.)
When we speak of an embodied spiritual practice what typically comes to mind are disciplines such as tai chi, yoga, martial arts, meditation. But it could also include music, dancing, gardening, walking in nature, or being in an intimate relationship.
The defining elements for such a practice are:
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it engages our bodies through movement and breath,
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it is something we do with regularity, commitment and discipline, and
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we embrace a spiritual mindset of interconnectedness, love, and humility.
Different practices, different learnings.
Of course, every practice is different and teaches different skills and intensifies different energy. For example, at one point I took Tango lessons from someone who also teaches Aikido. He identified similarities between Tango and Aikido in that with both you are attuning yourself to the energy of your partner. However, in Aikido, it is to dominate or overcome your partner. In Tango, it is to learn how to cooperate with, complement and be supportive to your partner. Similar but very different.
I have always considered Tango a spiritual practice. The learnings are too extensive and diverse to explore in this blog but I reference them regularly throughout my writing. My Tango journey began as a romantic overture with my then-fiancee. From there it morphed to incorporate healing from childhood trauma and enhancing general body awareness including rhythmicality and mindfulness. (See my memoir: Trauma to Tango: dancing through the shadows. Amazon)
Currently, I am using Tango as a practicum to learn how to bridge male and female energy (anima/ animus, yin/ yang) and habitualize respectful relational dynamics of gentleness, attentiveness, respect, humility, trust, vulnerability, encouragement, and support. This includes intensifying an energetic resonance with my partner by blending music and motion with sensuality and creativity artistry.
And all of this undergirds or reinforces my conviction that wherever and whenever our awareness of the synergistic interplay of spirit and body intensifies, it is there we meet the divine. My devotional reading from this week puts it this way:
“Finding tangible ways of expressing our faith is an endless rhythmic dance. The steps change now and then, but Someone Else is always leading and it’s just up to us to “follow” along.” (Centre for Action and Contemplation www.cac.org)
P.S. Never vote for a politician who can’t dance. Am I right?